Shloka 22

Matsya Purana — Procedure for Going to Prayaga and the Greatness of the Ganga

Devanagari script

न देववचनात्तात न लोकवचनात्तथा मतिर् उत्क्रमणीया ते प्रयागगमनं प्रति //

Transliteration

na devavacanāttāta na lokavacanāttathā matir utkramaṇīyā te prayāgagamanaṃ prati //

Translation

Dear one, neither at the bidding of the gods nor at the urging of people should your resolve be turned away; your intention to go to Prayāga must not waver.

Word by Word

• na: not

• deva-vacanāt: from the word/command of the gods

• tāta: dear one/son

• na: not

• loka-vacanāt: from the word/advice of people/the world

• tathā: likewise

• matiḥ: mind, intention, resolve

• utkramaṇīyā: to be diverted/turned away/overstepped

• te: your

• prayāga-gamanam: going to Prayāga

• prati: toward/with regard to.

Speaker

• Narrator/teacher figure within the Prayaga-Mahatmya discourse (speaker not explicitly identifiable from this single verse alone)

Entities Mentioned

• Prayaga

Tags

• Prayaga
• Tirtha
• Pilgrimage
• Vrata
• Resolve

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on steadfast determination to undertake a sacred journey to Prayāga, presenting pilgrimage as a deliberate spiritual choice.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It frames dharmic conduct as grounded in personal vow and discernment: a householder (or ruler) should not abandon a righteous undertaking due to external pressures—whether ‘divine’ claims or popular opinion—once the goal is aligned with dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or iconographic rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is the primacy of saṅkalpa (firm resolve) for tīrtha-yātrā—one should not let competing voices derail the pilgrimage to Prayāga.