O Bharata, listen with reverence to the sacredness of Prayaga, the holiest of all places. The gods themselves, through their sacrifices, and kings bearing weapons, offer worship here; nothing in the three worlds is more sanctified than this. By the power of Prayaga, it surpasses all other holy places—ten thousand tirthas and three crore more are gathered at this confluence. Where the blessed Ganga flows, that land becomes the dwelling of ascetics, known as the field of the perfected, graced by the banks of the sacred river. Know this as the highest truth, both for the virtuous and oneself. Whisper it gently in the ear of a friend or a devoted disciple, for this knowledge is blessed, leads to heaven, is true and brings happiness. It is pure, righteous, purifying, and the highest dharma. This, indeed, is the secret of the great sages, the destroyer of all sins; even a twice-born who studies this becomes pure and ascends to heaven. Whoever hears daily of this sacred tirtha, remaining ever pure, attains the memory of past births and rejoices in the highest heaven. The good, following the example of the virtuous, attain these holy places. Bathe at the tirthas, O Kauravya, and keep your mind free from crookedness. Because of your sincere inquiry, O mighty one, I have revealed this to you; in doing so, your ancestors and grandfathers are delivered. All vows, charities, austerities, pilgrimages, sacrifices with proper gifts, the paths of yoga and Sankhya, good conduct, and other means of knowledge—none of these equals even the sixteenth part of Prayaga. Through great effort, knowledge, yoga, and pilgrimage are attained, O Yudhishthira; by these, one reaches the supreme state. Knowledge shines forth in all three times, and one attains the world of heaven. Upon hearing all this, Yudhishthira humbly asked, “O great sage, how has all this been described about Prayaga? 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, 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 beholds the Lord of all beings truly sees; by striving in this way, one remains and attains the highest state. You asked how this tradition endures and why the foremost beings of the worlds abide here—listen, and I will tell you. In Prayaga dwell Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara; I will reveal the reason for this—hear the truth, O Yudhishthira. The region of Prayaga extends five yojanas; the deities remain here for protection and to 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 become a great banyan tree, stands as Maheshvara. The gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and great sages always protect this region to prevent evil. Those who offer oblations here are freed from sin and do not see hell; thus, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara are ever present at Prayaga. The seven continents, the oceans, and the mountains of the earth remain protected here until the cosmic dissolution. All that 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, rule as your own kingdom, together with your brothers, O sinless one.” Thereafter, Yudhishthira, with all his brothers and his wife Draupadi, bowed to the Brahmanas and satisfied his teachers and the gods. At that very moment, Vasudeva arrived, and Madhava was worshipped by all the Pandavas together. With Krishna and all the great souls, Yudhishthira, son of Dharma, was again anointed in sovereign rule. Meanwhile, the great sage Markandeya, having taken his leave, returned to his hermitage. Yudhishthira, righteous in soul, remained there with his brothers, and after giving great charity, the noble-minded son of Dharma continued to dwell there. Whoever, rising early, reads of this glory and remembers Prayaga every day, attains the highest state, is freed from all sins, and goes to the world of Rudra. My words must be followed, O great king—I tell you: always recite and offer oblations at Prayaga, free from affliction. Remember Prayaga always with us, O Yudhishthira; you, O king of kings, will surely attain the heavenly world—there is no doubt. Whoever goes to Prayaga or dwells there, that person, purified from all sins, attains the world of Rudra. He who refrains from accepting gifts, is content, self-controlled, pure, and free from pride, attains the fruit of pilgrimage. He who is not prone to anger, is truthful, speaks the truth, firm in his vows, and regards all beings as himself, attains the fruit of pilgrimage. Sacrifices have been prescribed by the seers and the gods in due order, but, O king, the poor are not able to perform such rites. Sacrifices require many implements and a great variety of materials; only the wealthy can sometimes accomplish them. But, O lord of men, there is a rite that even the poor can perform; know, O Yudhishthira, that it yields merit equal to the fruits of sacrifice. This is the supreme secret of the seers, O best of the Bharatas: the meritorious act of pilgrimage to holy places surpasses even sacrifices.