Shloka 63

Prayaga-mahatmya

Glory of Prayaga and the Magha Bath at Triveni

Devanagari script

पश्चाच्चक्रिणि लीयंते प्रयागे माघमज्जिनः । उपस्पृशति यो माघे मकरार्के सितासिते ॥ ६३ ॥

Transliteration

paścāccakriṇi līyaṃte prayāge māghamajjinaḥ | upaspṛśati yo māghe makarārke sitāsite || 63 ||

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം പ്രയാഗത്തിൽ മാഘസ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന ഭക്തർ അവസാനം ചക്രധാരിയായ ശ്രീവിഷ്ണുവിൽ ലയിക്കുന്നു. മാഘമാസത്തിൽ സൂര്യൻ മകരത്തിൽ നിൽക്കുമ്പോൾ, ശുക്ലപക്ഷമോ കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷമോ—ആരായാലും ശുദ്ധിസ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ അതേ പരമഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb: 'afterwards')

• चक्रिणि: in/at (the place/person) bearing a discus (cakrin)
• चक्रिणि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular); 'चक्रिणि' = चक्रिण्-शब्दस्य सप्तमी एकवचन

• लीयन्ते: merge/are dissolved
• लीयन्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ली (धातु) + य (यक्-प्रत्यय; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग: 'are dissolved/merge'

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• माघ-मज्जिनः: those who bathe in Māgha
• माघ-मज्जिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ + मज्जिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): माघे मज्जन्ति इति 'माघमज्जिनः'

• उपस्पृशति: touches/does ritual sipping & touching (purificatory act)
• उपस्पृशति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• माघे: in the month of Māgha
• माघे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• मकर-अर्के: when the Sun is in Capricorn
• मकर-अर्के: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: मकरस्य अर्कः (Sun in Capricorn) → 'मकरार्के' (locative)

• सित-असिते: in the bright and dark fortnights
• सित-असिते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सित + असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (copulative): शुक्लकृष्णपक्षयोः (in the bright and dark fortnights)

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Narada Purana’s Tirtha-Mahatmya section; dialogue context traditionally traces teachings through Narada’s lineage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Māgha-snāna (Māgha-vrata / Māgha-māsa observance)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Prayaga
• Makara (Capricorn)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It declares that Māgha स्नान (Māgha bathing) at Prayāga is a direct means to attain absorption in Viṣṇu (the Cakrin), presenting the tīrtha-rite as mokṣa-oriented purification.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By naming Viṣṇu as the final refuge and fruit of the vow, it frames the ritual act (snāna/upasparśa) as devotionally directed—an offering of body and mind toward the Cakrin.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa (Vedic astrology/kalā-nirṇaya) is implied through the timing marker “makarārke”—the rite is emphasized when the sun transits Makara, and it applies across both śukla and kṛṣṇa pakṣas.