Agni Purana

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.

सहेमगरुड़ञ्चैत्र्यां पदमाप्नोति वैष्णवम् । चतुरशीतिसाहस्रं स्कान्दं स्कन्देरितं महत् ।। २७२.

With a golden Garuḍa in Caitra, one attains the Vaiṣṇava abode; the great Skanda Purāṇa, spoken by Skanda, is eighty-four thousand verses.

अधिकृत्य सधर्म्मांश्च कल्पे तत्पुरुषेऽर्पयेत्। वामनं दशसाहस्रं धौमकल्पे हरेः कथा ।। २७२.

Having considered the righteous ones, in the Kalpa, one should offer the Tatpuruṣa; the Vāmana Purāṇa is ten thousand verses, and the tale of Hari in the Dhauma Kalpa.

दद्यात् शरदि विषुवे धर्मार्थादिनिवोधनम् । कूर्मञअचाष्टसहस्रञ्च कूर्मोक्तञ्च रसातले ।। २७२.

One should give, at the autumnal equinox, the instruction on dharma, artha, and so on; and the Kūrma Purāṇa, eight thousand verses, as spoken by Kūrma in the netherworld.

इन्द्रद्युम्नप्रसङ्गेन दद्यात्तद्धेमकूर्मवत् । त्रयोदशसहस्राणि मात्स्यं कल्पादितोऽब्रवीत् ।। २७२.

On the occasion of Indradyumna, one should give that, with a golden Kūrma; thirteen thousand verses, the Matsya Purāṇa, as spoken at the beginning of the Kalpa.

मत्स्यो हि मनवे दद्याद्विषुवे हेममत्स्यवत् । गारुड़ञ्चाष्टसाहस्रं विष्णूक्तन्तार्क्षकल्पके ।। २७२.

The Matsya Purāṇa should be given to Manu at the equinox, with a golden fish; and the Garuḍa Purāṇa, eight thousand verses, as spoken by Viṣṇu in the Tārkṣya Kalpa.

विश्वाण्डाद्‌गरुड़ोत्पत्तिं तद्दद्याद्धेमहंसवत् । ब्रह्मा ब्रह्माण्डमाहात्म्यमधिकृत्याब्रवीत्तु ।। २७२.

From the cosmic egg, the origin of Garuḍa—one should give that, with a golden swan; Brahmā spoke of the greatness of the Brahmāṇḍa, having considered it.

वाचकं पूजयेदादौ भोजयेत् पायसैर्द्विजान् । गोभूग्रामसुवर्णादि दद्यात्पर्वणि पर्वणि ।। २७२.

One should first honor the reciter, and feed the twice-born with milk-rice; at every festival, one should give cows, land, villages, gold, and so on.

समाप्ते बारते विप्रं संहितापुस्तकान्यजेत् । शुभे देशे निवेश्याथ क्षौमवस्त्रादिनावृतान् ।। २७२.

At the conclusion, one should worship the brāhmaṇa and offer the Saṃhitā manuscripts, placing them in an auspicious place, wrapped in linen and the like.

नरनारायणऔ पूज्यौ पुस्तकाः कुसुमादिभिः । गोऽन्नभूहेम दत्वाथ भोजयित्वा क्षमापयेत् ।। २७२.

Nara and Nārāyaṇa should be worshipped, and the books with flowers and such; after giving cows, food, land, and gold, and feeding (the brāhmaṇas), one should ask forgiveness.

महादानानि देयानि रत्नानि विविधानि च । मासकौ द्वौ त्रयश्चैव मासे मासे प्रदापयेत् ।। २७२.

Great gifts should be given, and various jewels as well; two or three pairs each month should be distributed.