Agni Purana

शौनकः पिप्पलादश्च मुञ्जकेशादयोऽपरे । मन्त्राणामयुतं षष्टशतञेचोपनिषच्छतं ।। २७१.

Shaunaka, Pippalada, and others like Munjakesha are further branches. There are ten thousand sixty mantras and a hundred Upanishads.

व्यासरूपी स भगवान् शाखाभेदाद्यकारयत् । शाखाबेदादयो विष्णुरितिहासः पुराणकं ।। २७१.

The blessed Vyasa, in his form, created the divisions of branches. Vishnu is the cause of the branch divisions, history, and the Purana.

प्राप्य व्यासात् पुराणादि सूतो वै लोमहर्षणः । सुमतिश्चाग्निवर्च्चाश्च मित्रयुः शिंशपायनः ।। २७१.

Having received the Purana and other texts from Vyasa, the bard Lomaharshana, Sumati, Agnivarcha, Mitrayu, and Shimshapayana followed.

कृतव्रतोथ सावर्णिः षट़शिष्यास्तस्य चाभवन्। शांशपायनादयश्चक्रुः१ पुराणानान्तु संहिताः ।। २७१.

Then Kṛtavrata, also called Sāvarṇi, had six disciples; among them were Śāṃśapāyana and others, who composed the collections of the Purāṇas.

ब्राह्मादीनि पुराणानि हरिविद्या दशाष्ट च । महापुराणे ह्याग्नेये विद्यारूपो हरिः त्थितः ।। २७१.

The Purāṇas beginning with the Brāhma, and also the ten and eight teachings of Hari, are found in the great Agni Purāṇa, where Hari abides in the form of knowledge.

सप्रपञ्चो निष्प्रपञ्चो मूर्त्तामुर्त्तस्वरूपधृक् । तं ज्ञात्वाभ्यर्च्च्य संस्तूय भुक्तिमुक्तिमवाप्नुयात् ।। २७१.

He is both with and without manifestation, bearing both formed and formless natures; knowing, worshipping, and praising him, one attains both enjoyment and liberation.

विष्णुर्जिष्णुर्भविष्णुश्च अग्निसूर्य्यादिरूपवान् । अग्निरूपेण देवादेर्मुखं विष्णुः परा गतिः ।। २७१.

Viṣṇu is the victorious one, the one who will be, possessing forms such as Agni and Sūrya; through the form of Agni, he is the mouth of the gods, and Viṣṇu is the supreme goal.

वेदेषु सपुराणेषु यज्ञमूर्त्तिश्च गीयते । आग्नेयाख्यं पुराणन्तु रूपं विष्णोर्महत्तरं ।। २७१.

In the Vedas and the Purāṇas, he is sung as the embodiment of sacrifice; the Purāṇa called Āgneya is the greatest form of Viṣṇu.

आग्नेयाख्यपुराणस्य कर्त्ता श्रोता जनार्दनः । तस्मात्पुराणमाग्नेयं सर्ववेदमयं महत् ।। २७२.

Janārdana is the author and listener of the Purāṇa called Āgneya; therefore, the Agni Purāṇa is great and composed of all the Vedas.

सर्वात्म हरिरूपं हि पठतां श्रृण्वतां नृणां ।। २७२.

For those who read or listen, Hari, the form of the Self of all, is indeed present.

राज्यर्थिनां राज्यदञ्च धर्म्मदं धर्मकामिनाम् ।। २७२.

For those who desire sovereignty, it grants kingship; for those who desire righteousness, it grants righteousness.

स्वर्गार्थिना स्वर्गदञ्च पुत्रदं पुत्रकामिनां । गवादिकामिनाङ्गोदं ग्रामदं ग्रामकामिनां ।। २७२.

For those who seek heaven, it grants heaven; for those who desire sons, it grants sons; for those who desire cows and the like, it grants cows; for those who desire villages, it grants villages.

कामार्थिनां कामदञ्च सर्वसौभाग्यसम्पदम् । गुणकीर्त्तिप्रदं नॄणां जयदञ्जयकामिनाम् ।। २७२.

For those who desire pleasures, it grants pleasures and all auspicious prosperity; for people, it bestows virtue and fame, and for those who desire victory, it grants victory.

सर्वेप्सूनां सर्वदन्तु मुक्तिदं मुक्तिकामिनां । पापघ्नं पापाकर्तॄणामाग्नेयं हि पुराणकम् ।। २७२.

For those who desire everything, it grants everything; for those who seek liberation, it grants liberation; for those who have committed sins, the Agni Purāṇa destroys sin.

पुष्कर उवाच ब्रह्मणाभिहितं पूर्व्वं यावन्मान्नं मरीचये । लक्षार्द्धार्द्धन्तु तद्‌ब्राह्मं लिखित्वा सम्प्रदाप्येत् ।। २७२.

Puṣkara said: That which was formerly spoken by Brahmā to Marīci, up to the measure of food, half of a hundred thousand, that Brāhma should be written and given.

वैशाख्याम्पौर्णमास्याञ्च स्वर्गार्थी जलधेनुमत् । पाद्मं द्वादशसाहस्रं ज्येष्ठे दद्याच्च धेनुमत् ।। २७२.

In Vaiśākha, on the full moon, one desiring heaven should give the Pādma, of twelve thousand verses, along with a cow yielding much milk; in Jyeṣṭha, one should give it with a cow.

वराहकल्पवृत्तान्तमधिकृत्य पराशरः । त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रं वैष्णवं प्राह चार्पयेत् ।। २७२.

Concerning the account of the Varāha epoch, Parāśara composed the Vaiṣṇava of twenty-three thousand verses, and it should be given.

जलधेनुमदापाढ्यां विष्णोः पदमवाप्नुयात् । चतुर्दशसहस्राणि वायवीयं हरिप्रियं ।। २७२.

By giving it, along with a richly endowed cow, one attains the abode of Viṣṇu; the Vāyavīya, beloved of Hari, is of fourteen thousand verses.

श्वेतकल्पप्रसङ्गेन घर्म्मान् वायुरिहाब्रवीत् । दद्याल्लिखित्वा तद्विप्रे श्रावण्यां गुड़धेनुमत् ।। २७२.

On the occasion of the Śveta epoch, Vāyu spoke the Gharma; having written it, one should give it to a brāhmaṇa in Śrāvaṇa, along with a superior cow.

यत्राधिकृत्य गायत्रीं कीर्त्त्यते धर्म्मविस्तरः । वृत्रासुरबधोपेतं तद्भागवतमुच्यते ।। २७२.

Where the expansion of dharma is praised with reference to the Gāyatrī, and the slaying of Vṛtra and Asura is included, that is called the Bhāgavata.

सारस्वतस्य कल्पस्य प्रोष्ठपद्यन्तु तद्ददेत् । अष्टादशसहस्राणि हेमसिंहसमन्वितं ।। २७२.

On the occasion of the Sārasvata epoch, one should give it on Proṣṭhapada; it is of eighteen thousand verses, accompanied by a golden lion.

यत्राह नारदो धर्म्मान् वृहत्कल्पाश्रितानिह । पञ्चविंशसहस्राणि नारदीयं तदुच्यते ।। २७२.

Where Nārada has spoken here of the dharmas based on the great Kalpa, those twenty-five thousand verses are called the Nārada Purāṇa.

सधेनुञ्चाश्विने दद्यात्सिद्धिमात्यन्तिकीं लभेत् । यत्राधिकृत्य शत्रूनान्दर्माधर्मविचारणा ।। २७२.

If one gives it along with a cow and an Aśvinī, one attains the highest accomplishment; there, the consideration of dharma and adharma is made with regard to enemies.

कार्त्तिक्यां नवसाहस्रं मार्कण्डेयमथार्पयेत् । अग्निना यद्वशिष्ठाय प्रोक्तञ्चाग्नेयमेव तत् ।। २७२.

In the month of Kārttika, one should offer the nine-thousand-verse Mārkaṇḍeya; what was spoken by Agni to Vasiṣṭha is indeed the Agni Purāṇa.

चतुर्दशसहस्राणि भविष्यं सूर्य्यसम्भवं । भवस्तु मनवे प्राह दद्यात् पौष्यां गुड़ादिमत् ।। २७२.

Fourteen thousand verses concerning the future, arising from the Sun, were spoken by Bhava to Manu; one should give it in Pauṣa, with a respected guru.

सावर्णिना नारदाय ब्रह्मवैवर्त्तमीरितं । रथान्तरस्य वृत्तान्तमष्टादशसहस्रकं ।। २७२.

To Nārada by Sāvarṇi was spoken the Brahmavaivarta, the account of the Rathantara, numbering eighteen thousand verses.

माघ्यान्दद्याद्वराहस्य चरितं ब्रह्मवैवर्त्तमीरितं । रथान्तरस्य वृत्तान्तमष्टादशसहस्रकं ।। २७२.

In Māgha, one should give the story of Varāha, as told in the Brahmavaivarta, and the account of the Rathantara, numbering eighteen thousand verses.

आग्येयकल्पे लल्लिङ्गमेकादशसहस्रकम् । तद्दत्वा शिवमाप्नोति फाल्गुन्यां तिलधेनुमत् ।। २७२.

In the Āgneya Kalpa, the Liṅga Purāṇa is eleven thousand verses; having given that, one attains Śiva, in Phālguna, with sesame and a cow.

चतुर्द्दशशहस्राणि वाराहं विष्णुणेरितम् । भूयौ वराहचरितं मानवस्य प्रवृत्तितः ।। २७२.

Fourteen thousand verses of the Vārāha, spoken by Viṣṇu, and again the story of Varāha, according to the tradition of Manu.