युधिष्ठिरोऽपि धर्मात्मा ऋषिभिः सह सुव्रतः । जगामाखिलतीर्थानि सादरः पृथिवीपतिः
Yudhiṣṭhira, the righteous-souled and virtuous king, together with the sages, respectfully visited all the holy places.
मयोक्तामृषयः सर्वे तीर्थयात्राश्रयां कथाम् । यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि स मुक्तः सर्वपातकैः
Whoever recites or hears the account of the pilgrimage to holy places, as told by me and the sages, is freed from all sins.
मयोक्तमखिलं तत्त्वं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छथ । ऋषीणां पुण्यकीर्तीनां नावक्तव्यं ममास्ति वै
All the truth has been spoken by me; what more do you wish to hear? There is nothing concerning the virtuous sages that I have left untold.
सूत उवाच- एवमुक्तानि तीर्थानि विष्णुदेहानि सुव्रताः । एषामन्यतमा संगान्मुक्तो भवति मानवः
Sūta said: Thus have the holy places, which are the very limbs of Viṣṇu, been described, O virtuous ones. By associating with any one of these, a person becomes liberated.
तीर्थानुश्रवणं धन्यं धन्यं तीर्थनिषेवणम् । पापराशिनिपाताय नान्योपायः कलौयुगे
Hearing about holy places is blessed, and serving holy places is blessed; in the Kali age, there is no other means for the destruction of heaps of sin.
वासं कुर्यामहं तीर्थे तीर्थस्पर्शमहं तथा । एवं योऽनुदिनं ब्रूते स याति परमं महत्
One should dwell at a holy place, and likewise touch a holy place; whoever says this every day attains the highest greatness.
पापानि तस्य नश्यंति तीर्थालापनमात्रतः । तीर्थानि खलु धन्यानि धन्यसेव्यानि सुव्रताः
His sins are destroyed merely by speaking of holy places; indeed, holy places are blessed and worthy to be served, O virtuous ones.
तीर्थानां सेवनादेव सेवितो भवति प्रभुः । नारायणो जगत्कर्ता नास्ति तीर्थात्परं पदम्
By serving the holy places alone, the Lord Nārāyaṇa, creator of the world, is served; there is no state higher than that of the holy places.
ब्राह्मणस्तुलसी चैव अश्वत्थस्तीर्थसंचयः । विष्णुश्च परमेशानः सेव्य एव सदा नृभिः
A brāhmaṇa, the tulasī plant, the aśvattha tree, and the collection of holy places, as well as Viṣṇu, the supreme Lord, are always to be served by men.
ब्राह्मणानां विशेषेण सेवनं मुनिपुंगवाः । सर्वतीर्थावगाहादेरधिकं विदुरग्रजाः
Especially, O best of sages, service to brāhmaṇas is known by the elders to be greater than bathing in all the holy places.
तस्माद्द्विजपदं साक्षात्सर्वतीर्थमयं शुभम् । भजेतानुदिनं विद्वांस्तत्र तीर्थाधिकं भवेत्
Therefore, the wise should daily honor the feet of a twice-born, which are directly the embodiment of all holy places; there, the merit of holy places is surpassed.
अश्वत्थस्य तुलस्याश्च गवां कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम् । सर्वतीर्थफलंप्राप्य विष्णुलोके महीयते
One who circumambulates the aśvattha tree, the tulasī plant, and cows attains the fruit of all holy places and is honored in Viṣṇu's world.
तस्माद्दुष्कृतकर्माणि नाशयेत्तीर्थसेवनात् । अन्यथा नरकं याति कर्म्मभोगाद्धि शाम्यति
Therefore, one should destroy sinful deeds by serving holy places; otherwise, one goes to hell and is subdued by the experience of karma.
पापिनां नरके वासः सुकृती स्वर्गमश्नुते । तस्मात्पुण्यं निषेवेत तीर्थं खलु विचक्षणः
The sinful dwell in hell, while the virtuous enjoy heaven; therefore, the wise should indeed pursue merit and holy places.
ऋषय ऊचुः- श्रुतानि किल तीर्थानि समाहात्म्यानि सुव्रत । इदानीं श्रोतुमिच्छामः प्रयागस्य विशेषकम्
The sages said: The holy places and their glories have indeed been heard, O virtuous one; now we wish to hear in detail about Prayāga.
प्रयागं तु पुरा प्रोक्तं संक्षेपात्सूत यत्त्वया । विशेषाच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामः सूत नः कथ्यतामिति
Prayāga was mentioned by you earlier in brief, O Sūta; we wish to hear about it in detail—please tell us.
सूत उवाच- साधु पृष्टं महाभागाः प्रयागं प्रति सुव्रताः । हंताहं तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रयागस्योपवर्णनम्
Sūta said: Excellent is your question, O noble ones, regarding Prayāga, O virtuous ones. Now I shall describe the account of Prayāga.
मार्कंडेयेन कथितं यत्पुरा पांडुसूनवे । भारते तु यदा वृत्ते प्राप्तराज्ये पृथासुते
That which was once narrated by Mārkaṇḍeya to the son of Pāṇḍu, when the events in the Bhārata had occurred and the son of Pṛthā had attained the kingdom.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे राजा कुंतीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः । भ्रातृशोकेन संतप्तः चिंतयंस्तु पुनः पुनः
Meanwhile, King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī, afflicted by grief for his brothers, kept pondering again and again.
आसीद्दुर्योधनो राजा एकादशचमूपतिः । अस्मान्संतप्य बहुशः सर्वे ते निधनं गताः
Duryodhana was king, commander of eleven armies; he tormented us greatly, and all those have now met their end.
वासुदेवं समाश्रित्य पंचशेषास्तु पांडवाः । कथं द्रोणं च भीष्मं च कर्णं चैव महाबलम्
The five surviving Pāṇḍavas, relying on Vāsudeva, wondered how they had slain Droṇa, Bhīṣma, and mighty Karṇa.
दुर्योधनं च राजानं भ्रातृपुत्रसमन्वितम् । राजानो निहताः सर्वे ये चान्ये शूरमानिनः
And King Duryodhana, accompanied by his brothers and sons; all the kings were slain, and others who prided themselves on valor.
विना राज्येन कर्तव्यं किं भोगैर्जीवितेनवा । धिक्कष्टमिति संचिंत्य राजा विह्वलतां गतः
What is to be done with the kingdom, or with pleasures or even with life? Thinking 'Alas, how wretched!' the king became distraught.
निश्चेष्टोऽथ निरुत्साहः किं चित्तिष्ठत्यधोमुखः । लब्धसंज्ञो यदा राजा चिंतयानः पुनः पुनः
Motionless and dispirited, he sat with his head bowed; when the king regained consciousness, he kept reflecting again and again.
कं चरे विधिना योगं नियमं तीर्थमेव वा । येनाहं शीघ्रमामुच्ये महापातककिल्बिषात्
By what means should I practice discipline, yoga, or pilgrimage, so that I may quickly be freed from the great burden of sin?
यत्र स्नात्वा नरो याति विष्णुलोकमनुत्तमम् । कथं पृच्छामि वै कृष्णं येनेदं कारितं महत्
Where, by bathing, a man attains the supreme realm of Viṣṇu—how shall I ask Kṛṣṇa, by whom this great deed was accomplished?
धृतराष्ट्रं कथं पृच्छे यस्य पुत्रशतं हतम् । व्यासं कथमहं पृच्छे यस्य गोत्रक्षयः कृतः
How shall I ask Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whose hundred sons were slain? How shall I ask Vyāsa, whose lineage has been destroyed?
एवं वैक्लव्यमापन्नो धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः । रुदंतः पांडवाः सर्वे भ्रातृशोकपरिप्लुताः
Thus, overwhelmed with despair, Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Dharma, and all the Pāṇḍavas, wept, overcome by grief for their brothers.
ये च तत्र महात्मानः समेताः पांडवाश्रिताः । कुंती च द्रौपदी चैव ये च तत्र समागताः
Those noble souls who had gathered there, who supported the Pāṇḍavas—Kuntī, Draupadī, and all those assembled there.
भूमौ निपतिताः सर्वे रोदमानाः समंततः । वाराणस्यां तु मार्कंडस्तेन ज्ञातो युधिष्ठरः
All of them fell to the ground, weeping in every direction; and in Vārāṇasī, Mārkaṇḍeya became aware of Yudhiṣṭhira.