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.
यजन्ते क्रतुभिर् देवास् तथा चक्रधरा नृपाः ततः पुण्यतमं नास्ति त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत
The gods worship with sacrifices, and kings bearing weapons do likewise; therefore, O Bharata, there is nothing more holy in the three worlds.
प्रभावात्सर्वतीर्थेभ्यः प्रभवत्यधिकं विभो दश तीर्थसहस्राणि तिस्रः कोट्यस्तथा पराः
By its power, O mighty one, Prayaga surpasses all other sacred places: ten thousand tirthas and three crore more are found there.
यत्र गङ्गा महाभागा स देशस्तत्तपोधनम् सिद्धक्षेत्रं च विज्ञेयं गङ्गातीरसमन्वितम्
Where the blessed Ganga flows, that land is the abode of ascetics, known as the field of the perfected, adorned by the bank of the Ganga.
इदं सत्यं विजानीयात् साधूनामात्मनश्च वै सुहृदश्च जपेत्कर्णे शिष्यस्यानुगतस्य च
Know this as truth, for the virtuous and for oneself; recite it in the ear of a friend, or to a devoted disciple.
इदं धन्यमिदं स्वर्ग्यम् इदं सत्यमिदं सुखम् इदं पुण्यमिदं धर्म्यं पावनं धर्ममुत्तमम्
This is blessed, this leads to heaven, this is true, this is happiness, this is holy, this is righteous, this is purifying, this is the highest dharma.
महर्षीणामिदं गुह्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् अधीत्य च द्विजो ऽप्येतन् निर्मलः स्वर्गमाप्नुयात्
This is the secret of the great sages, the destroyer of all sins; even a twice-born who studies this becomes pure and attains heaven.
य इदं शृणुयान्नित्यं तीर्थं पुण्यं सदा शुचिः जातिस्मरत्वं लभते नाकपृष्ठे च मोदते
Whoever hears this sacred tirtha daily, always pure, attains memory of past births and rejoices in the highest heaven.
प्राप्यन्ते तानि तीर्थानि सद्भिः शिष्टानुदर्शिभिः स्नाहि तीर्थेषु कौरव्य न च वक्रमतिर्भव
Those sacred places are attained by the good, who follow the example of the virtuous; bathe at the tirthas, O Kauravya, and do not be of crooked mind.
त्वया च सम्यक्पृष्टेन कथितं वै मया विभो पितरस्तारिताः सर्वे तथैव च पितामहाः
By your proper questioning, O mighty one, I have told you; all your ancestors and grandfathers are thus delivered.
व्रतं दानं तपस्तीर्थं यागाः सर्वे सदक्षिणाः योगाः सांख्यं सदाचारो ये चान्ये ज्ञानहेतवः प्रयागस्य तु सर्वे ते कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्
Vow, charity, austerity, pilgrimage, all sacrifices with proper gifts, yoga, Sankhya, good conduct, and other means of knowledge—all these do not equal even the sixteenth part of Prayaga.