Padma Purana · Chapter 3.48

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca-
kathā sarvātviyaṃ proktāprayāgasya mahāmune /
evaṃ me sarvamākhyāhi yathā ca mama tārayet

mārkaṃḍeya uvāca-
śṛṇu rājanpravakṣyāmi proktaṃ sarvamidaṃ jagat /
brahmāviṣṇustatheśāno devatā prabhuravyayaḥ

brahmā sṛjati bhūtāni sthāvaraṃ jaṃgamaṃ ca yat /
tānyetāni paro loke viṣṇuḥ pālayati prajāḥ

kalpāṃte tatsamagraṃ hi rudraḥ saṃharate jagat /
na dadāti ca nādhyeti na kadācidvinaśyati

īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati /
uttareṇa pratiṣṭhānādidānīṃ brahma tiṣṭhati

maheśvaro vaṭe bhūtvā tiṣṭhate parameśvaraḥ /
tato devāḥ sagaṃdharvāḥ siddhāśca paramarṣayaḥ

rakṣaṃti paramaṃ nityaṃ pāpakarmaparāyaṇān /
ye tu cānye ca tiṣṭhaṃti na yāṃti paramāṃ gatim

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca-
apyāha me yathātattvaṃ yathaiṣāṃ tiṣṭhate śrutam /
kena vā kāraṇenaiva tiṣṭhaṃti lokasaṃmatāḥ

mārkaṃḍeya uvāca-
prayāge nivasaṃtyete brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ /
kāraṇaṃ tu pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu tattvaṃ yudhiṣṭhira

paṃcayojanavistīrṇaṃ prayāgasya tu maṃḍalam /
tiṣṭhaṃti rakṣaṇārthāya pāpakarmanivāraṇāḥ

tasmiṃstu svalpakaṃ pāpaṃ narake pātayiṣyati /
evaṃ brahmā ca viṣṇuśca prayāge samaheśvaraḥ

saptadvīpāḥ samudrāśca parvatāśca mahītale /
tiṣṭhaṃti dhriyamāṇāśca yāvadābhūtasaṃplavam

ye cānye bahavaḥ sarve tiṣṭhaṃti ca yudhiṣṭhira /
pṛthivīsthānamārabhya nirmitaṃ daivataistribhiḥ

prajāpateridaṃ kṣetraṃ prayāgamiti viśrutam /
etatpuṇyaṃ pavitraṃ ca prayāgaṃ tu yudhiṣṭhira

svarājyaṃ kuru rājeṃdra bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito bhava

iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe prayāgamāhātmye aṣṭacatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ