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.
नियमस्थो व्रती तिष्ठेद्भूमिशायी जितेंद्रियः । व्रतं त्रिरात्रमुद्दिश्य शुचिः संयतमानसः
The observer of the vow should remain disciplined, sleeping on the ground, with controlled senses, pure, and with a restrained mind, for the three nights of the vow.
स्वपेन्नियमपूर्वं तु तुलसीवनसंनिधौ । ततो मध्याह्नसमये नद्यादौ विमले जले
He should sleep according to the prescribed rule in the presence of a Tulasi grove; then, at midday, in pure water of a river or similar place—
स्नानं कृत्वा पितॄन्देवांस्तर्पयेद्विधिपूर्वकम् । सुवर्णं कारयेद्देवं लक्ष्म्या सह जनार्दनम्
After bathing, he should offer libations to the ancestors and gods according to the proper method; he should have an image of Janardana with Lakshmi made of gold.
वित्तशाठ्यं न कर्तव्यमात्मनः श्रेयमिच्छता । वस्त्रयुग्मं ततः कार्यं पीते शुक्लेऽपि वाससी । नवग्रहाणामारंभं शांतिकं विधिपूर्वकम्
One seeking their own welfare should not act deceitfully with wealth; then, a pair of garments should be prepared, either yellow or white; and the ritual for pacifying the nine planets should be begun according to the proper method.
श्रपयित्वा चरुं तत्र वैष्णवं होममाचरेत् । द्वादश्यां देवदेवेशं पूजयित्वा प्रयत्नतः
After preparing the sacred offering, he should perform a Vaishnava fire ritual there; on the twelfth day, he should worship the Lord of gods with care.
अव्रणं शुद्धकलशं स्थापयेद्विधिपूर्वकम् । पंचरत्नसमोपेतं पल्लवैश्चोषधीयुतम्
He should establish a flawless, pure vessel according to the prescribed method, adorned with five kinds of gems and filled with shoots and herbs.
तस्योपरिन्यसेत्पात्रे लक्ष्म्या सह जनार्दनम् । स्थापयेत्तुलसीमूले मंत्रैर्वेदपुराणकैः
Upon that vessel, he should place Janardana with Lakshmi; he should install it at the root of the Tulasi plant with mantras from the Vedas and Puranas.
पयसा केवलेनैव सिंचयेत्तुलसीवनम् । पंचामृतेन संस्नाप्य देवदेवं जगद्गुरुम्
He should sprinkle the Tulasi grove with only milk; after bathing the Lord of gods, the teacher of the world, with the five nectars—
योऽनंतरूपोऽखिलविश्वरूपो गर्भोदके लोकविधिं बिभर्त्ति । प्रसीदतामेष सदेव देवो यो मायया विश्वकृदेष देवी
He who is without inner form, who is the form of the entire universe, who sustains the order of the worlds in the cosmic waters—may this eternal God be gracious, he who, through his power, creates all, and she who is the goddess, the maker of the universe.
प्रार्थनामंत्रः । आगच्छाच्युत देवेश तेजोराशे जगत्पते । सदैव तिमिरध्वंसी पाहि मां भवसागरात्
Prayer mantra: Come, O Achyuta, Lord of gods, radiant source, master of the world; ever destroyer of darkness, protect me from the ocean of existence.