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.
एवं योगं च धर्मं च दातारं च युधिष्ठिर यथा सत्यमसत्यं वा अस्ति नास्तीति यत्फलम् निरुक्तं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि यथाह स्वयमंशुमान्
Thus, O Yudhishthira, I have spoken of yoga, dharma, and the giver, as well as the fruit of truth and untruth, existence and non-existence; I will now explain as the Sun himself has said.
शृणु राजन्प्रयागस्य माहात्म्यं पुनरेव तु नैमिषं पुष्करं चैव गोतीर्थं सिन्धुसागरम्
Hear, O king, once more the greatness of Prayaga, as well as Naimisha, Pushkara, Gotirtha, and the Sindhu ocean.
गया च चैत्रकं चैव गङ्गासागरमेव च एते चान्ये च बहवो ये च पुण्याः शिलोच्चयाः
Gaya, Citraka, and the confluence of the Ganges and the ocean, and many other sacred places, as well as those holy clusters of stones—
दश तीर्थसहस्राणि त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तथा पराः प्रयागे संस्थिता नित्यम् एवमाहुर्मनीषिणः
Ten thousand sacred bathing places, and thirty crore more, are always established at Prayaga—so declare the wise.
त्रीणि चाप्यग्निकुण्डानि येषां मध्ये तु जाह्नवी प्रयागादभिनिष्क्रान्ता सर्वतीर्थनमस्कृता
And there are three fire-altars, in the midst of which the Jahnavi (Ganga) emerges from Prayaga, revered by all the sacred places.
तपनस्य सुता देवी त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता यमुना गङ्गया सार्धं संगता लोकभाविनी
The goddess Yamuna, daughter of the Sun, renowned in the three worlds, joined with the Ganga, brings benefit to all beings.
गङ्गायमुनयोर्मध्ये पृथिव्या जघनं स्मृतम् प्रयागं राजशार्दूल कलां नार्हति षोडशीम्
The region between the Ganga and Yamuna is considered the womb of the earth; O tiger among kings, even the sixteenth part of Prayaga cannot be matched.
तिस्रः कोट्यो ऽर्धकोटिश्च तीर्थानां वायुरब्रवीत् दिवि भुव्यन्तरिक्षे च तत्सर्वं जाह्नवी स्मृता
Three crore and half a crore sacred bathing places, said Vayu, exist in heaven, on earth, and in the sky—all are considered to be the Ganga.
प्रयागं समधिष्ठानं कम्बलाश्वतरावुभौ भोगवत्यथ या चैषा वेदिरेषा प्रजापतेः
Prayaga is the seat of Kambala and Ashvatara, and also of Bhogavati; and this is the altar of Prajapati.
तत्र वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च मूर्तिमन्तो युधिष्ठिर प्रजापतिम् उपासन्ते ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः
There, O Yudhishthira, the Vedas and sacrifices take form, and ascetic sages devoted to austerity worship Prajapati.