Kurma Purana · Chapter 1.34

iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pūrvavibhāge trayastriśo 'dhyāyaḥ
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ
māhātmyamavimuktasya yathāvat tadudīritam /
idānīṃ tu prayāgasya māhātmyaṃ brūhi suvrata

yāni tīrthāni tatraiva viśrutāni mahānti vai /
idānīṃ kathayāsmākaṃ sūta sarvārthavid bhavān

sūta uvāca
śṛṇudhvamṛṣayaḥ sarve vistareṇa bravīmi vaḥ /
prayāgasya ca māhātmyaṃ yatra devaḥ pitāmahaḥ

mārkaṇḍeyena kathitaṃ kaunteyāya mahātmane /
yathā yudhiṣṭhirāyaitat tadvakṣye bhavatāmaham

nihatya kauravāna sarvān bhrātṛbhiḥ saha pārthivaḥ /
śokena mahātāviṣṭā mumoha sa yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

acireṇātha kālena mārkaṇḍeyo mahātapāḥ /
saṃprāpto hāstinapuraṃ rājadvāre sa tiṣṭhati

dvārapālo 'pi taṃ dṛṣṭvā rājñaḥ kathitavān drutam /
mārkaṇḍeyo draṣṭumicchaṃstvāmāste dvāryasau muniḥ

tvarito dharmaputrastu dvārametyāha tatparam /
svāgataṃ te mahāprājña svāgataṃ te mahāmune

adya me saphalaṃ janma adya me tāritaṃ kulam /
adya me pitarastuṣṭāstvayi tuṣṭe mahāmune

siṃhāsanamupasthāpya pādaśaucārcanādibhiḥ /
yudhiṣṭhiro mahātmeti pūjayāmāsa taṃ munim

mārkaṇḍeyastatastuṣṭaḥ provāca sa yudhiṣṭhiram /
kimarthaṃ muhyase vidvan sarvaṃ jñātvāhamāgataḥ

tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā praṇamyāha mahāmunim /
kathaya tvaṃ samāsena yena mucyeta kilbiṣaiḥ

nihatā vahavo yuddhe puṃso niraparādhinaḥ /
asmābhiḥ kauravaiḥ sārdhaṃ prasaṅgānmunipuṅgava

yena hiṃsāsamudbhūtājjanmāntarakṛtādapi /
mucyate pātakādasmāt tad bhavān vaktumarhati

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
śṛṇu rājan mahābhāga yanmāṃ pṛcchasi bhārat /
prayāgagamanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ narāṇāṃ pāpanāśanam

tatra devo mahādevo rudro viśvāmareśvaraḥ /
samāste bhagavān brahmā svayaṃbhūrapi daivadaiḥ

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
bhagavañcchrotumicchāmi prayāgagamane phalam /
mṛtānāṃ kā gatistatra snātānāmapi kiṃ phalam

ye vasanti prayāge tu brūhi teṣāṃ tu kiṃ phalam /
bhavatā viditaṃ hyetat tanme brūhi namo 'stu te

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca
kathayiṣyāmi te vatsa yā ceṣṭā yacca tatphalam /
purā maharṣibhiḥ samyak kathyamānaṃ mayā śrutam

etat prajāpatikṣetraṃ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam /
atra snātvā divaṃ yānti ye mṛtāste 'punarbhavāḥ

tatra brahmādayo devā rakṣāṃ kurvanti saṃgatāḥ /
bahūnyanyāni tīrthāni sarvapāpāpahāni tu

kathituṃ neha śaknomi bahuvarṣaśatairapi /
saṃkṣepeṇa pravakṣyāmi prayāgasyeha kīrtanam

ṣaṣṭirdhanuḥ sahastrāṇi yāni rakṣanti jāhnavīm /
yamunāṃ rakṣati sadā savitā saptavāhanaḥ

prayāge tu viśeṣeṇa svayaṃ vasati vāsavaḥ /
maṇḍalaṃ rakṣati hariḥ sarvadevaiśca sammitam

nyagrodhaṃ rakṣate nityaṃ śūlapāṇirmaheśvaraḥ /
sthānaṃ rakṣanti vai devāḥ sarvapāpaharaṃ śubham

svakarmaṇāvṛto loko naiva gacchati tatpadam /
svalpaṃ svalpataraṃ pāpaṃ yadā tasya narādhipa /
prayāgaṃ smaramāṇasya sarvamāyāti saṃkṣayam

darśanāt tasya tīrthasya nāma saṃkīrtanādapi /
muttikālambhanād vāpi naraḥ pāpāt pramucyate

pañca kuṇḍāni rājendra yeṣāṃ madhye tu jāhnavī /
prayāgaṃ viśataḥ puṃsaḥ pāpaṃ naśyati tatkṣaṇāt

yojanānāṃ sahastreṣu gaṅgāṃ yaḥ smarate naraḥ /
api duṣkṛtakarmāsau labhate paramāṃ gatim

kīrtanānmucyate pāpād dṛṣṭvā bhadrāṇi paśyati /
tathopaspṛśya rājendra svargaloke mahīyate

vyādhito yadi vā dīnaḥ krūddho vāpi bhavennaraḥ /
gaṅgāyamunamāsādya tyajet prāṇān prayatnataḥ

dīptakāñcanavarṇābhairvimānairbhānuvarṇibhiḥ /
īpsitāṃllabhate kāmān vadanti munipuṅgavāḥ

sarvaratnamayairdivyairnānādhvajasamākulaiḥ /
varāṅganāsamākīrṇairmodate śubhalakṣaṇaḥ

gītavāditranirghoṣaiḥ prasuptaḥ pratibudhyate /
yāvanna smarate janma tāpat svarge mahīyate

tasmāt svargāt paribhraṣṭaḥ kṣīṇakarmā narottama /
hiraṇyaratnasaṃpūrṇe samṛddhe jāyate kule

tadeva smarate tīrthaṃ smaraṇāt tatra gacchati /
deśastho yadi vāraṇye videśe yadi vā gṛhe

prayāgaṃ smaramāṇastu yastu prāṇān parityajet /
brahmalokamavāpnoti vadanti munipuṅgavāḥ

sarvakāmaphalā vṛkṣā mahī yatra hiraṇmayī /
ṛṣayo munayaḥ siddhāstatra loke sa gacchati

strīsahastrākule ramye mandākinyāstaṭe śubhe /
modate munibhiḥ sārdhaṃ svakṛteneha karmaṇā

siddhacāraṇagandharvaiḥ pūjyate divi daivataiḥ /
tataḥ svargāt paribhraṣṭo jambudvīpapatirbhavet

tataḥ śubhāni karmāṇi cintayānaḥ punaḥ punaḥ /
guṇavān vittasaṃpanno bhavatīha na saṃśayaḥ /
karmaṇā manasā vācā satyadharmapratiṣṭhitaḥ

gaṅgāyamunayormadhye yastu grāmaṃ pratīcchati /
suvarṇamatha muktāṃ vā tathaivānyān pratigrahān

svakārye pitṛkārye vā devatābhyarcane 'pi vā /
niṣphalaṃ tasya tat tīrthaṃ yāvat tatphalamaśnute

atastīrthe na gṛhṇīyāt puṇyeṣvāyataneṣu ca /
nimitteṣu ca sarveṣu apramatto dvijo bhavet

kapilāṃ pāṭalāvarṇāṃ yastu dhenuṃ prayacchati /
svarṇaśṛṅgīṃ raupyakhurāṃ cailakaṇṭhāṃ payasvinīm

yāvad romāṇi tasyā vai santi gātreṣu sattama /
tāvad varṣasahastrāṇi rudraloke mahīyate