Prayaga

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Prayaga (प्रयाग) was the ancient name of Allahabad. Prayaga was the well-known place of pilgrimage at the junction of the Ganges and Yamuna, where Akbar, many centuries later, built his fort of Ilahabas. Allahabad was afterwards called by Shah Jehan. They fought Mahabharata War in Pandava's side

Variants

• Allahabad (इलाहाबाद)
• Prayaga (प्रयाग) (उ.प्र.) (AS, p.585)
• Ilahabas/Ilabasa (इलाबास) (AS, p.80) - इलाहाबाद का एक प्राचीन नाम (दे. प्रयाग)
• Ilahabad (इलाहाबाद) (AS, p.81)
• Jhusi झूसी (जिला इलाहाबाद) (AS,p.378)
• Pratishthana (प्रतिष्ठान) (AS,p.378)
• Pratishthanapura (प्रतिष्ठानपुर) (AS,p.378)
• Prayag (प्रयाग, Urdu: پریاگ),
• Purimatala (पुरिमताल) = Allahabad (AS, p.565)

History

Alexander Cunningham writes.... Prayaga. [p.388]: From Hayamukha the pilgrim Xuanzang proceeded 700 li, or 116 miles, to the south-east to Prayaga, the well-known place of pilgrimage at the junction of the Ganges and Jumna, where Akbar, many centuries later, built his fort of Ilahabas, or Allahabad, as it was afterwards called by Shah Jehan. The distance and bearing given by Hwen Thsang agree almost exactly with those of Prayaga from Daundiakhera. The distance is 104 miles by the nearest road to the south of the Ganges ; but as the pilgrim followed the northern road, the distance must have been increased to 115 or 120 miles. According to him the city was situated at the confluence of the two rivers, and to the west of a large sandy plain. In the midst of the city there was a Brahmanical temple, to which the presentation

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[p.389]: of a single piece of money procured as much merit as that of one thousand pieces elsewhere. Before the principal room of the temple there was a large tree with wide-spreading branches, which was said to be the abode of a man-eating demon. The tree was surrounded with human bones, the remains of pilgrims who had sacrificed their lives before the temple, a practice which had been observed from time immemorial.

I think there can be little doubt that the famous tree here described by the pilgrim is the well-known Akshay Bat, or " undecaying Banian tree," which is still an object of worship at Allahabad. This tree is now situated underground, at one side of a pillared court, which would appear to have been open formerly, and which is, I believe, the remains of the temple described by Hwen Thsang. The temple is situated inside the fort of Allahabad, to the east of the Ellenborough Barracks, and due north from the Stone Pillar of Asoka and Samudra Gupta. Here, then, must have been the site of the city in the seventh century, and this agrees with the sunken position of the tree, for originally both tree and temple must have been on the natural ground level ; but from the constant accumulation of rubbish, they have been gradually earthed up, until the whole of the lower portion of the temple has disappeared underground. The upper portion has long ago been removed, and the only access to the Akshay Bat now available is by a flight of steps which leads down to a square pillared courtyard. This court has apparently once been open to the sky ; but it is now completely closed overhead, to secure darkness and mystery for the holy fig-tree.

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[p.390]:The Ahshay-bat is next mentioned by Rashid-ud-din in the Jamiu-t-tawarikh, where he states that the "tree of Prag" is situated at the confluence of Jumna and Ganges. As most of his information was derived from Abu Rihan, the date of this notice may with great probability be referred to the time of Mahmud of Ghazni. In the seventh century a great sandy plain, 2 miles in circuit, lay between the city and the confluence of the rivers, and as the tree was in the midst of the city, it must have been at least one mile from the confluence. But nine centuries later, in the beginning of Akbar's reign, Abdul Kadir speaks of the " tree from which people cast themselves into the river." From this statement I infer that during the long period that intervened between the time of Hwen Thsang and that of Akbar, the two rivers had gradually carried away the whole of the great sandy plain, and had so far encroached upon the city, as to place the holy tree on the very brink of the water. Long before this time the old city had no doubt been deserted, for we know that the fort of Ilahabas was founded on its site in the twenty-first year of Akbar's reign, that is, in a.h. 982, or A.D. 1572. Indeed the way in which Abu Rihan speaks of the "tree" instead of the city of Prag, leads me to believe that the city itself had already been deserted before his time. As far as I am aware, it is not once mentioned in any Muhammadan history until it was refounded by Akbar.

According to the common tradition of the people,

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[p.391]: the name of Prayag was derived from a Brahman who lived during the reign of Akbar. The story is, that when the emperor was building the fort, the walls on the river face repeatedly fell down, in spite of all the precautions taken by the architect. On consulting some wise men, Akbar was informed that the foundations could only be secured by being laid in human blood. A proclamation was then made, when a Brahman named Prayaga voluntarily offered his life, on the condition that the fort should bear his name. This idle story, which is diligently related to the pilgrims who now visit the Akshay Bat, may at least serve one useful purpose in warning us not to place too much faith in these local traditions. The name of Prayaga is recorded by Hwen Thsang in the seventh century, and is in all probability as old as the reign of Asoka, who set up the stone pillar about B.C. 236, while the fort was not built until the end of the sixteenth century. Hwen Thsang makes the district of Prayaga about 5000 li, or 833 miles, in circuit; but as it was closely surrounded on all sides by other districts, I am satisfied that we should read 500 li, or 83 miles, and limit the district to the small tract in the fork of the Doab, immediately above the junction of the Ganges and Jumna.

Mention in Pujaripali Stone Inscription of Gopaladeva

Pujaripali Stone Inscription of Gopaladeva is one of a king named Gopāladeva (गोपालदेव). The object of it apparently is to record the charitable deeds of Gôpâladêva, especially the construction of the temple where it was put up. Pujaripali (पुजारीपली) is village in Sarangarh tahsil in Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh.

(Verse: 38-40) - On the earth the Kirti of the brave Gôpâla shines like the autumnal moon at the famous Kedara (केदार) (L.20), Prayaga (प्रयाग) (L.20), Pushkara (पुष्कर) (L.20), Purushottama (पुरुषोत्तम) (L.20), Bhimeshvara (भीमेश्वर) (L.20), on the Narmada (नर्मदा), at the famous Gopalapura (गोपालपुर) (L.20), (वाराणसी) (L.20), Prabhasa (प्रभास) (L.21), at the junction of the Gangâ and the sea, Varalī (वरली), the famous Vairagyamatha (वैराज्ञमठ) (L.21), the Ashtadvara (अष्टद्वार) (L.21), Shauripura (शौरिपुर) (L.21), [and) the village Peḍara (पेडरा) (L.21).

As for the geographical names mentioned in the present inscription,

• Kedara is a well-known tirtha on the Himalayas,
• Prayaga is, of course, modern Allahabad,
• Pushkara is a holy tïrtha still known by this name in Rajputana. Putushottama may be the well-known Puri in Orissa,
• Bhimeshvara is a well-known tirtha, also called Drākshārāma (द्राक्षाराम) in the Godavari District of the Madras State. The river; Narmadâ and the holy place Vārānasi are too famous to need identification.

• Prabhâsa is identified by R B Hiralal with Pabhosi near Allahabad, but in the period to which the present inscription belongs, the latter does not seem to have been so famous. Prabhasa is more likely to be the tirtha of that name in Saurashtra.
• Shauripura (the city of Krishna) may be Dvaraka in Saurashtra.

• Gôpâlapura, as per R B Hiralal's conjecture, was founded by Gopaladeva himself is plausible, but his identification of it with the village Gopalpur near Tewar cannot be upheld, for Gôpâladëva's sway could not have extended so far in the north. It must have been situated not very far from Pujaripali. I would identify it with the Gôpâlpur which has on the right bank of the Mānd river (मांड नदी), about 10 miles north-west of Pujaripali.
• Pedarāgrāma (पेडरा ग्राम) is likely to be Pendri, 8 miles north by east of Sarangarh.
• The other places cannot be identified.

Mention by Panini

Pratishthana (प्रतिष्ठान) is mentioned by Panini.

In Mahabharata

Prayaga (प्रयाग) (Tirtha) is mentioned in Mahabharata (III.83.65), (III.83.72),(III.85.14), (XIII.26.35-36),

Prayaga (प्रयाग) (VI.46.46),

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Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 83 mentions names of Pilgrims.Prayaga (प्रयाग) (Tirtha) in Mahabharata (III.83.65), (III.83.72)...Then, O king, should one proceed to Prayaga (प्रयाग) (III.83.65), whose praises have been sung by Rishis and where dwell the gods with Brahma at their head, the Directions with their presiding deities, the Lokapalas, the Siddhas, the Pitris adored by the worlds, the great Rishis-Sanatkumara and others, stainless Brahmarshis--Angiras and others,--the Nagas, the Suparnas, the Siddhas, the Snakes, the Rivers, the Seas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, and the Lord Hari with Prajapati. There in that tirtha are three fiery caverns between which the Ganga, that foremost of tirthas, rolleth rapidly. There in that region also the world-purifying daughter of the sun, Yamuna, celebrated over the three worlds, uniteth with the Ganga. The country between the Ganga and the Yamuna is regarded as the mons veneris of the world, and Prayaga as the foremost point of that region. The tirthas

Prayaga (प्रयाग) (III.83.72), Pratisthana (प्रतिष्ठान) (III.83.72), Kambala (कम्बल) (III.83.72), Ashwatara (अश्वतर) (III.83.72) and Bhogavati (भॊगवती) (III.83.72) are the sacrificial platforms of the Creator. There in those places, O foremost of warriors, the Vedas and the Sacrifices, in embodied forms, and the Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, adore Brahma, and there the gods and rulers of territories also celebrate their sacrifices. The learned, however, say that of all these tirthas, O exalted one, Prayaga is the most sacred, in fact, the foremost of all tirthas in the three worlds. By going to that tirtha, (p. 195) by singing its praises, or by taking a little earth from it, one is cleansed from every sin. He that bathes in that confluence celebrated over the world, acquires all the merits of the Rajasuya and the horse-sacrifices. This sacrificial place is worshipped by the gods themselves. If a man giveth there ever so little, it increaseth, O Bharata, a thousandfold. O child, let not the texts of the Veda, nor the opinions of men dissuade thy mind from the desire of dying at Prayaga. O son of the Kuru race, the wise say that six hundred million and ten thousand tirthas exist at Prayaga. Bathing in the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna, one obtains the merit that attaches to the four kinds of knowledge and the merits also of those that are truthful. There at Prayaga is the excellent tirtha of Vasuki (वासुकी) (III.83.81) called Bhogavati (भॊगवती) (III.83.81). He that batheth in it, obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice.

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Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 85 mentions sacred asylums, tirthas, mountans and regions of eastern country. Prayaga (प्रयाग) (Tirtha) is mentioned in Mahabharata (III.85.14). ....O chief of the Bharata race, that the place hath come to be called Prayaga (प्रयाग) (III.85.14).

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Bhisma Parva, Mahabharata/Book VI Chapter 46 mentions Krishna, Yudhisthira and his brothers looking for arrangements of the war. Prayaga (प्रयाग) King is mentioned in Mahabharata (VI.46.46). ....And king Drupada, surrounded by a large number of troops, became the head (of that array). And the two kings Kuntibhoja and Saivya became its two eyes. And the ruler of the Dasharnas, and the Prayagas, with the Dasherakas, and the Anupakas, and the Kiratas were placed in its neck....

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Anusasana Parva/Book XIII Chapter 26 mentions the sacred waters on the earth. Prayaga (प्रयाग) (Tirtha) is mentioned in Mahabharata (III.83.65), (III.83.72),(III.85.14), (XIII.26.35-36)......Ten thousand tirthas and thirsty millions of other tirthas come to Prayaga (the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna), O chief of Bharata's race in the month of Magha. He who bathes in Prayaga, with a restrained soul and observing rigid vows the while, in the month of Magha, becomes cleansed of all his sins, O chief of Bharata's race, and attains to heaven.

इलाबास

इलाबास (AS, p.80) - इलाहाबाद का एक प्राचीन नाम (दे. प्रयाग)

प्रयाग

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है .....प्रयाग (AS, p.585): उत्तर प्रदेश गंगा-यमुना के संगम पर स्थित एक प्राचीन तीर्थस्थान है. प्राचीन साहित्य में केवल गंगा यमुना इन्ही दो नदियों का संगम प्रयाग में माना गया है. त्रिवेणी या गंगा यमुना-सरस्वती, इन तीन नदियों के संगम की कल्पना मध्ययुगीन है. (देखें: सरस्वती-2). बाल्मीकि रामायण, महाभारत, प्राचीन पुराणों तथा कालिदास के ग्रंथों में सर्वत्र प्रयाग में गंगा यमुना ही के संगम का वर्णन है.

वाल्मीकि रामायण में प्रयाग का का उल्लेख भारद्वाज के आश्रम के सम्बन्ध में है और इस स्थान पर घोर वन की स्थिति बताई गई है- 'यत्र भागीरथी गंगा यमुना-भिप्रवर्तते जग्मुस्तं देशमुद्दिश्य विगाह्य समुहद्वनम्। प्रयागमभित: पश्च सौमित्रे घूममुनमम्, अग्रेर्भगवत: केतुं मन्ये संनिहितो मुनि:। धन्विनौ तो सुखं गत्वा लंबमाने दिवाकरे, गंगायमुनयो: संधौ प्रापतुर्निलयं मुने:। अवकाशो दिविक्तो यं महानद्यो: समागमे, पुण्यश्चरमणीयश्च वसत्विह भवान् सुखम्'वाल्मीकि रामायण, अयोध्याकांड 54,2-5-8-22. इस वर्णन से सूचित होता है कि प्रयाग में रामायण की कथा के समय घोर जंगल तथा मुनियों के आश्रम थे, कोई जनसंकुल बस्ती नहीं थी।

महाभारत में गंगा-यमुना के संगम का उल्लेख तीर्थ रूप में अवश्य है, किंतु उस समय भी यहाँ किसी नगर की स्थिति का आभास नहीं मिलता- 'पवित्रमृषिभिर्जुष्टं पुण्यं पावनमुत्तमम, गंगायमुनयोर्वीर संगमं लोक विश्रुतम्' महाभारत वनपर्व 87, 18. 'गंगा यमुनोर्मव्ये स्नाति य: संगमेनर:, दशाश्वमेधानाप्नोति कुलं चैव सामुद्धरेत' (महाभारत वनपर्व 84, 35.) 'प्रयागे देवयज ने देवानां पृथिवीपते, ऊपुराप्लुत्य गात्राणि तपश्चातस्थरुत्तमम्, गंगायमुनयो चैव संगमे सत्यसंगरा:'( महाभारत वनपर्व 95, 4-5.)

बौद्ध साहित्य में भी प्रयाग का किसी बड़े नगर के रूप में वर्णन नहीं मिलता, वरन् बौद्ध काल में वत्सदेश की राजधानी के रूप में कौशांबी अधिक प्रसिद्ध थी। अशोक ने अपना प्रसिद्ध प्रयाग-स्तंभ कौशांबी में ही स्थापित किया था। यद्यपि बाद में शायद मुग़ल बादशाह अकबर के समय में वह प्रयाग ले आया गया था। इसी स्तंभ पर समुद्रगुप्त की प्रसिद्ध प्रयाग-प्रशस्ति अंकित है। कालिदास ने 'रघुवंश' के 13वें सर्ग में गंगा-यमुना के संगम का मनोहारी वर्णन किया है (श्लोक 54 से 57 तक) तथा गंगा-यमुना के संगम के स्नान को मुक्तिदायक

[p.586]: माना है- 'समुद्र-पत्न्योर्जलसन्निपात पूतात्मनामत्र किलाभिषेकात्, तत्त्वावबोधेन विनापि भूय: तनुस्त्यजां नास्ति शरीरबंध:'रघुवंश 13, 58. विष्णुपुराण में, प्रयाग में गुप्त नरेशों का शासन बतलाया गया है- 'उत्साद्याखिलक्षत्रजाति नवनागा: पद्यावस्यां नाम पुर्यामनुगंगाप्रयाग गयायाश्च मागधा गुप्ताश्च भोक्ष्यन्ति'।

विष्णुपुराण विष्णुपुराण 5,8,29 से सूचित होता है कि इस पुराण के रचनाकाल (स्थूल रूप से गुप्त काल) में प्रयाग की तीर्थ रूप में बहुत मान्यता थी- 'प्रयागे पुष्करे चैव कुरुक्षेत्रे तयार्णवे कृतोपवास: प्राप्नोति तदस्य श्रवणान्नर:'।

चीनी यात्री युवानच्वांग ने कन्नौजाधिप महाराज हर्ष का प्रति पांचवें वर्ष प्रयाग के मेले में जाकर सर्वस्व दान कर देने का अपूर्व वर्णन किया है। उत्तरकालीन पुराणों में प्रयाग के जिस 'अक्षयवट' का उल्लेख है, उसे बहुत समय तक संगम के निकट अकबर के क़िले के अंदर स्थित बताया जाता था। यह बात अब गलत सिद्ध हो चुकी है और असली वट वृक्ष किले से कुछ दूर स्थित बताया जाता है। महाभारत में अक्षयवट का गया में होना वर्णित है। (महाभारत वनपर्व 84, 83) संभव है गौतम बुद्ध के गया स्थित संबोधिवृक्ष के समान ही पौराणिक काल में अक्षयवट की कल्पना की गई होगी।

कहा जाता है कि अकबर के समय में प्रयाग का नाम 'इलाहाबाद' कर दिया गया था, किंतु जान पड़ता है कि प्रयाग को अकबर के पूर्व भी 'इलाबास' कहा जाता था। एक पौराणिक कथा के अनुसार प्रतिष्ठानपुर अथवा झूसी (जो प्रयाग के निकट गंगा के उस पार है) में चंद्रवंशी राजा पुरु की राजधानी थी। इनके पूर्वज पुरुरवा थे, जो मनु की पुत्री इला और बुध के पुत्र थे। (वाल्मीकि रामायण उत्तर-89) इला के नाम पर ही प्रयाग को इलाबास कहा जाता था। वास्तव में अकबर ने इसी नाम को थोड़ा बदलकर 'इलाहाबाद' कर दिया था।

वत्स या कौशांबी का राजा उदयन जो प्राचीन साहित्य में प्रसिद्ध है, चंद्रवंश से ही संबंधित था-इससे भी प्रयाग में चंद्रवंश के राज्य करने की पौराणिक कथा की पुष्टि होती है और इस तथ्य का भी प्रमाण मिल जाता है कि वास्तव में प्रयाग का एक प्राचीन नाम 'इलाबास' भी था, जिसे अकबर ने कुछ बदल दिया था और उसका उद्देश्य प्रयाग नाम को हटाकर अल्लहाबाद या 'इलाहाबाद' नाम प्रचलित करना नहीं था। अकबर ने संगम पर स्थित किसी पूर्वयुगीन क़िले का जीर्णोद्धार करके उसका विस्तार करवाया और उसे वर्तमान सुदृढ़ किले का रूप दिया। इस तथ्य की पुष्टि तुलसीदास के इस वर्णन से भी होती है, जिसमें प्रयाग में एक सुदृढ़ गढ़ का वर्णन है- 'क्षेत्र अगम गढ़ गाढ़ सुहावा, सपनेहु नहि प्रतिपच्छहिं पावा'(रामचरितमानस, अयोध्या कांड)

अकबर के समकालीन इतिहास लेखक बदायूंनी के वृत्तांत से सूचित होता है कि इस मुग़ल सम्राट ने प्रयाग में एक बड़े [p.587]: राजप्रासाद की भी नींव रखी और नगर का नाम 'इलाहाबाद' कर दिया। अकबर ने प्रयाग की स्थिति की महत्ता को समझते हुए उसे अपने साम्राज्य के 12 सूबों में से एक का मुख्य स्थान भी बनाया। इसमें कड़ा और जौनपुर के प्रदेश भी सम्मिलित कर लिए गए थे। कहा जाता है कि मौर्य सम्राट अशोक का कौशांबी स्तंभ इसी समय प्रयाग लाया गया था। अशोक और समुद्रगुप्त के प्रसिद्ध अभिलेखों के अतिरिक्त इस पर जहाँगीर और बीरबल के लेख भी अंकित हैं। बीरबल का लेख उनकी प्रयाग यात्रा का स्मारक है- 'संवत 1632 शाके 1493 मार्गवदी 5 सोमवार गंगादाससुत महाराज बीरबल श्री तीरथ राज प्रयाग की यात्रा सुफल लिखितम्'। खुसरो बाग़ जहाँगीर के समय में बना था। यह बाग़ चौकोर है और इसका क्षेत्रफल 64 एकड़ है। इसमें अनेक मक़बरे हैं। पूर्व की ओर गुंबद वाला मक़बरा जहाँगीर के विद्रोही पुत्र खुसरो का है। इसे 1662 ई. में जहाँगीर ने बग़ावत करने के फलस्वरूप मृत्यु के सज़ा दी थी। इलाहाबाद के चौक में कुछ समय तक वे नीम के पेड़ खड़े थे, जिन पर अंग्रेज़ों ने 1857 के स्वतंत्रता संग्राम में लड़ने वाले भारतीय वीरों को फाँसी दी थी।

प्रयाग की व्युत्पत्ति

प्रयाग शब्द की व्युत्पत्ति कई प्रकार से की गयी है। महाभारत में वनपर्व में आया है कि 'सभी जीवों के अधीश ब्रह्मा ने यहाँ प्राचीन काल में यज्ञ किया था और इसी से 'यज् धातु' से प्रयाग बना है।

स्कन्दपुराण ने इसे 'प्र' एवं 'याग' से युक्त माना है प्रथम अंश स्कन्दपुराण में भी आया है। अत: प्रयाग का अर्थ है 'यागेभ्य: प्रकृष्ट:', 'यज्ञों से बढ़कर जो है' या 'प्रकृष्टो यागो यत्र', 'जहाँ उत्कृष्ट यज्ञ है।' इसलिए कहा जाता है कि यह सभी यज्ञों से उत्तम है, हरि, हर आदि देवों ने इसे 'प्रयाग' नाम दिया है।

मत्स्यपुराण ने 'प्र' उपसर्ग पर बल दिया है और कहा है कि अन्य तीर्थों की तुलना में यह अधिक प्रभावशाली है।