सूत उवाच- भ्रातृभिः सहिताः सर्वे पांडवा धर्मनिश्चयाः । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नमस्कृत्वागुरुदेवांस्त्वतर्पयन्
Suta said: All the Pandavas, united with their brothers and firm in righteousness, after bowing to the Brahmanas, satisfied their teachers and gods.
वासुदेवोऽपि तत्रैव क्षणेनाभ्यागतस्तदा । पांडवैः सहितैः सर्वैः पूज्यमानः स माधवः
Vasudeva also arrived there at that very moment; Madhava was honored by all the Pandavas together.
कृष्णेन सहितैः सर्वैः पुनरेव महात्मभिः । अभिषिक्तः स्वराज्ये तु धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
With Krishna and all the great souls, Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, was again anointed in sovereign rule.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे चैव मार्कंडेयो महात्मवान् । ततः स्वस्तीति चोक्त्वा वै क्षणादाश्रममागतः
Meanwhile, the great-souled Markandeya, after saying 'farewell,' returned to his hermitage in a moment.
युधिष्ठिरोऽपि धर्मात्मा भ्रातृभिः सहितस्तु सः । महादानं ददौ चाथ धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
Yudhishthira, righteous in soul and accompanied by his brothers, then gave great gifts, being the son of Dharma.
यस्त्विदं कल्यमुत्थाय पठते वा शृणोति वा । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever, rising at dawn, recites or hears this, is freed from all sins and goes to the world of Vishnu.
वासुदेव उवाच- मम वाक्यं तु कर्तव्यं तव स्नेहाद्ब्रवीम्यहम् । नित्यं यज्ञरतो भूत्वा प्रयागे विगतज्वरः
Vasudeva said: My words must be followed; out of affection for you I speak. Always devoted to sacrifice, remain at Prayaga, free from affliction.
प्रयागं संस्मरन्नित्यं सहास्माभिर्युधिष्ठिर । स्वयं प्राप्स्यसि राजेंद्र स्वर्गलोकं तु शाश्वतम्
Remembering Prayaga always, together with us, O Yudhishthira, you yourself, O king of kings, will attain the eternal heavenly world.
प्रयागमनुगच्छेद्वा वसते वापि यो नरः । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति
Whoever follows to Prayaga or even dwells there, his soul purified from all sins, goes to the heavenly world.
प्रतिग्रहादुपावृत्तः सन्तुष्टो नियतः शुचिः
One who refrains from accepting gifts, is content, disciplined, and pure—
अहंकारनिवृत्तश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते । अकोपनश्च राजेंद्र सत्यवादी दृढव्रतः । आत्मोपमश्च भूतेषु स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
Who is free from pride, O king, attains the fruit of pilgrimage; who is not irritable, speaks truth, is firm in vows, and regards all beings as himself, he attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
ऋषिभिः क्रतवः प्रोक्ता देवैश्चापि यथाक्रमम् । न हि शक्या दरिद्रेण यज्ञाः प्राप्तुं महीपते
Sacrifices have been prescribed by the sages and also by the gods in due order; but, O king, sacrifices cannot be performed by the poor.
बहूपकरणो यज्ञो नानासंभारसंभ्रमः । प्राप्यते विविधैरर्थ्यैः समृद्धैर्वा नरैः क्वचित्
A sacrifice involves many implements and a multitude of arrangements; it is sometimes accomplished by those who are wealthy and possess various means.
यो दरिद्रैरपि बुधैः शक्यः प्राप्तुं नरेश्वर । ततो यज्ञफलैः पुण्यैस्तन्निबोध जनेश्वर
But, O lord of men, hear now of that which can be attained even by the wise among the poor, and which yields merit equal to the fruits of sacrifice.
ऋषीणां परमं गुह्यमिदं भरतसत्तम । तीर्थाभिगमनं पुण्यं यज्ञैरपि विशिष्यते
This supreme secret of the sages, O best of the Bharatas: pilgrimage to holy places, which is more meritorious even than sacrifices.
दशकोटिसहस्राणि त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तथापरे । माघमासे तु गंगायां गमिष्यंति नरर्षभ
Ten thousand crores and thirty crores more, O best of men, will go to the Ganga in the month of Magha.
स्वस्थो भव महाराज भुक्त्वा राज्यमकंटकम् । पुनर्द्रक्ष्यसि राजेंद्र यजमानो विशेषतः
Be at ease, great king; after enjoying a trouble-free reign, you shall see again, O lord of kings, especially as a sacrificer.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे प्रयागमाहात्म्यं। नाम ऊनपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-ninth chapter, named 'The Greatness of Prayāga,' in the Svarga-khaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
ऋषय ऊचुः- भवता कथितं सर्वं यत्किंचित्पृष्टमेव च । इदानीमपि पृच्छाम एकं वद महामते
The sages said: All that has been asked has been told by you; now we ask one more thing—please speak, O greatly wise one.
एतेषां खलु तीर्थानां सेवनाद्यत्फलं लभेत् । सर्वेषां किल कृत्वैकं कर्म केन च लभ्यते
What is the fruit obtained by serving these holy places? By performing one single act, how can one attain the result of all of them?
एतन्नो ब्रूहि सर्वज्ञ कर्मैवं यदि वर्तते । सूत उवाच- कर्मयोगः किल प्रोक्तो वर्णानां द्विजपूर्वशः
Tell us this, O all-knowing one, if such an act exists. Sūta said: The path of action, indeed, has been prescribed for the classes, beginning with the twice-born.
नानाविधो महाभागास्तत्र चैकं विशिष्यते । हरिभक्तिः कृता येन मनसा वचसा गिरा
There are many kinds, O highly fortunate ones, but one is distinguished among them: devotion to Hari, performed with mind, speech, and words.
जितं तेन जितं तेन जितमेव न संशयः । हरिरेव समाराध्यः सर्वदेवेश्वरेश्वरः
By that, all is conquered, all is conquered, truly conquered—there is no doubt. Hari alone is to be worshipped, the Lord of all lords of gods.
हरिनाममहामंत्रैर्नश्येत्पापपिशाचकम् । हरेः प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा सकृदप्यमलाशयाः
By the great mantras of Hari’s name, the demon of sin is destroyed. By circumambulating Hari even once, with pure intent,
सर्वतीर्थसमाप्लावं लभंते यन्न संशयः । प्रतिमां च हरेर्दृष्ट्वा सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत्
one attains the merit of bathing in all holy waters—of this there is no doubt. And by seeing Hari’s image, one obtains the fruit of all holy places.
विष्णुनामपरं जप्त्वा सर्वमंत्रफलं लभेत् । विष्णुप्रसादतुलसीमाघ्राय द्विजसत्तमाः
By reciting the supreme names of Viṣṇu, one attains the fruit of all mantras. By smelling the sacred basil offered to Viṣṇu, O best of twice-born,
प्रचंडं विकरालं तद्यमस्यास्यं न पश्यति । सकृत्प्रणामी कृष्णस्य मातुः स्तन्यं पिबेन्नहि
one does not see the fierce and terrible face of Yama. He who bows even once to Kṛṣṇa does not drink the milk of his mother again.
हरिपादे मनो येषां तेभ्यो नित्यं नमोनमः । पुल्कसः श्वपचो वापि ये चान्ये म्लेच्छजातयः
To those whose minds are fixed on Hari’s feet, I offer constant salutations. Whether Pulkaśas, Śvapacas, or others of foreign birth,
तेऽपि वंद्या महाभागा हरिपादैकसेवकाः । किं पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः पुण्या भक्ता राजर्षयस्तथा
they too are worthy of reverence, O highly fortunate ones, if they serve only Hari’s feet. What then of the blessed Brāhmaṇas, the devoted royal sages as well?
हरौ भक्तिं विधायैव गर्भवासं न पश्यति । हरेरग्रे स्वनैरुच्चैर्नृत्यंस्तन्नामकृन्नरः
Having established devotion to Hari, one does not see the womb again. Dancing before Hari, loudly singing his names,