Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 11
प्रयागमाहात्म्यम्
The Greatness of Prayāga
प्रयागे माघमासे तु एवमाहुर्मनीषिणः गङायमुनयोर्मध्ये इति ख सरितः सागरा इत्य् आदिः, उपस्थमृषयो विदुरित्यन्तः पाठो ग पुस्तके नास्ति श्रवणादस्येति ख , ग , घ , ङ , ज च श्राद्धद्रव्यादि चाक्षयमिति घ त्र्यहं स्नातस्येति घ सर्वत्र सुलभा गङ्गा त्रिषु स्थानेषु दुर्लभा
prayāge māghamāse tu evamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ gaṅāyamunayormadhye iti kha saritaḥ sāgarā ity ādiḥ, upasthamṛṣayo vidurityantaḥ pāṭho ga pustake nāsti śravaṇādasyeti kha , ga , gha , ṅa , ja ca śrāddhadravyādi cākṣayamiti gha tryahaṃ snātasyeti gha sarvatra sulabhā gaṅgā triṣu sthāneṣu durlabhā
Les sages enseignent ceci : au mois de Māgha, à Prayāga—au confluent de la Gaṅgā et de la Yamunā—la Gaṅgā est aisément accessible partout ; pourtant, sa puissance sanctifiante dans sa plénitude est rare, de façon unique, en trois lieux.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana teachings in a tirtha-mahatmya context)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tirtha-Mahatmya","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Plan Māgha-month pilgrimage and snāna at Prayāga-saṅgama; prioritize the three specially potent Gaṅgā sites for higher tīrtha-phala.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Māgha at Prayāga—Saṅgama and the three rare Gaṅgā sites","lookup_keywords":["Prayāga","Māgha-māsa","Gaṅgā-Yamunā-saṅgama","tīrtha-phala","tri-sthāna"],"quick_summary":"In Māgha, the Prayāga confluence is singled out as exceptionally potent; though Gaṅgā is accessible widely, her fullest sanctifying efficacy is said to be uniquely ‘rare’ in three locations."}
Concept: Tīrtha-viśeṣa: sacred efficacy varies by place and time (kāla-deśa-viśeṣa).
Application: Choose pilgrimage timing (Māgha) and locus (saṅgama/rare sites) to intensify śraddhā, snāna, and dāna outcomes.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Pilgrimage and Sacred Geography)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Māgha season at Prayāga: pilgrims bathing at the Gaṅgā–Yamunā confluence, with the meeting waters clearly distinguished; sages indicating the sanctity of the spot.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, Prayāga saṅgama with stylized blue Gaṅgā and dark Yamunā meeting, ascetics in ochre, Māgha sky, sacred aura lines, traditional flat perspective, ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Prayāga saṅgama with gold-leaf halo around the confluence, pilgrims performing snāna, small shrine elements, rich reds and greens, embossed ornaments","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional depiction of saṅgama snāna in Māgha, delicate linework, soft shading, labeled river meeting, calm devotional crowd","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed riverscape of Prayāga confluence, boats and pilgrims, sages gesturing, fine architectural hints on the bank, naturalistic water textures"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Verse text contains extensive critical apparatus; analyzed the clear pāda: “sarvatra sulabhā gaṅgā triṣu sthāneṣu durlabhā”. Sandhi: आहुः = आहुर् (before m-) + मनीषिणः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 111 (Prayāga-māhātmya context); Agni Purana 112+ (transition to Vārāṇasī-māhātmya)
FAQs
It highlights Māgha-māsa practice at Prayāga—valuing the Sangama (Gaṅgā–Yamunā confluence) as a uniquely efficacious locus for purification and merit compared to ordinary access to the Gaṅgā elsewhere.
It catalogs sacred geography and time-based ritual merit (tithi/māsa-based observance), showing the text’s coverage beyond theology—into pilgrimage science (tīrtha-mahātmya), calendrical piety, and applied dharma.
It teaches that spiritual results depend not only on the act (bathing/approaching Gaṅgā) but also on the sacred nexus of place and time—Prayāga during Māgha—where purification and merit are considered exceptionally concentrated.