Shloka 112
Prayaga-mahatmya
Glory of Prayaga and the Magha Bath at Triveni
प्रयागे यदि लभ्येत सहस्रार्कग्रहैः समा । अयने कोटिपुण्यं स्याल्लक्षं तु विषुवे फलम् ॥ ११२ ॥
prayāge yadi labhyeta sahasrārkagrahaiḥ samā | ayane koṭipuṇyaṃ syāllakṣaṃ tu viṣuve phalam || 112 ||
If, at Prayāga, one obtains merit equal to that gained from a thousand solar eclipses, then at the ayana (solstice) it becomes a crore-fold merit; and at the viṣuva (equinox) the fruit is a hundred-thousandfold.
Suta (narrating the Tirtha-Mahatmya in Uttara-Bhaga; teachings ultimately trace to Narada tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It ranks Prayāga and specific calendrical junctions (solstice and equinox) as exceptionally potent for dharma—teaching that timing (kāla) and sacred place (tīrtha) together magnify puṇya.
Though framed as merit (puṇya), it supports bhakti practice by directing devotees to perform tīrtha-snāna, japa, dāna, and worship on highly charged solar transitions—times traditionally used to intensify Viṣṇu-oriented vows and remembrance.
It reflects Jyotiṣa (Vedāṅga astrology/astronomy): recognizing ayana (solstice) and viṣuva (equinox) as precise solar markers that determine ritual timing and the expected spiritual “fruit” (phala).