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.
अनेन कर्म्मणा युक्ताः पच्यंते नरकेऽधमाः । एवं योगं च धर्म्मं च दातारं च युधिष्ठिर
Engaged in such action, the lowest are cooked in hell; thus, O Yudhishthira, is yoga, dharma, and the giver described.
यथा सत्यमसत्यं वा अस्ति नास्तीति यत्फलम् । निरुक्तं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि यथायं स्वयमाप्नुयात्
Whether truth or untruth, being or non-being, whatever the result, I will now explain precisely how one attains it oneself.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे प्रयागमाहात्म्ये षट्चत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-sixth chapter, entitled 'The Greatness of Prayaga,' in the Svarga Khanda of the glorious Padma Purana.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणु राजन्प्रयागस्य माहात्म्यं पुनरेव तु । नैमिषं पुष्करं चैव गोतीर्थं सिंधुसागरम्
Markandeya said: Listen, O King, once again to the greatness of Prayaga, as well as Naimisha, Pushkara, Gotirtha, and the ocean of Sindhu.
कुरुक्षेत्रं गया चैव गंगासागरमेव च । एते चान्ये च बहवो ये च पुण्याः शिलोच्चयाः
Kurukshetra, Gaya, and also the confluence of the Ganga with the ocean—these and many other sacred places, as well as holy clusters of stones—
दशतीर्थसहस्राणि त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तथापरे । प्रयागे संस्थिता नित्यमेवमाहुर्मनीषिणः
Ten thousand sacred fords and thirty crore others, they say, are always established at Prayaga, so declare the wise.
त्रीणि चाप्यग्निकुंडानि येषां मध्ये तु जाह्नवी । प्रयागादभिनिष्क्रांता सर्वतीर्थपुरस्कृता
And there are three fire-altars, in the midst of which flows the Jahnavi; emerging from Prayaga, she is honored above all sacred fords.
तपनस्य सुता देवी त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता । गंगायमुनया सार्धं संस्थिता लोकभाविनी
The goddess, daughter of the Sun, renowned in the three worlds, stands at Prayaga together with the Ganga and Yamuna, bringing benefit to all beings.
गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये पृथिव्या जघनं स्मृतम् । प्रयागं राजशार्दूल कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्
The region between the Ganga and Yamuna is regarded as the womb of the earth; O tiger among kings, even the sixteenth part of Prayaga cannot be matched.
तिस्रः कोट्योऽर्द्धकोटी च तीर्थानां वायुरब्रवीत् । दिव्यं भुव्यंतरिक्षे च तत्सर्वं जाह्नवि स्मृता
Three crore and a half crore sacred fords, so said Vayu, whether divine, earthly, or in the sky—all these are considered to be the Jahnavi.