History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.71

v5.c74.t2.71

There are several sub-tīrthas that fall under Prayāga. The most important of them is the famous Vaṭa (banyan tree) called Akṣaya-Vaṭa (the imperishable Vaṭa). The Agni (111. 13) states 'if a man dies at the foot of the Vaṭa and in the Saṅgama he goes to the city of Viṣṇu'. Special reference is made to abandoning one's life at the foot of the Vaṭa. The Kūrma¹³⁹⁶ says 'He, who abandons life at the foot of the Vaṭa, passes beyond heavenly worlds and goes to the world of Rudra'. The following are the sub-tīrthas of Prayāga and only references are given to the works in which they are described: (1) the two Nāgas called Kambala and Aśvatara which according to some are on the spacious (vipula) bank of the Jumnā and according to others on the southern bank of the Jumnā (Vanaparva 85 77, Matsya 106. 27, Padma, Ādi 39 69, Agni 111. 5, Kūrma I. 37. 19), (2) Pratiṣṭhāna on the eastern side of the Ganges, being the same as the Sāmudra-kūpa (Vanaparva 85. 77, Matsya 106. 30, Kūrma I. 37. 22, Padma, Ādi. 43, 30; Vanaparva 85. 114 appears to suggest that Pratiṣṭhāna is another name of Prayāga; (3) Sandhyāvaṭa (Matsya 106. 43, Kūrma I. 37. 28, Agni 111. 13); (4) Haṁsaprapatana to the north of Pratiṣṭhāna and to the east of the Ganges (Matsya 106. 32, Kūrma I. 37, 24, Agni 111. 10, Padma, Ādi 39. 80 and 43. 32, (5) Koṭitīrtha (Matsya 106. 44, Kūrma I. 37. 29, Agni 111. 14, Padma, Ādi 43. 44; (6) Bhogavatī, the Vedi of Prajāpati to the north of Vāsuki (Vanaparva 85. 77, Matsya 106.46, Agni 111. 5, Padma, Ādi 39. 79 and 43. 46; (7) Daśāśvamedhaka (Matsya 106. 46, Padma, Ādi 39. 80); (8) Urvaśīpulina, suicide at which led to ¹³⁹⁷ various rewards quoted below (Matsya 106. 34-42,¹³⁹⁸ Padma, Ādi 43. 34-43, Agni 111. 13, Kūrma I. 37. 26-27); (9) Ṛṇapramocana, on the northern bank of Yamunā and to the south of Prayāga (Kūrma I. 38. 14, Padma, Ādi 44. 20); (10) Mānasa on the north bank of the Ganges (Matsya 107. 9, Padma, Ādi 44. 2, Agni 111 14); (11) Agnitīrtha on the southern bank of the Jumnā (Matsya 108 27, Kūrma I. 39.4, Padma, Ādi 45. 27); (12) Viraja on the north bank of Yamunā (Padma, Ādi 45. 29); (13) Anaraka ¹³⁹⁹ to the west of Dharmarāja (Kūrma I. 39. 5).