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.
तेन जीवंति लोकेऽस्मिन्यत्र यत्र युधिष्ठिर । ये प्रयागं न संप्राप्तास्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्
By this, O Yudhiṣṭhira, those who have not reached Prayāga, renowned in the three worlds, continue to live in this world.
एवं दृष्ट्वा तु तत्तीर्थं प्रयागं परमं पदम् । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः शशांक इव राहुणा
Thus, upon seeing that sacred place, Prayāga, the supreme abode, one is freed from all sins, just as the moon from Rāhu.
कंबलाश्वतरौ नागौ यमुना दक्षिणे तटे । तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः
On the southern bank of the Yamunā are the elephants Kambala and Aśvatara; bathing and drinking there, one is freed from all transgressions.
तत्र गत्वा तु तत्स्थानं महादेवस्य धीमतः । नरस्तारयते सर्वान्दशातीतान्दशापरान्
Going to that place, the abode of the wise Mahādeva, a person delivers all—ten generations before and ten generations after.
कृत्वाभिषेकं तु नरः सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत् । स्वर्गलोकमवाप्नोति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्
By performing the consecration there, a person obtains the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice and attains the heavenly realm until the dissolution of creation.
पूर्वपार्श्वे तु गंगायां त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत । कूपं चैव तु सामुद्रं प्रतिष्ठानं तु विश्रुतम्
On the eastern side of the Gaṅgā, O Bhārata, in the three worlds, there is a well called Sāmudra and the renowned place called Pratiṣṭhāna.
ब्रह्मचारी जितक्रोधस्त्रिरात्रं यदि तिष्ठति । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
If a celibate, who has conquered anger, stays there for three nights, his soul purified of all sins, he attains the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice.
उत्तरेण प्रतिष्ठानाद्भागीरथ्यास्तु पूर्वतः । हंसप्रपतनं नाम तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्
North of Pratiṣṭhāna and east of the Bhāgīrathī is the sacred place called Haṃsaprapatana, renowned throughout the three worlds.
अश्वमेधफलं तस्मिन्स्नातमात्रस्य भारत । यावच्चन्द्रश्च सूर्यश्च तावत्स्वर्गे महीयते
At that place, O Bhārata, merely by bathing, one attains the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice and is honored in heaven as long as the moon and sun endure.
उर्वशीपुलिने रम्ये विपुले हंसपांडुरे । सलिलैस्तर्प्पयेद्यस्तु पितॄंस्तत्र विमत्सरः
On the delightful and vast Urvaśī bank, white as swans, one who offers water to the ancestors there, free from envy—