Shloka 69
तम्मिंस्तीर्थे तु जाह्वव्यां स्नात्वा पापै: प्रमुच्यते । तदनन्तर तीर्थयात्री परम बुद्धिमान् महादेवजीके मुंजवट नामक तीर्थको जाय। भरतनन्दन उस तीर्थमें महादेवजीके पास जाकर उन्हें प्रणाम करके परिक्रमा करनेसे मनुष्य गणपतिपद प्राप्त कर लेता है। उक्त तीर्थमें जाकर गंगामें स्नान करनेसे मनुष्य सब पापोंसे छुटकारा पा जाता है || ६७-६८ $ || ततो गच्छेत राजेन्द्र प्रयागमृषिसंस्तुतम्,राजेन्द्र! तत्पश्चात् महर्षियोंद्वारा प्रशंसित प्रयागतीर्थमें जाय। जहाँ ब्रह्मा आदि देवता, दिशा, दिक्पाल, लोकपाल, साध्य, लोकसम्मानित पितर, सनत्कुमार आदि महर्षि, अंगिरा आदि निर्मल ब्रह्मर्षि, नाग, सुपर्ण, सिद्ध, सूर्य, नदी, समुद्र, गन्धर्व, अप्सरा तथा ब्रह्माजीसहित भगवान् विष्णु निवास करते हैं। वहाँ तीन अग्निकुण्ड हैं जिनके बीचसे सब तीर्थोंसे सम्पन्न गंगा वेगपूर्वक बहती हैं। त्रिभुवनविख्यात सूर्यपुत्री लोकपावनी यमुनादेवी वहाँ गंगाजीके साथ मिली हैं। गंगा और यमुनाका मध्यभाग पृथ्वीका जघन माना गया है
tato gacchet rājendra prayāgam ṛṣi-saṁstutam | yatra brahmādayo devā diśaś ca dik-pālā lokapālāḥ sādhyaś ca loka-sammānitāḥ pitaraḥ sanat-kumāra-prabhṛtaya ṛṣayaḥ aṅgirādayaś ca nirmalā brahmarṣayaḥ nāgāḥ suparṇāḥ siddhāḥ sūryo nadyaḥ samudrā gandharvā apsarasaś ca brahmaṇā saha bhagavān viṣṇuś ca nivasanti | tatra trayo 'gni-kuṇḍāḥ yeṣāṁ madhyena sarva-tīrtha-samanvitā gaṅgā vegena pravahati | tatra tri-bhuvana-vikhyātā sūrya-putrī loka-pāvanī yamunā gaṅgāyāḥ saha saṅgacchate | gaṅgā-yamunayoḥ madhya-deśaḥ pṛthivyā jaghanaṁ manyate |
Pulastya said: “Then, O king, one should proceed to Prayāga, praised by the seers. There dwell Brahmā and the other gods, the quarters and their guardians, the protectors of the worlds, the Sādhyas, the Pitṛs honored by the world, and sages such as Sanatkumāra; pure Brahmarṣis such as Aṅgiras; Nāgas, Suparṇas, Siddhas, the Sun, rivers and the ocean, Gandharvas and Apsarases—and with Brahmā, the blessed Lord Viṣṇu as well. There are three fire-altars there, and between them the Gaṅgā—endowed with the merit of all sacred fords—rushes onward. There the world-purifying Yamunā, famed in the three worlds and daughter of the Sun, joins the Gaṅgā. The land between Gaṅgā and Yamunā is regarded as the ‘lower waist’ of the earth.”
पुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage elevates tīrtha-yātrā as a dharmic discipline: approaching a sacred confluence with reverence aligns one with cosmic order, and the symbolism of Gaṅgā and Yamunā meeting underscores inner purification—washing away moral defilements through devotion, restraint, and right intention.
Pulastya guides the king through a pilgrimage itinerary, directing him next to Prayāga. He describes the site as a divine residence of gods and sages, marked by three fire-altars and the swift Gaṅgā, where the Yamunā joins her—highlighting the sanctity of the confluence and its famed purificatory power.