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.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- श्रुतं मे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तं पुराणे पुण्यसम्मितम् । तीर्थानां तु सहस्राणि शतानि नियुतानि च
Yudhishthira said: I have heard, as spoken by Brahma in the Purana, which is regarded as holy, that there are thousands and hundreds of thousands of sacred places.
सर्वे पुण्याः पवित्राश्च गतिश्च परमा स्मृता । पृथिव्यां नैमिषं पुण्यमंतरिक्षे च पुष्करम्
All are considered holy and pure, and their path is said to be supreme; on earth, Naimisha is sacred, and in the sky, Pushkara.
प्रयागमपि लोकानां कुरुक्षेत्रं विशिष्यते । सर्वाणि संपरित्यज्य कथमेकं प्रशंससि
Even Prayaga surpasses all other places for the people, as does Kurukshetra; having set aside all others, how do you praise only one?
अप्रमाणमिदं प्रोक्तमश्रद्धेयमनुत्तमम् । गतिं च परमां दिव्यां भोगांश्चैव यथेप्सितान्
This statement is immeasurable, unbelievable, and unsurpassed; and yet you speak of the highest and divine path and the enjoyments as one desires.
किमर्थमल्पयोगेन बहुधर्मं प्रशंससि । एतं मे संशयं ब्रूहि यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम्
For what reason do you praise great merit with little effort? Tell me this doubt of mine, as you have seen and heard.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- अश्रद्धेयं न वक्तव्यं प्रत्यक्षमपि तद्भवेत् । नरस्य श्रद्दधानस्य पापोपहतचेतसः
Markandeya said: That which is not to be believed should not be spoken, even if it is directly perceived; for a person whose mind is afflicted by sin, even if he has faith—
अश्रद्दधानो ह्यशुचिर्दुर्मतिस्त्यक्तमंगलः । एते पातकिनः सर्वे तेनेदं भाषितं मया
One who lacks faith, is impure, of evil mind, and forsaken by fortune—all these are sinners; therefore, I have spoken this.
शृणु प्रयागमाहात्म्यं यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् । प्रत्यक्षं च परोक्षं च यथान्यत्संभविष्यति
Hear now the greatness of Prayaga, as I have seen and heard, both directly and indirectly, and as it may occur otherwise.
यथैवान्यन्मया दृष्टं पुरा राजन्यथाश्रुतम् । शास्त्रं प्रमाणं कृत्वा तु पूज्यते योगमात्मनः
Just as I have seen and heard other things before, O king, so too, making scripture the authority, one attains the yoga of the self.
क्लिश्यते चापरस्तत्र नैव योगमवाप्नुयात् । जन्मांतरसहस्रेभ्यो योगो लभ्येत मानवैः
Another person struggles there but does not attain yoga; for humans, yoga may be obtained only after thousands of births.
यथायोगसहस्रेण योगो लभ्येत मानवैः । यस्तु सर्वाणि रत्नानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रयच्छति
Just as yoga is attained by humans after a thousand yogas, so too, one who gives all jewels to Brahmins—
तेन दानेन दत्तेन योगो लभ्येत मानवैः । प्रयागे तु मृतस्येदं सर्वं भवति नान्यथा
By that gift, by that act of giving, yoga is attained by humans; but if one dies at Prayaga, all this is obtained, not otherwise.
प्रधानहेतुं वक्ष्यामि श्रद्दधत्सु च भारत । यथा सर्वेषु भूतेषु सर्वत्रैव तु दृश्यते
I will declare the principal reason to those who have faith, O Bharata; just as in all beings, everywhere, it is seen—
ब्रह्म नैवास्ति वै किंचिद्यद्वक्तुं त्विदमुच्यते । यथा सर्वेषु भूतेषु ब्रह्म सर्वत्र पूज्यते
There is truly nothing apart from Brahman, yet this is said for the sake of explanation; just as Brahman is revered everywhere in all beings.
एवं सर्वेषु लोकेषु प्रयागः पूज्यते बुधैः । पूज्यते तीर्थराजस्य सत्यमेतद्युधिष्ठिर
Thus, in all the worlds, Prayāga is honored by the wise; truly, O Yudhiṣṭhira, it is revered as the king of holy places.
ब्रह्मापि स्मरते नित्यं प्रयागं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । तीर्थराजमनुप्राप्य नैवान्यत्किंचिदिच्छति
Even Brahmā constantly remembers Prayāga, the supreme holy place; having attained the king of holy places, one desires nothing else.
को हि देवत्वमासाद्य मानुषत्वं चिकीर्षति । अनेनैवानुमानेन त्वं ज्ञास्यसि युधिष्ठिर
For who, having attained divinity, would wish to become human? By this very reasoning, you will understand, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
यथा पुण्यमपुण्यं वा तथैव कथितं मया । युधिष्ठिर उवाच- श्रुतं तद्यत्त्वया प्रोक्तं विस्मितोऽहं पुनः पुनः
Just as virtue and vice have been described by me, so it is; Yudhiṣṭhira said: I have heard what you have spoken, and I am amazed again and again.
कथं योगेन तत्प्राप्तिः स्वर्गलोकस्तु कर्मणा । तदा च लभते भोगान्गां च तत्कर्मणां फलम्
How is that attainment achieved by yoga, and heaven by action? And then, by those actions, does one obtain enjoyments and the fruit of those deeds?
तानि कर्माणि पृच्छामि पुनर्यैः प्राप्यते महीम् । मार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणुराजन्महाबाहो यथोक्तकर्म्मणा मही
I ask again about those actions by which the earth is attained; Markandeya said: Hear, O king of mighty arms, how the earth is gained by the prescribed actions.