Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामेव भूतानां पापोपहतचेतसाम् गतिम् अन्विष्यमाणानां नास्ति गङ्गासमा गतिः //

Transliteration

sarveṣāmeva bhūtānāṃ pāpopahatacetasām gatim anviṣyamāṇānāṃ nāsti gaṅgāsamā gatiḥ //

Translation

For all beings whose minds have been struck down by sin and who seek a saving course, there is no path of deliverance equal to the Gaṅgā.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम् (sarveṣām): of all

• एव (eva): indeed

• भूतानाम् (bhūtānām): of living beings

• पापोपहत-चेतसाम् (pāpopahata-cetasām): of those whose consciousness is afflicted/overpowered by sin

• गतिम् (gatim): refuge, course, goal, deliverance

• अन्विष्यमाणानाम् (anviṣyamāṇānām): of those who are seeking

• नास्ति (nāsti): there is not

• गङ्गा-समा (gaṅgā-samā): equal to the Ganga

• गतिः (gatiḥ): way, refuge, liberation-path.

Speaker

• Suta (traditional Purana narrator) describing the Ganga’s salvific supremacy (Ganga-Mahatmya context within Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Ganga

Tags

• Ganga Mahatmya
• Tirtha
• Prayashchitta
• Dharma
• Punya

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss cosmic creation or Pralaya; it teaches a soteriological principle: the Ganga is the foremost means of purification and refuge for sin-afflicted beings.

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

It supports Dharma-based conduct by emphasizing prayāścitta (atonement) and purification: a householder or king should uphold sacred observances, sponsor pilgrimage and bathing rites, and guide society toward ethical reform through recognized purifying disciplines centered on the Ganga.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual takeaway is primary: the Ganga is upheld as the supreme purifier—implying high merit for Ganga-snāna (sacred bathing), tirtha-yātrā (pilgrimage), and related rites performed on her banks.