ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा प्रणम्य शिरसा मुनिम् । पृच्छामि त्वां मुनिश्रेष्ठ सदा त्रैकाल्यदर्शनम् । कथयस्व समासेन मुच्येऽहं येन किल्बिषात्
Then King Yudhishthira, bowing his head to the sage, said: I ask you, best of sages, who sees the three times—tell me briefly by what means I may be freed from sin.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणु राजन्महाभाग यन्मां पृच्छसि भारत । एवं सांख्यं च योगं च तीर्थं चैव युधिष्ठिर
Markandeya said: Hear, O fortunate king, what you ask of me, O descendant of Bharata; thus are Sankhya, Yoga, and pilgrimage, O Yudhishthira.
किं पुनर्ब्राह्मणैः पुण्यैः कीर्तितं वै पुरा विभो । प्रयागगमनं श्रेष्ठं नराणां पुण्यकर्मणाम्
But among the meritorious acts praised by the Brahmins of old, the journey to Prayaga is supreme for men who perform virtuous deeds.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि पुराकल्पे यथास्थितम् । कथं प्रयागगमनं नराणां तत्र कीदृशम्
Yudhishthira said: O lord, I wish to hear how it was in former times—how is the journey to Prayaga for men, and what is it like there?
मृतानां का गतिस्तत्र स्नातानां चैव किं फलम् । ये वसंति प्रयागे तु ब्रूहि तेषां च किं फलम् । एतन्मे सर्वमाख्याहि परं कौतूहलं हि मे
What is the fate of those who die there, and what is the fruit for those who bathe? Tell me also the result for those who dwell in Prayaga; tell me all this, for I am greatly curious.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- कथयिष्यामि ते वत्स नाथेष्टं यच्च यत्फलम् । पुरा ऋषीणां विप्राणां कथ्यमानं मया श्रुतम्
Markandeya said: I shall tell you, dear one, what is desired and what fruit is gained; formerly I heard it related by the seers and Brahmins.
आप्रयागात्प्रतिष्ठानाद्धर्मकी वासुकी ह्रदात् । कंबलाश्वतरौ नागौ नागाश्च बहुमूलिकाः
From Prayaga to Pratishthana, from Dharmaki to the lake of Vasuki, the serpents Kambala and Ashvatara, and many other great serpents reside.
एतत्प्रजापतिक्षेत्रं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । अत्र स्नात्वा दिवं यांति ये मृतास्तेऽपुनर्भवाः
This is the field of Prajapati, renowned in the three worlds; those who bathe here ascend to heaven, and those who die here do not return to birth.
तत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा रक्षां कुर्वंति संगताः । अन्ये च बहवस्तीर्थाः सर्वपापप्रणाशनाः
There, Brahma and the other gods, assembled, provide protection; and there are many other sacred places that destroy all sins.
न शक्याः कथितुं राजन्बहुवर्षशतैरपि । संक्षेपेण प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रयागस्य च कीर्त्तनम्
They cannot be described, O king, even in hundreds of years; but I will briefly recount the glory of Prayaga.
षष्टिर्धनुः सहस्राणि परिरक्षंति जाह्नवीम् । यमुनां रक्षति सदा सविता सप्तवाहनः
Sixty thousand bow-lengths protect the Ganga, and Savita, the sun with seven steeds, always guards the Yamuna.
प्रयागं तु विशेषेण स्वयं रक्षति वासवः । मंडलं रक्षति हरिर्देवैः सह सुसंमतम्
Especially, Indra himself protects Prayaga, and Hari, with the gods, guards the sacred region, highly esteemed.
तं वटं रक्षते नित्यं शूलपाणिर्महेश्वरः । स्थानं रक्षति वै देवः सर्वपापहरं शुभम्
The Lord Maheshvara, wielder of the trident, always protects that banyan tree; the god protects that place, which is auspicious and removes all sins.
अधर्मेण वृतो लोके नैव गच्छति तत्पदम् । स्वल्पमल्पतरं पापं यदा तस्य नराधिप
One who is enveloped in unrighteousness in this world does not attain that state; even the smallest sin, O king, prevents him.
प्रयागस्मरमाणस्य सर्वमायाति संक्षयम् । दर्शनात्तस्य तीर्थस्य नामसंकीर्तनादपि
For one who remembers Prayaga, all his sins are destroyed; even by seeing that holy place or by merely reciting its name.
मृत्तिका लभनाद्वापि नरः पापाद्विमुच्यते । पंचकुंडानि राजेंद्र येषां मध्ये तु जाह्नवी
By obtaining even a little of its sacred earth, a person is freed from sin; O king, among the five sacred pools, the Ganga flows in the midst.
प्रयागे तु प्रविष्टस्य पापं क्षरति तत्क्षणात् । योजनानां सहस्रेषु गंगां स्मरति यो नरः
For one who enters Prayaga, his sins are washed away at that very moment; and even from a thousand yojanas away, whoever remembers the Ganga—
अपि दुष्कृतकर्मासौ लभते परमां गतिम् । कीर्तनान्मुच्यते पापैर्दृष्ट्वा भद्राणि पश्यति
Even if he has performed evil deeds, he attains the highest state; by reciting her name, he is freed from sins, and by seeing her, he beholds auspicious things.
अवगाह्य च पीत्वा च पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम् । सत्यवादी जितक्रोधो अहिंसां परमास्थितः
By bathing in her and drinking her waters, he purifies up to the seventh generation of his family; one who speaks truth, has conquered anger, and is firmly established in nonviolence—
धर्मानुसारी तत्त्वज्ञो गोब्राह्मणहिते रतः । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये स्नातो मुच्येत किल्बिषात्
Who follows righteousness, knows the truth, and is devoted to the welfare of cows and Brahmins—if he bathes between the Ganga and Yamuna, he is freed from sin.
मनसा चिंतितान्कामान्सम्यक्प्राप्नोति पुष्कलान् । ततो गत्त्वा प्रयागं तु सर्वदेवाभिरक्षितम्
He attains all the desires he contemplates in his mind, in abundance; therefore, having gone to Prayaga, which is protected by all the gods—
ब्रह्मचारी वसेन्मासं पितृदेवांश्च तर्पयेत् । ईप्सिताँल्लभते कामान्यत्र तत्राभिजायते
A celibate should dwell there for a month and offer oblations to the ancestors and gods; he attains the desired objects and is born there again.
तपनस्य सुता देवी त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता । समागता महाभागा यमुना यत्र निम्नगाः
The goddess Yamuna, daughter of the Sun, renowned in the three worlds, has come together there, O blessed one, where the rivers descend.
तत्र सन्निहितो नित्यं साक्षाद्देवो महेश्वरः । दुष्प्रापं मानुषैः पुण्यं प्रयागं तु युधिष्ठिर
There, Lord Maheshvara is always present in person; O Yudhishthira, Prayaga is a holy place difficult for humans to attain.
देवदानवगंधर्वा ऋषयः सिद्धचारणाः । तत्रोपस्पृश्य राजेंद्र स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Gods, demons, Gandharvas, sages, Siddhas, and Charanas—having bathed there, O king, are honored in the heavenly world.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे एकचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-first chapter in the Svarga-khanda of the glorious Padma Purana.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणु राजन्प्रयागस्य माहात्म्यं पुनरेव तु । यं गत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः
Markandeya said: Hear again, O king, the greatness of Prayaga, by going to which one is freed from all sins—of this there is no doubt.
आर्तानां च दरिद्राणां निश्चितव्यवसायिनाम् । स्थानं मुक्त्वा प्रयागं तु नाक्षयं तु कदाचन
For the distressed, the poor, and those with firm resolve, there is no imperishable place except Prayaga.
गंगायमुनमासाद्य यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत् । दीप्तकांचनवर्णाभे विमाने सूर्यवर्चसि
Whoever, having reached the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna, gives up his life there, enjoys in heaven among shining aerial cars, radiant as the sun and gold.
गंधर्वाप्सरसां मध्ये स्वर्गे मोदति मानवः । ईप्सिताँल्लभतेकामान्वदंति ऋषिपुंगवाः
In the midst of Gandharvas and Apsaras, the man rejoices in heaven; he attains the desired objects, so declare the foremost of sages.