अश्वमेधस्तु बहुभिः सुकृतैः प्राप्यते इह । एतन्मे संशयं ब्रूहि परं कौतूहलं हि मे
The Ashvamedha is attained here only through many good deeds. Tell me this doubt of mine, for I have great curiosity.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणु राजन्महावीर युदुक्तं पद्मयोनिना । ऋषीणां सन्निधौ पूर्वं कथ्यमानं मया श्रुतम्
Markandeya said: Hear, O King, O mighty one, what was spoken by the Lotus-born in the presence of the sages, which I have heard before.
पंचयोजनविस्तीर्णं प्रयागस्य तु मंडलम् । प्रविशंस्तस्य तद्भूमावश्वमेधं पदे पदे
The region of Prayaga extends five yojanas; by entering that land, at every step, one gains the fruit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice.
व्यतीतान्पुरुषान्सप्त भविष्यांश्च चतुर्दश । नरस्तारयते सर्वान्यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत्
A man who gives up his life there saves all his ancestors—seven past and fourteen future generations.
एवं ज्ञात्वा तु राजेंद्र सदा श्रद्धापरो भवेत् । अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषाः पापोपहतचेतसः । न प्राप्नुवंति तत्स्थानं प्रयागं देवनिर्मितम्
Knowing this, O king, one should always be devoted with faith; those without faith, whose minds are afflicted by sin, do not attain that place—Prayaga, created by the gods.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- स्नेहाद्वा द्रव्यलोभाद्वा ये तु कामवशं गताः । कथं तीर्थफलं तेषां कथं पुण्यमवाप्नुयुः
Yudhishthira said: Whether out of affection or greed for wealth, or driven by desire, how do such people obtain the fruit of the holy place, and how do they gain merit?
विक्रयं सर्वभांडानां कार्याकार्यमजानतः । प्रयागे का गतिस्तस्य एवं ब्रूहि महामुने
If someone, ignorant of what should or should not be done, sells all his goods at Prayaga, what is his fate? Tell me this, O great sage.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणु राजन्महागुह्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । मासं वसंस्तु राजेंद्र प्रयागे नियतेंद्रियः
Markandeya said: Hear, O king, the great secret that destroys all sins: if one dwells at Prayaga for a month with controlled senses—
मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः यथादिष्टं स्वयंभुवा । शुचिस्तु प्रयतो भूत्वाऽहिंसकः श्रद्धयान्वितः
One is freed from all sins, as declared by the Self-born; being pure, self-controlled, non-violent, and endowed with faith.
मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः स गच्छेत्परमं पदम् । विश्रंभघातकानां तु प्रयागे शृणु तत्फलम्
He is freed from all sins and attains the supreme state; now hear the result for those who betray trust at Prayaga.
त्रिकालमेव स्नायीत आहारं भैक्ष्यमाचरेत् । त्रिभिर्मासैः प्रमुच्येत प्रयागात्तु न संशयः
One should bathe three times a day and subsist on alms; within three months at Prayaga, he is certainly released.
प्रज्ञानेन तु यस्येह तीर्थयात्रादिकं भवेत् । सर्वकामसमृद्धस्तु स्वर्गलोके महीयते
But for one whose pilgrimage and related acts are guided by wisdom, all desires are fulfilled and he is honored in heaven.
स्थानं स लभते नित्यं धनधान्यसमाकुलम् । एवं ज्ञानेन संपूर्णः सदा भवति भोगवान्
He obtains a place always filled with wealth and grain; thus, filled with knowledge, he is ever endowed with enjoyment.
तारिताः पितरस्तेन नरकात्प्रपितामहाः । धर्मानुसारे तत्त्वज्ञ पृच्छतस्ते पुनः पुनः । त्वत्प्रियार्थं समाख्यातं गुह्यमेतत्सनातनम्
By him, ancestors and great-grandfathers are rescued from hell; O knower of truth, in accordance with dharma, you have asked repeatedly; for your sake, this ancient secret has been declared.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- अद्य मे सफलं जन्म अद्य मे सफलं कुलम् । प्रीतोऽस्म्यनुगृहीतोऽस्मि दर्शनादेव तेऽद्य वै । त्वद्दर्शनात्तु धर्मात्मन्मुक्तोऽहं सर्वपातकैः
Yudhishthira said: Today my birth is fruitful, today my lineage is fulfilled; I am pleased and blessed simply by seeing you today; by your sight, O righteous one, I am freed from all sins.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- दिष्ट्या ते सफलं जन्म दिष्ट्या ते तारितं कुलम् । कीर्तनाद्वर्द्धते पुण्यं श्रुतं पापप्रणाशनम्
Markandeya said: By fortune, your birth is fruitful, by fortune, your lineage is saved; by recitation, merit increases, and what is heard destroys sin.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- यमुनायां तु किं पुण्यं किं फलं तु महामुने । एतन्मे सर्वमाख्याहि यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम्
Yudhishthira said: O great sage, what merit and what fruit is there in the Yamuna? Tell me all this as you have seen and heard.
मार्कंडेय उवाच-। तपनस्य सुता देवी त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता । समागता महाभागा यमुना यत्र निम्नगा
Markandeya said: The goddess, daughter of the Sun, renowned in the three worlds, the greatly fortunate Yamuna, where she flows as a river.
येनैव निःसृता गङ्गा तेनैव यमुना गता । योजनानां सहस्रेषु कीर्तनात्पापनाशिनी
Wherever the Ganga has gone forth, there too the Yamuna has gone; for thousands of yojanas, by her praise, she destroys sin.
तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च यमुनायां युधिष्ठिर । कीर्त्तनाल्लभते पुण्यं दृष्ट्वा भद्राणि पश्यति
There, by bathing and drinking in the Yamuna, O Yudhishthira, one gains merit by her praise and, having seen her, beholds auspicious things.
अवगाढा च पीत्वा च पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम् । प्राणांस्त्यजति यस्तत्र स याति परमां गतिम् २६ thumb|प्रयागे गङ्गा-यमुनयोः सङ्गमः. अग्नितीर्थमिति ख्यातं यमुना दक्षिणे तटे । पश्चिमे धर्मराजस्य तीर्थं हरवरं स्मृतम्
By immersing and drinking there, one purifies even the seventh generation of his lineage; whoever gives up his life there attains the highest state. The confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayaga is famed as Agnitirtha on the southern bank of the Yamuna, and to the west is the sacred tirtha of Dharmaraja, remembered as the best of all.
तत्र स्नात्वा दिवं यांति ये मृतास्तेऽपुनर्भवाः । एवं तीर्थसहस्राणि यमुना दक्षिणे तटे
Those who bathe there ascend to heaven; those who die there do not return to rebirth. In this way, there are thousands of sacred places on the southern bank of the Yamuna.
उत्तरेण प्रवक्ष्यामि आदित्यस्य महात्मनः । तीर्थं तु विरजं नाम यत्र देवाः सवासवाः
Now I shall speak of the tirtha to the north, named Viraja, belonging to the great-souled Sun, where the gods with Indra reside.
उपासते स्म संध्यां तु नित्यकालं युधिष्ठिर । देवाः सेवंति तत्तीर्थं ये चान्ये विदुषो जनाः
There, O Yudhishthira, the gods and other wise people always worship at the time of twilight.
श्रद्दधानपरो भूत्वा कुरु तीर्थाभिषेचनम् । अन्ये च बहवस्तीर्थाः सर्वपापहराः शुभाः
With devotion, perform the ablution at the tirtha; there are many other auspicious tirthas that remove all sins.
तेषु स्नात्वा दिवं यांति ये मृतास्तेऽपुनर्भवाः । गंगा च यमुना चैव उभे तुल्यफले स्मृते
Those who bathe in them ascend to heaven; those who die there do not return to rebirth. The Ganga and the Yamuna are both remembered as giving equal fruit.
केवलं श्रेष्ठभावेन गंगा सर्वत्र पूज्यते । एवं कुरुष्व कौंतेय स्वर्गतीर्थाभिषेचनम्
Only because of its supreme status is the Ganga revered everywhere; in the same way, O son of Kunti, perform the consecration with the waters of the heavenly pilgrimage.
यावज्जीवकृतं पापं तत्क्षणादेव नश्यति । यस्त्विदं कल्य उत्थाय पठते च शृणोति वा
All the sins committed throughout one's life are instantly destroyed for one who, rising early in the morning, recites or listens to this.
मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति
He is freed from all sins and attains the world of heaven.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे यमुनामाहात्म्ये पंचचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-fifth chapter, entitled 'The Greatness of the Yamuna,' in the Svarga-khanda of the glorious Padma Purana.