Shloka 9

The Glory of Prayāga: Merit of Bathing, Remembrance, and Divine Protection

Devanagari script

प्रयागं तु विशेषेण स्वयं रक्षति वासवः । मंडलं रक्षति हरिर्देवैः सह सुसंमतम्

Transliteration

prayāgaṃ tu viśeṣeṇa svayaṃ rakṣati vāsavaḥ | maṃḍalaṃ rakṣati harirdevaiḥ saha susaṃmatam

Translation

ประยาคะนั้น พระวาสวะ (พระอินทร์) ทรงพิทักษ์เป็นพิเศษด้วยพระองค์เอง และพระหริ (พระวิษณุ) ทรงคุ้มครองมณฑลศักดิ์สิทธิ์นั้นร่วมกับเหล่าเทพ ด้วยความพร้อมเพรียงต้องกัน

Word by Word

• प्रयागम्: Prayāga
• प्रयागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात) — particle ‘but/indeed’

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — masculine instrumental singular; adverbial use

• स्वयम्: personally
• स्वयम्: Karta (Emphatic agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्वकृत्यबोधक) — indeclinable ‘oneself/personally’

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — present indicative, 3rd person singular

• वासवः: Vāsava (Indra)
• वासवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular (Indra)

• मण्डलम्: the region / circle (maṇḍala)
• मण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — present indicative, 3rd person singular

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular (Viṣṇu)

• देवैः: with the gods
• देवैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — masculine instrumental plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सहार्थक उपपद) — indeclinable ‘with’; governs instrumental

• सुसंमतम्: well-approved / well-agreed upon
• सुसंमतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + संमत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: सम् + मन् (धातु) → संमत (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular; agrees with ‘मण्डलम्’

Speaker

Not explicitly stated in the provided excerpt (context-dependent narration within Svarga-khaṇḍa).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: हरिर्देवैः → हरिः देवैः (विसर्गसन्धि: इः + द → इर् + द); प्रयागं → प्रयागम् (अनुस्वार-लेखनभेद)

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Vāsava (Indra)
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Devas

FAQs

What does this verse say about the sanctity of Prayāga?

It portrays Prayāga as so sacred that it is under direct divine guardianship—Indra protects it “especially,” indicating exceptional status among tīrthas.

Who is “Hari” here and what is he protecting?

“Hari” refers to Viṣṇu. He is said to protect the “maṇḍala,” understood as the sacred region or holy precinct associated with the tīrtha, together with the other gods.

What is the implied ethical or devotional lesson?

The verse implies that holy places and dharmic spaces are upheld by divine order; approaching them with reverence, purity, and right conduct aligns one with that divinely sanctioned harmony.