तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते । यत्रासौ लभते जन्म सा गौस्तत्राभिजायते
For as many thousands of years in heaven is he honored as there are hairs on that cow; wherever she is born, that cow is also born there.
न च पश्यत्यसौ घोरं नरकं तेन कर्मणा । उत्तरान्स कुरून्प्राप्य मोदते कालमक्षयम्
And by that act, he does not see terrible hell; having reached the northern Kurus, he enjoys inexhaustible time.
गवां शतसहस्रेभ्यो दद्यादेकां पयस्विनीम् । पुत्रान्दारान्तथा भृत्यान्गौरेका प्रतितारयेत्
By giving a single milking cow, one saves sons, wives, and servants, just as by giving a hundred thousand cows.
तस्मात्सर्वेषु दानेषु गोदानं तु विशिष्यते । दुर्गमे विषमे घोरे महापातकसंभवे । गौरेव रक्षां कुरुते तस्माद्देया द्विजातये
Therefore, among all gifts, the gift of a cow is supreme; in difficult, perilous, and dreadful situations, when great sins arise, the cow alone provides protection—therefore, it should be given to a twice-born.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे द्विचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-second chapter in the Svarga-khanda of the glorious Padma Purana.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- यथा प्रयागस्य मुने माहात्म्यं कथितं त्वया । तथातथा प्रमुच्येऽहं सर्वपापैर्न संशयः
Yudhishthira said: Just as you have described, O sage, the greatness of Prayaga, so indeed am I freed from all sins—of this there is no doubt.
भगवन्केन विधिना गंतव्यं धर्मनिश्चयैः । प्रयागे यो विधिः प्रोक्तः तन्मे ब्रूहि महामुने
O Lord, by what procedure should one go, with certainty of dharma? Tell me, O great sage, the rule prescribed for Prayaga.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- कथयिष्यामि ते वत्स तीर्थयात्राविधिक्रमम् । यो गच्छेतकुरुश्रेष्ठ प्रयागं देवसंयुतम्
Markandeya said: I shall tell you, dear one, the proper procedure for pilgrimage; whoever goes to Prayaga, accompanied by the gods, O best of the Kurus—
बलीवर्दसमारूढः शृणु तस्यापि यत्फलम् । वसते नरके घोरे गवां क्रोधे सुदारुणे
Hear also the result for one who rides on a bull: he dwells in a terrible hell, in the fierce wrath of the cows.
सलिलं च न गृह्णंति पितरस्तस्य देहिनः । यस्तु पुत्रांस्तथा बालान्स्नापयेत्पाययेत्तथा
The ancestors of that person do not accept water from him; but one who bathes and gives water to his children in the proper way—
यथात्मनस्तथा सर्वान्दानं विप्रेषु दापयेत् । ऐश्वर्यलोभान्मोहाद्वा गच्छेद्यानेन यो नरः
—and gives gifts to Brahmins for all, just as for himself; but if a man goes by vehicle out of greed for wealth or out of delusion—
निष्फलं तस्य तत्तीर्थं तस्माद्यानं परित्यजेत् । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये यस्तु कन्यां प्रयच्छति
—for him, that pilgrimage is fruitless; therefore, one should give up traveling by vehicle. But one who gives a maiden in marriage between the Ganga and Yamuna—
आर्षेण तु विधानेन यथाविभवसंभवम् । न पश्यति यमं घोरं नरकं तेन कर्मणा
—according to the proper rishi tradition, as much as his means allow, does not see the dreadful Yama or hell by that act.
उत्तरान्स कुरून्गत्वा मोदते कालमक्षयम् । पुत्रांस्तु दाराँल्लभते धार्मिकान्नयसंयुतान्
He goes to the northern Kurus and enjoys endless happiness; he obtains sons and wives endowed with righteousness and good conduct.
तत्र दानं प्रदातव्यं यथाविभवसंभवम् । तेन तीर्थफलैनैव वर्द्धते नात्र संशयः
There, one should give gifts according to one's means; by that, the fruit of pilgrimage increases—of this, there is no doubt.
स्वर्गे तिष्ठति राजेंद्र यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् । वटमूलं समाश्रित्य यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत्
O king, he remains in heaven until the end of the world; and one who gives up his life at the root of a banyan tree—
सर्वलोकानतिक्रम्य रुद्रलोकं च गच्छति । तत्र ते द्वादशादित्यास्तपंते रुद्रमाश्रिताः
—surpasses all worlds and goes to the world of Rudra; there, the twelve Adityas perform austerities, taking refuge in Rudra.
निर्दहंति जगत्सर्वं वटमूलं न दह्यते । नष्टचंद्रार्कपवनं यदा चैकार्णवं जगत्
They burn up the entire world, but the root of the banyan is not burned; when the moon, sun, and wind are destroyed and the world becomes a single ocean—
स्वपित्यत्रैव वै विष्णुर्जायमानः पुनः पुनः । देवदानवगंधर्व ऋषयः सिद्धचारणाः
—it is there that Vishnu sleeps, being born again and again; the gods, demons, Gandharvas, sages, Siddhas, and Charanas—
सदा सेवंति तत्तीर्थं गंगायमुनसंगमे । तत्र गच्छंति राजेंद्र प्रयागे संयुतं च यत्
—always serve that sacred place at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna; there, O king, they go to Prayaga, which is united with it.
तत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा दिशश्चैव दिगीश्वराः । लोकपालाश्च साध्याश्च पितरो लोकसंमताः
There, Brahma and the other gods, the directions and their guardians, the Lokapalas, the Sadhyas, and the revered ancestors—
सनत्कुमारप्रमुखास्तथैव परमर्षयः । अंगिरप्रमुखाश्चैव तथा ब्रह्मर्षयः परे
—Sanatkumara and the foremost great seers, as well as Angiras and the other Brahmarshis—
तथा नागाश्च सिद्धाश्च सुपर्णाः खेचराश्च ये । सरितः सागराः शैला नागा विद्याधरास्तथा
—and also the Nagas, Siddhas, Suparnas, those who move in the sky, the rivers, oceans, mountains, Nagas, and Vidyadharas—
हरिश्च भगवानास्ते प्रजापतिपुरस्कृतः । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये पृथिव्या जघनं स्मृतम्
—and Hari, the Blessed Lord, is present there, preceded by the Prajapatis; between the Ganga and Yamuna is considered the womb of the earth.
प्रयागं राजशार्दूल त्रिषुलोकेषु विश्रुतम् । ततः पुण्यतमं नास्ति त्रिषुलोकेषु भारत
O tiger among kings, Prayaga is renowned in the three worlds; there is nothing more holy than that in all the three worlds, O Bharata.
श्रवणात्तस्य तीर्थस्य नामसंकीर्तनादपि । मृत्तिका लंभनाद्वापि नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते
By hearing the name of that sacred place, by chanting its name, or even by touching its soil, a person is freed from sin.
तत्राभिषेकं यः कुर्य्यात्संगमे संशितव्रतः । तुल्यं फलमवाप्नोति राजसूयाश्वमेधयोः
One who performs the consecration at the confluence, steadfast in vows, attains a reward equal to that of the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices.
न वेदवचनात्तात न लोकवचनादपि । मतिरुत्क्रमणीया ते प्रयागगमनं प्रति
O dear one, neither the words of the Vedas nor the words of the world should sway your mind regarding the journey to Prayāga.
दशतीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टिकोट्यस्तथापराः । येषां सान्निध्यमत्रैव कीर्तनात्कुरुनंदन
Ten thousand sacred places and sixty crore others are present here, merely by their mention, O joy of the Kurus.
या गतिर्योगयुक्तस्य सदुत्थस्य मनीषिणः । सा गतिस्त्यजतः प्राणान्गंगायमुनसंगमे
The destination attained by a wise person engaged in yoga and rising well—that same destination is reached by one who relinquishes life at the confluence of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā.