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.
प्रयागं समधिष्ठानं कंबलाश्वतरावुभौ । भोगवत्यथ या चैव वेदिरेषा प्रजापतेः
Prayaga is the abode of Kambala and Ashvatara; and Bhogavati, as well as this altar, belongs to Prajapati.
तत्र देवाश्च यज्ञाश्च मूर्तिमंतो युधिष्ठिर । पूजयंति प्रयागं ते ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः
There, O Yudhishthira, gods and sacrifices take on form; they worship Prayaga, as do sages rich in austerity.
यजंते क्रतुभिर्देवांस्तथा बहुधना नृपाः । ततः पुण्यतमो नास्ति त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत
Kings possessed of great wealth perform sacrifices to the gods there; therefore, O Bharata, there is nothing more holy in the three worlds.
प्रभावात्सर्वतीर्थेभ्यः प्रभवत्यधिकं विभो । दशतीर्थसहस्राणि तिस्रः कोट्यस्तथापरे
By its power, O mighty one, Prayaga surpasses all other sacred fords; ten thousand sacred fords and three crore others are there.
यत्र गंगा महाभागा स देशस्तत्तपोवनम् । सिद्धक्षेत्रं तु तज्ज्ञेयं गंगातीरसमाश्रितम्
Where the most blessed Ganga is found, that land is an abode of asceticism; know that place to be a field of perfection, sheltered by the bank of the Ganga.
इति सत्यं द्विजातीनां साधूनामात्मजस्य वा । सुहृदां च जपेत्कर्णे शिष्यस्यानुगतस्य वा
This truth should be recited in the ear of a twice-born, a virtuous person, one's own son, a friend, or a devoted disciple.
इदं धन्यमिदं स्वर्ग्यमिदं सेव्यमिदं शुभम् । इदं पुण्यमिदं रम्यं पावनं धर्ममुत्तमम्
This is blessed, this leads to heaven, this is worthy of service, this is auspicious; this is meritorious, delightful, purifying, and the highest dharma.
महर्षीणामिदं गुह्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । अधीत्य च द्विजो ध्यायन्निर्मलत्वमवाप्नुयात्
This is the secret of the great sages, the destroyer of all sins; a twice-born who studies and meditates upon it attains purity.
यश्चेदं शृणुयान्नित्यं तीर्थं पुण्यं सदा शुचिः । जातिस्मरत्वं लभते नाकपृष्ठे च मोदते
Whoever hears this daily, always pure, about the sacred ford, attains knowledge of past births and rejoices in the highest heaven.
प्राप्यंते तानि तीर्थानि सद्भिः शिष्टार्थदर्शिभिः । स्नाहि तीर्थेषु कौरव्य न च वक्रमतिर्भव
Those sacred fords are attained by the virtuous who seek the true purpose; bathe in the fords, O Kauravya, and do not let your mind turn aside.
त्वया तु सम्यक्पृष्टेन कथितं तु मया विभो । पितरस्तारिताः सर्वे तारिताश्च पितामहाः
O Lord, as you have rightly asked, I have told you: all the ancestors have been delivered, and so too the forefathers.
प्रयागस्य तु सर्वे ते कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम् । एवं ज्ञानं च योगं च तीर्थं चैव युधिष्ठिर
Yet all of them do not attain even a sixteenth part of Prayaga; such is knowledge, such is yoga, and such is the holy place, O Yudhishthira.
बहुक्लेशेन युज्यंते ततो यांति परां गतिम् । प्रयागस्मरणाल्लोकः स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति
With great hardship they strive, and then attain the highest state; but by remembering Prayaga, people go to the heavenly world.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे प्रयागमाहात्म्ये सप्तचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-seventh chapter, on the greatness of Prayaga, in the Svarga-khanda of the glorious Padma Purana.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- कथा सर्वात्वियं प्रोक्ताप्रयागस्य महामुने । एवं मे सर्वमाख्याहि यथा च मम तारयेत्
Yudhishthira said: The story of Prayaga has been told in full, O great sage; now tell me everything, so that I too may be delivered.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रोक्तं सर्वमिदं जगत् । ब्रह्माविष्णुस्तथेशानो देवता प्रभुरव्ययः
Markandeya said: Listen, O king, I will declare all that has been spoken about this world: Brahma, Vishnu, and Ishana—the imperishable Lord of the gods.
ब्रह्मा सृजति भूतानि स्थावरं जंगमं च यत् । तान्येतानि परो लोके विष्णुः पालयति प्रजाः
Brahma creates beings, both immobile and mobile; all these, in the higher world, Vishnu protects as creatures.
कल्पांते तत्समग्रं हि रुद्रः संहरते जगत् । न ददाति च नाध्येति न कदाचिद्विनश्यति
At the end of the kalpa, Rudra withdraws the entire universe; he neither gives nor takes, nor is he ever destroyed.
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां यः पश्यति स पश्यति । उत्तरेण प्रतिष्ठानादिदानीं ब्रह्म तिष्ठति
He who sees the Lord of all beings, truly sees; now, to the north of Pratishthana, Brahma abides.
महेश्वरो वटे भूत्वा तिष्ठते परमेश्वरः । ततो देवाः सगंधर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः
The great Lord, having become a banyan tree, stands there as the Supreme Lord; then the gods, along with the Gandharvas, Siddhas, and supreme seers,