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.
माहेश्वरो वटो भूत्वा तिष्ठते परमेश्वरः ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः रक्षन्ति मण्डलं नित्यं पापकर्मनिवारणात्
The Supreme Lord, having become a great banyan tree, stands there as Maheshvara; then the gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and great sages always protect the region, to prevent evil deeds.
यस्मिञ्जुह्वन्स्वकं पापं नरकं च न पश्यति एवं ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च प्रयागे स महेश्वरः
He who offers oblations there does not see his own sin or hell; thus, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara are present at Prayaga.
सप्तद्वीपाः समुद्राश्च पर्वताश्च महीतले रक्षमाणाश्च तिष्ठन्ति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्
The seven continents, the oceans, and the mountains on earth remain protected here until the cosmic dissolution.
ये चान्ये बहवः सर्वे तिष्ठन्ति च युधिष्ठिर यत् पृथिवी तत्समाश्रित्य निर्मिता दैवतैस् त्रिभिः
And all the many others, O Yudhishthira, who dwell here—whatever is on earth is established here, created by the three deities.
प्रजापतेरिदं क्षेत्रं प्रयागमिति विश्रुतम् एतत्पुण्यं पवित्रं वै प्रयागं च युधिष्ठिर स्वराज्यं कुरु राजेन्द्र भ्रातृभिः सहितो ऽनघ
This field of Prajapati is renowned as Prayaga; this sacred and pure Prayaga, O Yudhishthira, rule as your own kingdom, O king, together with your brothers, O sinless one.
भ्रातृभिः सहितः सर्वैर् द्रौपद्या सह भार्यया ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नमस्कृत्य गुरून्देवानतर्पयत्
Together with all his brothers and his wife Draupadi, having bowed to the Brahmanas, he satisfied his teachers and the gods.
वासुदेवो ऽपि तत्रैव क्षणेनाभ्यागतस्तदा पाण्डवैः सहितैः सर्वैः पूज्यमानस्तु माधवः
Vasudeva also arrived there at that moment; Madhava was worshipped by all the Pandavas together.
कृष्णेन सहितैः सर्वैः पुनरेव महात्मभिः अभिषिक्तः स्वराज्ये च धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
With Krishna and all the great souls, Yudhishthira, son of Dharma, was again anointed in sovereign rule.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे चैव मार्कण्डेयो महामुनिः ततः स्वस्तीति चोक्त्वा तु क्षणादाश्रममागमत्
Meanwhile, the great sage Markandeya, having said 'farewell,' soon returned to his hermitage.
युधिष्ठिरो ऽपि धर्मात्मा भ्रातृभिः सहितो ऽवसत् महादानं ततो दत्त्वा धर्मपुत्रो महामनाः
Yudhishthira, righteous in soul, remained there with his brothers; after giving a great charity, the noble-minded son of Dharma stayed on.