गङ्गामेव निषेवेत प्रयागं तु विशेषतः नान्यत्कलियुगे घोरे भेषजं नृप विद्यते
One should worship the Gaṅgā, especially at Prayāga; in the dreadful Kali age, O king, there is no other remedy.
शृणु राजन्प्रयागस्य माहात्म्यं पुनरेव तु यच्छ्रुत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः
Hear again, O king, the greatness of Prayāga; by hearing it, one is freed from all sins—there is no doubt of this.
मानसं नाम तत्तीर्थं गङ्गाया उत्तरे तटे त्रिरात्रोपोषितो भूत्वा सर्वकामानवाप्नुयात्
There is a sacred ford called Mānasa on the northern bank of the Gaṅgā; by fasting there for three nights, one attains all desires.
गोभूहिरण्यदानेन यत्फलं प्राप्नुयान्नरः स तत्फलमवाप्नोति तत्तीर्थं स्मरते पुनः
Whatever merit a man obtains by giving cows, land, or gold, he gains that same merit by remembering that ford again.
अकामो वा सकामो वा गङ्गायां यो ऽभिपद्यते मृतस्तु लभते स्वर्गं नरकं च न पश्यति
Whether without desire or with desire, whoever approaches the Gaṅgā—if he dies, he attains heaven and does not see hell.
अप्सरोगणसंगीतैः सुप्तो ऽसौ प्रतिबुध्यते हंससारसयुक्तेन विमानेन स गच्छति बहुवर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गं राजेन्द्र भुञ्जति
Awakened by the songs of the hosts of apsarases, he departs in a celestial chariot yoked with swans and cranes, and enjoys heaven, O king of kings, for many thousands of years.
ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टः क्षीणकर्मा दिवश्च्युतः सुवर्णमणिमुक्ताढ्ये जायते विपुले कुले
Then, having fallen from heaven, his merit exhausted, cast down from the sky, he is born in a great family endowed with gold, jewels, and pearls.
षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टिकोट्यस्तथापगाः माघमासे गमिष्यन्ति गङ्गायमुनसंगमम्
Sixty thousand sacred fords and sixty crores of rivers go to the confluence of Gaṅgā and Yamunā in the month of Māgha.
गवां शतसहस्रस्य सम्यग्दत्तस्य यत्फलम् प्रयागे माघमासे तु त्र्यहस्नानात्तु तत्फलम्
The merit gained by giving a hundred thousand cows properly is obtained by bathing for three days at Prayāga in the month of Māgha.
गङ्गायमुनयोर्मध्ये कर्षाग्निं यस्तु साधयेत् अहीनाङ्गो ह्यरोगश्च पञ्चेन्द्रियसमन्वितः
Whoever kindles the sacred fire between the Gaṅgā and Yamunā becomes free from disease and deformity, and endowed with all five senses.
यावन्ति रोमकूपाणि तस्य गात्रेषु देहिनः तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते
For as many hair follicles as are on the body of that embodied being, for that many thousands of years he is honored in the world of heaven.
ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टो जम्बूद्वीपपतिर्भवेत् स भुक्त्वा विपुलान्भोगांस् तत्तीर्थं स्मरते पुनः
Then, having fallen from heaven, he becomes a lord of Jambudvīpa; after enjoying great pleasures, he remembers that sacred place again.
जलप्रवेशं यः कुर्यात् संगमे लोकविश्रुते राहुग्रस्ते तथा सोमे विमुक्तः सर्वकिल्बिषैः
Whoever enters the water at the renowned confluence, when the moon is eclipsed by Rāhu, is freed from all sins.
सोमलोकमवाप्नोति सोमेन सह मोदते षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते
He attains the world of Soma and delights there with Soma for sixty thousand years, being honored in the world of heaven.
स्वर्गे च शक्रलोके ऽस्मिन् नृषिगन्धर्वसेविते परिभ्रष्टस्तु राजेन्द्र समृद्धे जायते कुले
And in this heaven, the realm of Indra, served by men and Gandharvas, O king, if he falls from there, he is born in a prosperous family.
अधःशिरास्तु यो ज्वालाम् ऊर्ध्वपादः पिबेन्नरः शतवर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Whoever, with head downward and feet upward, drinks the blazing water, is honored in the world of heaven for one hundred thousand years.
परिभ्रष्टस्तु राजेन्द्र सो ऽग्निहोत्री भवेन्नरः भुक्त्वा तु विपुलान्भोगांस् तत्तीर्थं भजते पुनः
But if he falls from there, O king, that man becomes a performer of Agnihotra; after enjoying great pleasures, he again seeks out that sacred place.
यः स्वदेहं तु कर्तित्वा शकुनिभ्यः प्रयच्छति विहगैरुपभुक्तस्य शृणु तस्यापि यत्फलम्
Whoever, having cut his own flesh, gives it to the birds—hear also the fruit of him whose body is consumed by birds.
शतं वर्षसहस्राणां सोमलोके महीयते तस्मादपि परिभ्रष्टो राजा भवति धार्मिकः
He is honored in the world of Soma for a hundred thousand years; falling even from there, he becomes a righteous king.
गुणवान् रूपसम्पन्नो विद्वांश्च प्रियवाचकः भुक्त्वा तु विपुलान्भोगांस् तत्तीर्थं भजते पुनः
He is virtuous, endowed with beauty, learned, and speaks kindly; after enjoying great pleasures, he again seeks out that sacred place.
यामुने चोत्तरे कूले प्रयागस्य तु दक्षिणे ऋणप्रमोचनं नाम तत्तीर्थं परमं स्मृतम्
On the northern bank of the Yamunā and the southern side of Prayāga, the sacred place called 'Release from Debt' is regarded as supreme.
एकरात्रोषितः स्नात्वा ऋणैः सर्वैः प्रमुच्यते स्वर्गलोकमवाप्नोति अनृणश्च सदा भवेत्
One who stays there for a single night and bathes is freed from all debts, attains the world of heaven, and remains forever free from debt.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा प्रयागस्य यत्त्वया परिकीर्तितम् विशुद्धं मे ऽद्य हृदयं प्रयागस्य तु कीर्तनात्
Hearing this account of Prayāga that you have recited, my heart is now purified by the praise of Prayāga.
अनाशकफलं ब्रूहि भगवंस्तत्र कीदृशम् यं च लोकमवाप्नोति विशुद्धः सर्वकिल्बिषैः
O Lord, tell me about the fruit of fasting there—what kind is it? And what world does one attain, purified from all sins?
शृणु राजन्प्रयागे तु अनाशकफलं विभो प्राप्नोति पुरुषो धीमाञ् श्रद्दधानो जितेन्द्रियः
Hear, O king, about the fruit of fasting at Prayāga: a wise man, full of faith and self-control, attains it.
अहीनाङ्गो ऽप्यरोगश्च पञ्चेन्द्रियसमन्वितः अश्वमेधफलं तस्य गच्छतस्तु पदे पदे
Even if he is not maimed and is free from disease, possessed of the five senses, at every step he obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
कुलानि तारयेद्राजन् दश पूर्वान्दशापरान् मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो गच्छेत्तु परमं पदम्
O king, he delivers ten ancestors before and ten after; he is freed from all sins and attains the supreme state.
महाभाग्यं हि धर्मस्य यत्त्वं वदसि मे प्रभो अल्पेनैव प्रयत्नेन बहून्धर्मानवाप्नुते
Indeed, the great fortune of dharma is what you have told me, O Lord; with very little effort, one attains many virtues.
अश्वमेधैस्तु बहुभिः प्राप्यते सुव्रतैरिह इमं मे संशयं छिन्द्धि परं कौतूहलं हि मे
By many horse sacrifices, performed by the virtuous here, such results are attained; dispel this doubt of mine, for I have great curiosity.
शृणु राजन्महावीर यदुक्तं ब्रह्मयोनिना ऋषीणां संनिधौ पूर्वं कथ्यमानं मया श्रुतम्
Hear, O king, mighty hero, what was spoken by the self-born Brahmā, in the presence of the sages, which I heard being related before.