Shloka 6

Matsya Purana — The Greatness of Prayaga and Allied Tirthas

Devanagari script

गङ्गायमुनयोर्मध्ये पृथिव्या जघनं स्मृतम् प्रयागं राजशार्दूल कलां नार्हति षोडशीम् //

Transliteration

gaṅgāyamunayormadhye pṛthivyā jaghanaṃ smṛtam prayāgaṃ rājaśārdūla kalāṃ nārhati ṣoḍaśīm //

Translation

Between the Gaṅgā and the Yamunā is remembered the “hip” of the Earth—Prayāga, O tiger among kings; it falls short not even by a sixteenth part in excellence.

Word by Word

गङ्गा-यमुनयोःof the Ganga and the Yamuna

मध्येin the middle/between

पृथिव्याःof the Earth

जघनम्hip/rear-portion (metaphorical sacred limb)

स्मृतम्is remembered/declared

प्रयागम्Prayaga (Allahabad/Prayagraj, the confluence)

राजशार्दूलO tiger among kings (royal address)

कलाम्a fraction/measure, a ‘part’

न अर्हतिdoes not lack/is not inferior to

षोडशीम्a sixteenth part (1/16)

Speaker

Suta (Purana-narrator) describing the tirtha-mahatmya in the Matsya Purana’s discourse framework

Entities Mentioned

GangaYamunaPrayagaPrithivi (Earth)

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; instead, it presents a sacred-geography metaphor where Prayāga is compared to a limb of the Earth, emphasizing the tirtha’s cosmic sanctity.

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

By addressing a king (“rājaśārdūla”), the verse frames pilgrimage and honoring major tirthas like Prayāga as part of righteous conduct—supporting dharma through reverence for sacred sites and river confluences.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual takeaway is the exceptional sanctity of the Gaṅgā–Yamunā confluence at Prayāga; such sangamas are prime locations for snāna (ritual bathing), dāna (charity), and tirtha-observances in Purāṇic practice.