Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

यावदस्थीनि गङ्गायां तिष्ठन्ति हि शरीरिणः तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते //

Transliteration

yāvadasthīni gaṅgāyāṃ tiṣṭhanti hi śarīriṇaḥ tāvadvarṣasahasrāṇi svargaloke mahīyate //

Translation

So long as a person’s bones remain in the Gaṅgā, for that many thousands of years that embodied being is honored and exalted in the world of heaven.

Word by Word

• yāvat: as long as

• asthīni: bones

• gaṅgāyām: in the Ganga

• tiṣṭhanti: remain/abide

• hi: indeed

• śarīriṇaḥ: the embodied being/person (connected with the body)

• tāvat: for that long/that many

• varṣa-sahasrāṇi: thousands of years

• svarga-loke: in the heavenly world (Svarga)

• mahīyate: is honored, revered, exalted

Speaker

• Suta (traditional Purana narrator) describing Ganga-tirtha merit

Entities Mentioned

• Ganga
• Svarga

Tags

• Tirtha
• Ganga Mahatmya
• Shraddha
• Afterlife
• Punya

FAQs

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

It does not address Pralaya; it teaches the post-death spiritual merit (puṇya) gained when one’s bones remain in the Gaṅgā, resulting in honor in Svarga.

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

It supports the gṛhastha duty of performing antyeṣṭi and śrāddha-related rites—especially asthi-visarjana in sacred waters—ensuring welfare of the departed and accruing religious merit.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights the efficacy of asthi-visarjana (immersion of bones/ashes) in the Gaṅgā; no Vāstu or temple-architecture rule is stated in this verse.