Svarga-khaṇḍa · Chapter 42
Sourceमार्कंडेय उवाच- शृणु राजन्प्रयागस्य माहात्म्यं पुनरेव तु । यं गत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः १। आर्तानां च दरिद्राणां निश्चितव्यवसायिनाम् । स्थानं मुक्त्वा प्रयागं तु नाक्षयं तु कदाचन २। गंगायमुनमासाद्य यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत् । दीप्तकांचनवर्णाभे विमाने सूर्यवर्चसि ३। गंधर्वाप्सरसां मध्ये स्वर्गे मोदति मानवः । ईप्सिताँल्लभतेकामान्वदंति ऋषिपुंगवाः ४। सर्वरत्नमयैर्दिव्यैर्नानाध्वजसमाकुलैः । वरांगना समाकीर्णैर्मोदते शुभलक्षणैः ५। गीतवादित्रनिर्घोषैः प्रसुप्तः प्रतिबुध्यते । यावन्न स्मरते जन्म तावत्स्वर्गे महीयते ६। तत्र स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टः क्षीणकर्म्मा दिवश्च्युतः । हिरण्यरत्नसंपूर्णे समृद्धे जायते कुले ७। तदेव स्मरते तीर्थं स्मरणात्तत्र गच्छति । देशस्थो यदि वारण्ये विदेशे यदि वा गृहे ८। प्रयागं स्मरमात्रोपि यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत् । स ब्रह्मलोकमाप्नोति वदंति ऋषिपुंगवाः ९। सर्वकामफलावृत्ता मही यत्र हिरण्मयी । ऋषयो मुनयः सिद्धा यत्र लोके प्रगच्छति १०। स्त्रीसहस्रा कुले रम्ये मंदाकिन्यास्तटे शुभे । मोदते ऋषिभिः सार्द्धं स्वकृतेनेह कर्मणा ११। सिद्धचारणगन्धर्वैः पूज्यते दिवि दैवतैः । ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टो जंबुद्वीपपतिर्भवेत् १२। ततः शुभानि कर्माणि चिंतयानः पुनः पुनः । गुणवान्वित्तसंपन्नो भवतीह न संशयः १३। कर्मणा मनसा वाचा सत्यधर्मप्रतिष्ठितः । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये यस्तु दानं प्रयच्छति १४। सुवर्णंमणिमुक्तां वा यदि धान्यं प्रतिग्रहम् । स्वकार्ये पितृकार्ये वा देवताभ्यर्चनेऽपि वा १५। निष्फलं तस्य तत्तीर्थं यावत्तत्फलमश्नुते । एवं तीर्थेन गृह्णीयात् पुण्येष्वायतनेषु च १६। निमित्तेषु च सर्वेषु अप्रमत्तो द्विजो भवेत् । कपिलां पाटलावर्णां प्रयागे यः प्रयच्छति १७। स्वर्णशृंगीं रौप्यखुरां चैलकंठीं पयस्विनीम् । प्रयागे श्रोत्रियं साधुं ग्राहयित्वा यथाविधि १८। शुक्लांबरधरं शांतं धर्मज्ञं वेदपारगम् । सा गौस्तस्मै च दातव्या गंगायमुनसंगमे १९। वासांसि च महार्हाणि रत्नानि विविधानि च । यावद्रोमाणि तस्या गोः संति गात्रेषु सत्तम २०। तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते । यत्रासौ लभते जन्म सा गौस्तत्राभिजायते २१। न च पश्यत्यसौ घोरं नरकं तेन कर्मणा । उत्तरान्स कुरून्प्राप्य मोदते कालमक्षयम् २२। गवां शतसहस्रेभ्यो दद्यादेकां पयस्विनीम् । पुत्रान्दारान्तथा भृत्यान्गौरेका प्रतितारयेत् २३। तस्मात्सर्वेषु दानेषु गोदानं तु विशिष्यते । दुर्गमे विषमे घोरे महापातकसंभवे । गौरेव रक्षां कुरुते तस्माद्देया द्विजातये २४। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे द्विचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ४२।
mārkaṃḍeya uvāca- śṛṇu rājanprayāgasya māhātmyaṃ punareva tu | yaṃ gatvā sarvapāpebhyo mucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ 1| ārtānāṃ ca daridrāṇāṃ niścitavyavasāyinām | sthānaṃ muktvā prayāgaṃ tu nākṣayaṃ tu kadācana 2| gaṃgāyamunamāsādya yastu prāṇānparityajet | dīptakāṃcanavarṇābhe vimāne sūryavarcasi 3| gaṃdharvāpsarasāṃ madhye svarge modati mānavaḥ | īpsitā~llabhatekāmānvadaṃti ṛṣipuṃgavāḥ 4| sarvaratnamayairdivyairnānādhvajasamākulaiḥ | varāṃganā samākīrṇairmodate śubhalakṣaṇaiḥ 5| gītavāditranirghoṣaiḥ prasuptaḥ pratibudhyate | yāvanna smarate janma tāvatsvarge mahīyate 6| tatra svargātparibhraṣṭaḥ kṣīṇakarmmā divaścyutaḥ | hiraṇyaratnasaṃpūrṇe samṛddhe jāyate kule 7| tadeva smarate tīrthaṃ smaraṇāttatra gacchati | deśastho yadi vāraṇye videśe yadi vā gṛhe 8| prayāgaṃ smaramātropi yastu prāṇānparityajet | sa brahmalokamāpnoti vadaṃti ṛṣipuṃgavāḥ 9| sarvakāmaphalāvṛttā mahī yatra hiraṇmayī | ṛṣayo munayaḥ siddhā yatra loke pragacchati 10| strīsahasrā kule ramye maṃdākinyāstaṭe śubhe | modate ṛṣibhiḥ sārddhaṃ svakṛteneha karmaṇā 11| siddhacāraṇagandharvaiḥ pūjyate divi daivataiḥ | tataḥ svargātparibhraṣṭo jaṃbudvīpapatirbhavet 12| tataḥ śubhāni karmāṇi ciṃtayānaḥ punaḥ punaḥ | guṇavānvittasaṃpanno bhavatīha na saṃśayaḥ 13| karmaṇā manasā vācā satyadharmapratiṣṭhitaḥ | gaṃgāyamunayormadhye yastu dānaṃ prayacchati 14| suvarṇaṃmaṇimuktāṃ vā yadi dhānyaṃ pratigraham | svakārye pitṛkārye vā devatābhyarcane'pi vā 15| niṣphalaṃ tasya tattīrthaṃ yāvattatphalamaśnute | evaṃ tīrthena gṛhṇīyāt puṇyeṣvāyataneṣu ca 16| nimitteṣu ca sarveṣu apramatto dvijo bhavet | kapilāṃ pāṭalāvarṇāṃ prayāge yaḥ prayacchati 17| svarṇaśṛṃgīṃ raupyakhurāṃ cailakaṃṭhīṃ payasvinīm | prayāge śrotriyaṃ sādhuṃ grāhayitvā yathāvidhi 18| śuklāṃbaradharaṃ śāṃtaṃ dharmajñaṃ vedapāragam | sā gaustasmai ca dātavyā gaṃgāyamunasaṃgame 19| vāsāṃsi ca mahārhāṇi ratnāni vividhāni ca | yāvadromāṇi tasyā goḥ saṃti gātreṣu sattama 20| tāvadvarṣasahasrāṇi svargaloke mahīyate | yatrāsau labhate janma sā gaustatrābhijāyate 21| na ca paśyatyasau ghoraṃ narakaṃ tena karmaṇā | uttarānsa kurūnprāpya modate kālamakṣayam 22| gavāṃ śatasahasrebhyo dadyādekāṃ payasvinīm | putrāndārāntathā bhṛtyāngaurekā pratitārayet 23| tasmātsarveṣu dāneṣu godānaṃ tu viśiṣyate | durgame viṣame ghore mahāpātakasaṃbhave | gaureva rakṣāṃ kurute tasmāddeyā dvijātaye 24| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe dvicatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 42|
English translation
Mārkaṇdeya said :
1-24. O king, hear again the greatness of Prayāga , going where, a man is freed from all sins. There is no doubt about it. Except Prayāga, there is absolutely no eternal place for the afflicted and the poor who are of a firm resolve. A man who having reached the confluence of Gaṅgā and Yamunā , would cast his life, goes in an aeroplane having the colour of heated gold and resembling the sun, (and) rejoices in heaven in the company of gandharvas and celestial nymphs. The best sages say that (such) a man obtains desired objects. He rejoices with all auspicious things, divine and full of gems, is accompanied by various flags and surrounded by excellent damsels. He when asleep is awakened by the sound of songs and musical instruments. As long as he does not call to mind (his earthly) existence (or life), he is honoured in heaven. Then deprived of heaven, having fallen from there due to the (fruit of) his deeds being exhausted, he is born in a rich family full of (i.e. accomplished with) gold and gems. He recollects that holy place, and merely by remembering it he goes there. The best sages say that a man, being in a region or in a forest or in a foreign country, or in his own house, who would cast his life (there) by just remembering Prayāga, obtains (i.e. goes to) Brahmā ’s world, where the golden land is full of all desired objects, and to which world the seers and sages go. Due to the deeds done by him in this world a man rejoices along with the sages on the charming, auspicious bank of Mandākinī crowded with thousands of women. In heaven he is honoured by siddhas , cāraṇas , gandharvas and deities. Then fallen from heaven, he would be a lord in Jambudvīpa . Then repeatedly thinking about auspicious deeds, he undoubtedly becomes virtuous and endowed with wealth in this world. He who is well-settled in truthfulness by deeds, speech and mind, and gives gifts in between (the region of) Gaṅgā and Yamunā (gets liberation). He, who accepts gold, jewels, pearls or grains at his own rite or in honour of the manes, or in the worship of deities, has his visit to the holy places rendered fruitless as long as he gets the fruit of that (i.e. accepting gifts). Thus a man should not accept (gifts) at a holy place and a sanctuary. A twice-born should be careful about all omens. He who gives a tawny, red-coloured, golden-horned, silver-hoofed milch-cow with a piece of cloth round her neck (to a brāhmaṇa ) at Prayāga (gets liberation). Having properly secured at Prayāga a learned, good, tranquil, pious brāhmaṇa, master of the Vedas , and wearing white garments, that cow should be given to him at the confluence of Gaṅgā and Yamunā. Costly garments, various jewels (should also be given). The man (who gives such a gift) is honoured in heaven for as many thousand years as there is hair on the limbs of the cow, O best one. The cow is born there where he is born. Due to that act he does not see (i.e. go to) horrible hell. Having reached Uttara Kuru , he rejoices for an inexhaustible period. (Instead of giving) hundreds and thousands of bulls he should give one milch-cow. One cow would liberate sons, wife and servants. Therefore, of all gifts, the gift of a cow is the best. In a terrible, insurmountable difficulty due to a horrible sin, a cow alone protects (a man). Therefore (a cow) should be given to a brāhmaṇa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43204, revision 335708 (2022-04-13T10:08:10Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365261.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.