Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

विस्मृतानि च शस्त्राणि प्रादुर्भावं प्रपेदिरे प्रभावस्तीर्थमुख्यानां तदा पुण्यतमो ऽभवत् //

Transliteration

vismṛtāni ca śastrāṇi prādurbhāvaṃ prapedire prabhāvastīrthamukhyānāṃ tadā puṇyatamo 'bhavat //

Translation

جو ہتھیار فراموشی میں چلے گئے تھے وہ بھی اس وقت پھر ظاہر ہو گئے؛ اور اسی گھڑی بڑے بڑے تیرتھوں کی تاثیر نہایت اعلیٰ درجے کی موجبِ ثواب بن گئی۔

Word by Word

• vismṛtāni: forgotten/long-unremembered

• ca: and

• śastrāṇi: weapons/arms

• prādurbhāvam: manifestation/appearance

• prapedire: attained/came to

• prabhāvaḥ: potency, sacred power, efficacy

• tīrtha-mukhyānām: of the chief tīrthas (principal pilgrimage sites)

• tadā: then/at that time

• puṇya-tamaḥ: most holy, most merit-giving

• abhavat: became/was

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) reporting the Matsya Purana’s tirtha-mahātmya narrative (traditionally framed as teaching ultimately rooted in Lord Matsya’s instruction).

Entities Mentioned

• Tirthas (sacred pilgrimage fords)

Tags

• Tirtha-Mahatmya
• Pilgrimage
• Punya
• Sacred Power
• Ritual Merit

FAQs

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

It does not directly describe pralaya; instead, it emphasizes extraordinary re-manifestation and heightened sacred efficacy, using “appearance again” as a sign of intensified tirtha-prabhāva (holy potency).

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

It supports the dharmic ideal that householders and rulers should seek purification and merit through recognized tirthas; honoring chief pilgrimage sites is presented as a powerful means to accrue puṇya and uphold social-religious order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual takeaway is the primacy of tīrtha-prabhāva—bathing, worship, and offerings performed at major tirthas are portrayed as especially merit-giving; no specific vastu/temple-measurement rule is stated in this verse.