Shloka 9

Glorification of Prayāga

Prayāga Māhātmya

Devanagari script

मार्कंडेय उवाच । प्रयागे निवसंत्येते ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः । कारणं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु तत्त्वं युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

mārkaṃḍeya uvāca | prayāge nivasaṃtyete brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ | kāraṇaṃ tu pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu tattvaṃ yudhiṣṭhira

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya bersabda: Di Prayāga bersemayam tiga-tiga-Nya—Brahmā, Viṣṇu dan Maheśvara. Aku akan menjelaskan sebabnya; dengarlah kebenaran hakiki, wahai Yudhiṣṭhira.

Word by Word

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Mārkaṇḍeya
• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, Perfect), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• prayāge: in Prayāga
• prayāge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• nivasanti: dwell
• nivasanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु) with ni- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, Present), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• brahma-viṣṇu-maheśvarāḥ: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara
• brahma-viṣṇu-maheśvarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); itaretara-dvandva: “Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara”

• kāraṇam: the reason
• kāraṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात): contrast/emphasis

• pravakṣyāmi: I will explain
• pravakṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु) with pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्, Periphrastic Future), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्, Imperative), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• tattvam: the truth
• tattvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• yudhiṣṭhira: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• yudhiṣṭhira: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudhiṣṭhira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: nivasaṃtyete = nivasanti + ete; brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ = brahma-viṣṇu-maheśvarāḥ (dvandva).

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Prayāga
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What does this verse indicate about Prayāga in the Padma Purāṇa?

It presents Prayāga as an exceptionally sacred tīrtha where the Trimūrti—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva—are said to reside, signaling its supreme sanctity.

Who is speaking to whom in this verse?

The sage Mārkaṇḍeya is speaking, addressing King Yudhiṣṭhira and promising to explain the underlying reason (kāraṇa) and the essential truth (tattva).

What is the ethical or spiritual takeaway implied here?

The verse frames sacred knowledge as something to be heard attentively from a qualified teacher: it emphasizes receptivity (śṛṇu) and a truth-oriented approach (tattva) when learning about dharma and tīrthas.