Shloka 14

Matsya Purana — The Glory of Prayaga: Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

योजनानां सहस्रेषु गङ्गायाः स्मरणान्नरः अपि दुष्कृतकर्मा तु लभते परमां गतिम् //

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ sahasreṣu gaṅgāyāḥ smaraṇānnaraḥ api duṣkṛtakarmā tu labhate paramāṃ gatim //

Translation

Even from thousands of yojanas away, a man—though burdened with sinful deeds—attains the highest state merely by remembering the Gaṅgā.

Word by Word

• yojanānām: of yojanas (units of distance)

• sahasreṣu: in thousands

• gaṅgāyāḥ: of the Ganga

• smaraṇāt: from remembrance / by remembering

• naraḥ: a man

• api: even

• duṣkṛta-karmā: one whose actions are evil / a sinner

• tu: indeed / nevertheless

• labhate: attains

• paramām: supreme

• gatim: state, goal, liberation

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) conveying the Matsya Purana’s tirtha-mahatmya teaching

Entities Mentioned

• Ganga

Tags

• Tirtha-Mahatmya
• Ganga
• Smarana
• Punya
• Moksha

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it teaches tirtha-mahātmyā—how sacred remembrance (smaraṇa) of the Ganga grants spiritual upliftment irrespective of physical distance.

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

It supports the householder/kingly ethic that inner devotion and regular remembrance of sacred realities (like the Ganga) are accessible practices for purification, even when one cannot travel for pilgrimage due to duties of governance or family.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No temple/ वास्तु rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is that mental worship—smaraṇa of the Ganga—functions as a potent substitute or support to physical pilgrimage rites, emphasizing intention and remembrance as spiritually efficacious.