Having slain Bhishma, Drona, the mighty Karna, and King Duryodhana along with his sons and brothers, Yudhishthira surveyed the aftermath of the great war. All the assembled kings had fallen, as had those who deemed themselves heroes. Overwhelmed, he turned to Govinda and lamented, “Of what use is the kingdom to us now, what use are pleasures or even life itself?” Tormented by the sight of such devastation, Yudhishthira stood motionless, his head bowed low, thinking, “Alas, how terrible!” He was paralyzed by grief and despair. When he at last regained his senses, his mind circled endlessly around one thought: What observance or pilgrimage could he undertake to swiftly free himself from the burden of this great sin? Which holy place should he seek, so that by abiding there, a man might attain the supreme realm of Vishnu? But another anguish tormented him: “How can I ask Krishna about this, when it was by his will that I acted? How can I approach Dhritarashtra, whose hundred sons have all been slain? How shall I ask Vyasa, whose lineage has been destroyed?” Thus, Yudhishthira, crushed by sorrow, wept, and all the Pandavas, mourning their fallen brothers, wept with him. The grief spread throughout the royal assembly. The Pandavas, Kunti, Draupadi, and all those gathered there, overcome by sorrow, fell to the ground, weeping everywhere. Far away in Varanasi, the great sage Markandeya, known to Yudhishthira, learned of his distress and tears. Without delay, Markandeya, the illustrious ascetic, journeyed to Hastinapura and arrived at the royal gate. The gatekeeper, beholding the sage, hurried inside and informed the king, “Markandeya wishes to see you; the sage stands at the door.” Yudhishthira, son of Dharma, hastened to greet him. With deep reverence, Yudhishthira welcomed the sage: “Welcome, O most fortunate one! Welcome, O great sage! Today, my birth is made fruitful; today, my lineage is redeemed. Today, my ancestors are surely pleased, having seen you. Today, I am purified, for I have beheld you with my own eyes.” Yudhishthira seated Markandeya upon the throne and honored him with water for washing his feet and other rites of respect. Pleased and worshipped, Markandeya addressed the king: “Tell me quickly, O king, why do you weep? What afflicts you, what displeases you?” With humility, Yudhishthira replied, “O great sage, all that has befallen us for the sake of this kingdom has left me in the grip of anxiety.” Markandeya, full of compassion, said, “Hear, O king of mighty arms, the established law of warriors: No sin is seen in battle for the wise who fight. What, then, especially for a king, for a Kshatriya? Steady your heart—you should not grieve over sin.” Yudhishthira bowed his head to the sage and, with humility, asked about the destruction of all sins: “I ask you, O great wise one, who sees the three worlds, tell me briefly—by what means is one freed from sin?” Markandeya replied, “Hear, O king of mighty arms, of the destruction of all sins: the best journey is to Prayaga for men of virtuous deeds.” Yudhishthira, eager to learn, said, “O Lord, I wish to hear as it was in the ancient cycle, as spoken by Brahma, chief among the gods, and narrated properly by you, O sage. How do people go to Prayaga? What is the fate of those who die there? What is the result for those who bathe there? What of those who dwell there? Explain all this to me, for I am filled with curiosity.” Markandeya replied warmly, “I shall tell you, dear one, the supreme result there, as I once heard it recited among all the Brahmins in ancient times. From Prayaga to Pratishthana, from the city to Vasuki’s lake, and between Kambala and Ashvatara, and the serpent Bahumulaka—this is the field of Prajapati, renowned throughout the three worlds. Those who bathe there ascend to heaven; those who die there do not return to birth. Therefore, Brahma and the other gods gather to protect it. There are many other holy places, auspicious and destroyers of all sins, O king, but their glory cannot be described even in hundreds of years. I shall briefly recount the glory of Prayaga. Sixty thousand bows guard the Ganges, and the Sun, with his seven steeds, always protects the Yamuna. Indra especially always protects Prayaga, and Hari, together with the gods, guards the sacred precinct. Shiva, the wielder of the trident, always protects that banyan tree; the gods protect that place, which is auspicious and destroys all sins. The world, enveloped in unrighteousness, does not attain that state; but even the smallest sin of one who remembers Prayaga, O king, is entirely destroyed. By seeing that holy place, by merely uttering its name, or by taking up its earth, a person is freed from sin. Among the five pools there, the Ganges is in the middle; at the entrance to Prayaga, sin is destroyed instantly. Even at a thousand leagues’ distance, by remembering the Ganges, a person—even one who has committed evil deeds—attains the highest state. By praising her, one is freed from sin; by seeing her, one beholds auspicious things; by bathing and drinking, one purifies up to the seventh generation of one’s family. One who speaks truth, has conquered anger, is established in nonviolence, follows righteousness, knows reality, and delights in the welfare of cows and Brahmins—bathing between the Ganges and Yamuna, such a one is freed from sin; whatever desires one contemplates in mind, one obtains them in abundance. So, going to Prayaga, protected by all the gods, a celibate should dwell there for a month and offer oblations to ancestors and gods; wherever he is born, he attains his desired wishes. There, the goddess Yamuna, daughter of the Sun and renowned in the three worlds, flows; and there, Lord Maheshvara is always present in person.” Thus did Markandeya speak, comforting the grieving Yudhishthira with the supreme glory of Prayaga, and showing the path to the destruction of all sin.