The Glory of Prayaga

Verse 1 (padma.6.24.1)

महादेवउवाच ।प्रयागतीर्थमाहात्म्यं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथा श्रुतम् । महादानपराः पुण्यकर्माणो यत्र संति हि

mahādevauvāca prayāgatīrthamāhātmyaṁ pravakṣyāmi yathā śrutam mahādānaparāḥ puṇyakarmāṇo yatra saṁti hi

Mahadeva said: I shall tell the glory of the Prayaga tirtha, as it has been heard, where those devoted to great giving and meritorious deeds dwell.

Verse 2 (padma.6.24.2)

यत्र गंगा च यमुना यत्र चैव सरस्वती । तं देवतीर्थप्रवरं देवानामपि दुर्लभम्

yatra gaṁgā ca yamunā yatra caiva sarasvatī taṁ devatīrthapravaraṁ devānāmapi durlabham

Where the Ganga is, and the Yamuna, and the Sarasvati too — that is the finest of divine tirthas, rare even for the gods.

Verse 3 (padma.6.24.3)

ईदृशं त्रिषु लोकेषु भूतं न च भविष्यति । ग्रहाणां च यथा सूर्यो नक्षत्राणां यथा शशी

īdṛśaṁ triṣu lokeṣu bhūtaṁ na ca bhaviṣyati grahāṇāṁ ca yathā sūryo nakṣatrāṇāṁ yathā śaśī

Such a thing has never been, nor shall ever be, in the three worlds; as the sun is finest among the planets, and the moon among the stars,

Verse 4 (padma.6.24.4)

तीर्थानामुत्तमं तीर्थं प्रयागाख्यमनुत्तमम् । प्रातःकाले तु भो विद्वन्प्रयागे स्नानमाचरेत्

tīrthānāmuttamaṁ tīrthaṁ prayāgākhyamanuttamam prātaḥkāle tu bho vidvanprayāge snānamācaret

so too, among tirthas, Prayaga is the very best, unsurpassed. O learned one, in the morning one should bathe at Prayaga.

Verse 5 (padma.6.24.5)

महापापाद्विनिर्मुक्तः स याति परमं पदम् । देयं किंचिद्यथाशक्ति दारिद्र्याभावमिच्छता

mahāpāpādvinirmuktaḥ sa yāti paramaṁ padam deyaṁ kiṁcidyathāśakti dāridryābhāvamicchatā

Freed from great sin, one attains the supreme state. One who desires freedom from poverty should give something, according to his means.

Verse 6 (padma.6.24.6)

यो नरस्तत्र गत्वा वै प्रयागे स्नानमाचरेत् । धनिको दीर्घजीवी च जायते नात्र संशयः

yo narastatra gatvā vai prayāge snānamācaret dhaniko dīrghajīvī ca jāyate nātra saṁśayaḥ

Whatever man goes there and bathes at Prayaga becomes wealthy and long-lived, without doubt.

Verse 7 (padma.6.24.7)

यत्र वटस्याक्षयस्य दर्शनं कुरुते नरः । तेन दर्शनमात्रेण ब्रह्महत्या विनश्यति

yatra vaṭasyākṣayasya darśanaṁ kurute naraḥ tena darśanamātreṇa brahmahatyā vinaśyati

Whoever beholds the Akshaya Vata there — by that sight alone, even the sin of killing a brahmin is destroyed.

Verse 8 (padma.6.24.8)

स चाक्षयवटः ख्यातः कल्पांतेपि च दृश्यते । शेते विष्णुर्यस्य पत्रे अतोयमव्ययः स्मृतः

sa cākṣayavaṭaḥ khyātaḥ kalpāṁtepi ca dṛśyate śete viṣṇuryasya patre atoyamavyayaḥ smṛtaḥ

That Akshaya Vata is renowned, and is seen even at the end of a kalpa; upon its leaf Vishnu sleeps — this is why it is deemed waterless and imperishable.

Verse 9 (padma.6.24.9)

तत्र पूजां प्रकुर्वंति मानवा विष्णुवल्लभाः । सूत्रेणाच्छादितं कृत्वा पूजां चैव तु कारयेत्

tatra pūjāṁ prakurvaṁti mānavā viṣṇuvallabhāḥ sūtreṇācchāditaṁ kṛtvā pūjāṁ caiva tu kārayet

There, men devoted to Vishnu perform worship; having covered it with sacred thread, one should have worship performed there.

Verse 10 (padma.6.24.10)

माधवाख्यस्तत्र देवः सुखं तिष्ठति नित्यशः । तस्य वै दर्शनं कार्यं महापापैः प्रमुच्यते

mādhavākhyastatra devaḥ sukhaṁ tiṣṭhati nityaśaḥ tasya vai darśanaṁ kāryaṁ mahāpāpaiḥ pramucyate

There the god known as Madhava dwells happily, always; his sight should be sought — by it one is freed from great sins.

Verse 11 (padma.6.24.11)

यत्र देवाश्च ऋषयो मनुष्याश्चापि सर्वशः । स्वस्वस्थानं समाश्रित्य तत्र तिष्ठंति नित्यशः

yatra devāśca ṛṣayo manuṣyāścāpi sarvaśaḥ svasvasthānaṁ samāśritya tatra tiṣṭhaṁti nityaśaḥ

Where the gods, the sages, and men too, of every kind, each taking their own place, always dwell.

Verse 12 (padma.6.24.12)

गोघ्नो वापि च चांडालो दुष्टो वा दुष्टचेतनः । बालघाती तथाऽविद्वान्म्रियते तत्र वै तदा

goghno vāpi ca cāṁḍālo duṣṭo vā duṣṭacetanaḥ bālaghātī tathā'vidvānmriyate tatra vai tadā

Even a cow-killer, or an outcaste, or a wicked person, or one of evil mind, a child-killer, or an ignorant one, if he attains death there,

Verse 13 (padma.6.24.13)

स वै चतुर्भुजो भूत्वा वैकुंठे वसते चिरम् । प्रयागे तु नरो यस्तु माघस्नानं करोति च

sa vai caturbhujo bhūtvā vaikuṁṭhe vasate ciram prayāge tu naro yastu māghasnānaṁ karoti ca

he becomes four-armed and dwells long in Vaikuntha. And whatever man bathes at Prayaga in the month of Magha,

Verse 14 (padma.6.24.14)

न तस्य फलसंख्यास्ति शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम । आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता सर्वलोकेषु शुश्रुम

na tasya phalasaṁkhyāsti śṛṇu devarṣisattama āpo nārā iti proktā sarvalokeṣu śuśruma

O best of divine sages, listen — his merit cannot be counted. 'Water is called Nara' — thus we have heard, in all the worlds,

Verse 15 (padma.6.24.15)

तेन नारायणः प्रोक्तः स्नातानां भुक्तिमुक्तिदः । ग्रहाणां च यथा सूर्यो नक्षत्राणां यथा शशी

tena nārāyaṇaḥ proktaḥ snātānāṁ bhuktimuktidaḥ grahāṇāṁ ca yathā sūryo nakṣatrāṇāṁ yathā śaśī

and by this, Narayana is declared to be the giver of enjoyment and liberation to those who bathe. As the sun is finest among the planets, and the moon among the stars,

Verse 16 (padma.6.24.16)

मासानां हि तथा माघः श्रेष्ठः सर्वेषु कर्मसु । मकरस्थे रवौ माघे प्रातःकाले तथामले

māsānāṁ hi tathā māghaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarveṣu karmasu makarasthe ravau māghe prātaḥkāle tathāmale

so too, among the months, Magha is the finest for all rites. When the sun is in Capricorn during Magha, in the pure early morning,

Verse 17 (padma.6.24.17)

गोःपदेऽपि जले स्नानं स्वर्गदं पापिनामपि । योगोऽयं दुर्लभो विद्वन्त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे

goḥpade'pi jale snānaṁ svargadaṁ pāpināmapi yogo'yaṁ durlabho vidvantrailokye sacarācare

even bathing in water the size of a cow's hoofprint bestows heaven, even upon sinners; O learned one, this conjunction is exceedingly rare in the three worlds with their moving and unmoving beings.

Verse 18 (padma.6.24.18)

अस्मिन्यो यत्नमापन्नः स्नायादपि दिनत्रयम् । पंच वा सप्त वाप्यत्र स्नानं कुर्वन्प्रयागजम्

asminyo yatnamāpannaḥ snāyādapi dinatrayam paṁca vā sapta vāpyatra snānaṁ kurvanprayāgajam

Whoever makes the effort in this and bathes even for three days, or five, or seven, performing the bath born of Prayaga,

Verse 19 (padma.6.24.19)

चंद्रवद्वर्द्धते सोऽपि कुले वाडवसत्तम । चराचराश्च ये जीवास्तथैव मनुजादयः

caṁdravadvarddhate so'pi kule vāḍavasattama carācarāśca ye jīvāstathaiva manujādayaḥ

O best of brahmins, he grows within his own lineage like the waxing moon. And whatever moving and unmoving beings there are, and men and the rest as well,

Verse 20 (padma.6.24.20)

प्रयागं तीर्थमाश्रित्य वैकुंठं यांति तेऽचिरात् । ये वसिष्ठादयस्तत्र ऋषयः सनकादयः

prayāgaṁ tīrthamāśritya vaikuṁṭhaṁ yāṁti te'cirāt ye vasiṣṭhādayastatra ṛṣayaḥ sanakādayaḥ

taking refuge in the Prayaga tirtha, they go swiftly to Vaikuntha. Those sages there, Vasishtha and the others, Sanaka and the rest,

Verse 21 (padma.6.24.21)

तेऽपि प्रयागजं तीर्थं सेवंते च पुनःपुनः । यत्र विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च यत्रेंद्रश्च तथा पुनः

te'pi prayāgajaṁ tīrthaṁ sevaṁte ca punaḥpunaḥ yatra viṣṇuśca rudraśca yatreṁdraśca tathā punaḥ

they too serve the Prayaga tirtha again and again. Where Vishnu, and Rudra, and Indra too, again and again,

Verse 22 (padma.6.24.22)

तेऽपि सर्वे वसंतीह प्रयागे तीर्थसत्तमे । दानं तत्र प्रशंसंति नियमांश्च तथैव च

te'pi sarve vasaṁtīha prayāge tīrthasattame dānaṁ tatra praśaṁsaṁti niyamāṁśca tathaiva ca

all of them dwell here, in Prayaga, the very best of tirthas. There people praise giving, and observances as well.

Verse 23 (padma.6.24.23)

तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते

tatra snātvā ca pītvā ca punarjanma na vidyate

Bathing there, and drinking there, one is not born again.