Shloka 15

Matsya Purana — The Glory of Prayaga: Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

कीर्तनान्मुच्यते पापाद् दृष्ट्वा भद्राणि पश्यति अवगाह्य च पीत्वा तु पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम् //

Transliteration

kīrtanānmucyate pāpād dṛṣṭvā bhadrāṇi paśyati avagāhya ca pītvā tu punātyāsaptamaṃ kulam //

Translation

By chanting its name and glories one is freed from sin; by beholding it one beholds auspiciousness. And by bathing in it and drinking its waters, one purifies one’s lineage up to the seventh generation.

Word by Word

• kīrtanāt: by chanting/reciting (praise)

• mucyate: is released/freed

• pāpāt: from sin

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen/by seeing

• bhadrāṇi: auspicious things/good fortune

• paśyati: one sees/obtains the vision of

• avagāhya: having bathed/immersed

• ca: and

• pītvā: having drunk

• tu: indeed

• punāti: purifies

• ā (emphatic/augment): wholly/indeed

• saptamam: up to the seventh

• kulam: family/lineage

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within the tirtha-mahatmya discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Tirtha (sacred ford/waters)
• Kirtana (devotional recitation)
• Kula (lineage)

Tags

• Tirtha-Mahatmya
• Ritual Bathing
• Kirtana
• Purification
• Pilgrimage

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it teaches tirtha-mahatmya—how chanting, seeing, bathing, and drinking at a sacred place removes sin and grants auspicious results.

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

It supports dharmic conduct through pilgrimage and devotion: a householder (or king) gains merit by kīrtana and by honoring sacred waters, and the benefit is described as extending to one’s lineage (kula) up to seven generations.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is primary: kīrtana (recitation), darśana (seeing the sacred site), snāna/avagāha (bathing), and pāna (drinking) are presented as standard tirtha-ritual acts that confer purification.