हत्वा भीष्मं च द्रोणं च कर्णं चैव महाबलम् दुर्योधनं च राजानं पुत्रभ्रातृसमन्वितम्
Having slain Bhishma, Drona, Karna of great might, and King Duryodhana accompanied by sons and brothers,
राजानो निहताः सर्वे ये चान्ये शूरमानिनः किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा
All the kings have been killed, and others who considered themselves heroes; O Govinda, what use is the kingdom to us, what use are pleasures or even life?
धिक् कष्टमिति संचित्य राजा वैक्लव्यभागतः निर्विचेष्टो निरुत्साहः किंचित् तिष्ठत्यधोमुखः
Thinking 'Alas, how terrible,' the king, overcome by distress, remained motionless and dispirited, standing for a while with his head bowed.
लब्धसंज्ञो यदा राजा चिन्तयन्स पुनः पुनः कतरो विनियोगो वा नियमं तीर्थमेव च
When the king regained consciousness, pondering again and again, he considered which observance or pilgrimage should be undertaken.
येनाहं शीघ्रम् आमुञ्चे महापातकिकिल्बिषात् यत्र स्थित्वा नरो याति विष्णुलोकमनुत्तमम्
By which I may swiftly be released from the stain of great sin, and by abiding there, a man attains the supreme realm of Vishnu.
कथं पृच्छामि वै कृष्णं येनेदं कारितो ऽस्म्यहम् धृतराष्ट्रं कथं पृच्छे यस्य पुत्रशतं हतम्
How shall I ask Krishna, by whom I have been made to do this? How shall I question Dhritarashtra, whose hundred sons have been slain?
व्यासं कथमहं पृच्छे यस्य गोत्रक्षयः कृतः एवं वैक्लव्यमापन्नो धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः रुदन्ति पाण्डवाः सर्वे भ्रातृशोकपरिप्लुताः
How shall I ask Vyasa, whose lineage has been destroyed? Thus, King Yudhishthira, overcome by distress, and all the Pandavas, overwhelmed by grief for their brothers, are weeping.
ये च तत्र महात्मानः समेताः पाण्डवाः स्मृताः कुन्ती च द्रौपदी चैव ये च तत्र समागताः भूमौ निपतिताः सर्वे रुदन्तस्तु समन्ततः
And those great souls gathered there—the Pandavas remembered, Kunti and Draupadi too, and all those assembled—have fallen to the ground, all weeping everywhere.
वाराणस्यां मार्कण्डेयस् तेन ज्ञातो युधिष्ठिरः यथा वैक्लव्यमापन्नो रुदमानस्तु दुःखितः
In Varanasi, Markandeya was known to Yudhishthira, who, having fallen into distress, was weeping and afflicted.
अचिरेणैव कालेन मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः सम्प्राप्तो हास्तिनपुरं राजद्वारे ह्यतिष्ठत
Very soon, Markandeya, the great ascetic, arrived at Hastinapura and stood at the royal gate.
द्वारपालो ऽपि तं दृष्ट्वा राज्ञः कथितवान्द्रुतम् त्वां द्रष्टुकामो मार्कण्डेयो द्वारि तिष्ठत्यसौ मुनिः त्वरितो धर्मपुत्रस्तु द्वारमागादतः परम्
The gatekeeper, seeing him, quickly informed the king: 'Markandeya wishes to see you; the sage stands at the door.' Hastily, Dharmaputra went to the gate thereafter.
स्वागतं ते महाभाग स्वागतं ते महामुने अद्य मे सफलं जन्म अद्य मे तारितं कुलम्
Welcome to you, O highly fortunate one! Welcome to you, O great sage! Today my birth is fruitful; today my lineage is saved.
अद्य मे पितरस्तुष्टास् त्वयि दृष्टे महामुने अद्याहं पूतदेहो ऽस्मि यत्त्वया सह दर्शनम्
Today my ancestors are pleased, having seen you, O great sage. Today I am purified in body, for I have beheld you.
सिंहासने समास्थाप्य पादशौचार्चनादिभिः युधिष्ठिरो महात्मा वै पूजयामास तं मुनिम्
Yudhishthira, the great soul, seated the sage upon the throne and honored him with foot-washing and other rites.
ततः स तुष्टो मार्कण्डः पूजितश्चाह तं नृपम् आख्याहि त्वरितं राजन् किमर्थं रुदितं त्वया केन वा विक्लवीभूतः का बाधा ते किमप्रियम्
Then Markandeya, pleased and worshipped, spoke to the king: 'Tell me quickly, O king, why you are weeping, by what cause you are distressed, what afflicts you, and what displeases you?'
अस्माकं चैव यद्वृत्तं राज्यस्यार्थे महामुने एतत्सर्वं विदित्वा तु चिन्तावशमुपागतः
O great sage, having learned all that has happened to us for the sake of the kingdom, I have fallen under the sway of anxiety.
शृणु राजन्महाबाहो क्षत्रधर्मव्यवस्थितम् नैव दृष्टं रणे पापं युध्यमानस्य धीमतः
Hear, O king of mighty arms, the established law of warriors: No sin is seen in battle for the wise who fight.
किं पुना राजधर्मेण क्षत्रियस्य विशेषतः तदेवं हृदयं कृत्वा तस्मात्पापं न चिन्तयेत्
What then, especially for a king, for a Kshatriya? Thus, keeping your heart firm, you should not grieve over sin.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा प्रणम्य शिरसा मुनिम् पप्रच्छ विनयोपेतः सर्वपातकनाशनम्
Then King Yudhishthira, bowing his head to the sage, asked with humility about the destruction of all sins.
पृच्छामि त्वां महाप्राज्ञ नित्यं त्रैलोक्यदर्शिनम् कथय त्वं समासेन येन मुच्येत किल्बिषात्
I ask you, O great wise one, who always sees the three worlds: tell me briefly by what means one is freed from sin.
शृणु राजन्महाबाहो सर्वपातकनाशनम् प्रयागगमनं श्रेष्ठं नराणां पुण्यकर्मणाम्
Hear, O king of mighty arms, the destruction of all sins: the best journey to Prayaga for men of virtuous deeds.
भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि पुरा कल्पे यथास्थितम् ब्रह्मणा देवमुख्येन यथावत्कथितं मुने
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.
कथं प्रयागगमनं नराणां तत्र कीदृशम् मृतानां का गतिस्तत्र स्नातानां तत्र किं फलम्
How is it that people go to Prayāga? What is the fate of those who die there? What is the result for those who bathe there?
ये वसन्ति प्रयागे तु ब्रूहि तेषां च किं फलम् एतन्मे सर्वमाख्याहि परं कौतूहलं हि मे
Tell me, what is the result for those who dwell in Prayāga? Explain all this to me, for I have great curiosity about it.
कथयिष्यामि ते वत्स यच्छ्रेष्ठं तत्र यत्फलम् पुरा हि सर्वविप्राणां कथ्यमानं मया श्रुतम्
I shall tell you, dear one, the supreme result there, as I once heard it recited among all the Brahmins in ancient times.
आ प्रयागप्रतिष्ठानाद् आपुराद्वासुकेर्ह्रदात् कम्बलाश्वतरौ नागौ नागश्च बहुमूलकः एतत्प्रजापतेः क्षेत्रं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्
From Prayāga to Pratiṣṭhāna, from the city to Vāsuki’s lake, and between Kambala and Aśvatara, and the serpent Bahumūlaka—this is the field of Prajāpati, renowned in the three worlds.
तत्र स्नात्वा दिवं यान्ति ये मृतास्ते ऽपुनर्भवाः ततो ब्रह्मादयो देवा रक्षां कुर्वन्ति संगताः
Those who bathe there ascend to heaven; those who die there do not return to birth. Therefore, Brahmā and the other gods gather to protect it.
अन्ये च बहवस्तीर्थाः सर्वपापहराः शुभाः न शक्याः कथितुं राजन् बहुवर्षशतैरपि संक्षेपेण प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रयागस्य तु कीर्तनम्
There are many other holy places, auspicious and destroyers of all sins, O king, but they cannot be described even in hundreds of years. I shall briefly recount the glory of Prayāga.
षष्टिर्धनुःसहस्राणि यानि रक्षन्ति जाह्नवीम् यमुनां रक्षति सदा सविता सप्तवाहनः
Sixty thousand bows guard the Ganges, and the Sun, with his seven steeds, always protects the Yamunā.
प्रयागं तु विशेषेण सदा रक्षति वासवः मण्डलं रक्षति हरिर् दैवतैः सह संगतः
Indra especially always protects Prayāga, and Hari, together with the gods, guards the sacred precinct.