Shloka 13

Glorification of the Yamunā (Yamuna Mahatmya) and Prayāga’s Step-by-Step Aśvamedha Merit

Devanagari script

मार्कंडेय उवाच । शृणु राजन्महागुह्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । मासं वसंस्तु राजेंद्र प्रयागे नियतेंद्रियः

Transliteration

mārkaṃḍeya uvāca | śṛṇu rājanmahāguhyaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam | māsaṃ vasaṃstu rājeṃdra prayāge niyateṃdriyaḥ

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya bersabda: “Wahai Raja, dengarlah rahsia agung ini yang memusnahkan segala dosa. Wahai raja segala raja, dengan menetap di Prayāga selama sebulan sambil mengekang pancaindera…”

Word by Word

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mahā-guhyam: a great secret
• mahā-guhyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महद् गुह्यम्)

• sarva-pāpa-praṇāśanam: destroyer of all sins
• sarva-pāpa-praṇāśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः): ‘सर्वेषां पापानां प्रणाशनम्’

• māsam: for a month
• māsam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालावधि-अर्थे (accusative of duration)

• vasan: staying
• vasan: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वसन्’ = dwelling/staying

• tu: indeed; but
• tu: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोध/अन्वयार्थक निपात

• rājendra: O best of kings
• rājendra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी): ‘राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः’

• prayāge: in Prayāga
• prayāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• niyata-indriyaḥ: one with controlled senses
• niyata-indriyaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyata (प्रातिपदिक) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि: ‘नियतानीन्द्रियाणि यस्य सः’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: rājanmahāguhyaṃ = rājan mahā-guhyam; vasaṃstu = vasan tu; rājeṃdra = rājendra; niyateṃdriyaḥ = niyata-indriyaḥ.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• King (Rājan/Rājendra)
• Prayāga

FAQs

What does this verse say is a powerful sin-destroying practice?

It points to living at Prayāga for a month while practicing restraint of the senses (niyatendriya), presented as a “great secret” that destroys sins.

Why is Prayāga significant in this verse?

Prayāga is highlighted as a tīrtha where disciplined residence and practice are especially efficacious for purification, fitting the tīrtha-māhātmya tone common in the Svarga-khaṇḍa.

What ethical or spiritual discipline is emphasized here?

Self-control (indriya-nigraha) is central—purification is tied not only to sacred place but also to inner restraint and regulated conduct.