Prayaga Above All Tirthas

Verse 1 (padma.3.47.1)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । शृणु राजन्प्रयागस्य माहात्म्यं पुनरेव तु । नैमिषं पुष्करं चैव गोतीर्थं सिंधुसागरम् ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca śṛṇu rājanprayāgasya māhātmyaṁ punareva tu naimiṣaṁ puṣkaraṁ caiva gotīrthaṁ siṁdhusāgaram

Markandeya said: Listen, O king, once more to the greatness of Prayaga. Naimisha, Pushkara, Gotirtha, and Sindhusagara —

Verse 2 (padma.3.47.2)

कुरुक्षेत्रं गया चैव गंगासागरमेव च । एते चान्ये च बहवो ये च पुण्याः शिलोच्चयाः ।

kurukṣetraṁ gayā caiva gaṁgāsāgarameva ca ete cānye ca bahavo ye ca puṇyāḥ śiloccayāḥ

Kurukshetra, and Gaya, and Gangasagara too — these and many others, and the meritorious mountains as well —

Verse 3 (padma.3.47.3)

दशतीर्थसहस्राणि त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तथापरे । प्रयागे संस्थिता नित्यमेवमाहुर्मनीषिणः ।

daśatīrthasahasrāṇi triṁśatkoṭyastathāpare prayāge saṁsthitā nityamevamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

ten thousand tirthas, and thirty million others besides, are eternally present at Prayaga — so declare the wise.

Verse 4 (padma.3.47.4)

त्रीणि चाप्यग्निकुंडानि येषां मध्ये तु जाह्नवी । प्रयागादभिनिष्क्रांता सर्वतीर्थपुरस्कृता ।

trīṇi cāpyagnikuṁḍāni yeṣāṁ madhye tu jāhnavī prayāgādabhiniṣkrāṁtā sarvatīrthapuraskṛtā

And there are three fire-kundas as well, in the midst of which flows the Jahnavi, issuing from Prayaga, honored above all tirthas.

Verse 5 (padma.3.47.5)

तपनस्य सुता देवी त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता । गंगायमुनया सार्धं संस्थिता लोकभाविनी ।

tapanasya sutā devī triṣu lokeṣu viśrutā gaṁgāyamunayā sārdhaṁ saṁsthitā lokabhāvinī

The goddess, daughter of the Sun, renowned in the three worlds, stands together there with the Ganga and the Yamuna, blessing the world.

Verse 6 (padma.3.47.6)

गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये पृथिव्या जघनं स्मृतम् । प्रयागं राजशार्दूल कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम् ।

gaṁgāyamunayormadhye pṛthivyā jaghanaṁ smṛtam prayāgaṁ rājaśārdūla kalāṁ nārhaṁti ṣoḍaśīm

Between the Ganga and the Yamuna is remembered the hip of the earth. O tiger among kings, all other tirthas do not equal even a sixteenth part of Prayaga.

Verse 7 (padma.3.47.7)

तिस्रः कोट्योऽर्द्धकोटी च तीर्थानां वायुरब्रवीत् । दिव्यं भुव्यंतरिक्षे च तत्सर्वं जाह्नवि स्मृता ।

tisraḥ koṭyo'rddhakoṭī ca tīrthānāṁ vāyurabravīt divyaṁ bhuvyaṁtarikṣe ca tatsarvaṁ jāhnavi smṛtā

Three and a half million tirthas — so declared Vayu — divine ones, on earth, and in the intermediate space — all of that is remembered as present in the Jahnavi.

Verse 8 (padma.3.47.8)

प्रयागं समधिष्ठानं कंबलाश्वतरावुभौ । भोगवत्यथ या चैव वेदिरेषा प्रजापतेः ।

prayāgaṁ samadhiṣṭhānaṁ kaṁbalāśvatarāvubhau bhogavatyatha yā caiva vedireṣā prajāpateḥ

Prayaga is the firm seat, guarded by the two serpents Kambala and Ashvatara; and Bhogavati too — this is the altar of Prajapati.

Verse 9 (padma.3.47.9)

तत्र देवाश्च यज्ञाश्च मूर्तिमंतो युधिष्ठिर । पूजयंति प्रयागं ते ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः ।

tatra devāśca yajñāśca mūrtimaṁto yudhiṣṭhira pūjayaṁti prayāgaṁ te ṛṣayaśca tapodhanāḥ

There, O Yudhishthira, the gods and the sacrifices assume embodied form; the sages, rich in austerity, worship Prayaga,

Verse 10 (padma.3.47.10)

यजंते क्रतुभिर्देवांस्तथा बहुधना नृपाः । ततः पुण्यतमो नास्ति त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत ।

yajaṁte kratubhirdevāṁstathā bahudhanā nṛpāḥ tataḥ puṇyatamo nāsti triṣu lokeṣu bhārata

and worship the gods with sacrificial rites, as do kings rich in wealth. There is nothing more meritorious than that in the three worlds, O Bharata.

Verse 11 (padma.3.47.11)

प्रभावात्सर्वतीर्थेभ्यः प्रभवत्यधिकं विभो । दशतीर्थसहस्राणि तिस्रः कोट्यस्तथापरे ।

prabhāvātsarvatīrthebhyaḥ prabhavatyadhikaṁ vibho daśatīrthasahasrāṇi tisraḥ koṭyastathāpare

In power, O lord, it surpasses all tirthas. Ten thousand tirthas, and thirty million others besides,

Verse 12 (padma.3.47.12)

यत्र गंगा महाभागा स देशस्तत्तपोवनम् । सिद्धक्षेत्रं तु तज्ज्ञेयं गंगातीरसमाश्रितम् ।

yatra gaṁgā mahābhāgā sa deśastattapovanam siddhakṣetraṁ tu tajjñeyaṁ gaṁgātīrasamāśritam

wherever the greatly fortunate Ganga is, that land is a forest of austerity. It is to be known as a field of accomplishment, taking refuge on the bank of the Ganga.

Verse 13 (padma.3.47.13)

इति सत्यं द्विजातीनां साधूनामात्मजस्य वा । सुहृदां च जपेत्कर्णे शिष्यस्यानुगतस्य वा ।

iti satyaṁ dvijātīnāṁ sādhūnāmātmajasya vā suhṛdāṁ ca japetkarṇe śiṣyasyānugatasya vā

This truth should be whispered into the ear of the twice-born, of the virtuous, of one's own son, or of one's friends, or of an obedient disciple:

Verse 14 (padma.3.47.14)

इदं धन्यमिदं स्वर्ग्यमिदं सेव्यमिदं शुभम् । इदं पुण्यमिदं रम्यं पावनं धर्ममुत्तमम् ।

idaṁ dhanyamidaṁ svargyamidaṁ sevyamidaṁ śubham idaṁ puṇyamidaṁ ramyaṁ pāvanaṁ dharmamuttamam

'This is blessed, this leads to heaven, this is to be resorted to, this is auspicious; this is meritorious, this is delightful, purifying, the highest dharma;

Verse 15 (padma.3.47.15)

महर्षीणामिदं गुह्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । अधीत्य च द्विजो ध्यायन्निर्मलत्वमवाप्नुयात् ।

maharṣīṇāmidaṁ guhyaṁ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam adhītya ca dvijo dhyāyannirmalatvamavāpnuyāt

this is the secret of the great sages, the destroyer of all sin.' Studying and meditating upon this, a twice-born attains purity.

Verse 16 (padma.3.47.16)

यश्चेदं शृणुयान्नित्यं तीर्थं पुण्यं सदा शुचिः । जातिस्मरत्वं लभते नाकपृष्ठे च मोदते ।

yaścedaṁ śṛṇuyānnityaṁ tīrthaṁ puṇyaṁ sadā śuciḥ jātismaratvaṁ labhate nākapṛṣṭhe ca modate

Whoever constantly hears this meritorious account of the tirtha, ever pure, obtains the memory of his past births and rejoices atop heaven.

Verse 17 (padma.3.47.17)

प्राप्यंते तानि तीर्थानि सद्भिः शिष्टार्थदर्शिभिः । स्नाहि तीर्थेषु कौरव्य न च वक्रमतिर्भव ।

prāpyaṁte tāni tīrthāni sadbhiḥ śiṣṭārthadarśibhiḥ snāhi tīrtheṣu kauravya na ca vakramatirbhava

Those tirthas are attained by the good, who see the true meaning as taught by the wise. Bathe in the tirthas, O descendant of Kuru, and do not become of crooked mind.

Verse 18 (padma.3.47.18)

त्वया तु सम्यक्पृष्टेन कथितं तु मया विभो । पितरस्तारिताः सर्वे तारिताश्च पितामहाः ।

tvayā tu samyakpṛṣṭena kathitaṁ tu mayā vibho pitarastāritāḥ sarve tāritāśca pitāmahāḥ

Since you have asked well, O lord, I have told this to you; all your ancestors have been carried across, and your grandfathers too have been carried across.

Verse 19 (padma.3.47.19)

प्रयागस्य तु सर्वे ते कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम् । एवं ज्ञानं च योगं च तीर्थं चैव युधिष्ठिर ।

prayāgasya tu sarve te kalāṁ nārhaṁti ṣoḍaśīm evaṁ jñānaṁ ca yogaṁ ca tīrthaṁ caiva yudhiṣṭhira

All of these do not equal even a sixteenth part of Prayaga. Thus, O Yudhishthira, knowledge, and yoga, and the tirthas —

Verse 20 (padma.3.47.20)

बहुक्लेशेन युज्यंते ततो यांति परां गतिम् । प्रयागस्मरणाल्लोकः स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति ।

bahukleśena yujyaṁte tato yāṁti parāṁ gatim prayāgasmaraṇāllokaḥ svargalokaṁ ca gacchati

are joined only with great hardship elsewhere, and only thereby do people attain the supreme goal. But merely by remembering Prayaga, one goes to Svargaloka.