Shloka 12
Matsya Purana — The Greatness of Prayaga and Allied Tirthas
यत्र गङ्गा महाभागा स देशस्तत्तपोधनम् सिद्धक्षेत्रं च विज्ञेयं गङ्गातीरसमन्वितम् //
yatra gaṅgā mahābhāgā sa deśastattapodhanam siddhakṣetraṃ ca vijñeyaṃ gaṅgātīrasamanvitam //
Wherever the greatly blessed Gaṅgā is present, that land is to be regarded as a true treasure of austerity; it should be known as a perfected sacred field (siddha-kṣetra), endowed with the banks of the Gaṅgā.
FAQs
This verse does not discuss Pralaya directly; it emphasizes sacred geography—declaring any region touched by the Gaṅgā as spiritually potent and “siddha,” a place where religious merit and attainments are fulfilled.
It supports dharmic living by prioritizing pilgrimage, vows, charity, and purification near the Gaṅgā; a king may protect such tirthas and facilitate access, while a householder may seek merit through worship, bathing, and disciplined conduct on the Gaṅgā’s banks.
Ritually, it elevates Gaṅgā-tīra as an ideal site for snāna (sacred bathing), tarpaṇa, śrāddha, japa, and vrata; architecturally, it implies that shrines, ghāṭas, and yātrā-infrastructure on Gaṅgā banks are especially meritorious due to the locale being treated as a siddha-kṣetra.