History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.11

v5.c74.t2.11

We must distinguish between Prayāga-maṇḍala, Prayāga and Veṇī or Triveṇī, each subsequent one being smaller and holier than each preceding one. The Matsya¹³⁵⁷ states that the sphere of Prayāga is five *yojanas* in circumference and that the moment a man enters inside this strip of land, there is an Aśvamedha at every step. This has been explained by the Tristhalīsetu (p. 15) as follows Regarding Brahmayūpa (the sacrificial post of Brahmā) as the spike or peg, if one measures with a rope one and one half yojana long all round, that would be the Prayāgamaṇḍala of five yojanas in circumference. The boundaries of Prayāga itself are defined by Vanaparva,¹³⁵⁸ the Matsyapurāṇa (104 5 and 106. 30) and others. 'Prayāga extends from Pratiṣṭhāna up to the pool of Vāsuki and upto the two nāgas Kambala and Aśvatara and the nāga Bahumūlaka; this is known in the three worlds as the sacred spot of Prajāpati' (Matsya 104. 5), while Matsya 106. 30 provides that to the east of the Ganges is the Sāmudrakūpa, which is the same as Pratiṣṭhāna. This is explained by the Tristhalīsetu as follows. the eastern boundary is the kūpa called Pratiṣṭhāna ¹³⁵⁹; the northern one is the Vāsuki pool, the western limit is formed by Kambala and Aśvatara, the southern boundary is Bahumūlaka. This would be a four-cornered space which is included within Prayāga-maṇḍala. According to the Matsyapurāṇa as quoted by the Kalpataru on tīrtha p. 143 the two Nāgas are on the south bank of Yamunā while the printed text has 'vipule Yamunātaṭe' (106 27) ¹³⁶⁰ The printed text of Padma I. 43. 27 supports the Kalpataru reading ('Yamunā-dakṣiṇe taṭe) Veṇī-kṣetra is within the limits of Prayāga itself and is twenty bow lengths in extent, as stated in the Padma. There are three *kūpas* viz. Prayāga, Pratiṣṭhāna and Alarkapura. The Matsya and Agni say 'there are three fire kuṇḍas and the Ganges flows in their midst' It should be noted that except where special reference is made in the Purāṇas to the subtīrthas, the reference to a bath at Prayāga in general means bath in the Veṇī i. e the confluence of the two rivers, as e. g in Vanaparva 85 81 and 85 and Matsya 104 16-17. ¹³⁶¹