Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

न ते जीवन्ति लोके ऽस्मिंस् तत्र तत्र युधिष्ठिर ये प्रयागं न सम्प्राप्तास् त्रिषु लोकेषु वञ्चिताः //

Transliteration

na te jīvanti loke 'smiṃs tatra tatra yudhiṣṭhira ye prayāgaṃ na samprāptās triṣu lokeṣu vañcitāḥ //

Translation

O Yudhiṣṭhira, those who have not reached Prayāga do not truly live in this world; wherever they may be, they remain deprived of merit across the three worlds.

Word by Word

• na: not

• te: they/those people

• jīvanti: live (truly live)

• loke: in the world

• asmin: in this

• tatra tatra: here and there/wherever

• yudhiṣṭhira: O Yudhiṣṭhira

• ye: who

• prayāgam: Prayāga (the sacred confluence)

• na: not

• samprāptāḥ: having attained/reached

• triṣu: in the three

• lokeṣu: worlds

• vañcitāḥ: cheated/deprived/kept from (merit).

Speaker

• Narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira (Pilgrimage eulogy within the Purāṇic discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Prayāga
• Tri-loka (three worlds)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Prayaga
• Pilgrimage
• Punya
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It does not discuss Pralaya directly; it emphasizes tīrtha-mahātmya—how contact with a sacred confluence like Prayāga is said to generate enduring merit recognized across the three worlds.

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

It frames pilgrimage as a dharmic act: rulers and householders are urged to seek sanctifying practices (tīrtha-yātrā, vows, charity) to secure welfare and merit for themselves and their dependents.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse is ritual in orientation rather than architectural: it highlights the rite of approaching/visiting Prayāga (the sacred saṅgama), implying bathing, vows, and offerings typically associated with tirtha observance.