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Matsyapurana 109

English (machine translation) 109

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English

109.1

Mārkaṇḍeya said: / I have heard what was proclaimed by Brahmā in the Purāṇa originating from Brahmā: / of the thousands, hundreds, and millions of sacred fords, / all are meritorious, purifying, and considered a supreme refuge.

109.2

Somatīrtha is exceedingly meritorious, destroying the greatest crimes; / merely by bathing, O king of kings, one rescues a hundred generations; / therefore, with every effort, one should perform a bath there.

109.3

Yudhiṣṭhira said: / On earth Naimiṣa is meritorious, and in the atmosphere Puṣkara; / but Kurukṣetra is distinguished even above the three worlds.

109.4

Abandoning all of them, how do you praise only one? / What was spoken of there seems unauthoritative, unbelievable, [though] unsurpassed.

109.5

Attaining a supreme, celestial state and pleasures as desired— / why do you praise so much dharma from such little effort? / Tell me [the resolution to] this doubt, as it was seen and as it was heard!

109.6

Mārkaṇḍeya said: / What is unbelievable should not be spoken, even if it is visible to perception, / to a man who lacks faith, whose mind is struck down by sin.

109.7

For the man devoid of faith is impure, wicked, and has abandoned auspiciousness; / all these are sinners, and because of this you have spoken thus.

109.8

Hear the majesty of Prayāga as it was seen and as it was heard, / both directly perceptible and transcendent, just as it will be established.

109.9

Just as other unseen matters [are known], and as it was seen and heard, / one applies oneself to the yoga of the self taking scripture as authoritative;

109.10

and another toils there yet never attains yoga; / yoga can be attained by men [only] after thousands of other births.

109.11

Just as yoga might be attained by men through a thousand yogic practices, / or by one who bestows all jewels upon Brahmins—

109.12

a man does not attain yoga through the giving of that gift; / but for one who dies at Prayāga, all this comes to pass, not otherwise.

109.13

I shall declare the chief cause, so have faith, O Bhārata, / just as Brahman is seen everywhere in all beings;

109.14

or whatever exists in a Brahmin that is called non-Brahman— / even so, Brahman is worshipped everywhere in all beings.

109.15

So a wise man should revere Prayāga in all worlds; / truly, O Yudhiṣṭhira, the king of sacred fords is worshipped.

109.16

Even Brahmā constantly remembers Prayāga, the supreme sacred ford; / having reached the king of sacred fords, nothing else is worthy of comparison.

109.17

For who, having attained divinity, wishes for human status? / By this very comparison you will understand, Yudhiṣṭhira, / just as that which is most sacred has been related by me.

109.18

Yudhiṣṭhira said: / This which has been spoken by you has been heard; I am amazed again and again. / How is its attainment achieved through yoga, whereas residence in heaven is gained through ritual action?

109.19

The giver indeed obtains pleasures and the earth as the fruit of ritual action. / I ask about those actions by which the earth is obtained again.

109.20

Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Hear, O mighty-armed king, about performance as prescribed on the earth: / the cow, fire, a brāhmaṇa, sacred scripture, gold, water, women,

109.21

and mother and father—those vile men who revile them, / for them there is no ascent to higher realms; so said the lord of progeny.

109.22

Thus the place attained by yoga is supremely difficult to reach; / those men who commit sins go to a dreadful hell.

109.23

He who secretly steals an elephant, a horse, a cow, an ox, / gems, pearls and other riches, or gold, and afterwards makes a gift of it—

109.24

those givers do not go to heaven where enjoyers reside; / bound by such an action, they are cooked again in hell.

109.25

Thus regarding yoga, righteousness, and the giver, O Yudhiṣṭhira, / what is true or untrue, existent or non-existent, and whatever fruit there is— / I will declare its clear explanation, as the Sun himself said.

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