36 - Description of the greatness of Prayāga 

The sages said: 

1. The greatness of Avimukta has been precisely recounted by you. O sage of holy vows, narrate now the greatness of Prayaga1 to us. 

1. Prayāga (mod. Allahabad) was the ancient capital of Aila kings beginning from Pururavas. Great Kings like Nahusha, Yayāti, Pūru and Bharata ruled here. The site of their capital, Pratishthāna, is at jhusi just near Allahabad. It is one of the three holiest places of Hindus, the other two being Varanasi and Gayà. Puranas have eulogised these three places in hundreds of verses (many of which are common). We find Prayaga glorified in the Mbh Vana. 85.69-97, Anušhāsana 25.36-38; Mt. P. Chs. 103-112, Pd. P.I. Chs. 40-49, SK.P. IV. 7.45-65. KP. shares many of these verses can be seen later. 

2. O Sūta! Knower of all such topics as you are, be pleased to relate to us the great and well-known sacred places that are there (at Prayāga). 

Sūta said: 

3. O sages, listen all of you. I shall narrate in details. the greatness of Prayaga where the deity god Brahma abides. 

4. To you all I shall relate it, as it had been narrated to the noble-souled Yudhisthira, son of Kunti, by Märkandeya. 

5. After killing the Kauravas, king Yudhisthira, along with his brothers, was overwhelmed with deep sorrow and became deluded. 

6. Not long after that, Sage Mārkandeya of great penance, came to Hastinapura and stood at the entrance-gate of the palace. 

7. On seeing him, the gatekeeper reported immediately to the king: "Desirous of seeing you, Sage Märkandeya is waiting at the gate." 

8. Yudhisthira, the son of Dharma, rushed hurriedly to the gate and greeted him. "O great sage, welcome to you who have come to our door. 

9. Fruitful has been my life today; my family has been emancipated from Samsāra; O Sage, when you are pleased with me, my ancestors will ever feel contented." 

10. Thus, the noble-souled Yudhisthira worshipped that sage by seating him on the throne, offering him water for washing his feet and by duly honouring him. 

11. On being asked, Mārkandeya enquired of Yudhisthira “Why do you get bewildered? It is after knowing everything that I have come." 

12. Then king Yudhisthira bowed down his head and said: "Tell succinctly those things whereby I shall get rid of my sin. 

13. O excellent sage, in the battle where we clashed with the Kauravas, many innocent persons have been killed by us. 

14. It behoves you to recount that remedy whereby we shall be relieved of sin brought about by violence as well as accumulated in the course of several previous births." 

Mārkandeya said: 

15. O highly blessed king, listen. O scion of the family of Bharata, what you ask me shall be explained. Visiting Prayāga is excellent as it is destructive of the sins of men." 

16. O ruler of men, lord Mahadeva, Rudra, stayed there. Lord Brahma, the self-born deity, abides there alongwith other Devas. 

Yudhisthira submitted: 

17. "O holy lord, I wish to hear about the fruit of pilgrimage to Prayāga. What is the goal attained by the persons who die there? What is the merit that accrues to those who take their ablutions there? 

18. Mention the benefit derived by those who reside in Prayaga. Indeed, this is known to you. Please relate it to me. Obeisance be to you."

Märkandeya said: 

19. "O dear one, I shall recount to you the fruit of ablutions in Prayaga. It was heard by me as it was being recounted by great sages formerly.

20. This is the holy place sacred to Prajāpati. It is well known in the three worlds. By taking their bath here, people attain heaven. Those who die here are not reborn.1 

1. Cf. Mt. P. 104.5, 111.14, NP. II. 63.127-28. 

21. Brahmā and other Devas gathering together at that place afford protection. There are many other holy places there, that dispel sins. 

22. I cannot recount it in even hundreds of years. I shall succinctly narrate to you the glory of Prayaga. 

23. Prayāga extends over an area of sixty thousand Dhanus-that includes Gangå. The sun-god with seven horses to his chariots always protects Yamuna.2 

2. For the abidance of deities protecting different parts of Prayaga Cf. Mt. P. 111.4-10 Pd. P. I. 41 6-10. 

24. Indra himself abides in Prayāga. Hari protects this zone which is revered by all Devas. 

25. Maheśhvara, armed with the trident, protects the Nyagrodha (holy fig tree) for ever. Devas protect the holy place that is auspicious and dispels all sins. 

26-28. Persons enveloped by their own Karman never attain to that place. O king, whatever slightest sin a person has incurred is totally destroyed by the remembrance of Prayāga-nay even by the sight of that sacred place or by the utterance of its name, or by the application of clay (from that tirtha).3 O leader of kings, there are five sacred tanks, in the middle of which Ganga flows. 

3. Cf. Mt. P. 104.12 and with slight variations AP. 111.6-7 and Mbh. Vana 85.80. 

29-30. The sins of the person who enters Prayaga perish at the very same instant. He who remembers Gangā even from thousands of Yojanas attains the greatest goal even if he be a man of evil deeds. One who glorifies it, is released from sins. Thanks to its vision he meets with good fortune or prosperity. 

31. By touching or being sprinkled with its water, a person is honoured in the region of gods, even if such a man be sickly, indigent or infuriated. 

32. It is the redeemer of Pitrus and destructive of sins. The ocean of worldly existence is crossed by those who take up residence at Prayaga. 

33. Leading sages say that one derives desired pleasures if one casts off one's life with special efforts after reaching the confluence of Gangā and Yamunā. 

34-35. He enjoys himself with aerial cars, lustrous like radiant gold, stationed on the sphere of the sun (v.l. luminous like the sun), splendidly brilliant with all sorts of precious stones, flying a variety of colourful banners, possessing auspicious characteristics and thronged with excellent damsels. He is wakened up from sleep by the sound of vocal music and musical instruments. 

36-37. Even before he remembers his birth, he is honoured in heaven. When all his meritorious Karmas are exhausted and the excellent person is dropped down from heaven, he is born in a flourishing family richly abounding in gold and precious stones. He remembers that very Tirtha (viz. Prayāga) and goes there thanks to that remembrance. 

38-41. Prominent sages proclaim1 that whether it may be in his native land, a forest, a foreign country or his own house, one who abandons life remembering Prayaga attains Brahmaloka. He goes to Brahmaloka where there are sages, ascetics and siddhas and where the Earth is golden and contains trees yielding all desires. He rejoices on the beautiful and auspicious banks of the river Mandakini full of thousands of women. As a result of the acts performed by him here (on the earth), he rejoices in the company of sages and is worshipped by Siddhas, Charañas, Gandharvas, gods and demons. 

1. Cf. Mt. P. 105.8-11. 

42-43. Falling off the heaven, he may become the ruler of Jambūdvīpa. Then, remembering his auspicious deeds frequently, he becomes meritorious and well behaved-so we have heard. Physically, mentally and verbally, he is well-founded in truth and piety. 

44-45. If anyone casts off a mouthful of food in the middle of Gangā and Yamunā (he derives the benefit thereof). If a man receives, as charitable gift, a piece of gold or a pearl any other thing in his own rite or during the obsequial rites of Pitrus, his visit to the Tirtha is fruitless as long as the benefit is enjoyed by the receiver of those gifts. 

46. Hence, one should not receive gifts in Tirthas or holy shrines. A Brāhmaṇa should be alert in the case of all conditions. 

47-48. If a man makes a gift of tawny or red cow or a black milch cow with its horns adorned with gold and its hoofs adorned with silver and ears covered with garments, he is honoured in Rudra-loka for as many thousand years as there are hairs on (the cow's) body. O excellent man.