Shloka 20

Matsya Purana — The Greatness of Prayaga: Manasa Tirtha

Devanagari script

यामुने चोत्तरे कूले प्रयागस्य तु दक्षिणे ऋणप्रमोचनं नाम तत्तीर्थं परमं स्मृतम् //

Transliteration

yāmune cottare kūle prayāgasya tu dakṣiṇe ṛṇapramocanaṃ nāma tattīrthaṃ paramaṃ smṛtam //

Translation

On the northern bank of the Yamunā, and to the south of Prayāga, there is a sacred ford called Ṛṇa-pramocana (“Release from Debts”); it is remembered as a tīrtha of supreme excellence.

Word by Word

• yāmune: on the Yamunā (Yamunā river)

• ca: and

• uttare: on the northern

• kūle: bank/shore

• prayāgasya: of Prayāga

• tu: indeed

• dakṣiṇe: to the south

• ṛṇa-pramocanam: release from debts/obligations

• nāma: named/called

• tat-tīrtham: that tīrtha, that sacred crossing-place

• paramam: highest/supreme

• smṛtam: is traditionally remembered/declared

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu, within a tirtha-mahatmya narration)

Entities Mentioned

• Yamuna
• Prayaga
• Rina-pramocana Tirtha

Tags

• Tirtha
• Prayaga
• Yamuna
• Pilgrimage
• Ritual Merit

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it belongs to a tirtha-mahātmya passage, mapping sacred geography and the religious efficacy of specific pilgrimage sites.

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

By highlighting Ṛṇa-pramocana (“release from debts”), the verse aligns with the householder ideal of clearing obligations—social, familial, and ritual—through righteous conduct and sanctioned pilgrimage/rites at celebrated tīrthas.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is primarily ritual: the verse identifies a specific tīrtha location (north bank of Yamunā, south of Prayāga) renowned for rites associated with freedom from debts/obligations, typically involving tīrtha-snān (sacred bathing) and related offerings.