Shloka 15

Matsya Purana — The Greatness of Prayāga

Devanagari script

तथा सर्वेषु लोकेषु प्रयागं पूजयेद्बुधः पूज्यते तीर्थराजस्तु सत्यमेव युधिष्ठिर //

Transliteration

tathā sarveṣu lokeṣu prayāgaṃ pūjayedbudhaḥ pūjyate tīrtharājastu satyameva yudhiṣṭhira //

Translation

Likewise, in all worlds the wise should venerate Prayāga; for the King of Tīrthas, the supreme sacred ford, is truly worshipped—this is the truth, O Yudhiṣṭhira.

Word by Word

• tathā: likewise/so

• sarveṣu: in all

• lokeṣu: worlds/realms

• prayāgam: Prayāga (the sacred confluence)

• pūjayet: should worship/venerate

• budhaḥ: the wise person

• pūjyate: is worshipped/is worthy of worship

• tīrtharājaḥ: king of tīrthas (foremost pilgrimage place)

• tu: indeed/but

• satyam: truth

• eva: certainly/indeed

• yudhiṣṭhira: O Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

• Narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira (tīrtha-māhātmya discourse within the Purāṇic narration)

Entities Mentioned

• Prayāga
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Tīrtharāja (King of Tīrthas)

Tags

• Tirtha Mahatmya
• Prayaga
• Pilgrimage
• Dharma
• Ritual Worship

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it affirms Prayāga’s supra-cosmic sanctity by stating it is revered “in all worlds,” emphasizing its enduring spiritual status rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

It frames tīrtha-yātrā and tīrtha-pūjā as a dhārmic practice: a wise householder (and by extension a righteous king) should honor Prayāga, supporting moral purification, merit-making, and public reverence for sacred institutions.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual point is direct: “pūjayet”—Prayāga should be worshipped/ritually honored; while not giving Vāstu rules, it supports the practice of tīrtha-pūjā at sacred confluences and their maintained worship-spaces.