Manasa Tirtha and the Fruits of Bodily Austerity at the Confluence

Verse 1 (padma.3.44.1)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । शृणु राजन्प्रयागस्य माहात्म्यं पुनरेव तु । यच्छ्रुत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca śṛṇu rājanprayāgasya māhātmyaṁ punareva tu yacchrutvā sarvapāpebhyo mucyate nātra saṁśayaḥ

Markandeya said: Listen, O king, once more to the greatness of Prayaga, hearing which one is freed from all sins — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 2 (padma.3.44.2)

मानसं नाम तत्तीर्थं गंगायामुत्तरे तटे । त्रिरात्रोपोषितो भूत्वा सर्वान्कामानवाप्नुयात् ।

mānasaṁ nāma tattīrthaṁ gaṁgāyāmuttare taṭe trirātropoṣito bhūtvā sarvānkāmānavāpnuyāt

There is a tirtha named Manasa on the northern bank of the Ganga; having fasted three nights there, one obtains all his desires.

Verse 3 (padma.3.44.3)

गोभूहिरण्यदानेन यत्फलं प्राप्नुयान्नरः । एतत्फलमवाप्नोति तत्तीर्थं स्मरते पुनः ।

gobhūhiraṇyadānena yatphalaṁ prāpnuyānnaraḥ etatphalamavāpnoti tattīrthaṁ smarate punaḥ

Whatever fruit a man obtains by the gift of a cow, land, and gold — he obtains that same fruit there; he then remembers that tirtha again.

Verse 4 (padma.3.44.4)

अकामो वा सकामो वा गंगायां यो विपद्यते । मृतस्तु भवति स्वर्गे नरकं न च पश्यति ।

akāmo vā sakāmo vā gaṁgāyāṁ yo vipadyate mṛtastu bhavati svarge narakaṁ na ca paśyati

Whether desiring it or not, whoever dies in the Ganga, having died, he is in heaven, and does not behold hell.

Verse 5 (padma.3.44.5)

अप्सरोगणसंगीतैः सुप्तोऽसौ प्रतिबुध्यते । हंससारसयुक्तेन विमानेन स गच्छति ।

apsarogaṇasaṁgītaiḥ supto'sau pratibudhyate haṁsasārasayuktena vimānena sa gacchati

Asleep, he is awakened by the songs of hosts of Apsaras; he travels in a celestial chariot yoked with swans and cranes.

Verse 6 (padma.3.44.6)

बहुवर्षाणि राजेन्द्र षट्सहस्राणि भुंजते । ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टः क्षीणकर्मा दिवश्च्युतः ।

bahuvarṣāṇi rājendra ṣaṭsahasrāṇi bhuṁjate tataḥ svargātparibhraṣṭaḥ kṣīṇakarmā divaścyutaḥ

For many years, O lord of kings, six thousand, he enjoys this; then, fallen from heaven, his merit exhausted, cast down from the sky —

Verse 7 (padma.3.44.7)

सुवर्णमणिमुक्ताढ्ये जायते स महाकुले । षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टितीर्थशतानि च ।

suvarṇamaṇimuktāḍhye jāyate sa mahākule ṣaṣṭitīrthasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭitīrthaśatāni ca

he is born in a great family, rich in gold, jewels, and pearls. Sixty thousand tirthas, and sixty hundred tirthas as well —

Verse 8 (padma.3.44.8)

माघेमासि गमिष्यंति गंगायमुनसंगमे । गवां शतसहस्रस्य सम्यग्दत्तस्य यत्फलम् ।

māghemāsi gamiṣyaṁti gaṁgāyamunasaṁgame gavāṁ śatasahasrasya samyagdattasya yatphalam

go, in the month of Magha, to the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna. Whatever fruit belongs to the proper gift of a hundred thousand cows —

Verse 9 (padma.3.44.9)

प्रयागे माघमासे तु त्र्यहंस्नानस्य तत्फलम् । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये पंचाग्निं यस्तु साधयेत् ।

prayāge māghamāse tu tryahaṁsnānasya tatphalam gaṁgāyamunayormadhye paṁcāgniṁ yastu sādhayet

that is the fruit of bathing three days at Prayaga in the month of Magha. Whoever practices the austerity of the five fires between the Ganga and the Yamuna,

Verse 10 (padma.3.44.10)

अहीनांगो ह्यरोगश्च पंचेन्द्रियसमन्वितः । यावंति रोमकूपाणि तस्य गात्रस्य देहिनः ।

ahīnāṁgo hyarogaśca paṁcendriyasamanvitaḥ yāvaṁti romakūpāṇi tasya gātrasya dehinaḥ

becomes free of any bodily defect and disease, endowed with all five senses; and as many hair-follicles as there are upon that person's body,

Verse 11 (padma.3.44.11)

तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते । ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टो जंबूद्वीपपतिर्भवेत् ।

tāvadvarṣasahasrāṇi svargaloke mahīyate tataḥ svargātparibhraṣṭo jaṁbūdvīpapatirbhavet

for that many thousand years he is glorified in Svargaloka. Then, fallen from heaven, he becomes a lord of Jambudvipa.

Verse 12 (padma.3.44.12)

स भुक्त्वा विपुलान्भोगांस्तत्तीर्थं भजते नरः । जलप्रवेशं यः कुर्यात्संगमे लोकविश्रुते ।

sa bhuktvā vipulānbhogāṁstattīrthaṁ bhajate naraḥ jalapraveśaṁ yaḥ kuryātsaṁgame lokaviśrute

Having enjoyed vast pleasures, that man resorts to that tirtha again. Whoever enters the water at that world-renowned confluence —

Verse 13 (padma.3.44.13)

राहुग्रस्तो यथा सोमो विमुक्तः सर्वपातकैः । सोमलोकमवाप्नोति सोमेन सह मोदते ।

rāhugrasto yathā somo vimuktaḥ sarvapātakaiḥ somalokamavāpnoti somena saha modate

like the moon seized by Rahu, released, freed from all sins, he attains the world of Soma and rejoices together with Soma.

Verse 14 (padma.3.44.14)

षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि षष्टिवर्षशतानि च । स्वर्गलोकमवाप्नोति ऋषिगंधर्वसेवितः ।

ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭivarṣaśatāni ca svargalokamavāpnoti ṛṣigaṁdharvasevitaḥ

For sixty thousand years and sixty hundred years he attains Svargaloka, honored by sages and Gandharvas.

Verse 15 (padma.3.44.15)

परिभ्रष्टस्तु राजेंद्र समृद्धे जायते कुले । अधःशिरास्तु यो ज्वालामूर्ध्वपादः पिबेन्नरः ।

paribhraṣṭastu rājeṁdra samṛddhe jāyate kule adhaḥśirāstu yo jvālāmūrdhvapādaḥ pibennaraḥ

Fallen from heaven, O lord of kings, he is born in a prosperous family. And whoever, head downward and feet upward, drinks in the sacrificial flame,

Verse 16 (padma.3.44.16)

शतं वर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते । परिभ्रष्टस्तु राजेंद्र अग्निहोत्री भवेन्नरः ।

śataṁ varṣasahasrāṇi svargaloke mahīyate paribhraṣṭastu rājeṁdra agnihotrī bhavennaraḥ

he is glorified in Svargaloka for a hundred thousand years. Fallen from there, O lord of kings, that man becomes an Agnihotrin.

Verse 17 (padma.3.44.17)

भुक्त्वा तु विपुलान्भोगांस्तत्तीर्थं भजते नरः । यस्तु देहं विकर्तित्वा शकुनिभ्यः प्रयच्छति ।

bhuktvā tu vipulānbhogāṁstattīrthaṁ bhajate naraḥ yastu dehaṁ vikartitvā śakunibhyaḥ prayacchati

Having enjoyed vast pleasures, that man resorts to that tirtha again. Whoever, having cut up his body, gives it to the birds as an offering —

Verse 18 (padma.3.44.18)

विहंगैरुपभुक्तस्य शृणु तस्यापि यत्फलम् । शतं वर्षसहस्राणां सोमलोके महीयते ।

vihaṁgairupabhuktasya śṛṇu tasyāpi yatphalam śataṁ varṣasahasrāṇāṁ somaloke mahīyate

hear too what is the fruit of one whose body is eaten by birds: for a hundred thousand years he is glorified in the world of Soma.

Verse 19 (padma.3.44.19)

ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टो राजा भवति धार्मिकः । गुणवान्रूपसंपन्नो विद्वान्सुप्रियदेहवान् ।

tataḥ svargātparibhraṣṭo rājā bhavati dhārmikaḥ guṇavānrūpasaṁpanno vidvānsupriyadehavān

Then, fallen from heaven, he becomes a righteous king, virtuous, endowed with beauty, learned, of a body dear to all who see it.

Verse 20 (padma.3.44.20)

भुक्त्वा तु विपुलान्भोगांस्तत्तीर्थं भजते पुनः । यामुने चोत्तरे कूले प्रयागस्य तु दक्षिणे ।

bhuktvā tu vipulānbhogāṁstattīrthaṁ bhajate punaḥ yāmune cottare kūle prayāgasya tu dakṣiṇe

Having enjoyed vast pleasures, he resorts to that tirtha again. On the northern bank of the Yamuna, and south of Prayaga —

Verse 21 (padma.3.44.21)

ऋणप्रमोचनं नाम तीर्थं तत्परमं स्मृतम् । एकरात्रोषितो भूत्वा ऋणैः सर्वैः प्रमुच्यते ।

ṛṇapramocanaṁ nāma tīrthaṁ tatparamaṁ smṛtam ekarātroṣito bhūtvā ṛṇaiḥ sarvaiḥ pramucyate

there is a supreme tirtha there called Rinapramochana, 'release from debt.' Having fasted one night, one is freed from all debts,

Verse 22 (padma.3.44.22)

सूर्यलोकमवाप्नोति अनृणी च सदा भवेत् ।

sūryalokamavāpnoti anṛṇī ca sadā bhavet

and attains the world of the Sun, and remains ever free from debt.