गोभूहिरण्यदानेन यत्फलं प्राप्नुयान्नरः । एतत्फलमवाप्नोति तत्तीर्थं स्मरते पुनः
Whatever fruit a man obtains by giving cows, land, or gold, he attains that fruit again by remembering that sacred place.
अकामो वा सकामो वा गंगायां यो विपद्यते । मृतस्तु भवति स्वर्गे नरकं न च पश्यति
Whether desiring or without desire, whoever dies in the Ganga, upon death, attains heaven and does not see hell.
अप्सरोगणसंगीतैः सुप्तोऽसौ प्रतिबुध्यते । हंससारसयुक्तेन विमानेन स गच्छति
Awakened by the songs of groups of apsaras, he departs in a chariot adorned with swans and cranes.
बहुवर्षाणि राजेन्द्र षट्सहस्राणि भुंजते । ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टः क्षीणकर्मा दिवश्च्युतः
For many years, O king, for six thousand years, he enjoys pleasures. Then, fallen from heaven, his merit exhausted, he departs from heaven.
सुवर्णमणिमुक्ताढ्ये जायते स महाकुले । षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टितीर्थशतानि च
He is born in a great family, rich in gold, jewels, and pearls. Sixty thousand sacred places and sixty hundred sacred places
माघेमासि गमिष्यंति गंगायमुनसंगमे । गवां शतसहस्रस्य सम्यग्दत्तस्य यत्फलम्
will go in the month of Magha to the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna. The fruit of properly giving a hundred thousand cows,
प्रयागे माघमासे तु त्र्यहंस्नानस्य तत्फलम् । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये पंचाग्निं यस्तु साधयेत्
at Prayaga, in the month of Magha, is the fruit of bathing for three days. Between the Ganga and Yamuna, whoever accomplishes the five fires,
अहीनांगो ह्यरोगश्च पंचेन्द्रियसमन्वितः । यावंति रोमकूपाणि तस्य गात्रस्य देहिनः
he is without defect, free from disease, endowed with five senses; as many hair pores as are on his body,
तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते । ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टो जंबूद्वीपपतिर्भवेत्
for so many thousands of years he is honored in the world of heaven. Then, fallen from heaven, he becomes lord of Jambudvipa.
स भुक्त्वा विपुलान्भोगांस्तत्तीर्थं भजते नरः । जलप्रवेशं यः कुर्यात्संगमे लोकविश्रुते
Having enjoyed great pleasures, that man worships the sacred place. Whoever enters the water at the renowned confluence,
राहुग्रस्तो यथा सोमो विमुक्तः सर्वपातकैः । सोमलोकमवाप्नोति सोमेन सह मोदते
Just as the moon, seized by Rahu, is freed from all faults, so he attains the world of Soma and rejoices there together with Soma.
षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि षष्टिवर्षशतानि च । स्वर्गलोकमवाप्नोति ऋषिगंधर्वसेवितः
For sixty thousand years and sixty hundred years, he attains the heavenly world, served by sages and Gandharvas.
परिभ्रष्टस्तु राजेंद्र समृद्धे जायते कुले । अधःशिरास्तु यो ज्वालामूर्ध्वपादः पिबेन्नरः
But if he falls, O king, he is born in a prosperous family; the one who drinks with his head downward and feet upward at the root of the flame.
शतं वर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते । परिभ्रष्टस्तु राजेंद्र अग्निहोत्री भवेन्नरः
For a hundred thousand years he is honored in the heavenly world; but if he falls, O king, he becomes a performer of Agnihotra.
भुक्त्वा तु विपुलान्भोगांस्तत्तीर्थं भजते नरः । यस्तु देहं विकर्तित्वा शकुनिभ्यः प्रयच्छति
After enjoying abundant pleasures, the man approaches that sacred place; he who, having cut his body, offers it to the birds.
विहंगैरुपभुक्तस्य शृणु तस्यापि यत्फलम् । शतं वर्षसहस्राणां सोमलोके महीयते
Hear the result for one whose body is consumed by birds: for a hundred thousand years he is honored in the world of Soma.
ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टो राजा भवति धार्मिकः । गुणवान्रूपसंपन्नो विद्वान्सुप्रियदेहवान्
Then, having fallen from heaven, he becomes a righteous king, endowed with virtues, beauty, wisdom, and a most pleasing body.
भुक्त्वा तु विपुलान्भोगांस्तत्तीर्थं भजते पुनः । यामुने चोत्तरे कूले प्रयागस्य तु दक्षिणे
After enjoying abundant pleasures, he again approaches that sacred place, on the northern bank of the Yamuna and the southern side of Prayaga.
ऋणप्रमोचनं नाम तीर्थं तत्परमं स्मृतम् । एकरात्रोषितो भूत्वा ऋणैः सर्वैः प्रमुच्यते
The sacred place called ṛṇapramocana is considered supreme; after staying there for a single night, one is freed from all debts.
सूर्यलोकमवाप्नोति अनृणी च सदा भवेत्
He attains the world of the sun and remains forever free from debts.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे प्रयागमाहात्म्ये चतुश्चत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-fourth chapter in the section on the glory of Prayaga, in the Svarga-khanda of the revered Padma Mahapurana.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- एतच्छ्रुत्वा प्रयागस्य यत्त्वया कीर्तनं कृतम् । विशुद्धमेतद्धृदयं प्रयागस्य च कीर्तनात् । अनाशकफलं ब्रूहि भगवंस्तत्र कीदृशम्
Yudhishthira said: Having heard your praise of Prayaga, my heart is purified by its glorification. Tell me, O Lord, what is the fruit for one who does not fast there?
मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणु राजन्प्रयागे तु अनाशकफलं विभो । प्राप्नोति पुरुषो धीमान्श्रद्दधानश्च यादृशम्
Markandeya said: Hear, O king, the fruit for one who does not fast at Prayaga. A wise and faithful person attains such a result.
अहीनांगो विरोगश्च पंचेंद्रियसमन्वितः । अश्वमेधफलं तस्य गच्छतस्तु पदे पदे
He becomes whole-bodied, free from disease, endowed with all five senses; at every step, he obtains the fruit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice.
कुलानि तारयेद्राजन्दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो गच्छेत परमं पदम्
He saves ten generations before and ten generations after, is freed from all sins, and attains the supreme state.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- महाभागोसि धर्मज्ञ दानं वदसि मे प्रभो । अल्पेनैव प्रधानेन बहून्धर्मानवाप्नुयात्
Yudhishthira said: You are greatly fortunate and knowledgeable in dharma. Tell me, O Lord, how one may obtain many virtues with a small or principal gift.
अश्वमेधस्तु बहुभिः सुकृतैः प्राप्यते इह । एतन्मे संशयं ब्रूहि परं कौतूहलं हि मे
The Ashvamedha is attained here by many good deeds; explain this doubt of mine, for I am greatly curious.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणु राजन्महावीर युदुक्तं पद्मयोनिना । ऋषीणां सन्निधौ पूर्वं कथ्यमानं मया श्रुतम्
Markandeya said: Hear, O king, mighty one, what was spoken by the lotus-born, formerly narrated in the presence of sages and heard by me.
पंचयोजनविस्तीर्णं प्रयागस्य तु मंडलम् । प्रविशंस्तस्य तद्भूमावश्वमेधं पदे पदे
The region of Prayaga spans five yojanas in breadth; entering its land, at every step one attains the fruit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice.
व्यतीतान्पुरुषान्सप्त भविष्यांश्च चतुर्दश । नरस्तारयते सर्वान्यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत्
A person who gives up their life there saves all the seven ancestors who have passed and the fourteen descendants yet to come.