Matsya Purana — Chapter 103
MtP 103.1
अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रयागस्योपवर्णनम् मार्कण्डेयेन कथितं यत्पुरा पाण्डुसूनवे
ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi prayāgasyopavarṇanam mārkaṇḍeyena kathitaṃ yatpurā pāṇḍusūnave
Next I shall relate the description of Prayāga, which was formerly told by Mārkaṇḍeya to the son of Pāṇḍu.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.2
भारते तु यदा वृत्ते प्राप्तराज्ये पृथासुते एतस्मिन्नन्तरे राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
bhārate tu yadā vṛtte prāptarājye pṛthāsute etasminnantare rājā kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
When the Bhārata (war) was over and the son of Pṛthā had obtained the kingdom, at that juncture King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.3
भ्रातृशोकेन संतप्तश् चिन्तयन्स पुनः पुनः आसीत्सुयोधनो राजा एकादशचमूपतिः
bhrātṛśokena saṃtaptaś cintayansa punaḥ punaḥ āsītsuyodhano rājā ekādaśacamūpatiḥ
burning with grief for his brothers (and kin), thinking again and again: "King Suyodhana was the lord of eleven armies;
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.4
अस्मान्संताप्य बहुशः सर्वे ते निधनं गताः वासुदेवं समाश्रित्य पञ्च शेषास्तु पाण्डवाः
asmānsaṃtāpya bahuśaḥ sarve te nidhanaṃ gatāḥ vāsudevaṃ samāśritya pañca śeṣāstu pāṇḍavāḥ
having afflicted us many times, they all met their destruction, while the five Pāṇḍavas, taking refuge in Vāsudeva, are left;
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.5
हत्वा भीष्मं च द्रोणं च कर्णं चैव महाबलम् दुर्योधनं च राजानं पुत्रभ्रातृसमन्वितम्
hatvā bhīṣmaṃ ca droṇaṃ ca karṇaṃ caiva mahābalam duryodhanaṃ ca rājānaṃ putrabhrātṛsamanvitam
having slain Bhīṣma and Droṇa and Karṇa of great strength, and King Duryodhana together with his sons and brothers —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.6
राजानो निहताः सर्वे ये चान्ये शूरमानिनः किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा
rājāno nihatāḥ sarve ye cānye śūramāninaḥ kiṃ no rājyena govinda kiṃ bhogairjīvitena vā
All the kings have been slain, and the others too who thought themselves heroes. What is kingship to us, Govinda, what are enjoyments, or life?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.7
धिक् कष्टमिति संचित्य राजा वैक्लव्यभागतः निर्विचेष्टो निरुत्साहः किंचित् तिष्ठत्यधोमुखः
dhik kaṣṭamiti saṃcitya rājā vaiklavyabhāgataḥ nirviceṣṭo nirutsāhaḥ kiṃcit tiṣṭhatyadhomukhaḥ
Reflecting, "Alas, how grievous!", the king, overcome by dejection, sits for a while with his face downcast, motionless and without spirit.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.8
लब्धसंज्ञो यदा राजा चिन्तयन्स पुनः पुनः कतरो विनियोगो वा नियमं तीर्थमेव च
labdhasaṃjño yadā rājā cintayansa punaḥ punaḥ kataro viniyogo vā niyamaṃ tīrthameva ca
When the king regained his senses, he thought again and again: which observance, or which practice, or which sacred ford (should it be)?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
MtP 103.9
येनाहं शीघ्रम् आमुञ्चे महापातकिकिल्बिषात् यत्र स्थित्वा नरो याति विष्णुलोकमनुत्तमम्
yenāhaṃ śīghram āmuñce mahāpātakikilbiṣāt yatra sthitvā naro yāti viṣṇulokamanuttamam
—by which I may quickly be released from the guilt of the great sins, (that place) where a man, having stayed, goes to the unsurpassed world of Viṣṇu.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.10
कथं पृच्छामि वै कृष्णं येनेदं कारितो ऽस्म्यहम् धृतराष्ट्रं कथं पृच्छे यस्य पुत्रशतं हतम्
kathaṃ pṛcchāmi vai kṛṣṇaṃ yenedaṃ kārito 'smyaham dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ kathaṃ pṛcche yasya putraśataṃ hatam
How indeed shall I ask Kṛṣṇa, by whom I was made to do this? How shall I ask Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whose hundred sons were slain?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.11
व्यासं कथमहं पृच्छे यस्य गोत्रक्षयः कृतः एवं वैक्लव्यमापन्नो धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः रुदन्ति पाण्डवाः सर्वे भ्रातृशोकपरिप्लुताः
vyāsaṃ kathamahaṃ pṛcche yasya gotrakṣayaḥ kṛtaḥ evaṃ vaiklavyamāpanno dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ rudanti pāṇḍavāḥ sarve bhrātṛśokapariplutāḥ
How shall I ask Vyāsa, whose lineage has been destroyed? Thus King Yudhiṣṭhira, the king of righteousness, fell into dejection; and all the Pāṇḍavas wept, overwhelmed by grief for their kinsmen.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.12
ये च तत्र महात्मानः समेताः पाण्डवाः स्मृताः कुन्ती च द्रौपदी चैव ये च तत्र समागताः भूमौ निपतिताः सर्वे रुदन्तस्तु समन्ततः
ye ca tatra mahātmānaḥ sametāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ smṛtāḥ kuntī ca draupadī caiva ye ca tatra samāgatāḥ bhūmau nipatitāḥ sarve rudantastu samantataḥ
And those great-souled Pāṇḍavas who were assembled there, (and those) who are recorded (as present), and Kuntī and Draupadī, and those who had come together there — all fell to the ground, weeping on every side.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
MtP 103.13
वाराणस्यां मार्कण्डेयस् तेन ज्ञातो युधिष्ठिरः यथा वैक्लव्यमापन्नो रुदमानस्तु दुःखितः
vārāṇasyāṃ mārkaṇḍeyas tena jñāto yudhiṣṭhiraḥ yathā vaiklavyamāpanno rudamānastu duḥkhitaḥ
In Vārāṇasī, Mārkaṇḍeya came to know by that (means) how Yudhiṣṭhira had fallen into dejection, weeping and sorrowful.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.14
अचिरेणैव कालेन मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः सम्प्राप्तो हास्तिनपुरं राजद्वारे ह्यतिष्ठत
acireṇaiva kālena mārkaṇḍeyo mahātapāḥ samprāpto hāstinapuraṃ rājadvāre hyatiṣṭhata
In no long time Mārkaṇḍeya of great austerity reached Hāstinapura and stood at the king's gate.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.15
द्वारपालो ऽपि तं दृष्ट्वा राज्ञः कथितवान्द्रुतम् त्वां द्रष्टुकामो मार्कण्डेयो द्वारि तिष्ठत्यसौ मुनिः त्वरितो धर्मपुत्रस्तु द्वारमागादतः परम्
dvārapālo 'pi taṃ dṛṣṭvā rājñaḥ kathitavāndrutam tvāṃ draṣṭukāmo mārkaṇḍeyo dvāri tiṣṭhatyasau muniḥ tvarito dharmaputrastu dvāramāgādataḥ param
The gatekeeper too, seeing him, quickly told the king: "That sage Mārkaṇḍeya stands at the gate, wishing to see you." Then the son of Dharma went in haste to the gate.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.16
स्वागतं ते महाभाग स्वागतं ते महामुने अद्य मे सफलं जन्म अद्य मे तारितं कुलम्
svāgataṃ te mahābhāga svāgataṃ te mahāmune adya me saphalaṃ janma adya me tāritaṃ kulam
"Welcome to you, greatly fortunate one, welcome to you, great sage! Today my birth has borne fruit, today my family has been carried across.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.17
अद्य मे पितरस्तुष्टास् त्वयि दृष्टे महामुने अद्याहं पूतदेहो ऽस्मि यत्त्वया सह दर्शनम्
adya me pitarastuṣṭās tvayi dṛṣṭe mahāmune adyāhaṃ pūtadeho 'smi yattvayā saha darśanam
Today my forefathers are pleased, since you have been seen, great sage; today my body is purified, in that I have had sight of you."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.18
सिंहासने समास्थाप्य पादशौचार्चनादिभिः युधिष्ठिरो महात्मा वै पूजयामास तं मुनिम्
siṃhāsane samāsthāpya pādaśaucārcanādibhiḥ yudhiṣṭhiro mahātmā vai pūjayāmāsa taṃ munim
Having seated him on a lion-throne, the great-souled Yudhiṣṭhira honoured that sage with the washing of his feet, worship, and the rest.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.19
ततः स तुष्टो मार्कण्डः पूजितश्चाह तं नृपम् आख्याहि त्वरितं राजन् किमर्थं रुदितं त्वया केन वा विक्लवीभूतः का बाधा ते किमप्रियम्
tataḥ sa tuṣṭo mārkaṇḍaḥ pūjitaścāha taṃ nṛpam ākhyāhi tvaritaṃ rājan kimarthaṃ ruditaṃ tvayā kena vā viklavībhūtaḥ kā bādhā te kimapriyam
Then Mārkaṇḍa, pleased and honoured, said to that king: "Tell (me) quickly, O king, why you have wept, or by what you have been made dejected; what is the trouble for you, what is the unpleasantness?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.20
अस्माकं चैव यद्वृत्तं राज्यस्यार्थे महामुने एतत्सर्वं विदित्वा तु चिन्तावशमुपागतः
asmākaṃ caiva yadvṛttaṃ rājyasyārthe mahāmune etatsarvaṃ viditvā tu cintāvaśamupāgataḥ
"And what has happened to us for the sake of the kingdom, great sage — knowing all this, I have fallen under the sway of anxiety."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.21
शृणु राजन्महाबाहो क्षत्रधर्मव्यवस्थितम् नैव दृष्टं रणे पापं युध्यमानस्य धीमतः
śṛṇu rājanmahābāho kṣatradharmavyavasthitam naiva dṛṣṭaṃ raṇe pāpaṃ yudhyamānasya dhīmataḥ
"Listen, O king of mighty arms, to what is established in the law of the warrior class: no sin is seen in battle for a wise man who fights.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.22
किं पुना राजधर्मेण क्षत्रियस्य विशेषतः तदेवं हृदयं कृत्वा तस्मात्पापं न चिन्तयेत्
kiṃ punā rājadharmeṇa kṣatriyasya viśeṣataḥ tadevaṃ hṛdayaṃ kṛtvā tasmātpāpaṃ na cintayet
How much more so by the law of kings, especially for a kṣatriya! So making up your mind thus, one should not brood on sin over it."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.23
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा प्रणम्य शिरसा मुनिम् पप्रच्छ विनयोपेतः सर्वपातकनाशनम्
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā praṇamya śirasā munim papraccha vinayopetaḥ sarvapātakanāśanam
Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, bowing his head to the sage, humbly asked about the destruction of all sins.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.24
पृच्छामि त्वां महाप्राज्ञ नित्यं त्रैलोक्यदर्शिनम् कथय त्वं समासेन येन मुच्येत किल्बिषात्
pṛcchāmi tvāṃ mahāprājña nityaṃ trailokyadarśinam kathaya tvaṃ samāsena yena mucyeta kilbiṣāt
"I ask you, greatly wise one, who ever behold the three worlds: tell in brief that by which one may be freed from guilt."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 103.25
शृणु राजन्महाबाहो सर्वपातकनाशनम् प्रयागगमनं श्रेष्ठं नराणां पुण्यकर्मणाम्
śṛṇu rājanmahābāho sarvapātakanāśanam prayāgagamanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ narāṇāṃ puṇyakarmaṇām
"Listen, O king of mighty arms, to the destroyer of all sins: going to Prayāga is best for men of meritorious deeds."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition