यस्त्विदं कल्य उत्थाय माहात्म्यं पठते नरः प्रयागं स्मरते नित्यं स याति परमं पदम् मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever, rising early, reads this glory and remembers Prayaga every day, attains the highest state, is freed from all sins, and goes to the world of Rudra.
मम वाक्यं च कर्तव्यं महाराज ब्रवीम्यहम् नित्यं जपस्व जुह्वस्व प्रयागे विगतज्वरः
My words must be followed, O great king, I tell you: always recite and offer oblations at Prayaga, free from affliction.
प्रयागं स्मर वै नित्यं सहास्माभिर्युधिष्ठिर स्वयं प्राप्स्यसि राजेन्द्र स्वर्गलोकं न संशयः
Remember Prayaga always with us, O Yudhishthira; you yourself, O king of kings, will surely attain the heavenly world—there is no doubt.
प्रयागमनुगच्छेद्वा वसते वापि यो नरः सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever goes to Prayaga or dwells there, that person, purified from all sins, attains the world of Rudra.
प्रतिग्रहादुपावृत्तः संतुष्टो नियतः शुचिः अहंकारनिवृत्तश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
He who refrains from accepting gifts, is content, self-controlled, pure, and free from pride, attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
अकोपनश्च सत्यश्च सत्यवादी दृढव्रतः आत्मोपमश्च भूतेषु स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
He who is not prone to anger, is truthful, speaks truth, firm in his vows, and regards all beings as himself, attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
ऋषिभिः क्रतवः प्रोक्ता देवैश्चापि यथाक्रमम् न हि शक्या दरिद्रेण यज्ञाः प्राप्तुं महीपते
Sacrifices have been prescribed by the seers and also by the gods in due order, but, O king, the poor are not able to perform sacrifices.
बहूपकरणा यज्ञा नानासम्भारविस्तराः प्राप्यन्ते पार्थिवैरेतैः समृद्धैर्वै नरैः क्वचित्
Sacrifices require many implements and a great variety of materials; only wealthy men can sometimes accomplish them.
यो दरिद्रैरपि विधिः शक्यः प्राप्तुं नरेश्वर तुल्यो यज्ञफलैः पुण्यैस् तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर
But, O lord of men, there is a rite that even the poor can perform; know, O Yudhishthira, that it yields merit equal to the fruits of sacrifice.
ऋषीणां परमं गुह्यम् इदं भरतसत्तम तीर्थानुगमनं पुण्यं यज्ञेभ्यो ऽपि विशिष्यते
This is the supreme secret of the seers, O best of the Bharatas: the meritorious act of pilgrimage to holy places surpasses even sacrifices.
दश तीर्थसहस्राणि तिस्रः कोट्यस्तथापगाः माघमासे गमिष्यन्ति गङ्गायां भरतर्षभ
Ten thousand holy places and thirty million sacred rivers go to the Ganga in the month of Magha, O bull among the Bharatas.
स्वस्थो भव महाराज भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यमकण्टकम् पुनर्द्रक्ष्यसि राजेन्द्र यजमानो विशेषतः
Be at ease, O great king, and enjoy your kingdom without hindrance; you will see again, O king of kings, the sacrificer in particular.
इत्युक्त्वा स महाभागो मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः युधिष्ठिरस्य नृपतेस् तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Having spoken thus, the illustrious and great ascetic Markandeya vanished there before King Yudhishthira.
ततस्तत्र समाप्लाव्य गात्राणि सगणो नृपः यथोक्तेनाथ विधिना परां निर्वृतिमागमत्
Then, together with his companions, the king bathed his limbs there, and, following the prescribed rite, attained supreme contentment.
तथा त्वमपि देवर्षे प्रयागाभिमुखो भव अभिषेकं तु कृत्वाद्य कृतकृत्यो भविष्यसि
So you too, O divine sage, set out for Prayaga; after performing the ablution today, you will have accomplished your purpose.
एवमुक्त्वाथ नन्दीशस् तत्रैवान्तरधीयत नारदो ऽपि जगामाशु प्रयागाभिमुखस्तथा
Having spoken thus, Nandisha vanished there; and Narada too quickly set out towards Prayaga.
तत्र स्नात्वा च जप्त्वा च विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा दानं दत्त्वा द्विजाग्र्येभ्यो गतः स्वभवनं तदा
There, having bathed and recited mantras, performing the prescribed rites, and giving gifts to the foremost twice-born, he then returned to his own house.
कति द्वीपाः समुद्रा वा पर्वता वा कति प्रभो कियन्ति चैव वर्षाणि तेषु नद्यश्च काः स्मृताः
O Lord, how many continents and oceans are there, and how many mountains? How many regions are there, and which rivers are remembered within them?
महाभूमिप्रमाणं च लोकालोकस्तथैव च पर्याप्तिं परिमाणं च गतिश्चन्द्रार्कयोस्तथा
What is the measure of the great earth, and likewise of Lokāloka? Tell also the extent, the dimensions, and the courses of the moon and the sun.
एतद्ब्रवीहि नः सर्वं विस्तरेण यथार्थवित् त्वदुक्तमेतत्सकलं श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम्
Tell us all this in detail, as you know the truth; we wish to hear everything you say.
द्वीपभेदसहस्राणि सप्त चान्तर्गतानि च न शक्यन्ते क्रमेणेह वक्तुं वै सकलं जगत्
There are a thousand divisions of continents, and seven within them; it is not possible to describe the entire world here in order.
सप्तैव तु प्रवक्ष्यामि चन्द्रादित्यग्रहैः सह तेषां मनुष्यतर्केण प्रमाणानि प्रचक्षते
But I will describe only the seven, along with the moon, sun, and planets; their measures are declared according to human reasoning.
अचिन्त्याः खलु ये भावास् तांस्तु तर्केण साधयेत् प्रकृतिभ्यः परं यच्च तदचिन्त्यस्य लक्षणम्
Indeed, those things which are inconceivable cannot be established by reasoning; what is beyond nature is the mark of the inconceivable.
सप्त वर्षाणि वक्ष्यामि जम्बूद्वीपं यथाविधम् विस्तरं मण्डलं यच्च योजनैस्तान्निबोधत
I will describe the seven regions of Jambūdvīpa in their proper order, its extent, and its circle; listen to their measures in yojanas.
योजनानां सहस्राणि शतं द्वीपस्य विस्तरः नानाजनपदाकीर्णं पुरैश्च विविधैः शुभैः
The breadth of the continent is one hundred thousand yojanas, filled with various peoples and adorned with many splendid cities.
सिद्धचारणसंकीर्णं पर्वतैरुपशोभितम् सर्वधातुपिनद्धैस्तैः शिलाजालसमुद्गतैः
It is crowded with Siddhas and Cāraṇas, beautified by mountains, all covered with minerals and rising with masses of rocks.
पर्वतप्रभवाभिश्च नदीभिस्तु समन्ततः प्रागायता महापार्श्वाः षडिमे वर्षपर्वताः
All around are rivers originating from the mountains, flowing forth, with great banks; these six are the mountain ranges of the regions.
अवगाह्य ह्युभयतः समुद्रौ पूर्वपश्चिमौ हिमप्रायश्च हिमवान् हेमकूटश्च हेमवान्
On both sides, the eastern and western oceans are to be crossed; Himavat, mostly snowy, Hemakūṭa, and Hemavān are there.
सर्वतः सुमुखश्चापि निषधः पर्वतो महान् चातुर्वर्ण्यस्तु सौवर्णो मेरुश्चोल्बमयः स्मृतः चतुर्विंशत्सहस्राणि विस्तीर्णः स चतुर्दिशम्
All around is the great mountain Niṣadha, with a beautiful face; Meru, golden and lofty, is said to be four-caste and made of gold, spreading twenty-four thousand yojanas in all directions.
वृत्ताकृतिप्रमाणश्च चतुरस्रः समाहितः नानावर्णैः समः पार्श्वैः प्रजापतिगुणान्वितः
Its shape is circular, but it is set as a square, equal on all sides, adorned with various colors and endowed with the qualities of the Lord of Creatures.