O Yudhishthira, having spoken to you of yoga, dharma, the nature of the giver, and the fruits of truth and untruth, of existence and non-existence, I shall now explain further, as the Sun himself once declared. Listen, O king, as I recount again the greatness of the sacred tirtha of Prayaga, along with the holy places of Naimisha, Pushkara, Gotirtha, and the mighty Sindhu ocean. There is also Gaya, Citraka, and the confluence where the Ganges meets the ocean, and countless other sanctified spots—even the revered clusters of stones that are cherished as holy. The wise have said that at Prayaga alone, ten thousand sacred bathing places exist, and thirty crore more are always established there. Three fire-altars are found at this site, and from their midst, the sacred river Jahnavi—the Ganga herself—emerges, honored by all holy places. There too, the goddess Yamuna, daughter of the Sun and famed throughout the three worlds, joins with the Ganga, conferring benefit upon all beings. The land between the Ganga and Yamuna is considered the very womb of the earth. O tiger among kings, even the sixteenth part of Prayaga cannot be equaled by any other place. Vayu has declared that three and a half crore sacred bathing places exist in heaven, earth, and the sky, and all are regarded as forms of the Ganga. Prayaga is the seat of Kambala and Ashvatara, and of Bhogavati. It is also the altar of Prajapati, where the Vedas and sacrifices take visible form, and ascetic sages devoted to austerity worship Prajapati himself. There, the gods, as well as kings bearing weapons, perform their sacrifices. For these reasons, O Bharata, there is nothing holier in all the three worlds. By its power, Prayaga surpasses all other sacred places; ten thousand tirthas and three crore more are found there. Wherever the blessed Ganga flows, that land becomes the dwelling of ascetics—the field of the perfected—adorned by the Ganga’s bank. Know this as truth, O virtuous one, and share it with a friend or a devoted disciple. This knowledge is blessed, leads to heaven, is true and brings happiness; it is holy, righteous, purifying, and the highest dharma. It is the secret of the great sages, the destroyer of all sins. Even a twice-born who studies this becomes pure and attains heaven. Whoever hears this account of the sacred tirtha daily, remaining always pure, gains memory of past births and rejoices in the highest heaven. The good attain these sacred places by following the example of the virtuous, by bathing at the tirthas, O Kauravya—there should be no crookedness of mind. Because you have asked rightly, O mighty one, I have told you all this; by your knowledge, your ancestors and grandfathers are delivered. Vows, charity, austerity, pilgrimage, all sacrifices performed with proper gifts, yoga, Sankhya, good conduct, and all other means of knowledge—none of these equals even the sixteenth part of Prayaga. Thus, knowledge, yoga, and pilgrimage, O Yudhishthira, are attained through great effort; by these means, one reaches the supreme state. Knowledge arises in all three times—past, present, and future—and one attains the world of heaven. At this, Yudhishthira asked, “How has all this been described about Prayaga, O great sage? Tell us everything, so that I too may be delivered.” The sage replied, “Hear, O King, all that has been declared about Prayaga: Brahma, Vishnu, and Ishana, the gods, and the imperishable Lord—all are present there. Brahma creates all beings, both immobile and mobile; in the supreme world, Vishnu sustains them, and thus all creatures flourish. At the end of the aeon, Rudra withdraws the entire universe, yet the holy place of Prayaga never perishes. He who sees the Lord of all beings truly sees; by striving in this way, they remain and attain the highest state. Let me tell you truly how this tradition endures, and for what reason the foremost beings of the worlds abide here. In Prayaga dwell Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara. The region of Prayaga extends for five yojanas; these deities remain here to protect and ward off evil deeds. To the north of Pratishthana, Brahma abides in disguise, while the Blessed Lord stands there as Veni Madhava. The Supreme Lord, having taken the form of a great banyan tree, stands there as Maheshvara. The gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and great sages always protect this region, preventing evil deeds. He who offers oblations here does not see his own sin or hell. Thus, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara are present at Prayaga. The seven continents, the oceans, and the mountains of earth are all protected here until the cosmic dissolution. And, O Yudhishthira, all other beings who dwell here—whatever exists on earth is established here, created by the three deities. This field of Prajapati is renowned as Prayaga; this sacred and pure Prayaga, O Yudhishthira, you should rule as your own kingdom, together with your brothers, O sinless one.” Then, together with all his brothers and his wife Draupadi, Yudhishthira bowed to the Brahmanas, satisfying his teachers and the gods with proper honor. At that moment, Vasudeva himself arrived, and all the Pandavas together worshipped Madhava. With Krishna and all the great souls, Yudhishthira, son of Dharma, was anointed again in sovereign rule. Meanwhile, the great sage Markandeya, having bid them farewell, soon returned to his hermitage. Righteous in soul, Yudhishthira remained there with his brothers. After giving great charity, the noble-minded son of Dharma continued to reside at that sacred place.