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.
एवं ज्ञानं च योगश्च तीर्थं चैव युधिष्ठिर बहुक्लेशेन युज्यन्ते तेन यान्ति परां गतिम् त्रिकालं जायते ज्ञानं स्वर्गलोकं गमिष्यति
In this way, knowledge, yoga, and pilgrimage, O Yudhishthira, are attained through great effort; by these, one reaches the supreme state. Knowledge arises in all three times, and one attains the world of heaven.
कथं सर्वमिदं प्रोक्तं प्रयागस्य महामुने एतन्नः सर्वमाख्याहि यथा हि मम तारयेत्
How has all this been described about Prayaga, O great sage? Tell us everything, so that it may deliver me as well.
शृणु राजन्प्रयागे तु प्रोक्तं सर्वमिदं जगत् ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथेशानो देवताः प्रभुरव्ययः
Hear, O King, all that has been declared about Prayaga: Brahma, Vishnu, and Ishana, the gods, and the imperishable Lord—all are present there.
ब्रह्मा सृजति भूतानि स्थावरं जङ्गमं च यत् तान्येतानि परं लोके विष्णुः संवर्धते प्रजाः
Brahma creates all beings, both immobile and mobile; these, in the supreme world, Vishnu sustains, and the creatures flourish.
कल्पान्ते तत्समग्रं हि रुद्रः संहरते जगत् तदा प्रयागतीर्थं च न कदाचिद्विनश्यति
At the end of the aeon, Rudra withdraws the entire universe; yet the holy place of Prayaga never perishes.
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां यः पश्यति स पश्यति यत्नेनानेन तिष्ठन्ति ते यान्ति परमां गतिम्
He who sees the Lord of all beings, truly sees; by striving in this way, they remain and attain the highest state.
आख्याहि मे यथातथ्यं यथैषा तिष्ठति श्रुतिः केन वा कारणेनैव तिष्ठन्ते लोकसत्तमाः
Tell me truly how this tradition remains, and for what reason the foremost beings of the worlds abide here.
प्रयागे निवसन्त्येते ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः कारणं तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु तत्त्वं युधिष्ठिर
In Prayaga dwell Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara; I will tell you the reason for this—listen to the truth, O Yudhishthira.
पञ्चयोजनविस्तीर्णं प्रयागस्य तु मण्डलम् तिष्ठन्ति रक्षणायात्र पापकर्मनिवारणात्
The region of Prayaga extends five yojanas; they remain here for protection and to ward off evil deeds.
उत्तरेण प्रतिष्ठानाच् छद्मना ब्रह्म तिष्ठति वेणीमाधवरूपी तु भगवांस्तत्र तिष्ठति
To the north of Pratishthana, Brahma abides in disguise; the Blessed Lord, in the form of Veni Madhava, stands there.