श्रद्दधानपरो भूत्वा कुरु तीर्थाभिषेचनम् । अन्ये च बहवस्तीर्थाः सर्वपापहराः शुभाः
With faith and devotion, perform the ablution at the fords; there are many other sacred fords, auspicious and destroyers of all sins.
तेषु स्नात्वा दिवं यांति ये मृतास्तेऽपुनर्भवाः । गंगा च यमुना चैव उभे तुल्यफले स्मृते
Those who bathe in them ascend to heaven, and those who die there are freed from rebirth; the Gaṅgā and the Yamunā are both remembered as giving equal fruit.
केवलं श्रेष्ठभावेन गंगा सर्वत्र पूज्यते । एवं कुरुष्व कौंतेय स्वर्गतीर्थाभिषेचनम्
Only because of its supreme excellence is the Gaṅgā worshipped everywhere; thus, O son of Kuntī, perform the ablution at the heavenly fords.
यावज्जीवकृतं पापं तत्क्षणादेव नश्यति । यस्त्विदं कल्य उत्थाय पठते च शृणोति वा
All the sins committed throughout one's life are destroyed instantly; whoever rises early and recites or hears this—
मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति
—is freed from all sins and attains the heavenly world.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे यमुनामाहात्म्ये पंचचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-fifth chapter, 'The Glory of the Yamunā,' in the section on heaven in the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- श्रुतं मे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तं पुराणे पुण्यसम्मितम् । तीर्थानां तु सहस्राणि शतानि नियुतानि च
Yudhiṣṭhira said: I have heard, as spoken by Brahmā in the Purāṇa, that there are thousands, hundreds, and tens of millions of sacred fords.
सर्वे पुण्याः पवित्राश्च गतिश्च परमा स्मृता । पृथिव्यां नैमिषं पुण्यमंतरिक्षे च पुष्करम्
All are holy and pure, and are remembered as giving the highest state; on earth, Naimiṣa is holy, and in the sky, Puṣkara.
प्रयागमपि लोकानां कुरुक्षेत्रं विशिष्यते । सर्वाणि संपरित्यज्य कथमेकं प्रशंससि
Even Prayāga is said to surpass all worlds, and Kurukṣetra as well; having set aside all others, why do you praise one alone?
अप्रमाणमिदं प्रोक्तमश्रद्धेयमनुत्तमम् । गतिं च परमां दिव्यां भोगांश्चैव यथेप्सितान्
This has been said to be immeasurable, incredible, and unsurpassed; and yet it is said to grant the highest and divine state, and all enjoyments as desired.
किमर्थमल्पयोगेन बहुधर्मं प्रशंससि । एतं मे संशयं ब्रूहि यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम्
Why do you praise great merit with little effort? Tell me this doubt of mine, as you have seen and heard.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- अश्रद्धेयं न वक्तव्यं प्रत्यक्षमपि तद्भवेत् । नरस्य श्रद्दधानस्य पापोपहतचेतसः
Markandeya said: What is not to be believed should not be spoken, even if it is visible; for a person whose mind is afflicted by sin, even faith is difficult.
अश्रद्दधानो ह्यशुचिर्दुर्मतिस्त्यक्तमंगलः । एते पातकिनः सर्वे तेनेदं भाषितं मया
One who lacks faith, is impure, of evil mind, and forsaken by fortune—these are all sinners, and for this reason I have spoken thus.
शृणु प्रयागमाहात्म्यं यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् । प्रत्यक्षं च परोक्षं च यथान्यत्संभविष्यति
Hear now the glory of Prayāga, as seen and heard, both directly and indirectly, and as it will be recounted further.
यथैवान्यन्मया दृष्टं पुरा राजन्यथाश्रुतम् । शास्त्रं प्रमाणं कृत्वा तु पूज्यते योगमात्मनः
Just as I have seen and heard from others before, making scripture the authority, one should honor the yoga of the self.
क्लिश्यते चापरस्तत्र नैव योगमवाप्नुयात् । जन्मांतरसहस्रेभ्यो योगो लभ्येत मानवैः
Another person may struggle there and not attain yoga; for humans, yoga may be obtained only after thousands of lifetimes.
यथायोगसहस्रेण योगो लभ्येत मानवैः । यस्तु सर्वाणि रत्नानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रयच्छति
By thousands of efforts in yoga, humans may attain yoga; but whoever gives all jewels to the Brahmins—
तेन दानेन दत्तेन योगो लभ्येत मानवैः । प्रयागे तु मृतस्येदं सर्वं भवति नान्यथा
By that act of giving, yoga may be attained by humans; but only if one dies at Prayaga does this all come to pass, not otherwise.
प्रधानहेतुं वक्ष्यामि श्रद्दधत्सु च भारत । यथा सर्वेषु भूतेषु सर्वत्रैव तु दृश्यते
I will declare to those who have faith, O Bharata, the principal reason: just as in all beings, everywhere, it is seen—
ब्रह्म नैवास्ति वै किंचिद्यद्वक्तुं त्विदमुच्यते । यथा सर्वेषु भूतेषु ब्रह्म सर्वत्र पूज्यते
There is truly nothing apart from Brahman, though it is spoken of in this way; just as in all beings, everywhere, Brahman is honored.
एवं सर्वेषु लोकेषु प्रयागः पूज्यते बुधैः । पूज्यते तीर्थराजस्य सत्यमेतद्युधिष्ठिर
In the same way, in all worlds, Prayaga is honored by the wise; this is the truth, O Yudhishthira, regarding the king of sacred fords.
ब्रह्मापि स्मरते नित्यं प्रयागं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । तीर्थराजमनुप्राप्य नैवान्यत्किंचिदिच्छति
Even Brahma always remembers Prayaga, the supreme sacred ford; having reached the king of fords, one desires nothing else.
को हि देवत्वमासाद्य मानुषत्वं चिकीर्षति । अनेनैवानुमानेन त्वं ज्ञास्यसि युधिष्ठिर
For who, having attained divinity, would wish to become human? By this very reasoning, you will understand, O Yudhishthira.
यथा पुण्यमपुण्यं वा तथैव कथितं मया । युधिष्ठिर उवाच- श्रुतं तद्यत्त्वया प्रोक्तं विस्मितोऽहं पुनः पुनः
Just as merit and demerit have been described by me, so it is; Yudhishthira said: I have heard what you have spoken, and I am astonished again and again.
कथं योगेन तत्प्राप्तिः स्वर्गलोकस्तु कर्मणा । तदा च लभते भोगान्गां च तत्कर्मणां फलम्
How is that attainment achieved by yoga, and heaven by action? And then, by that action, does one obtain enjoyments and the fruit of those deeds?
तानि कर्माणि पृच्छामि पुनर्यैः प्राप्यते महीम् । मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणुराजन्महाबाहो यथोक्तकर्म्मणा मही
I ask again about those actions by which the earth is attained; Markandeya said: Listen, O king of mighty arms, to how the earth is attained by the actions described.
गामग्निं ब्राह्मणं शास्त्रं कांचनं सलिलं स्त्रियः । मातरं पितरं चैव यो निंदति नराधिप
Whoever reviles a cow, fire, Brahmin, scripture, gold, water, women, mother, or father, O ruler of men—
नैतेषामूर्ध्वगमनमेवमाह प्रजापतिः । एवं योगस्य संप्राप्तिः स्थानं परमदुर्लभम्
For these, there is no ascent—so says Prajapati; thus is the attainment of yoga, a place supremely difficult to reach.
गच्छंति नरकं घोरं ये नराः पापकारिणः । हस्त्यश्वं गामनड्वाहं मणिमुक्तादि कांचनम्
Those men who commit evil deeds go to dreadful hell; whoever steals an elephant, horse, cow, vehicle, jewel, pearl, gold—
परोक्षं हरते यस्तु पश्चाद्दानं प्रयच्छति । न ते गच्छंति वै स्वर्गं दातारो यत्र भोगिनः
Whoever secretly takes and then gives as a gift later—such givers do not go to heaven, where the enjoyers reside.