उत्तरेण प्रवक्ष्यामि आदित्यस्य महात्मनः तीर्थं निरञ्जनं नाम यत्र देवाः सवासवाः
To the north, I will speak of the tirtha of the great-souled Aditya, named Niranjana, where the gods together with Indra reside.
उपासते स्म संध्यां ये त्रिकालं हि युधिष्ठिर देवाः सेवन्ति तत्तीर्थं ये चान्ये विबुधा जनाः
Those who worship at twilight thrice daily, O Yudhishthira, the gods serve that tirtha, as do other wise beings.
श्रद्दधानपरो भूत्वा कुरु तीर्थाभिषेचनम् अन्ये च बहवस्तीर्थाः सर्वपापहराः स्मृताः तेषु स्नात्वा दिवं यान्ति ये मृतास्ते ऽपुनर्भवाः
Be devoted and perform the bathing at the tirthas; many other tirthas are remembered as destroyers of all sins. Those who bathe there and die ascend to heaven and are not reborn.
गङ्गा च यमुना चैव उभे तुल्यफले स्मृते केवलं ज्येष्ठभावेन गङ्गा सर्वत्र पूज्यते
The Ganga and Yamuna are both remembered as equal in their fruits; only due to seniority is Ganga worshipped everywhere.
एवं कुरुष्व कौन्तेय सर्वतीर्थाभिषेचनम् यावज्जीवकृतं पापं तत्क्षणादेव नश्यति
Thus, O son of Kunti, perform bathing at all tirthas; whatever sin committed in life is destroyed instantly.
यस्त्विमं कल्य उत्थाय पठते च शृणोति च मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः स्वर्गलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever rises early and recites or hears this is freed from all sins and goes to the world of heaven.
श्रुतं मे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तं पुराणे ब्रह्मसम्भवे तीर्थानां तु सहस्राणि शतानि नियुतानि च सर्वे पुण्याः पवित्राश्च गतिश्च परमा स्मृता
I have heard what was spoken by Brahma in the Purana born of Brahma: thousands, hundreds, and tens of thousands of tirthas—all are holy, pure, and remembered as granting the highest state.
सोमतीर्थं महापुण्यं महापातकनाशनम् स्नानमात्रेण राजेन्द्र पुरुषांस्तारयेच्छतम् तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्र स्नानं समाचरेत्
Somatirtha is of great merit and destroys great sins; by bathing alone, O king, it saves hundreds of people. Therefore, with all effort, one should bathe there.
पृथिव्यां नैमिषं पुण्यम् अन्तरिक्षे च पुष्करम् त्रयाणामपि लोकानां कुरुक्षेत्रं विशिष्यते
On earth, Naimisha is holy, and in the sky, Pushkara; among all three worlds, Kurukshetra is distinguished.
सर्वाणि तानि संत्यज्य कथमेकं प्रशंससि अप्रमाणं तु तत्रोक्तम् अश्रद्धेयमनुत्तमम्
Having abandoned all those, how do you praise only one? What is said there is immeasurable, not to be trusted, and unsurpassed.
गतिं च परमां दिव्यां भोगांश्चैव यथेप्सितान् किमर्थमल्पयोगेन बहु धर्मं प्रशंससि एतन्मे संशयं ब्रूहि यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम्
The highest divine state and desired enjoyments—why do you praise much dharma with little effort? Tell me this doubt as you have seen and heard.
अश्रद्धेयं न वक्तव्यं प्रत्यक्षमपि यद्भवेत् नरस्याश्रद्दधानस्य पापोपहतचेतसः
What is not to be believed should not be spoken, even if it is evident, for a person lacking faith whose mind is afflicted by sin.
अश्रद्दधानो ह्यशुचिर् दुर्मतिस्त्यक्तमङ्गलः एते पातकिनः सर्वे तेनेदं भाषितं त्वया
The faithless, impure, ill-minded, and abandoned by auspiciousness—all these are sinners; thus, you have spoken this.
शृणु प्रयागमाहात्म्यं यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् प्रत्यक्षं च परोक्षं च यथान्यस्तं भविष्यति
Hear the greatness of Prayaga as seen and heard, both direct and indirect, as it will be related.
यथैवान्यददृष्टं च यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् शास्त्रं प्रमाणं कृत्वा च युज्यते योगमात्मनः
Just as one has seen, as one has not seen, and as one has heard, making scripture the authority, one should unite the self with yoga.
क्लिश्यते चापरस्तत्र नैव योगमवाप्नुयात् जन्मान्तरसहस्रेभ्यो योगो लभ्येत मानवैः
But another, who struggles there, does not attain yoga; even after thousands of lifetimes, yoga is obtained by humans with difficulty.
यथा योगसहस्रेण योगो लभ्येत मानवैः यस्तु सर्वाणि रत्नानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रयच्छति
As yoga is attained by humans after a thousand practices of yoga, so too, one who gives all jewels to the Brahmins—
तेन दानेन दत्तेन योगं नाभ्येति मानवः प्रयागे तु मृतस्येदं सर्वं भवति नान्यथा
By that gift, a man does not attain yoga; but at Prayaga, upon death, all this is obtained, and not otherwise.
प्रधानहेतुं वक्ष्यामि श्रद्दधत्स्व च भारत यथा सर्वेषु भूतेषु ब्रह्म सर्वत्र दृश्यते
I will declare to you the chief reason; have faith, O Bharata, how Brahman is seen everywhere in all beings.
ब्राह्मणे वास्ति यत्किंचिद् अब्राह्मम् इति वोच्यते एवं सर्वेषु भूतेषु ब्रह्म सर्वत्र पूज्यते
Whatever exists in a Brahmin, if it is said to be non-Brahman, even so, Brahman is to be honored everywhere in all beings.
तथा सर्वेषु लोकेषु प्रयागं पूजयेद्बुधः पूज्यते तीर्थराजस्तु सत्यमेव युधिष्ठिर
Thus, in all the worlds, the wise should honor Prayaga; indeed, O Yudhishthira, the king of sacred fords is truly to be revered.
ब्रह्मापि स्मरते नित्यं प्रयागं तीर्थमुत्तमम् तीर्थराजम् अनुप्राप्य न चान्यत्किंचिदर्हति
Even Brahma always remembers Prayaga, the supreme sacred ford; having reached the king of sacred fords, nothing else is worthy.
को हि देवत्वमासाद्य मनुष्यत्वं चिकीर्षति अनेनैवोपमानेन त्वं ज्ञास्यसि युधिष्ठिर यथा पुण्यतमं चास्ति तथैव कथितं मया
For who, having attained divinity, would wish to become human? By this very analogy, you will understand, O Yudhishthira, just as I have spoken of that which is most holy.
श्रुतं चेदं त्वया प्रोक्तं विस्मितो ऽहं पुनः पुनः कथं योगेन तत्प्राप्तिः स्वर्गवासस्तु कर्मणा
This has been heard by you as spoken; I am amazed again and again—how is that attainment through yoga, and residence in heaven through action?
दाता वै लभते भोगान् गां च यत्कर्मणः फलम् तानि कर्माणि पृच्छामि पुनस्तैः प्राप्यते मही
The giver indeed obtains enjoyments and the fruit of his deeds, such as cows; I ask about those actions again—by them is the earth obtained?
शृणु राजन्महाबाहो यथोक्तकरणं महीम् गामग्निं ब्राह्मणं शास्त्रं काञ्चनं सलिलं स्त्रियः
Hear, O king, mighty-armed one, how, by the prescribed acts, the earth, cows, fire, Brahmin, scripture, gold, water, and women—
मातरं पितरं चैव ये निन्दन्ति नराधमाः न तेषामूर्ध्वगमनम् इदमाह प्रजापतिः
Those lowest of men who revile mother and father—there is no ascent for them; so declares the Lord of creatures.
एवं योगस्य सम्प्राप्तिस्थानं परमदुर्लभम् गच्छन्ति नरकं घोरं ये नराः पापकर्मिणः
Thus, the attainment of yoga is a place most difficult to reach; those men who commit evil deeds go to a terrible hell.
हस्त्यश्वं गाम् अनड्वाहं मणिमुक्तादिकाञ्चनम् परोक्षं हरते यस्तु पश्चाद्दानं प्रयच्छति
He who steals elephants, horses, cows, carts, jewels, pearls, gold, or anything in secret, and then gives it as a gift afterward—
न ते गच्छन्ति वै स्वर्गं दातारो यत्र भोगिनः अनेनकर्मणा युक्ताः पच्यन्ते नरके पुनः
They do not go to heaven, where the enjoyers are the givers; engaged in such acts, they are cooked again in hell.