Shloka 57
Matsya Purana — Procedure for Going to Prayaga and the Greatness of the Ganga
कृते तु नैमिषं क्षेत्रं त्रेतायां पुष्करं परम् द्वापरे तु कुरुक्षेत्रं कलौ गङ्गा विशिष्यते //
kṛte tu naimiṣaṃ kṣetraṃ tretāyāṃ puṣkaraṃ param dvāpare tu kurukṣetraṃ kalau gaṅgā viśiṣyate //
In the Kṛta Yuga, the Naimiṣa sacred region is foremost; in the Tretā Yuga, supreme is Puṣkara; in the Dvāpara Yuga, Kurukṣetra is pre-eminent; and in the Kali Yuga, the Gaṅgā is regarded as the most distinguished.
FAQs
It does not discuss pralaya directly; it maps spiritual efficacy to yuga-conditions, implying that accessible tirthas (especially the Gaṅgā) become the primary support for purification in Kali Yuga.
It guides dharmic practice by era: householders and rulers should promote yuga-appropriate pilgrimage and purification—supporting access to tirthas, encouraging vows and bathing rites, and honoring the most efficacious sacred site for their time.
Ritually, it highlights yuga-wise priority of kṣetra and tirtha, especially Gaṅgā-snānā (river bathing) and pilgrimage observances in Kali Yuga; architecturally, it indirectly supports the establishment and maintenance of ghāṭas, temples, and pilgrim infrastructure along major tirthas.