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.
विष्णुप्रसादनिर्माल्यं भुक्त्वा धृत्वा च मस्तके । विष्णुरेव भवेन्मर्त्यो यमशोकविनाशनः
Having eaten or placed on the head the remnants of Viṣṇu’s grace, a mortal becomes Viṣṇu himself, the destroyer of Yama and sorrow.
अर्चनीयो नमस्कार्यो हरिरेव न संशयः । ये महाविष्णुमव्यक्तं देवं वापि महेश्वरम्
Hari alone is to be worshipped and saluted—there is no doubt; whether as the great, unmanifest Viṣṇu or as the god Maheśvara.
एकीभावेन पश्यंति न तेषां पुनरुद्भवः । तस्मादनादिनिधनं विष्णुमात्मानमव्ययम्
Those who see them as one in essence do not take birth again; therefore, know Viṣṇu, the beginningless, endless, imperishable Self.
हरिं चैकं प्रपश्यध्वं पूजयध्वं तथैव हि । ये समानं प्रपश्यंति हरिं वै देवतांतरम्
See Hari alone, and worship him just so; those who see Hari and other deities as the same—
ते यांति नरकान्घोरांन्न तांस्तु गणयेद्धीरः । मूर्खं वा पंडितं वापि ब्राह्मणं केशवप्रियम्
Those who go to terrible hells—a wise person does not count them, whether they are fools or learned, or even a Brahmin dear to Keśava.
श्वपाकं वा मोचयति नारायणः स्वयं प्रभुः । नारायणात्परो नास्ति पापराशि दवानलः
Nārāyaṇa Himself, the Lord, can liberate even a dog-eater; there is nothing higher than Nārāyaṇa, the wildfire that consumes heaps of sin.
कृत्वापि पातकं घोरं कृष्णनाम्ना विमुच्यते । स्वयं नारायणो देवः स्वनाम्नि जगतां गुरुः
Even after committing a terrible sin, one is freed by the name of Kṛṣṇa; Nārāyaṇa Himself, the teacher of the worlds, is present in His own name.
आत्मनोऽभ्यधिकां शक्तिं स्थापयामास सुव्रताः । अत्र ये विवदंते वै आयासलघुदर्शनात्
The virtuous established a power greater than themselves; those who argue here do so out of a shallow view of effort and ease.
फलानां गौरवाच्चापि ते यांति नरकं बहु । तस्माद्धरौ भक्तिमान्स्याद्धरिनामपरायणः
Because of the weight of the results, they go to many hells; therefore, one should be devoted to Hari and take refuge in His name.
पूजकं पृष्ठतो रक्षेन्नामिनं वक्षसि प्रभुः । हरिनाममहावज्रं पापपर्वतदारणे
The Lord protects the worshiper from behind and the chanter of His name at His chest; the great thunderbolt of Hari's name shatters the mountains of sin.