Shloka 3

Matsya Purana — The Greatness of Prayaga and the Supremacy of Cow-Donation

Devanagari script

व्याधितो यदि वा दीनो वृद्धो वापि भवेन्नरः गङ्गायमुनयोर्मध्ये यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत् //

Transliteration

vyādhito yadi vā dīno vṛddho vāpi bhavennaraḥ gaṅgāyamunayormadhye yastu prāṇānparityajet //

Translation

Whether a man is afflicted with illness, or is destitute, or has grown old—whoever relinquishes his life in the region between the Gaṅgā and the Yamunā attains exceptional sacred merit.

Word by Word

• व्याधितः: afflicted by disease

• यदि: if

• वा: or

• दीनः: poor, distressed, destitute

• वृद्धः: aged

• वा अपि: or even

• भवेत्: may be

• नरः: a man/person

• गङ्गा-यमुनयोः: of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā

• मध्ये: in the middle/between

• यः तु: whoever indeed

• प्राणान्: life-breaths, life

• परित्यजेत्: would abandon, would give up (i.e., die)

Speaker

• Suta Goswami (narrating the Matsya Purana’s tirtha-mahatmya passage)

Entities Mentioned

• Ganga
• Yamuna

Tags

• Tirtha Mahatmya
• Prayaga
• Antarvedi
• Death in sacred place
• Moksha merit

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it teaches tirtha-mahatmya—how a sacred location (between the Gaṅgā and Yamunā) is believed to confer extraordinary spiritual merit at the time of death.

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

It supports the householder ethic of seeking auspicious rites and holy places, especially in old age, poverty, or illness—encouraging pilgrimage and end-of-life spiritual preparation within dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual focus is on kṣetra-māhātmya: the sanctity of the Gaṅgā–Yamunā confluence region and the belief in heightened efficacy of final rites and death in that sacred zone, rather than on Vāstu or temple-building rules.