Shloka 3

Matsya Purana — The Greatness of Prayaga and Allied Tirthas

Devanagari script

दश तीर्थसहस्राणि त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तथा पराः प्रयागे संस्थिता नित्यम् एवमाहुर्मनीषिणः //

Transliteration

daśa tīrthasahasrāṇi triṃśatkoṭyastathā parāḥ prayāge saṃsthitā nityam evamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ //

Translation

The sages declare that in Prayāga there are ever-present ten thousand tīrthas (sacred fords), and moreover thirty crores besides—abiding there perpetually.

Word by Word

• daśa: ten

• tīrtha-sahasrāṇi: thousands of sacred fords/pilgrimage places

• triṃśat-koṭyaḥ: thirty koṭis (crores, i.e., three hundred million)

• tathā: and also/likewise

• parāḥ: further/others besides

• prayāge: at Prayāga

• saṃsthitāḥ: situated/established

• nityam: always, eternally

• evam: thus

• āhuḥ: they say/declare

• manīṣiṇaḥ: the wise, sages

Speaker

• Suta (Purana narrator) conveying the received statement of the sages (manīṣiṇaḥ)

Entities Mentioned

• Prayaga
• Tirtha
• Manishinah (sages)

Tags

• Tirtha-Mahatmya
• Prayaga
• Pilgrimage
• Sacred Geography
• Punya

FAQs

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

It does not describe pralaya directly; it emphasizes the timeless, ever-abiding sanctity of Prayāga, presenting it as a perpetually present spiritual locus (nityam saṃsthitāḥ).

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

By praising Prayāga as a supreme tīrtha, it supports the Purāṇic householder ethic of undertaking tīrtha-yātrā, bathing, and charity in holy places as part of dharma and the pursuit of merit (puṇya).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual takeaway is tīrtha-snāna and pilgrimage: the verse frames Prayāga as a concentrated field of sacred tīrthas, implying exceptional efficacy for rites like bathing, offerings, and vows performed there.