37 - Glory of Prayāga: The Procedure of Pilgrimage 

Märkandeya said: 

1. O dear one, I shall tell you the order and procedure of pilgrimage to the holy centres according to the injunctions of sages. I shall tell you according to what I have seen and heard. 

2. Listen to the result if a man, desirous of making a pilgrimage to Prayaga, rides on a bullock at any place.1 

1. VV. 2-4 the same as Mt. P. 106.4-5. 

3-4. He stays in a terrible hell for many years, nay, for ten thousand or hundred thousand kalpas. After his return from there, he will face the terrible fury of cows and bulls. If a man leaves off his sons in their childhood without food to eat, the Pitrus do not accept the water libations offered by him. 

5-6a. In accordance with one's own self, one shall make arrangements for gifts to Brāhmaṇas. If any one undertakes the pilgrimage in a vehicle in view of his riches or due to greed or delusion, his pilgrimage shall be fruitless. Hence, one should avoid vehicles.1 

1. Cf. Mt. P. 106.7. 

6b-7. He who gives his virgin daughter in marriage at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna in accordance with the Arsha procedure (i.e, pertaining to sages) and befitting his affluence, does not perceive the terrible hell as a result of that holy rite. 

8. He who resorts to the root of the holy Banyan tree and abandons his life there, goes to the northern Kurus and rejoices for endless time.2 

2. VV. 8-9 the same as Pd. P. I.43.11.

9-11. Crossing heavens, he goes to the region of Rudra where Brahma and other Devas are present. So also the guardians of the) quarters, the rulers of the worlds, all Pitrus, those who inhabit in these worlds and also the other Brāhmaṇa sages, the chief of whom is Sanatkumara, Nāgas (Serpents), Suparnas and Siddhas are seated permanently. Lord Hari too stays there honoured by Prajāpati. 

12. O tiger among kings, Prayaga is well-known in the three worlds. The middle of Ganga and Yamuna is known as the ‘loin-region' of the Earth.3 

3. Cf. Mbh. Vana 85.75, Pd. P. I. 39.60, Mt. P. 106.19. 

13. A person of praiseworthy religious vows, who performs ablutions in the confluence attains the benefit equal to that of performing the Rājasūya and the horse-sacrifice. 

14. O dear one, neither at the instance of the mother nor at the report of the common people should your mind to perform pilgrimage to Prayāga, be dissuaded. 

15. O scion of the family of Kurus, sixty thousand Tirthas and other sixty crores of sacred places are present here (at Prayāga). 

16. The goal attained by one who gives up his life at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna is the same as obtained by a learned man who has renounced the world as a Sannyasin and who is endowed with Yogic power. 

17. O Yudhisthira! People staying in different parts of the world do not live a real life in this world (if they do not visit Prayāga). Those who have not reached Prayaga (for pilgrimage) are the most deceived ones in the three worlds. 

18. Thus on seeing the holy place Prayāga, the greatest region, one is absolved of all sins like the moon from the clutches of Rahu. 

19. Kambala and Aśhvatara are the two Nāgas on the southern bank of Yamunā. By taking ablution there and drinking the waters thereof, one is relieved of all sins. 

20. If an intelligent man goes there and takes his bath there*, he will redeem ten previous generations and ten future generations by the grace of Mahadeva. 

*v.l. sthanam: If a person visits the shrine of Mahadeva after going there. 

21. By performing ablutions, a man obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice. He attains the heavenly world and stays there) till the dissolution of all living beings (at the time of Pralaya). 

22. On the eastern side of Gangă a man** becomes famous in the three worlds (if he dies there). There is a famous cavity in the earth called Sarva-Samudra and the well-known (township called) Pratişhthana (mod. Jhusi, near Allahabad, across Ganga). 

**The reading manava in the Venk. text cannot be satisfactorily translated (as can be seen from this). the v.l. Khyatiman nrupa (given in the footnote) is better. It means, "O king, on the eastern side of Ganga there is a cavity in the earth famous in the three worlds as Sarva-Samudra and also the township called) Pratişhthāna. 

23. If a person stays there for three nights observing celibacy and with his anger controlled, he being absolved of all sins and of pure soul gets the fruit of performing a horse sacrifice. 

24. To the north of Pratishthāna and to the left hand side of Gangā, there is a Tirtha Hamsaprapatana. It is wellknown in the three worlds.1 

1. Cf. Mt. P. 106.32; AP. 111.10. 

25. By its mere remembrance the fruit of a horse sacrifice accrues to one. He is honoured in heaven as long as the moon and the Sun shine. 

26. Listen to the fruit that one attains if one casts off one's life in the wide beautiful sand bank of Gangā named Urvaśhīpulina which is white like swans or which appears white due to the swarms of swans.1 

1. VV. 26-27 Cf. Mt. P. 106. 34-42; Pd. P. 1.43.34-42; NP. II. 63. 140-149. The textual similarity is worth noting. 

27. O ruler of men, he stays along with the Pitrus in the heavenly world for sixtysix thousand (lit. sixty thousand and sixty hundred) years. 

28. If a man remains celibate and pure and performs worship with concentration of the mind, in the beautiful Sandhyāváta, he shall attain Brahmaloka.2 

2. Cf. Mt. P. 106.43; AP. 111.13.

29. He who casts off his life after reaching Koţi-tīrtha, is honoured in the heavenly world for a thousand crores of years. 

30. No doubt need be entertained about the fact that the area through which the highly blessed Gangā which has many sacred places and penance groves on its bank, flows is known as a Siddhi Kshetra. 

31. Gangā is called Tripathā (having triple paths) because it redeems human beings on the Earth, serpents in the nether-worlds and Devas in the heaven. 

32. As long as the bones of a man lie in Gangā, he is honoured in the heavenly world for so many thousand years.3 

3. Cf. Mt. P. 106.52; NP. II. 43.109; 62.51.

33. Gangā is the sacred-most of the sacred places. It is the holiest of holy rivers. It is the bestower of salvation for all living beings, even to the great sinners. 

34. Gangā is easy of access everywhere but is of difficult access in three places viz. at Gangadvāra (place of source), at Prayāga and at its confluence with the ocean.4 

4. Cf. Mt. P. 106.54, Garuda I. 81.1-2. 

35. There is no goal (means of salvation) on a par with Gangā to the living beings whose minds are overwhelmed by sins and who are in seareh of way of deliverance from sins. 

36. It is the most sacred of all sacred things. It is the most auspicious of all auspicious things. It has fallen off from the matted hair of Maheśhvara. It dispels sins and is auspicious. 

37. The best Tirtha in the Kruta Yuga is Naimisha forest; in the Tretā, the Puşhkara lake is the most excellent: in the Dväpara, Kurukshetra is the most excellent and in the Kali age, Gangā is of special efficacy in washing off sins.1 

1. Cf. Mbh. Vana. 85.89; also Pd. P. I. 39.81-90.

38. People resort to Gangā alone and that too especially at Prayaga. O king, there is no other antidote for the terrible Kaliyuga*. 

*v.l. There is no other remedy to wash off sins incurred in the Kali Age. 

39. If a man dies in Ganga whether willingly or without any desire, goes straight to Heaven and does not see hell.