नर्मदा सरयूश्चैव तथा वेत्रवती नदी । तापी पयोष्णी चंद्रा च विपाशा कर्मनाशिनीम्
Likewise, the Narmadā, Sarayū, and the river Vetravatī, Tāpi, Payoṣṇī, Candrā, and Vipāśā are destroyers of karma.
पुष्या पूर्णा तथा दीपा विदीपा सूर्यतेजसा । सहस्रवृषदानात्तु यत्फलं लभते ध्रुवम्
Puṣyā, Pūrnā, Dīpā, and Vidīpā, shining with the radiance of the sun—whatever certain fruit is gained by giving a thousand cows,
तत्फलं समवाप्नोति गंगादर्शनतः क्षणात् । इयं गंगा महापुण्या ब्रह्मघ्नानां विशेषतः
That fruit is instantly obtained by merely seeing the Gaṅgā; this Gaṅgā is supremely holy, especially for those who have slain a brāhmaṇa.
तेषां निरययुक्तानां गंगा पापप्रहारिणी । चंद्र सूर्योपरागे च यत्फलं विद्यतेऽनघ
For those bound to hell, Gaṅgā destroys sin; whatever fruit is gained during a lunar or solar eclipse, O sinless one,
तत्फलं समवाप्नोति गंगादर्शनमात्रतः । यथा सूर्योदये तात तमो गच्छति दूरतः
That fruit is obtained merely by seeing the Gaṅgā; just as, at sunrise, darkness departs far away,
तथा गंगाप्रभावेन विलयं याति पातकम् । मान्येयं सर्वदा लोके पवित्रा पापनाशिनी
So, by the power of Gaṅgā, sin is dissolved; she is always to be honored in the world, pure and the destroyer of sin.
कल्याणरूपा सततं विष्णुना निर्मिता पुरा । दिव्यरूपा तु जननी दीनानां पावनी स्मृता
Ever auspicious in form, she was created long ago by Viṣṇu; the divine mother is known as the purifier of the afflicted.
देवानां च यथा विष्णुस्तथा गंगोत्तमा नदी । ये कुर्वंति नराः स्नानं माघमासे निरंतरम्
Just as Viṣṇu is supreme among the gods, so too is Gaṅgā the foremost among rivers; those men who bathe continually in the month of Māgha—
न तेषां विद्यते दुःखं कल्पानां च शतत्रयम् । यत्र गंगा च यमुना यत्र चैव सरस्वती । तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च मुक्तिभागी न संशयः
For them, there is no suffering for three hundred kalpas; where Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī are found, there, by bathing and drinking, one surely attains liberation—there is no doubt.
महादेव उवाच-। त्वद्वार्तां प्रियतो ब्रवीमि यदहं सा स्तुस्तुतिस्ते प्रभो यद्भुंजे तव तन्निवेदनमथो यद्यामि सा प्रेष्यता । यच्छांतः स्वपिमि त्वदंघ्रियुगले दंडप्रणामोऽस्तु नः। स्वामिन्यच्च करोमि तेन स भवान्विश्वेश्वरः प्रीयताम्
Mahādeva said: I speak of you with affection; whatever praise I offer is your hymn, O Lord. Whatever I eat is your offering, and wherever I go, I am sent by you. When I sleep peacefully, may my obeisance be at your two feet. Whatever I do, O Lord of all, may you, Viśveśvara, be pleased by that.
दृष्टेन वंदितेनापि स्पृष्टेन च धृतेन के
By seeing, bowing to, touching, or holding—
तावद् भ्रमंति भुवने मनुजा भवोत्थ दारिद्य्र रोग मरण व्यसनाभिभूताः
So long do men wander in the world, overcome by poverty, disease, death, and misfortune arising from existence.
यत्संस्मृतिः सपदि कृंतति दुष्कृतौघं पापावलीं जयति योजन लक्षतोऽपि
The remembrance of whom at once cuts away the mass of evil deeds, conquers the multitude of sins, even from a hundred thousand yojanas away.
आलोकोत्कंठितेन प्रमुदित मनसा वर्त्म यस्याः प्रयातं सद्यस्मिन्कृत्यमेतामथ प्रथम कृती जज्ञिवान्स्वर्गसिंधुम्
With longing to behold her, with a joyful heart, one who sets out on her path—at that very moment, this act is accomplished; thus, the first doer is born into the ocean of heaven.
देवीभूत परं ब्रह्म परमानंददायिनी
Having become a goddess, she is the supreme Brahman, the bestower of the highest bliss.
साक्षाद्धर्म द्रवौघं मुररिपु चरणांभोज पीयूषसारं।। दुःखस्याब्धेस्तरित्रं सुरमनुजनुतं स्वर्गसोपान मार्गम्। । सर्वांहोहारि वारि प्रवर गुणगणंभासि या संवहंती
She is the very embodiment of dharma, a stream of nectar from the lotus feet of the enemy of Mura; the raft across the ocean of suffering, praised by gods and men, the path to the stairway of heaven; she carries water that removes all sins, shining with the best qualities.
स्वःसिंधो दुरिताब्धिमग्न जनता संतारणि प्रोल्लसत्कल्लोला। । मलकांतिनाशिततमस्तोमे जगत्पावनि
Her waves surge, rescuing people sunk in the ocean of sin from the river of heaven; her pure brilliance dispels the mass of darkness of impurity—she sanctifies the world.
हं हो मानस कंपसे किमु सखे त्रस्तोभयान्नारकात्किं ते। भीतिरिति श्रुतिर्दुरितकृत्संजायते नारकी ।। माभैषीः शृणु मे गतिं यदि मया पापाचल। स्पर्द्धिनी प्राप्ता ते निरयं कथः किमपरं किं मे न धर्मं धनम्
Alas, mind, why do you tremble? O friend, are you afraid of both hells? Fear arises, it is said, for the doer of evil; do not fear. Hear from me: if, because of my sin, the rival has reached hell before you, what else remains? What dharma or wealth is left for me?
सर्वेशादि प्रशंसा मुदमनुभवनं मज्जनं यत्र चोक्तं स्वर्नार्योवीक्ष्यहृष्टा। विबुध सुरपतिः प्राप्तिसंभावनेन देवत्वं ते लभंते स्फुटम् अशुभकृतोप्यत्र वेदाः प्रमाणम्
Where the praise of the Lord of all, the experience of joy, and bathing are declared, and noble women look on delighted; where the king of the gods, hoping for attainment, comes—there, even those who have done evil clearly attain divinity; the Vedas are authority for this.
बुद्धे सद्बुद्धिरेवं भवतु तव सखे मानस स्वस्तिते ऽस्तु वाणि प्राणप्रियेधि प्रकट गुण वपुः प्राप्नुहि प्राणि पुष्टिं यस्मात्सर्वैर्भवद्भिः
May right understanding arise in your mind, O friend, may well-being be yours; may your speech become dear to all, may you attain manifest virtues and a radiant form, may you gain vitality, for this is desired by all.
श्रीजाह्नवी रविसुता परमेष्ठिपुत्री सिंधुत्रयाभरणतीर्थवर प्रयाग। । सर्वेश मामनुगृहाण नयस्व चोर्ध्वमंतस्तमो दशविधं दलय स्वधाम्ना
O Śrī Jāhnavī, daughter of the Sun, child of Brahmā, ornament of the three rivers, O Prayāga, best of holy places, O Lord of all, favor me, lead me upward, destroy the tenfold inner darkness with your own radiance.
वागीश विष्ण्वीश पुरंदराद्याः पापप्रणाशाय विदांविदोऽपि। । भजंति यत्तीरमनीलनीलं सतीर्थराजो जयति प्रयागः
The Lord of Speech, Lord Viṣṇu, Indra and others, even the wise, worship that beautiful blue bank for the destruction of sin; the king of holy places, Prayāga, triumphs.
कलिंदजा संगम वाप्ययत्र प्रत्यग्गता स्वर्गधुनीधुनोति। । अध्यात्म तापत्रितयं जनस्य स तीर्थराजो जयति प्रयागः
Where the Gaṅgā, born of the Himālaya, meets, and the celestial river flows westward, she washes away the triple afflictions of people; the king of holy places, Prayāga, triumphs.
श्यामो वटः श्यामगुणोवृणोति स्वच्छायया श्यामल याजनानाम्। । श्यामश्रमं कृंतति यत्रदृष्टः स तीर्थराजो जयति प्रयागः
The dark banyan tree, adorned with dark qualities, shades the worshippers with its pure shadow; where the dark fatigue is cut away by seeing it, the king of holy places, Prayāga, triumphs.
ब्रह्मादयोप्यात्मकृतिं विहाय भजंति पुण्यात्मक भागधेयम्
Even Brahma and others, abandoning their own forms, seek the blessed fortune of the virtuous.
यत्सेवया देव नृदेवतादि देवर्षयः प्रत्यहमामनंति। । स्वर्गं च सर्वोत्तम भूमिराज्यं स तीर्थराजो जयति प्रयागः
By whose service, O Lord, gods, kings, and divine sages daily proclaim: 'Heaven, supreme among all, and earthly sovereignty—such is the glory of Prayaga, the king of sacred places.'
एनांसि हंतीति प्रसिद्धवार्ता नाम प्रतापेन दृशो भवंति। । यस्य त्रिलोकीं प्रतताप गोभिः स तीर्थराजो जयति प्रयागः
It is well known that sins are destroyed by its fame; by its radiance, eyes are purified. He whose light pervades the three worlds with cows—such is Prayaga, the king of sacred places.
धत्ते ऽभितश्चामर चारुकांतिं सितासिते यत्रसरिद्वरेण्ये
All around, it bears the charming brilliance of white and black chamara fans, where the rivers meet in the forest.
ब्राह्मीनपुत्री त्रिपथास्त्रिवेणी समागमे साक्षतयागमात्रात्
At the confluence, the daughter of Brahma, the triple-path Triveni, is manifest, witnessed directly by the ritual.
केषांचिज्जन्मकोटिर्व्रजति सुवचसां यामियामीति यस्मिन्केषां।। चित्प्रेप्सतां यं नियतमतियतेद् वर्षवृंदं वरिष्ठम्। । यत्प्राप्तं भाग्यलक्षैर्भवति भवति नो वास वाचामवाच्यो। । दिष्ट्या वेणी विशिष्टो भवति दृगतिथिः कं प्रयाग प्रयागः
For some, countless births pass; for those of gentle speech, it is attained. For those who seek the supreme, it is the highest among all years. What is gained by fortune may or may not be spoken; by destiny, the confluence is distinguished, and the auspicious day is seen—what Prayaga, Prayaga!