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
Constantly remembering Prayaga with us, O Yudhishthira, you yourself, O king, shall attain the eternal heavenly world.
प्रयागमनुगच्छेद्वा वसते वापि यो नरः । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति
Whoever follows the path to Prayaga or dwells there, his soul purified from all sins, also attains the heavenly world.
प्रतिग्रहादुपावृत्तः सन्तुष्टो नियतः शुचिः
He who refrains from accepting gifts, is content, disciplined, and pure—
अहंकारनिवृत्तश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते । अकोपनश्च राजेंद्र सत्यवादी दृढव्रतः । आत्मोपमश्च भूतेषु स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
He who is free from pride, O king, attains the fruit of pilgrimage; who is not prone to anger, speaks truth, is firm in vow, 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 declared by the sages and also by the gods in due order; but, O king, sacrifices cannot be performed by one who is poor.
बहूपकरणो यज्ञो नानासंभारसंभ्रमः । प्राप्यते विविधैरर्थ्यैः समृद्धैर्वा नरैः क्वचित्
A sacrifice involves many implements and a great array of diverse materials; it is sometimes accomplished by those who possess various means or by the wealthy.
यो दरिद्रैरपि बुधैः शक्यः प्राप्तुं नरेश्वर । ततो यज्ञफलैः पुण्यैस्तन्निबोध जनेश्वर
But, O lord of men, hear of that which can be attained even by the wise among the poor; know, O lord of people, the merit equal to the fruits of sacrifice.
ऋषीणां परमं गुह्यमिदं भरतसत्तम । तीर्थाभिगमनं पुण्यं यज्ञैरपि विशिष्यते
This, O best of the Bharatas, is the supreme secret of the sages: the merit of pilgrimage surpasses even that of 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, O great king, enjoy your kingdom without trouble; you shall see again, O king, especially as a sacrificer.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे प्रयागमाहात्म्यं। नाम ऊनपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahapurana, in the section on heaven, the forty-ninth chapter named 'The Greatness of Prayaga'.
ऋषय ऊचुः- भवता कथितं सर्वं यत्किंचित्पृष्टमेव च । इदानीमपि पृच्छाम एकं वद महामते
The sages said: All that has been told by you, and whatever was asked, has been explained; now we ask one more thing, tell us, O 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 a single act, how can one obtain 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. Suta said: The path of action has indeed 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 blessed ones, but one excels among them: devotion to Hari, performed with mind, speech, and words.
जितं तेन जितं तेन जितमेव न संशयः । हरिरेव समाराध्यः सर्वदेवेश्वरेश्वरः
He is victorious, he is victorious, he is truly victorious—there is no doubt; having worshipped Hari alone, the Lord of all lords of the gods.
हरिनाममहामंत्रैर्नश्येत्पापपिशाचकम् । हरेः प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा सकृदप्यमलाशयाः
By the great mantras of Hari’s name, the demon of sin is destroyed; even once, with pure intent, having circumambulated Hari.
सर्वतीर्थसमाप्लावं लभंते यन्न संशयः । प्रतिमां च हरेर्दृष्ट्वा सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत्
They attain the merit of bathing in all sacred waters—there is no doubt; and by seeing the image of Hari, 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 basil offered to Viṣṇu, O best of twice-born, the same result is gained.
प्रचंडं विकरालं तद्यमस्यास्यं न पश्यति । सकृत्प्रणामी कृष्णस्य मातुः स्तन्यं पिबेन्नहि
He does not see that fierce, terrifying face of Yama; even one who bows once to Kṛṣṇa does not drink his mother’s milk in vain.
हरिपादे मनो येषां तेभ्यो नित्यं नमोनमः । पुल्कसः श्वपचो वापि ये चान्ये म्लेच्छजातयः
To those whose minds are fixed on Hari’s feet, I bow always; whether they are Pulindas, Śvapacas, or others of foreign birth.
तेऽपि वंद्या महाभागा हरिपादैकसेवकाः । किं पुनर्ब्राह्मणाः पुण्या भक्ता राजर्षयस्तथा
They too are worthy of reverence, greatly fortunate, who serve only Hari’s feet; how much more so the blessed brāhmaṇas, the devoted, and the royal sages.
हरौ भक्तिं विधायैव गर्भवासं न पश्यति । हरेरग्रे स्वनैरुच्चैर्नृत्यंस्तन्नामकृन्नरः
Having established devotion to Hari, one does not see the womb again; a man who, with loud voice, dances before Hari and utters his name.
पुनाति भुवनं विप्रा गंगादि सलिलं यथा । दर्शनात्स्पर्शनात्तस्य आलापादपि भक्तितः
He purifies the world, O brāhmaṇas, as the waters of Gaṅgā and others do; by seeing, touching, or even speaking with him in devotion.
ब्रह्महत्यादिभिः पापैर्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । हरेः प्रदक्षिणं कुर्वन्नुच्चैस्तन्नामकृन्नरः
He is freed from sins such as killing a brāhmaṇa—of this there is no doubt; a man who, while circumambulating Hari, loudly utters his name.
करतालादिसंधानं सुस्वरं कलशब्दितम् । ब्रह्महत्यादिकं पापं तेनैव करतालितम्
By clapping hands and making melodious, sweet sounds, even the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa is dispelled by that clapping.
हरिभक्तिकथामुक्त्वा ख्यायिकां शृणुयाच्च यः । तस्य संदर्शनादेव पूतो भवति मानवः
Whoever, without speaking of Hari’s devotion, listens to tales or stories, by merely seeing him, a man becomes purified.
किं पुनस्तस्य पापानामाशंका मुनिपुंगवाः । तीर्थानां च परं तीर्थं कृष्णनाम महर्षयः
What doubt then remains regarding his sins, O best of sages? The name of Kṛṣṇa, O great seers, is the supreme of all holy places.
तीर्थीकुर्वंति जगतीं गृहीतं कृष्णनाम यैः । तस्मान्मुनिवराः पुण्यं नातः परतरं विदुः
Those who have taken up Kṛṣṇa’s name make the world into a holy place; therefore, O foremost sages, know that there is no merit higher than this.