The Fruit of Fasting at Prayaga and the Glory of the Yamuna

Verse 1 (padma.3.45.1)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । एतच्छ्रुत्वा प्रयागस्य यत्त्वया कीर्तनं कृतम् । विशुद्धमेतद्धृदयं प्रयागस्य च कीर्तनात् । अनाशकफलं ब्रूहि भगवंस्तत्र कीदृशम् ।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca etacchrutvā prayāgasya yattvayā kīrtanaṁ kṛtam viśuddhametaddhṛdayaṁ prayāgasya ca kīrtanāt anāśakaphalaṁ brūhi bhagavaṁstatra kīdṛśam

Yudhishthira said: Having heard this glorification of Prayaga that you have made — my heart has become purified by the very recitation of Prayaga. O blessed one, tell me — what is the fruit there of anashaka, fasting unto death?

Verse 2 (padma.3.45.2)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । शृणु राजन्प्रयागे तु अनाशकफलं विभो । प्राप्नोति पुरुषो धीमान्श्रद्दधानश्च यादृशम् ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca śṛṇu rājanprayāge tu anāśakaphalaṁ vibho prāpnoti puruṣo dhīmānśraddadhānaśca yādṛśam

Markandeya said: Listen, O king — O lord, I shall tell what fruit of anashaka a wise and faithful man obtains at Prayaga.

Verse 3 (padma.3.45.3)

अहीनांगो विरोगश्च पंचेंद्रियसमन्वितः । अश्वमेधफलं तस्य गच्छतस्तु पदे पदे ।

ahīnāṁgo virogaśca paṁceṁdriyasamanvitaḥ aśvamedhaphalaṁ tasya gacchatastu pade pade

Free of any bodily defect, without disease, endowed with all five senses — the fruit of an Ashvamedha is his at every single step he takes there.

Verse 4 (padma.3.45.4)

कुलानि तारयेद्राजन्दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो गच्छेत परमं पदम् ।

kulāni tārayedrājandaśapūrvāndaśāparān mucyate sarvapāpebhyo gaccheta paramaṁ padam

He carries across his lineage, ten generations before and ten after, O king; he is freed from all sins and attains the supreme state.

Verse 5 (padma.3.45.5)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । महाभागोसि धर्मज्ञ दानं वदसि मे प्रभो । अल्पेनैव प्रधानेन बहून्धर्मानवाप्नुयात् ।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca mahābhāgosi dharmajña dānaṁ vadasi me prabho alpenaiva pradhānena bahūndharmānavāpnuyāt

Yudhishthira said: You are greatly fortunate, O knower of dharma; O lord, you tell me of gifts by which, with only a small outlay, one obtains many merits.

Verse 6 (padma.3.45.6)

अश्वमेधस्तु बहुभिः सुकृतैः प्राप्यते इह । एतन्मे संशयं ब्रूहि परं कौतूहलं हि मे ।

aśvamedhastu bahubhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ prāpyate iha etanme saṁśayaṁ brūhi paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi me

But an Ashvamedha is obtained here elsewhere only through many meritorious deeds. Resolve this doubt of mine, for I have great curiosity about it.

Verse 7 (padma.3.45.7)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । शृणु राजन्महावीर युदुक्तं पद्मयोनिना । ऋषीणां सन्निधौ पूर्वं कथ्यमानं मया श्रुतम् ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca śṛṇu rājanmahāvīra yuduktaṁ padmayoninā ṛṣīṇāṁ sannidhau pūrvaṁ kathyamānaṁ mayā śrutam

Markandeya said: Listen, O king, great hero, to what was declared by the lotus-born one — what I heard being told formerly in the presence of the sages.

Verse 8 (padma.3.45.8)

पंचयोजनविस्तीर्णं प्रयागस्य तु मंडलम् । प्रविशंस्तस्य तद्भूमावश्वमेधं पदे पदे ।

paṁcayojanavistīrṇaṁ prayāgasya tu maṁḍalam praviśaṁstasya tadbhūmāvaśvamedhaṁ pade pade

The sacred circle of Prayaga extends five yojanas; one entering upon that ground obtains the merit of an Ashvamedha at every step.

Verse 9 (padma.3.45.9)

व्यतीतान्पुरुषान्सप्त भविष्यांश्च चतुर्दश । नरस्तारयते सर्वान्यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत् ।

vyatītānpuruṣānsapta bhaviṣyāṁśca caturdaśa narastārayate sarvānyastu prāṇānparityajet

A man who gives up his life there carries across all — seven generations past and fourteen to come.

Verse 10 (padma.3.45.10)

एवं ज्ञात्वा तु राजेंद्र सदा श्रद्धापरो भवेत् । अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषाः पापोपहतचेतसः । न प्राप्नुवंति तत्स्थानं प्रयागं देवनिर्मितम् ।

evaṁ jñātvā tu rājeṁdra sadā śraddhāparo bhavet aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ pāpopahatacetasaḥ na prāpnuvaṁti tatsthānaṁ prayāgaṁ devanirmitam

Knowing this, O lord of kings, one should always be devoted to faith. Faithless men, whose minds are stricken with sin, do not attain that place, Prayaga, made by the gods.

Verse 11 (padma.3.45.11)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । स्नेहाद्वा द्रव्यलोभाद्वा ये तु कामवशं गताः । कथं तीर्थफलं तेषां कथं पुण्यमवाप्नुयुः ।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca snehādvā dravyalobhādvā ye tu kāmavaśaṁ gatāḥ kathaṁ tīrthaphalaṁ teṣāṁ kathaṁ puṇyamavāpnuyuḥ

Yudhishthira said: Those who go there out of mere affection, or out of greed for wealth, who have fallen under the sway of desire — how do they obtain the fruit of the tirtha, how do they obtain merit?

Verse 12 (padma.3.45.12)

विक्रयं सर्वभांडानां कार्याकार्यमजानतः । प्रयागे का गतिस्तस्य एवं ब्रूहि महामुने ।

vikrayaṁ sarvabhāṁḍānāṁ kāryākāryamajānataḥ prayāge kā gatistasya evaṁ brūhi mahāmune

And what of one who trades in all sorts of goods, not knowing what should and should not be done — what is his destiny at Prayaga? Tell me this, O great sage.

Verse 13 (padma.3.45.13)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । शृणु राजन्महागुह्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । मासं वसंस्तु राजेंद्र प्रयागे नियतेंद्रियः ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca śṛṇu rājanmahāguhyaṁ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam māsaṁ vasaṁstu rājeṁdra prayāge niyateṁdriyaḥ

Markandeya said: Listen, O king, to a great secret, the destroyer of all sin. Dwelling a month at Prayaga, O lord of kings, with senses controlled —

Verse 14 (padma.3.45.14)

मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः यथादिष्टं स्वयंभुवा । शुचिस्तु प्रयतो भूत्वाऽहिंसकः श्रद्धयान्वितः ।

mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ yathādiṣṭaṁ svayaṁbhuvā śucistu prayato bhūtvā'hiṁsakaḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ

one is freed from all sins, just as ordained by the Self-Existent Brahma. Being pure, disciplined, non-violent, and endowed with faith —

Verse 15 (padma.3.45.15)

मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः स गच्छेत्परमं पदम् । विश्रंभघातकानां तु प्रयागे शृणु तत्फलम् ।

mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ sa gacchetparamaṁ padam viśraṁbhaghātakānāṁ tu prayāge śṛṇu tatphalam

he is freed from all sins and attains the supreme state. Now hear the fruit at Prayaga for those who betray trust —

Verse 16 (padma.3.45.16)

त्रिकालमेव स्नायीत आहारं भैक्ष्यमाचरेत् । त्रिभिर्मासैः प्रमुच्येत प्रयागात्तु न संशयः ।

trikālameva snāyīta āhāraṁ bhaikṣyamācaret tribhirmāsaiḥ pramucyeta prayāgāttu na saṁśayaḥ

let him bathe three times a day, and take only begged food; in three months he shall be freed, through Prayaga — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 17 (padma.3.45.17)

प्रज्ञानेन तु यस्येह तीर्थयात्रादिकं भवेत् । सर्वकामसमृद्धस्तु स्वर्गलोके महीयते ।

prajñānena tu yasyeha tīrthayātrādikaṁ bhavet sarvakāmasamṛddhastu svargaloke mahīyate

Whoever undertakes this pilgrimage to the tirtha and the like with true understanding — rich in every desire, he is glorified in Svargaloka.

Verse 18 (padma.3.45.18)

स्थानं स लभते नित्यं धनधान्यसमाकुलम् । एवं ज्ञानेन संपूर्णः सदा भवति भोगवान् ।

sthānaṁ sa labhate nityaṁ dhanadhānyasamākulam evaṁ jñānena saṁpūrṇaḥ sadā bhavati bhogavān

He obtains a place ever full of wealth and grain; thus, complete with knowledge, he ever becomes a possessor of enjoyments.

Verse 19 (padma.3.45.19)

तारिताः पितरस्तेन नरकात्प्रपितामहाः । धर्मानुसारे तत्त्वज्ञ पृच्छतस्ते पुनः पुनः । त्वत्प्रियार्थं समाख्यातं गुह्यमेतत्सनातनम् ।

tāritāḥ pitarastena narakātprapitāmahāḥ dharmānusāre tattvajña pṛcchataste punaḥ punaḥ tvatpriyārthaṁ samākhyātaṁ guhyametatsanātanam

By him his ancestors and great-grandfathers are carried across from hell. O knower of dharma and truth, since you ask again and again — for your pleasure I have declared this eternal secret.

Verse 20 (padma.3.45.20)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । अद्य मे सफलं जन्म अद्य मे सफलं कुलम् । प्रीतोऽस्म्यनुगृहीतोऽस्मि दर्शनादेव तेऽद्य वै । त्वद्दर्शनात्तु धर्मात्मन्मुक्तोऽहं सर्वपातकैः ।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca adya me saphalaṁ janma adya me saphalaṁ kulam prīto'smyanugṛhīto'smi darśanādeva te'dya vai tvaddarśanāttu dharmātmanmukto'haṁ sarvapātakaiḥ

Yudhishthira said: Today my birth is made fruitful, today my lineage is made fruitful. I am pleased, I am graced, by your very sight today. O righteous soul, by seeing you I am freed from all sins.

Verse 21 (padma.3.45.21)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । दिष्ट्या ते सफलं जन्म दिष्ट्या ते तारितं कुलम् । कीर्तनाद्वर्द्धते पुण्यं श्रुतं पापप्रणाशनम् ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca diṣṭyā te saphalaṁ janma diṣṭyā te tāritaṁ kulam kīrtanādvarddhate puṇyaṁ śrutaṁ pāpapraṇāśanam

Markandeya said: By good fortune your birth is made fruitful; by good fortune your lineage is carried across. Merit grows by recitation; hearing it destroys sin.

Verse 22 (padma.3.45.22)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । यमुनायां तु किं पुण्यं किं फलं तु महामुने । एतन्मे सर्वमाख्याहि यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् ।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca yamunāyāṁ tu kiṁ puṇyaṁ kiṁ phalaṁ tu mahāmune etanme sarvamākhyāhi yathādṛṣṭaṁ yathāśrutam

Yudhishthira said: What is the merit in the Yamuna, and what is its fruit, O great sage? Tell me all of this, as you have seen and as you have heard.

Verse 23 (padma.3.45.23)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । तपनस्य सुता देवी त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता । समागता महाभागा यमुना यत्र निम्नगा ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca tapanasya sutā devī triṣu lokeṣu viśrutā samāgatā mahābhāgā yamunā yatra nimnagā

Markandeya said: The goddess, daughter of the Sun, renowned in the three worlds, the greatly fortunate Yamuna, has come together there with the river flowing downward.

Verse 24 (padma.3.45.24)

येनैव निःसृता गङ्गा तेनैव यमुना गता । योजनानां सहस्रेषु कीर्तनात्पापनाशिनी ।

yenaiva niḥsṛtā gaṅgā tenaiva yamunā gatā yojanānāṁ sahasreṣu kīrtanātpāpanāśinī

By the very path along which the Ganga flows, there too flows the Yamuna; even from thousands of yojanas away, her mere recitation destroys sin.

Verse 25 (padma.3.45.25)

तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च यमुनायां युधिष्ठिर । कीर्त्तनाल्लभते पुण्यं दृष्ट्वा भद्राणि पश्यति ।

tatra snātvā ca pītvā ca yamunāyāṁ yudhiṣṭhira kīrttanāllabhate puṇyaṁ dṛṣṭvā bhadrāṇi paśyati

Bathing there and drinking there, in the Yamuna, O Yudhishthira — by reciting her name one obtains merit; beholding her, one sees only good things.

Verse 26 (padma.3.45.26)

अवगाढा च पीत्वा च पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम् । प्राणांस्त्यजति यस्तत्र स याति परमां गतिम् ।

avagāḍhā ca pītvā ca punātyāsaptamaṁ kulam prāṇāṁstyajati yastatra sa yāti paramāṁ gatim

Bathed in and drunk, she purifies one's family up to the seventh generation. Whoever gives up his life there attains the supreme goal.

Verse 27 (padma.3.45.27)

अग्नितीर्थमिति ख्यातं यमुना दक्षिणे तटे । पश्चिमे धर्मराजस्य तीर्थं हरवरं स्मृतम् ।

agnitīrthamiti khyātaṁ yamunā dakṣiṇe taṭe paścime dharmarājasya tīrthaṁ haravaraṁ smṛtam

On the southern bank of the Yamuna is the renowned Agnitirtha; to the west is remembered the excellent tirtha of Dharmaraja, sacred to Hara.

Verse 28 (padma.3.45.28)

तत्र स्नात्वा दिवं यांति ये मृतास्तेऽपुनर्भवाः । एवं तीर्थसहस्राणि यमुना दक्षिणे तटे ।

tatra snātvā divaṁ yāṁti ye mṛtāste'punarbhavāḥ evaṁ tīrthasahasrāṇi yamunā dakṣiṇe taṭe

Bathing there, those who die go to heaven, never to be reborn. Thus there are a thousand tirthas on the southern bank of the Yamuna.

Verse 29 (padma.3.45.29)

उत्तरेण प्रवक्ष्यामि आदित्यस्य महात्मनः । तीर्थं तु विरजं नाम यत्र देवाः सवासवाः ।

uttareṇa pravakṣyāmi ādityasya mahātmanaḥ tīrthaṁ tu virajaṁ nāma yatra devāḥ savāsavāḥ

Now I shall tell of the north bank, of the great-souled Sun; there is a tirtha named Viraja, where the gods together with Vasava —

Verse 30 (padma.3.45.30)

उपासते स्म संध्यां तु नित्यकालं युधिष्ठिर । देवाः सेवंति तत्तीर्थं ये चान्ये विदुषो जनाः ।

upāsate sma saṁdhyāṁ tu nityakālaṁ yudhiṣṭhira devāḥ sevaṁti tattīrthaṁ ye cānye viduṣo janāḥ

worship the twilight there eternally, O Yudhishthira. The gods resort to that tirtha, as do other learned men.

Verse 31 (padma.3.45.31)

श्रद्दधानपरो भूत्वा कुरु तीर्थाभिषेचनम् । अन्ये च बहवस्तीर्थाः सर्वपापहराः शुभाः ।

śraddadhānaparo bhūtvā kuru tīrthābhiṣecanam anye ca bahavastīrthāḥ sarvapāpaharāḥ śubhāḥ

Being full of faith, perform the bathing rite at the tirtha there. And there are many other tirthas as well, auspicious, destroying all sin —

Verse 32 (padma.3.45.32)

तेषु स्नात्वा दिवं यांति ये मृतास्तेऽपुनर्भवाः । गंगा च यमुना चैव उभे तुल्यफले स्मृते ।

teṣu snātvā divaṁ yāṁti ye mṛtāste'punarbhavāḥ gaṁgā ca yamunā caiva ubhe tulyaphale smṛte

bathing in them, those who die go to heaven, never to be reborn. Both the Ganga and the Yamuna are remembered as equal in the merit they grant;

Verse 33 (padma.3.45.33)

केवलं श्रेष्ठभावेन गंगा सर्वत्र पूज्यते । एवं कुरुष्व कौंतेय स्वर्गतीर्थाभिषेचनम् ।

kevalaṁ śreṣṭhabhāvena gaṁgā sarvatra pūjyate evaṁ kuruṣva kauṁteya svargatīrthābhiṣecanam

only out of a sense of pure excellence is the Ganga worshipped everywhere. So, O son of Kunti, perform the bathing rite at this heaven-granting tirtha,

Verse 34 (padma.3.45.34)

यावज्जीवकृतं पापं तत्क्षणादेव नश्यति । यस्त्विदं कल्य उत्थाय पठते च शृणोति वा ।

yāvajjīvakṛtaṁ pāpaṁ tatkṣaṇādeva naśyati yastvidaṁ kalya utthāya paṭhate ca śṛṇoti vā

by which whatever sin has been committed through one's whole life is destroyed in that very instant. And whoever, rising at dawn, recites this or even hears it,

Verse 35 (padma.3.45.35)

मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति ।

mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ svargalokaṁ ca gacchati

is freed from all sins and goes to Svargaloka.