Matsya Purana — Chapter 104

MtP 104.1

भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि पुरा कल्पे यथास्थितम् ब्रह्मणा देवमुख्येन यथावत्कथितं मुने

bhagavañchrotumicchāmi purā kalpe yathāsthitam brahmaṇā devamukhyena yathāvatkathitaṃ mune

"Blessed one, I wish to hear how it was formerly, in an earlier age, as it was duly told by Brahmā, the chief of the gods, O sage."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.2

कथं प्रयागगमनं नराणां तत्र कीदृशम् मृतानां का गतिस्तत्र स्नातानां तत्र किं फलम्

kathaṃ prayāgagamanaṃ narāṇāṃ tatra kīdṛśam mṛtānāṃ kā gatistatra snātānāṃ tatra kiṃ phalam

"How is the going to Prayāga, and what is it like there for men? What is the destiny there of those who die, and what is the fruit for those who bathe there?"

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.3

ये वसन्ति प्रयागे तु ब्रूहि तेषां च किं फलम् एतन्मे सर्वमाख्याहि परं कौतूहलं हि मे

ye vasanti prayāge tu brūhi teṣāṃ ca kiṃ phalam etanme sarvamākhyāhi paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me

"And as for those who dwell at Prayāga, tell (me) what fruit is theirs. Relate all this to me, for my curiosity is great."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.4

कथयिष्यामि ते वत्स यच्छ्रेष्ठं तत्र यत्फलम् पुरा हि सर्वविप्राणां कथ्यमानं मया श्रुतम्

kathayiṣyāmi te vatsa yacchreṣṭhaṃ tatra yatphalam purā hi sarvaviprāṇāṃ kathyamānaṃ mayā śrutam

"I shall tell you, my child, what is best there and what the fruit is; for formerly it was heard by me as it was being told to all the brahmins."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.5

आ प्रयागप्रतिष्ठानाद् आपुराद्वासुकेर्ह्रदात् कम्बलाश्वतरौ नागौ नागश्च बहुमूलकः एतत्प्रजापतेः क्षेत्रं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्

ā prayāgapratiṣṭhānād āpurādvāsukerhradāt kambalāśvatarau nāgau nāgaśca bahumūlakaḥ etatprajāpateḥ kṣetraṃ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam

From Prayāga to Pratiṣṭhāna, from Āpura to the pool of Vāsuki, the two Nāgas Kambala and Aśvatara, and the Nāga Bahumūlaka — this is the field of Prajāpati, famed in the three worlds.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

MtP 104.6

तत्र स्नात्वा दिवं यान्ति ये मृतास्ते ऽपुनर्भवाः ततो ब्रह्मादयो देवा रक्षां कुर्वन्ति संगताः

tatra snātvā divaṃ yānti ye mṛtāste 'punarbhavāḥ tato brahmādayo devā rakṣāṃ kurvanti saṃgatāḥ

Having bathed there they go to heaven; those who die (there) are not born again. Therefore the gods, Brahmā and the rest, assembled, keep guard (over it).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.7

अन्ये च बहवस्तीर्थाः सर्वपापहराः शुभाः न शक्याः कथितुं राजन् बहुवर्षशतैरपि संक्षेपेण प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रयागस्य तु कीर्तनम्

anye ca bahavastīrthāḥ sarvapāpaharāḥ śubhāḥ na śakyāḥ kathituṃ rājan bahuvarṣaśatairapi saṃkṣepeṇa pravakṣyāmi prayāgasya tu kīrtanam

And there are many other holy fords, auspicious, removing all sins; they cannot be told, O king, even in many hundreds of years. I shall declare in brief the praise of Prayāga.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.8

षष्टिर्धनुःसहस्राणि यानि रक्षन्ति जाह्नवीम् यमुनां रक्षति सदा सविता सप्तवाहनः

ṣaṣṭirdhanuḥsahasrāṇi yāni rakṣanti jāhnavīm yamunāṃ rakṣati sadā savitā saptavāhanaḥ

Sixty thousand bows (of ground) guard the Jāhnavī; the Sun with his seven steeds ever guards the Yamunā.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

MtP 104.9

प्रयागं तु विशेषेण सदा रक्षति वासवः मण्डलं रक्षति हरिर् दैवतैः सह संगतः

prayāgaṃ tu viśeṣeṇa sadā rakṣati vāsavaḥ maṇḍalaṃ rakṣati harir daivataiḥ saha saṃgataḥ

But Vāsava (Indra) ever guards Prayāga in particular; Hari, joined together with the gods, guards the circle (of the region).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.10

तं वटं रक्षति सदा शूलपाणिर्महेश्वरः स्थानं रक्षन्ति वै देवाः सर्वपापहरं शुभम्

taṃ vaṭaṃ rakṣati sadā śūlapāṇirmaheśvaraḥ sthānaṃ rakṣanti vai devāḥ sarvapāpaharaṃ śubham

Maheśvara, trident in hand, ever guards that banyan tree; the gods guard the place, auspicious, remover of all sin.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.11

अधर्मेणावृतो लोको नैव गच्छति तत्पदम् स्वल्पमल्पतरं पापं यदा ते स्यान्नराधिप प्रयागं स्मरमाणस्य सर्वमायाति संक्षयम्

adharmeṇāvṛto loko naiva gacchati tatpadam svalpamalpataraṃ pāpaṃ yadā te syānnarādhipa prayāgaṃ smaramāṇasya sarvamāyāti saṃkṣayam

The world, enveloped in unrighteousness, does not go to that state. When even a very small sin is yours, O lord of men, for one who remembers Prayāga it all comes to destruction.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.12

दर्शनात्तस्य तीर्थस्य नामसंकीर्तनादपि मृत्तिकालम्भनाद्वापि नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते

darśanāttasya tīrthasya nāmasaṃkīrtanādapi mṛttikālambhanādvāpi naraḥ pāpātpramucyate

By seeing that holy ford, or even by reciting its name, or by taking up its earth, a man is released from sin.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.13

पञ्च कुण्डानि राजेन्द्र तेषां मध्ये तु जाह्नवी प्रयागस्य प्रवेशे तु पापं नश्यति तत्क्षणात्

pañca kuṇḍāni rājendra teṣāṃ madhye tu jāhnavī prayāgasya praveśe tu pāpaṃ naśyati tatkṣaṇāt

There are five basins, O best of kings, and in their midst the Jāhnavī; on entering Prayāga sin perishes that very instant.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.14

योजनानां सहस्रेषु गङ्गायाः स्मरणान्नरः अपि दुष्कृतकर्मा तु लभते परमां गतिम्

yojanānāṃ sahasreṣu gaṅgāyāḥ smaraṇānnaraḥ api duṣkṛtakarmā tu labhate paramāṃ gatim

Even at a distance of thousands of leagues, a man, by remembering the Gaṅgā — even an evildoer — attains the highest destiny.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.15

कीर्तनान्मुच्यते पापाद् दृष्ट्वा भद्राणि पश्यति अवगाह्य च पीत्वा तु पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम्

kīrtanānmucyate pāpād dṛṣṭvā bhadrāṇi paśyati avagāhya ca pītvā tu punātyāsaptamaṃ kulam

By reciting (its name) one is freed from sin; by seeing it one sees good things; and by plunging in and drinking (its water) one purifies one's family to the seventh (generation).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.16

सत्यवादी जितक्रोधो ह्य् अहिंसायां व्यवस्थितः धर्मानुसारी तत्त्वज्ञो गोब्राह्मणहिते रतः

satyavādī jitakrodho hy ahiṃsāyāṃ vyavasthitaḥ dharmānusārī tattvajño gobrāhmaṇahite rataḥ

He who speaks the truth, has conquered anger, is established in non-injury, follows dharma, knows the truth, and delights in the welfare of cows and brahmins —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.17

गङ्गायमुनयोर्मध्ये स्नातो मुच्येत किल्बिषात् मनसा चिन्तयन्कामान् अवाप्नोति सुपुष्कलान्

gaṅgāyamunayormadhye snāto mucyeta kilbiṣāt manasā cintayankāmān avāpnoti supuṣkalān

— bathing between the Gaṅgā and the Yamunā he would be freed from guilt; wishing for objects of desire in his mind, he obtains them in abundance.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.18

ततो गत्वा प्रयागं तु सर्वदेवाभिरक्षितम् ब्रह्मचारी वसेन्मासं पितॄन्देवांश्च तर्पयेत् ईप्सितांल्लभते कामान् यत्र यत्राभिजायते

tato gatvā prayāgaṃ tu sarvadevābhirakṣitam brahmacārī vasenmāsaṃ pitṝndevāṃśca tarpayet īpsitāṃllabhate kāmān yatra yatrābhijāyate

Then, having gone to Prayāga, which is guarded on all sides by all the gods, let him dwell a month as a celibate and satisfy the ancestors and the gods; he obtains the desires he wishes for, wherever he is born.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.19

तपनस्य सुता देवी त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता समागता महाभागा यमुना तत्र निम्नगा तत्र संनिहितो नित्यं साक्षाद्देवो महेश्वरः

tapanasya sutā devī triṣu lokeṣu viśrutā samāgatā mahābhāgā yamunā tatra nimnagā tatra saṃnihito nityaṃ sākṣāddevo maheśvaraḥ

The goddess, daughter of the Sun, famed in the three worlds, the greatly blessed Yamunā, flowing downward, has come together (with the Gaṅgā) there; there the god Maheśvara himself is ever present.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 104.20

दुष्प्राप्यं मानुषैः पुण्यं प्रयागं तु युधिष्ठिर देवदानवगन्धर्वा ऋषयः सिद्धचारणाः तदुपस्पृश्य राजेन्द्र स्वर्गलोकमुपासते

duṣprāpyaṃ mānuṣaiḥ puṇyaṃ prayāgaṃ tu yudhiṣṭhira devadānavagandharvā ṛṣayaḥ siddhacāraṇāḥ tadupaspṛśya rājendra svargalokamupāsate

Holy Prayāga is hard for men to reach, O Yudhiṣṭhira; gods, dānavas, gandharvas, seers, siddhas and cāraṇas, having touched it, O best of kings, dwell in the world of heaven.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition