इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे द्विचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-second chapter in the Svarga-khaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- यथा प्रयागस्य मुने माहात्म्यं कथितं त्वया । तथातथा प्रमुच्येऽहं सर्वपापैर्न संशयः
Yudhiṣṭhira said: O sage, just as you have described the greatness of Prayāga, in the same way, I am surely freed from all sins—of this there is no doubt.
भगवन्केन विधिना गंतव्यं धर्मनिश्चयैः । प्रयागे यो विधिः प्रोक्तः तन्मे ब्रूहि महामुने
O Lord, by what procedure should one go, with firm resolve in righteousness? Tell me, O great sage, the prescribed method for Prayāga.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- कथयिष्यामि ते वत्स तीर्थयात्राविधिक्रमम् । यो गच्छेतकुरुश्रेष्ठ प्रयागं देवसंयुतम्
Markandeya said: I will tell you, dear one, the proper procedure for pilgrimage; whoever goes, O best of the Kurus, to Prayāga, accompanied by the gods—
बलीवर्दसमारूढः शृणु तस्यापि यत्फलम् । वसते नरके घोरे गवां क्रोधे सुदारुणे
Mounted on a bull—listen to the result for him: he dwells in a terrible hell, in the fierce wrath of the cows.
सलिलं च न गृह्णंति पितरस्तस्य देहिनः । यस्तु पुत्रांस्तथा बालान्स्नापयेत्पाययेत्तथा
His ancestors do not accept water from him; but he who bathes and gives water to his sons and young children—
यथात्मनस्तथा सर्वान्दानं विप्रेषु दापयेत् । ऐश्वर्यलोभान्मोहाद्वा गच्छेद्यानेन यो नरः
And gives gifts to all, as to himself, to the Brāhmaṇas; but if a man goes by vehicle out of greed for wealth or out of delusion—
निष्फलं तस्य तत्तीर्थं तस्माद्यानं परित्यजेत् । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये यस्तु कन्यां प्रयच्छति
His pilgrimage to that holy place is fruitless; therefore, one should abandon travel by vehicle. Whoever gives a maiden in marriage between the Gaṅgā and Yamunā—
आर्षेण तु विधानेन यथाविभवसंभवम् । न पश्यति यमं घोरं नरकं तेन कर्मणा
According to the Ṛṣis’ tradition, as is fitting to his means, does not see the dreadful Yama nor hell by that act.
उत्तरान्स कुरून्गत्वा मोदते कालमक्षयम् । पुत्रांस्तु दाराँल्लभते धार्मिकान्नयसंयुतान्
Having gone to the northern Kurus, he enjoys endless time; he obtains sons and wives endowed with righteousness and good conduct.
तत्र दानं प्रदातव्यं यथाविभवसंभवम् । तेन तीर्थफलैनैव वर्द्धते नात्र संशयः
There, one should give gifts according to one’s means; by that, the fruit of the pilgrimage increases—of this there is no doubt.
स्वर्गे तिष्ठति राजेंद्र यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् । वटमूलं समाश्रित्य यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत्
O king, he dwells in heaven until the end of the cosmic dissolution; whoever gives up his life at the foot of a banyan tree—
सर्वलोकानतिक्रम्य रुद्रलोकं च गच्छति । तत्र ते द्वादशादित्यास्तपंते रुद्रमाश्रिताः
Surpassing all worlds, he goes to the realm of Rudra; there, the twelve suns perform austerities, taking refuge in Rudra.
निर्दहंति जगत्सर्वं वटमूलं न दह्यते । नष्टचंद्रार्कपवनं यदा चैकार्णवं जगत्
They burn up all the worlds, but the banyan root is not burned; when the moon, sun, and wind are lost, and the world is one ocean—
स्वपित्यत्रैव वै विष्णुर्जायमानः पुनः पुनः । देवदानवगंधर्व ऋषयः सिद्धचारणाः
It is there that Viṣṇu sleeps, being born again and again; the gods, Dānavas, Gandharvas, Ṛṣis, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas—
सदा सेवंति तत्तीर्थं गंगायमुनसंगमे । तत्र गच्छंति राजेंद्र प्रयागे संयुतं च यत्
Always serve that holy place at the confluence of Gaṅgā and Yamunā; there, O king, they go to Prayāga, accompanied by all.
तत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा दिशश्चैव दिगीश्वराः । लोकपालाश्च साध्याश्च पितरो लोकसंमताः
There, Brahma and the other gods, the directions and their guardians, the protectors of the worlds, the Sadhyas, and the ancestors honored by the world—
सनत्कुमारप्रमुखास्तथैव परमर्षयः । अंगिरप्रमुखाश्चैव तथा ब्रह्मर्षयः परे
With Sanatkumara at their head, the supreme seers, and likewise the Brahmarshis led by Angiras, and other great sages—
तथा नागाश्च सिद्धाश्च सुपर्णाः खेचराश्च ये । सरितः सागराः शैला नागा विद्याधरास्तथा
So too the Nagas, Siddhas, Suparnas, those who move in the sky, rivers, oceans, mountains, Nagas, and Vidyadharas—
हरिश्च भगवानास्ते प्रजापतिपुरस्कृतः । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये पृथिव्या जघनं स्मृतम्
And the blessed Hari himself, preceded by the lords of creatures, the space between the Ganga and Yamuna is regarded as the womb of the earth.
प्रयागं राजशार्दूल त्रिषुलोकेषु विश्रुतम् । ततः पुण्यतमं नास्ति त्रिषुलोकेषु भारत
O tiger among kings, Prayaga is renowned in the three worlds; there is no place more holy than this in all the three worlds, O Bharata.
श्रवणात्तस्य तीर्थस्य नामसंकीर्तनादपि । मृत्तिका लंभनाद्वापि नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते
By merely hearing of that sacred place, by uttering its name, or by touching its soil, a person is freed from sin.
तत्राभिषेकं यः कुर्य्यात्संगमे संशितव्रतः । तुल्यं फलमवाप्नोति राजसूयाश्वमेधयोः
Whoever, with firm vows, performs ablution at the confluence there attains a reward equal to that of the Rajasuya and Ashvamedha sacrifices.
न वेदवचनात्तात न लोकवचनादपि । मतिरुत्क्रमणीया ते प्रयागगमनं प्रति
Neither the words of the Veda nor the opinions of the world should sway your resolve regarding going to Prayaga.
दशतीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टिकोट्यस्तथापराः । येषां सान्निध्यमत्रैव कीर्तनात्कुरुनंदन
Ten thousand sacred fords and sixty crores more—by their mere presence here, O joy of the Kurus, and by their praise—
या गतिर्योगयुक्तस्य सदुत्थस्य मनीषिणः । सा गतिस्त्यजतः प्राणान्गंगायमुनसंगमे
The state attained by a wise yogi who departs uprightly is the same state reached by one who gives up life at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna.
तेन जीवंति लोकेऽस्मिन्यत्र यत्र युधिष्ठिर । ये प्रयागं न संप्राप्तास्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्
By that, people in this world live wherever they are, O Yudhishthira, even those who have not reached Prayaga, famed in the three worlds.
एवं दृष्ट्वा तु तत्तीर्थं प्रयागं परमं पदम् । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः शशांक इव राहुणा
Thus, seeing that sacred place, Prayaga, the supreme abode, one is freed from all sins, like the moon from Rahu.
कंबलाश्वतरौ नागौ यमुना दक्षिणे तटे । तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः
The two Nagas, Kambala and Ashvatara, are on the southern bank of the Yamuna; there, by bathing and drinking, one is freed from all sins.
तत्र गत्वा तु तत्स्थानं महादेवस्य धीमतः । नरस्तारयते सर्वान्दशातीतान्दशापरान्
Going there, to that place of the wise Mahadeva, a person delivers all his ancestors, both those who have passed and those yet to come.