Shloka 6

Matsya Purana — The Glory of Prayaga: Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा दिवं यान्ति ये मृतास्ते ऽपुनर्भवाः ततो ब्रह्मादयो देवा रक्षां कुर्वन्ति संगताः //

Transliteration

tatra snātvā divaṃ yānti ye mṛtāste 'punarbhavāḥ tato brahmādayo devā rakṣāṃ kurvanti saṃgatāḥ //

Translation

Having bathed there, even those who die thereafter go to heaven and do not return to rebirth. Therefore Brahmā and the other gods, assembled together, provide protection (to that sacred place and its devotees).

Word by Word

• tatra: there (at that tirtha)

• snātvā: having bathed

• divam: to heaven

• yānti: they go

• ye: those who

• mṛtāḥ: dead / who have died

• te: they

• apunarbhavāḥ: not subject to rebirth (lit. ‘without again-becoming’)

• tataḥ: therefore / from that reason

• brahmādayaḥ: Brahmā and the others

• devāḥ: gods

• rakṣām: protection / guarding

• kurvanti: they do

• saṃgatāḥ: gathered / assembled.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) speaking to Vaivasvata Manu (tirtha-mahatmya instruction context)

Entities Mentioned

• Brahmā
• Devas (gods)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Snana
• Punya
• Moksha
• Deva-raksha

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about liberation or freedom from rebirth (apunarbhava)?

It credits a specific sacred bath (tīrtha-snāna) with an exceptionally high fruit: one who dies after bathing there is said to reach heaven and become ‘apunarbhava’—free from further rebirth—indicating the tīrtha’s extraordinary salvific merit.

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

It supports the Purāṇic ethic that householders and rulers should uphold pilgrimage routes and tīrthas—ensuring safe access, cleanliness, and protection—since such places are portrayed as spiritually transformative and divinely safeguarded.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, the focus is tīrtha-snāna (sacred bathing) as a formal act producing punya and ultimate spiritual benefit; architecturally, it implies the need for protected ghāṭas, bathing steps, and well-maintained pilgrimage infrastructure under sacred guardianship.