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.
कृत्वाभिषेकं तु नरः सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत् । स्वर्गलोकमवाप्नोति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्
By performing ablution there, a person obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice and attains heaven until the end of the world.
पूर्वपार्श्वे तु गंगायां त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत । कूपं चैव तु सामुद्रं प्रतिष्ठानं तु विश्रुतम्
On the eastern bank of the Ganga, O Bharata, in the three worlds, the well called Samudra and the place called Pratishthana are renowned.
ब्रह्मचारी जितक्रोधस्त्रिरात्रं यदि तिष्ठति । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
If a celibate, self-controlled and free from anger, stays there for three nights, his soul purified from all sins, he obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice.
उत्तरेण प्रतिष्ठानाद्भागीरथ्यास्तु पूर्वतः । हंसप्रपतनं नाम तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्
To the north of Pratishthana and east of the Bhagirathi is the sacred ford called Hamsaprapatana, famed throughout the three worlds.
अश्वमेधफलं तस्मिन्स्नातमात्रस्य भारत । यावच्चन्द्रश्च सूर्यश्च तावत्स्वर्गे महीयते
O Bhārata, one who bathes there at once attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice, and is honored in heaven for as long as the moon and sun endure.
उर्वशीपुलिने रम्ये विपुले हंसपांडुरे । सलिलैस्तर्प्पयेद्यस्तु पितॄंस्तत्र विमत्सरः
Whoever, free from envy, offers water to the ancestors at the beautiful, broad, swan-white sandbank of Urvaśī—
षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि षष्टिवर्षशतानि च । सेवते पितृभिः सार्द्धं स्वर्गलोकं नराधिप
That king enjoys the world of heaven together with his ancestors for sixty thousand and sixty hundred years.
पूज्यते सततं तत्र ऋषिगंधर्वकिन्नरैः । ततः स्वर्गपरिभ्रष्टः क्षीणकर्म्मा दिवश्च्युतः
There, he is constantly honored by sages, Gandharvas, and Kinnaras; then, when his merit is exhausted, he falls from heaven.
उर्वशीसदृशीनां तु कन्यानां लभते शतम् । गवां शतसहस्राणां भोक्ता भवति भूमिप
He obtains a hundred maidens like Urvaśī, and becomes the enjoyer of a hundred thousand cows, O ruler of the earth.
कांचीनूपुरशब्देन सुप्तोऽसौ प्रतिबुध्यते । भुक्त्वा तु विपुलान्भोगांस्तत्तीर्थं लभते पुनः
He awakens from sleep to the sound of golden anklets, and after enjoying great pleasures, he attains that holy place again.