In that sacred region, a wondrous assembly gathers: the oceans, rivers, and mountains themselves are present, along with the mighty Nāgas, the Vidyādharas, and even the blessed Hari accompanied by the lords of all creatures. Between the holy rivers Gaṅgā and Yamunā lies the very womb of the earth—Prayāga, renowned throughout the three worlds, O best of kings. Nowhere in all creation is there a place more holy than this, O descendant of Bharata. Such is the sanctity of Prayāga that merely hearing of it, uttering its name, or holding its sacred earth is enough to free a person from sin. If one, steadfast in their vows, bathes at the confluence of these rivers, the reward is equal to the great Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices. Let nothing—neither the words of gods nor men—shake your resolve to journey to Prayāga, dear one. Know that here, O scion of the Kurus, are gathered ten thousand tīrthas and sixty crores more; all their power resides in this one place. The ultimate destination reached by yogis established in truth is also attained by those who surrender their last breath at the confluence of Gaṅgā and Yamunā. Those who have not reached Prayāga, O Yudhiṣṭhira, are as if they have not truly lived; they are deluded in all three worlds. Simply beholding Prayāga, the supreme abode, frees one from all sins, just as the moon is freed when released from Rāhu’s grasp. There, on the broad bank of the Yamunā, dwell the Nāgas Kambala and Aśvatara. Bathing and drinking there brings liberation from all sins. Journey on to the famed shrine of Mahādeva, for by doing so, a man delivers all ten of his ancestors—those before and after him. Bathing at this holy spot bestows the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and grants a place in the world of the gods until the end of time itself. On the eastern bank of the Gaṅgā, throughout the three worlds, lies the famous well called Sāmudra and the celebrated Pratiṣṭhāna. If a celibate, having conquered anger, remains there for three nights, his soul is purified of all sin, and he obtains the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice. To the north of Pratiṣṭhāna and east of the Bhāgīrathī lies the tīrtha called Haṃsaprapatana, renowned in all the worlds. Merely by bathing there, one attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and is honored in heaven as long as the sun and moon endure. Listen also to the reward for one who gives up his life at the vast and holy Haṃsapāṇḍura, the joyous haunt of Urvaśī. For sixty thousand and six hundred years, he enjoys heaven with his ancestors. There, he beholds Urvaśī herself, and is honored continually by sages, Gandharvas, and Kinnaras. When his merit is spent and he falls from heaven, he is granted a hundred maidens like Urvaśī, becoming the husband of many among thousands of women, and as a king, enjoys the wealth of ten thousand villages. Awakened from sleep by the sound of golden anklets, after great enjoyment, he seeks that tīrtha again. Clad always in white, self-controlled, eating but once a day, he rules as king for a month. He receives a hundred women adorned with gold, and his dominion stretches to the ocean. Blessed with wealth and grain, he becomes a great giver, and after enjoying these pleasures, returns again to that holy tīrtha. At the beautiful sandhyā bank, a celibate who has mastered his senses, who fasts and is 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 again in a wealthy family, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls, possessing great beauty. Traveling further to Bhogavatī, north of Vāsuki, there is another tīrtha called Daśāśvamedhaka. One who performs abhiṣeka there gains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice, becoming wealthy, handsome, skilled, generous, and righteous. Whatever merit is gained from studying the four Vedas, from truthfulness, and from nonviolence, that same fruit is obtained merely by visiting this place. Wherever one enters the Gaṅgā, she is equal to Kurukṣetra, but where she joins with the Vindhya mountains, she is ten times greater than Kurukṣetra. Wherever the most blessed Gaṅgā, rich in sacred fords, flows, know that place to be a field of perfection—no further deliberation is needed. On earth, Gaṅgā delivers mortals; in the netherworld, she liberates the serpents; in heaven, she delivers the gods—thus she is known as the threefold path. For as many years as the bones of a person remain in the Gaṅgā, for that many thousands of years are they honored in heaven. When their merit is spent and they fall from heaven, they become lords of Jambūdvīpa. Among all tīrthas, this is the supreme; among all rivers, the greatest—granting liberation even to the greatest sinners. While Gaṅgā is accessible everywhere, she is difficult to reach in three places: at Gaṅgādvāra, at Prayāga, and at her confluence with the ocean. There, those who bathe and die ascend to heaven and are not born again. For all beings burdened by sin and seeking a path, there is no path equal to that of the Gaṅgā. She is the purifier of the pure, the most auspicious among the auspicious, fallen from the head of the great Lord, remover of all sins. In the Kṛta age, Naimiṣa was the sacred field; in the Tretā, Puṣkara was supreme; in the Dvāpara, Kurukṣetra; but in the Kali age, it is the Gaṅgā that excels above all.