पापौघभूरिभारस्य दाहार्थे च प्रजापतिः । प्रयागं विदधे भूप प्रजानां च हिते स्थितः
To burn away the great burden of accumulated sins, the Lord of creatures established Prayāga, O king, for the welfare of beings.
शृणु स्थानमिदं सम्यक्सितासित जलं किल । पापरूप पशूनां च ब्रह्मणा विहितं पुरा
Hear now of this place, truly, with its white and dark waters; it was ordained long ago by Brahmā for beings of sinful nature.
सितासितजले मज्जेदपि पापशतान्वितः । मकरस्थे रवौ माघे नैव गर्भेषु मज्जति
Even one laden with hundreds of sins, if he immerses in the white and dark waters during the sun's course in Capricorn in Māgha, does not fall into the womb again.
सूनारतोऽपि यो मर्त्यः प्रयागे स्नानमाचरेत् । माघेमासि नरव्याघ्र स याति परमंपदम्
Even a man attached to his wife, if he bathes at Prayāga in Māgha, O tiger among men, attains the supreme state.
सितासिता तु या धारा सरस्वत्याविगर्भिता । तन्मार्गं विष्णुलोकस्य सृष्टिकर्ता ससर्ज वै
The stream of white and dark water, originating from Sarasvatī, was created by the Maker of the world as the path to Viṣṇu's realm.
दुस्तरा वैष्णवी माया देवैरपि सुदुर्जया । प्रयागे दह्यते सा तु माघे मासि नराधिप
The Māyā of Viṣṇu is hard to cross, unconquerable even by the gods; but at Prayāga, O king of men, it is burned away in the month of Māgha.
तेजोमयेषु लोकेषु भुक्त्वा भोगाननेकशः । पश्चाच्चक्रिणि लीयंते प्रयागे माघ मज्जनात्
After enjoying many pleasures in radiant worlds, they dissolve into the disc of Viṣṇu from bathing at Prayāga in Māgha.
उपस्पृशति यो माघे मकरार्के सितासिते । न तत्पुण्यं च संख्यातुं चित्रगुप्तोऽपि वेत्यलम्
Whoever touches the white and dark waters in Māgha, when the sun is in Capricorn, even Citragupta cannot calculate the merit of that act.
सन्निमज्जति यो माघे मकरस्थ सितासिते । तस्य पुण्यस्य माहात्म्यं वक्तुं ब्रह्मापि न क्षमः
Whoever fully immerses in the white and dark waters in Māgha, with the sun in Capricorn, even Brahmā is unable to describe the greatness of his merit.
संवत्सरशतं साग्रं निराहारस्य यत्फलम् । प्रयागे माघमासे तु त्र्यहस्नानस्य तत्फलम्
The fruit of a hundred years of fasting is obtained by bathing for three days at Prayāga during the month of Māgha.
स्वर्णभारसहस्रेण कुरुक्षेत्ररविग्रहे । यत्फलं लभते माघे वेण्याः स्नानाद्दिने दिने
The merit gained each day by bathing in the Veṇī during Māgha equals that of giving a thousand loads of gold at Kurukṣetra during a solar eclipse.
राजसूयसहस्रस्य राजन्नविकलं फलम् । सितासिते तु माघे च स्नानानां भवति ध्रुवम्
The undiminished fruit of a thousand Rājasūya sacrifices is surely obtained by bathing in the white and dark waters during Māgha.
पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि पुर्यः सप्त च याः पुनः । वेण्यां स्नातुं समायांति माघेमासि नृपोत्तम
O best of kings, all the sacred places on earth and the seven cities as well gather at the Veṇī to bathe during the month of Māgha.
सर्वतीर्थानि कृष्णानि पापिनां संगदोषतः । भवंति शुक्लवर्णानि प्रयागे माघमज्जनात्
Because of association with sinners, all the holy waters become dark, but at Prayāga, by bathing in Māgha, they turn pure and bright.
आकल्पसंचितं पापं जन्मभिर्यन्नरैर्नृप । तद्भवेद्भस्मसान्माघे स्नातानां च सितासिते
O king, the sins accumulated over countless ages and births are reduced to ashes for those who bathe in Māgha, whether they are fair or dark.
वाङ्मनःकायजं पापं नरस्य विलयं व्रजेत् । प्रयागे माघमासे तु त्र्यहस्नातस्य निश्चितम्
The sins committed by speech, mind, or body certainly come to an end for one who bathes for three days at Prayāga during the month of Māgha.
प्रयागे माघमासे यस्त्र्यहं स्नाति च मानवः । पापं त्यक्त्वा दिवं याति जीर्णां त्वचमिवोरगः
A person who bathes for three days at Prayāga in the month of Māgha, casting off sin, ascends to heaven like a serpent shedding its worn-out skin.
कुरुक्षेत्रसमा गंगा यत्रकुत्रावगाहिता । तस्माद्दशगुणा पुण्या यत्र विंध्येन संगता
Wherever the Gaṅgā is entered, she is equal to Kurukṣetra, but where she joins with the Vindhya, she is said to be ten times more holy.
तस्माच्छतगुणा गंगा काश्यामुत्तरवाहिनी । काश्याः शतगुणाः प्रोक्ता गंगायामुनसंगमे
There, the northward-flowing Gaṅgā at Kāśī is a hundred times more meritorious; and at the confluence of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā, Kāśī is said to be a hundred times greater.
सा सहस्रगुणा तासां भवेत्पश्चिमवाहिनी । या राजन्दर्शनादेव ब्रह्महत्यापहारिणी
Of all these, the westward-flowing Gaṅgā is a thousand times more powerful, O king, for by her very sight she removes the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa.
या पश्चाद्वाहिनी गंगा कालिंद्या सह संगता । हंति कोटिकृतं पापं सा माघे नृप दुर्लभा 6.127.
The Gaṅgā that flows westward, united with the Kāliṃdī, destroys ten million sins, O king, but she is rare to find in Māgha.
यत्कथ्यतेऽमृतं राजन्सा वेणी भुवि कीर्तिता । तस्यां माघे मुहूर्तं तु देवानामपि दुर्लभम्
That which is called nectar, O king, is celebrated on earth as the Veṇī; even a moment there in Māgha is difficult to attain, even for the gods.
ब्रह्माविष्णुर्महादेवो रुद्रादित्यमरुद्गणाः । गंधर्वा लोकपालाश्च यक्षकिन्नरपन्नगाः
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Mahādeva, Rudra, the Ādityas, the hosts of Maruts, the Gandharvas, guardians of the worlds, Yakṣas, Kinnaras, and serpents,
अणिमादिगुणैः सिद्धा ये चान्ये तत्त्ववादिनः । ब्रह्माणी पार्वती लक्ष्मीः शची मेनादितिर्दितिः
The Siddhas endowed with powers like aṇimā, and other teachers of truth, Brahmāṇī, Pārvatī, Lakṣmī, Śacī, Menā, Aditi, and Diti,
सर्वास्ता देवपत्न्यश्च तथा नागांगना नृप । घृताची मेनका रंभा उर्वशी च तिलोत्तमा
All these goddesses, wives of the gods, and the serpent maidens, O king, Ghṛtācī, Menakā, Rambhā, Urvaśī, and Tilottamā,
गणा ह्यप्सरसां सर्वे पितॄणां च गणास्तथा । स्नातुमायांति ते सर्वे माघे वेण्यां नराधिप
All the hosts of Apsarases and the hosts of ancestors as well, they all come to bathe at the Veṇī in Māgha, O lord of men.
कृते युगे स्वरूपेण कलौ प्रच्छन्नरूपिणः । प्रयागे माघमासे तु त्र्यहस्नानस्य यत्फलम्
In the Kṛta age they come in their true forms, in Kali in concealed forms; the fruit of bathing for three days at Prayāga in Māgha—
नाश्वमेधसहस्रेण तत्फलं लभते भुवि । त्र्यहस्नानफलं माघे पुरा कांचनमालिनी
That fruit is not obtained on earth even by a thousand horse sacrifices; in former times, Kāṃcanamālinī gave the fruit of three days' bathing in Māgha—
राक्षसाय ददौ भूप तेन मुक्तः स पापकृत् । कार्तवीर्य उवाच । भगवन्राक्षसः कोऽसौ सा का कांचनमालिनी
She gave it to a Rākṣasa, O king, and thus that sinner was freed. Kārtavīrya said: O lord, who was that Rākṣasa, and who was Kāṃcanamālinī?
कथं दत्तवती धर्मं कथं वा तस्य सद्गतिः । एतत्कथय योगींद्र अत्रिसंतानभास्कर । यदि त्वं मन्यसे श्राव्यं परं कौतूहलं हि मे
How did she give the merit, and how did he attain the good state? Tell me this, O lord of yogis, sun of the line of Atri; if you consider it worthy to be heard, for I am greatly curious.