ब्रह्महत्यादिकं पापं यत्किंचित्कुरुते नरः । तत्सर्वं नाशयेदाशु शालग्रामशिलार्चनात्
Whatever sin a person commits, even as grave as killing a Brahmin, all that is quickly destroyed by worship of the Shalagrama stone.
महादेवउवाच- प्रयागतीर्थमाहात्म्यं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथा श्रुतम् । महादानपराः पुण्यकर्माणो यत्र संति हि
Mahadeva said: I will now declare, as I have heard, the greatness of the holy place Prayaga, where those devoted to great gifts and virtuous deeds are found.
यत्र गंगा च यमुना यत्र चैव सरस्वती । तं देवतीर्थप्रवरं देवानामपि दुर्लभम्
Where the Ganga, Yamuna, and Sarasvati meet—that foremost of sacred fords, rare even for the gods—
ईदृशं त्रिषु लोकेषु भूतं न च भविष्यति । ग्रहाणां च यथा सूर्यो नक्षत्राणां यथा शशी
Such a place has never existed in the three worlds, nor will it ever be; as the sun is among planets, as the moon among stars—
तीर्थानामुत्तमं तीर्थं प्रयागाख्यमनुत्तमम् । प्रातःकाले तु भो विद्वन्प्रयागे स्नानमाचरेत्
Among all sacred fords, Prayaga is the supreme, unrivaled ford; O wise one, one should bathe at Prayaga in the morning.
महापापाद्विनिर्मुक्तः स याति परमं पदम् । देयं किंचिद्यथाशक्ति दारिद्र्याभावमिच्छता
Freed from great sins, he attains the highest state; one who desires freedom from poverty should give something according to his ability.
यो नरस्तत्र गत्वा वै प्रयागे स्नानमाचरेत् । धनिको दीर्घजीवी च जायते नात्र संशयः
The man who, having gone there, bathes at Prayaga, becomes wealthy and long-lived—of this there is no doubt.
यत्र वटस्याक्षयस्य दर्शनं कुरुते नरः । तेन दर्शनमात्रेण ब्रह्महत्या विनश्यति
Where a man beholds the imperishable banyan tree, by that very sight, the sin of killing a Brahmin is destroyed.
स चाक्षयवटः ख्यातः कल्पांतेपि च दृश्यते । शेते विष्णुर्यस्य पत्रे अतोयमव्ययः स्मृतः
That imperishable banyan is renowned, and is seen even at the end of an age; Vishnu, imperishable and waterless, is said to rest upon its leaf.
तत्र पूजां प्रकुर्वंति मानवा विष्णुवल्लभाः । सूत्रेणाच्छादितं कृत्वा पूजां चैव तु कारयेत्
There, devotees of Vishnu perform worship; covering it with a thread, they should indeed conduct the worship.
माधवाख्यस्तत्र देवः सुखं तिष्ठति नित्यशः । तस्य वै दर्शनं कार्यं महापापैः प्रमुच्यते
There, the god called Madhava abides happily forever; one should seek his audience, for by it, one is freed from great sins.
यत्र देवाश्च ऋषयो मनुष्याश्चापि सर्वशः । स्वस्वस्थानं समाश्रित्य तत्र तिष्ठंति नित्यशः
There, gods, seers, and all humans, each established in their own place, dwell eternally.
गोघ्नो वापि च चांडालो दुष्टो वा दुष्टचेतनः । बालघाती तथाऽविद्वान्म्रियते तत्र वै तदा
Even a killer of cows, an outcaste, a wicked or evil-minded man, a slayer of children, or an ignorant one—if he dies there at that time—
स वै चतुर्भुजो भूत्वा वैकुंठे वसते चिरम् । प्रयागे तु नरो यस्तु माघस्नानं करोति च
He indeed, becoming four-armed, dwells long in Vaikuntha; and the man who bathes at Prayaga during Magha—
न तस्य फलसंख्यास्ति शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम । आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता सर्वलोकेषु शुश्रुम
His merit cannot be counted, O best of divine sages; we have heard in all worlds that waters are called 'nara.'
तेन नारायणः प्रोक्तः स्नातानां भुक्तिमुक्तिदः । ग्रहाणां च यथा सूर्यो नक्षत्राणां यथा शशी
Therefore, he is called Narayana, the giver of enjoyment and liberation to those who bathe; as the sun among planets, as the moon among stars—
मासानां हि तथा माघः श्रेष्ठः सर्वेषु कर्मसु । मकरस्थे रवौ माघे प्रातःकाले तथामले
So too, among months, Magha is the best of all rites; when the sun is in Capricorn, in the pure morning of Magha—
गोःपदेऽपि जले स्नानं स्वर्गदं पापिनामपि । योगोऽयं दुर्लभो विद्वन्त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे
Even bathing in the water of a cow's hoofprint grants heaven, even to sinners; this conjunction is rare, O wise one, in the three worlds, moving and unmoving.
अस्मिन्यो यत्नमापन्नः स्नायादपि दिनत्रयम् । पंच वा सप्त वाप्यत्र स्नानं कुर्वन्प्रयागजम्
Whoever, making effort here, bathes even for three days, or five, or seven, performing the Prayaga bath—
चंद्रवद्वर्द्धते सोऽपि कुले वाडवसत्तम । चराचराश्च ये जीवास्तथैव मनुजादयः
He too increases like the moon in his lineage, O best of the Bharatas; and all living beings, both moving and unmoving, as well as men—
प्रयागं तीर्थमाश्रित्य वैकुंठं यांति तेऽचिरात् । ये वसिष्ठादयस्तत्र ऋषयः सनकादयः
Those who take refuge in the sacred place of Prayaga swiftly attain Vaikuntha; there, the sages beginning with Vasistha and Sanaka reside.
तेऽपि प्रयागजं तीर्थं सेवंते च पुनःपुनः । यत्र विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च यत्रेंद्रश्च तथा पुनः
Even those sages repeatedly serve the holy site born of Prayaga, where Vishnu, Rudra, and Indra are also present again and again.
तेऽपि सर्वे वसंतीह प्रयागे तीर्थसत्तमे । दानं तत्र प्रशंसंति नियमांश्च तथैव च
All of them dwell here at Prayaga, the foremost of holy places; there, they praise giving and observances as well.
तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते
By bathing and drinking there, one is freed from rebirth.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायां उत्तरखण्डे उमापतिनारदसंवादे प्रयागमाहात्म्ये चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the twenty-fourth chapter, concerning the greatness of Prayaga, in the dialogue between Umapati and Narada, in the Uttarakanda of the glorious Padma Mahapurana, within the compendium of fifty-five thousand verses.
नारदउवाच- एवं तुलस्या माहात्म्यं त्वत्प्रसादाच्छ्रुतं मया । सांप्रतं तु समाचक्ष्व त्रिरात्रं तुलसीव्रतम्
Narada said: Thus, by your grace, I have heard the greatness of Tulasi. Now, please tell me about the three-night Tulasi vow.
सदाशिव उवाच- शृणु विप्र महाबुद्धे व्रतमेतत्पुरातनम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः
Sadashiva said: Listen, O wise Brahmin, to this ancient vow; by hearing it, one is freed from all sins—there is no doubt of this.
पुरा रैभ्यंतरे कल्पे राजा ह्यासीत्प्रजापतिः । तस्य भार्या च विख्याता चंद्ररूपा महासती
Long ago, in a previous kalpa, there was a king, a Prajapati; his wife, renowned and of radiant beauty, was supremely virtuous.
सा वै व्रतमिदं चक्रे सर्वकामफलप्रदम् । त्रिरात्रं तु व्रतं तस्या धर्मकामार्थ मोक्षदम्
She performed this vow, which grants all desired fruits; her three-night vow bestowed righteousness, desire, wealth, and liberation.
सफलं जीवितं तेषां यैः श्रुतं तुलसीव्रतम् । कार्तिके शुक्लपक्षे तु नवम्यां चैव नारद
Blessed is the life of those who have heard of the Tulasi vow, O Narada, especially on the ninth day of the bright fortnight in Kartika.