Why Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara Dwell at Prayaga

Verse 1 (padma.3.48.1)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कथा सर्वात्वियं प्रोक्ताप्रयागस्य महामुने । एवं मे सर्वमाख्याहि यथा च मम तारयेत् ।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kathā sarvātviyaṁ proktāprayāgasya mahāmune evaṁ me sarvamākhyāhi yathā ca mama tārayet

Yudhishthira said: All this story of Prayaga has been told by you, O great sage; tell me all of it in this way, so that it may deliver me.

Verse 2 (padma.3.48.2)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रोक्तं सर्वमिदं जगत् । ब्रह्माविष्णुस्तथेशानो देवता प्रभुरव्ययः ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca śṛṇu rājanpravakṣyāmi proktaṁ sarvamidaṁ jagat brahmāviṣṇustatheśāno devatā prabhuravyayaḥ

Markandeya said: Listen, O king, I shall tell you — this whole world is declared to be governed by Brahma, Vishnu, and Ishana, the imperishable Lord and deity.

Verse 3 (padma.3.48.3)

ब्रह्मा सृजति भूतानि स्थावरं जंगमं च यत् । तान्येतानि परो लोके विष्णुः पालयति प्रजाः ।

brahmā sṛjati bhūtāni sthāvaraṁ jaṁgamaṁ ca yat tānyetāni paro loke viṣṇuḥ pālayati prajāḥ

Brahma creates beings, both the moving and the unmoving; and Vishnu, supreme in the world, protects those creatures.

Verse 4 (padma.3.48.4)

कल्पांते तत्समग्रं हि रुद्रः संहरते जगत् । न ददाति च नाध्येति न कदाचिद्विनश्यति ।

kalpāṁte tatsamagraṁ hi rudraḥ saṁharate jagat na dadāti ca nādhyeti na kadācidvinaśyati

At the end of the kalpa, Rudra destroys that entire world. He himself neither gives nor studies, nor is he ever destroyed.

Verse 5 (padma.3.48.5)

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां यः पश्यति स पश्यति । उत्तरेण प्रतिष्ठानादिदानीं ब्रह्म तिष्ठति ।

īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati uttareṇa pratiṣṭhānādidānīṁ brahma tiṣṭhati

He is the lord of all beings; whoever sees him truly, truly sees. North of Pratishthana, Brahma now abides.

Verse 6 (padma.3.48.6)

महेश्वरो वटे भूत्वा तिष्ठते परमेश्वरः । ततो देवाः सगंधर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः ।

maheśvaro vaṭe bhūtvā tiṣṭhate parameśvaraḥ tato devāḥ sagaṁdharvāḥ siddhāśca paramarṣayaḥ

Maheshvara, the supreme lord, abides having become the banyan tree there. Then the gods, together with the Gandharvas, the Siddhas, and the supreme sages —

Verse 7 (padma.3.48.7)

रक्षंति परमं नित्यं पापकर्मपरायणान् । ये तु चान्ये च तिष्ठंति न यांति परमां गतिम् ।

rakṣaṁti paramaṁ nityaṁ pāpakarmaparāyaṇān ye tu cānye ca tiṣṭhaṁti na yāṁti paramāṁ gatim

ever protect against those devoted to sinful deeds. But those others who remain unrepentant do not attain the supreme goal.

Verse 8 (padma.3.48.8)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । अप्याह मे यथातत्त्वं यथैषां तिष्ठते श्रुतम् । केन वा कारणेनैव तिष्ठंति लोकसंमताः ।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca apyāha me yathātattvaṁ yathaiṣāṁ tiṣṭhate śrutam kena vā kāraṇenaiva tiṣṭhaṁti lokasaṁmatāḥ

Yudhishthira said: Tell me truly, as it has been heard, how these deities abide there. For what reason do they abide there, honored by the world?

Verse 9 (padma.3.48.9)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । प्रयागे निवसंत्येते ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः । कारणं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु तत्त्वं युधिष्ठिर ।

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca prayāge nivasaṁtyete brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ kāraṇaṁ tu pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu tattvaṁ yudhiṣṭhira

Markandeya said: Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara dwell at Prayaga; I shall tell you the reason — listen to the truth, O Yudhishthira.

Verse 10 (padma.3.48.10)

पंचयोजनविस्तीर्णं प्रयागस्य तु मंडलम् । तिष्ठंति रक्षणार्थाय पापकर्मनिवारणाः ।

paṁcayojanavistīrṇaṁ prayāgasya tu maṁḍalam tiṣṭhaṁti rakṣaṇārthāya pāpakarmanivāraṇāḥ

The sacred circle of Prayaga extends five yojanas; they abide there for the purpose of protection, to prevent sinful deeds,

Verse 11 (padma.3.48.11)

तस्मिंस्तु स्वल्पकं पापं नरके पातयिष्यति । एवं ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च प्रयागे समहेश्वरः ।

tasmiṁstu svalpakaṁ pāpaṁ narake pātayiṣyati evaṁ brahmā ca viṣṇuśca prayāge samaheśvaraḥ

for even a small sin there could cause one to fall into hell. Thus Brahma and Vishnu, together with Maheshvara, are at Prayaga —

Verse 12 (padma.3.48.12)

सप्तद्वीपाः समुद्राश्च पर्वताश्च महीतले । तिष्ठंति ध्रियमाणाश्च यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् ।

saptadvīpāḥ samudrāśca parvatāśca mahītale tiṣṭhaṁti dhriyamāṇāśca yāvadābhūtasaṁplavam

just as the seven continents, the oceans, and the mountains stand sustained upon the surface of the earth until the dissolution of all beings.

Verse 13 (padma.3.48.13)

ये चान्ये बहवः सर्वे तिष्ठंति च युधिष्ठिर । पृथिवीस्थानमारभ्य निर्मितं दैवतैस्त्रिभिः ।

ye cānye bahavaḥ sarve tiṣṭhaṁti ca yudhiṣṭhira pṛthivīsthānamārabhya nirmitaṁ daivataistribhiḥ

And whatever other many deities there are, all abide there too, O Yudhishthira — this seat upon the earth, established by the three gods.

Verse 14 (padma.3.48.14)

प्रजापतेरिदं क्षेत्रं प्रयागमिति विश्रुतम् । एतत्पुण्यं पवित्रं च प्रयागं तु युधिष्ठिर ।

prajāpateridaṁ kṣetraṁ prayāgamiti viśrutam etatpuṇyaṁ pavitraṁ ca prayāgaṁ tu yudhiṣṭhira

This is the field of Prajapati, renowned as Prayaga. This Prayaga, O Yudhishthira, is meritorious and pure.

Verse 15 (padma.3.48.15)

स्वराज्यं कुरु राजेंद्र भ्रातृभिः सहितो भव ।

svarājyaṁ kuru rājeṁdra bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito bhava

Rule your own kingdom, O lord of kings; be together with your brothers.