In the sacred lands between the Gaṅgā and Yamunā rivers, a person who gives a maiden in marriage, following the Vedic rites and according to his means, earns immense merit. By this act, he is spared from the dreadful hells; instead, he journeys to the northern Kurus, where he enjoys endless happiness, blessed with virtuous and beautiful sons and wives. There, the act of giving, according to one’s ability, amplifies the rewards of pilgrimage. Without doubt, such a person dwells in heaven until the dissolution of creation itself. And if someone, upon reaching the root of a banyan tree, relinquishes his life, he surpasses all worlds and enters the realm of Rudra. At this sacred place, the twelve suns, resting in Rudra, burn fiercely and scorch the entire world, yet the banyan’s root remains untouched. When the worlds of the moon and sun are destroyed and the universe is reduced to a single ocean, it is there that Viṣṇu, the sacrificer, abides again and again. The gods, Dānavas, Gandharvas, seers, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas continually serve this holy place—the confluence of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā. From there, O king, one should proceed to Prayāga, praising its glory, for Brahmā and all the gods, seers, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas are present there. The guardians of the worlds, Sādhyas, revered ancestors, Sanatkumāra, and foremost sages also gather at Prayāga. Great sages led by Aṅgiras, supreme Brahmarṣis, Nāgas, Suparṇas, Siddhas, and all those who traverse the skies are present too. Oceans, rivers, mountains, Nāgas, Vidyādharas, and the blessed Hari himself, accompanied by the lords of creatures, grace this place. Between the Gaṅgā and Yamunā lies the womb of the earth, and Prayāga shines as the most renowned spot in the three worlds. Nothing is holier than this, O Bhārata. Simply hearing of this sacred place, uttering its name, or holding its earth, frees a person from sin. Those who, steadfast in their vows, bathe at the confluence receive rewards equal to the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices. Let no words of gods or men shake your resolve to go to Prayāga, O dear one. Here, ten thousand sacred places and sixty crores more reside, O descendant of Kuru. The destination attained by a wise yogi established in truth is also reached by one who gives up his breath at the confluence of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā. Those who have not reached Prayāga, O Yudhiṣṭhira, do not truly live; they are deceived in all three worlds. Thus, beholding Prayāga, the supreme abode, one is freed from all sins, as the moon is freed from Rāhu. On the broad bank of the Yamunā dwell the Nāgas Kambala and Aśvatara; bathing and drinking there washes away all sins. Visiting the renowned shrine of Mahādeva, a person liberates all ten ancestors, both past and future. By bathing here, one gains the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice and attains the world of the gods until cosmic dissolution. On the eastern bank of the Gaṅgā, O Bhārata, is the famous well called Sāmudra and the renowned Pratiṣṭhāna. If a celibate, having conquered anger, stays there for three nights, his soul purified of all sins, he attains the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice. To the north of Pratiṣṭhāna and east of the Bhāgīrathī lies the tīrtha called Haṃsaprapatana, famous throughout the three worlds. Merely by bathing there, one attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and is honored in heaven as long as the moon and sun endure. Hear also of the reward for one who gives up his life at the sacred, vast Haṃsapāṇḍura, the blessed place beloved by Urvaśī. For sixty thousand and six hundred years, he enjoys heaven with his ancestors. He always beholds Urvaśī in heaven and is continually honored by sages, Gandharvas, and Kinnaras. When his merit is exhausted and he falls from heaven, he gains a hundred maidens resembling Urvaśī. Among thousands of women, he becomes their husband, and as a king, enjoys the wealth of ten thousand villages. Awakened by the sound of golden anklets, after great pleasures, he again seeks out that tīrtha. Always dressed in white, disciplined and self-controlled, he eats once a day and rules for a month. He obtains a hundred women adorned with gold, and as far as the ocean, he becomes a great king on earth. Endowed with wealth and grain, he becomes a constant giver; after enjoying great pleasures, he returns again to that tīrtha. At the beautiful sandhyā bank, a celibate who has mastered his senses, fasts, and remains pure, attains Brahmaloka at twilight. Whoever gives up his life at Koṭitīrtha is honored in heaven for a thousand crores of years. When his merit is spent and he falls from heaven, he is born in a wealthy family adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls, possessing beauty. Then, journeying to Bhogavatī, north of Vāsuki, he reaches another tīrtha called Daśāśvamedhaka. A man who performs abhiṣeka there gains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice, becoming wealthy, handsome, skilled, generous, and righteous. Such are the glories and rewards of these sacred places, O Bhārata, and the blessedness bestowed upon those who honor them with faith and devotion.