Agni Purana

आग्नेयं ब्रह्मरूपं हि मुनयः शौनकादयः । भवन्तो नैमिषारण्ये यजन्तो हरिमीश्वरं ।। ३८३.

The sages, beginning with Shaunaka, regarding the Agneya Purana as the form of Brahman, performed sacrifices to Hari, the Lord, in Naimisharanya.

तिष्ठन्तः श्रद्धया युक्तास्तस्माद्वः समुदीरितम् । अग्निना प्रोक्तमाग्नेयं पुराणं वेदसम्मितं ।। ३८३.

Standing there with faith, this was declared to you; the Agneya Purana, spoken by Agni, is equal to the Veda.

ब्रह्मविद्याद्वयोपेतं भुक्तिदं मुक्तिदं महत् । नास्मात्परतरः सारो नास्मात्परतरः सुहृत् ।। ३८३.

Endowed with the non-dual knowledge of Brahman, it bestows enjoyment and liberation, and is great; there is no essence or friend greater than this.

नास्मात्परतरो ग्रन्थो नास्मात्परतरा गतिः । नास्मात्परतरं शास्त्रं नास्मात्परतरा श्रुतिः ।। ३८३.

There is no scripture greater than this, no path superior to this; there is no teaching or revelation higher than this.

नास्मात्परतरं ज्ञानं नास्मात्परतरा स्मृतिः । नास्मात्परो ह्यागमोऽस्ति नास्माद्विद्या पराऽस्ति हि ।। ३८३.

There is no knowledge greater than this, nor any tradition superior; there is no scripture nor learning higher than this.

नास्मात्परः स्यात्सिद्धान्तो नास्मात्परममङ्गलम् । नास्मात्परोऽस्ति वेदान्तः पुराणं परमन्त्विदं ।। ३८३.

There is no doctrine higher than this, nor any greater auspiciousness; there is no Vedanta superior to this—this Purana is truly supreme.

नास्मात्परतरं भूमौ विद्यते वस्तु दुर्लभम् । आग्नेये हि पुराणेऽस्मिन् सर्वविद्याः प्रदर्शिताः ।। ३८३.

There exists on earth no rare thing greater than this; in this Agneya Purana, all branches of knowledge are revealed.

सर्वे मत्स्यावताराद्या गीता रामायणन्त्विह । हरिवंशो भारतञ्च नव सर्गाः प्रदर्शिताः ।। ३८३.

All incarnations beginning with Matsya are described, as well as the Ramayana, the Harivamsha, the Mahabharata, and the nine creations are shown here.

आगमो वैष्णवो गीतः पूजादीक्षाप्रतिष्ठया । पवित्रारोहणादीनि प्रतिमालक्षणादिकं ।। ३८३.

The Vaishnava tradition is sung, along with worship, initiation, and installation; the rites of purification, ascent, and the characteristics of images are also described.

प्रासादलक्षणाद्यञ्च मन्त्रा वै भुक्तिभुक्तिदाः । शैवागमस्तदर्थश्च शाक्तेयः सौर एव च ।। ३८३.

The characteristics of temples and such, and mantras that grant both enjoyment and liberation; the Śaiva, Śākta, and Saurāgamas are for those purposes.

मण्डलानि च बास्तुश्च मन्त्राणि विविधानि च । प्रतिसर्गश्चानुगीतो ब्रह्माण्डपरिमण्डलं ।। ३८३.

Various maṇḍalas, architectural principles, and diverse mantras are described; also the secondary creation and the measure of the cosmic egg.

गीतो भुवनकोषश्च द्वीपवर्षादिनिम्नगाः । गयागङ्गाप्रयागादि-तीर्थमाहात्म्यमीरितं ।। ३८३.

The structure of the worlds is described, along with the islands, continents, rivers, and the declared greatness of holy places like Gayā, Gaṅgā, and Prayāga.

ज्योतिश्चक्रं ज्योतिषादि गीतो युद्धजयार्णवः । मन्वन्तरादयो गीताः धर्मा वर्णादिकस्य च ।। ३८३.

The wheel of light, astrology, the ocean of victory in battle, the cycles of Manus, and the duties of castes and others are all described.

अशौचं द्रव्यशुद्धिश्च प्रायश्चित्तं प्रदर्शितं । राजधर्म्मा दानधर्मा व्रतानि विविधानि च ।। ३८३.

Impurity, purification of substances, and expiation are shown; the duties of kings, the duties of giving, and various vows as well.

व्यवहाराः शान्तयश्च ऋग्वेदादिविधानकं । सूर्यवंशः सोमवंशो धनुर्वेदश्च वैद्यकं ।। ३८३.

Legal procedures, rites of pacification, the regulations of the Ṛgveda and others; the Solar and Lunar dynasties, the science of archery, and medicine.

गान्धर्व्ववेदोऽर्थशास्त्रं मीमांसा न्यायविस्तरः । पुराणसंख्यामाहात्म्यं छन्दो व्याकरणं स्मृतं ।। ३८३.

The Gāndharva Veda, the science of wealth, the extension of Mīmāṃsā and logic; the enumeration and greatness of the Purāṇas, metre, and grammar are remembered.

अहङ्कारो निघण्टुश्च शिक्षा कल्प इहोदितः । स्मृतः नैमित्तिकः प्राकृतिको लय आत्यन्तिकः ।। ३८३.

Ego, glossaries, phonetics, and ritual are taught here; the occasional, natural, and final dissolutions are remembered.

वेदान्तं ब्रह्मविज्ञानं योगी ह्यष्टाङ्ग ईरितः । स्तोत्रं पुराणमाहात्म्यं विद्या ह्यष्टादश स्मृताः ।। ३८३.

Vedānta, knowledge of Brahman, the eightfold yoga are declared; hymns, the greatness of the Purāṇas, and the eighteen branches of knowledge are remembered.

ऋग्वेदाद्याः परा ह्यत्र पराविद्याक्षरं परं । सप्रपञ्चं निष्प्रपञ्चं ब्रह्मणो रूपमीरितं ।। ३८३.

Here, the Ṛgveda and others are supreme, as is the supreme imperishable knowledge; the manifest and unmanifest forms of Brahman are described.

इदं पञ्चदशसाहस्रं शतकोटिप्रविस्तरं । देवलोके दैवतैश्च पुरणं पठ्यते सदा ।। ३८३.

This Purāṇa, consisting of fifteen thousand verses and extending to a hundred crores, is always recited by the gods in the world of the gods.

लोकानां हितकामेन संक्षिप्योद्गीतमग्निना । सर्वं ब्रह्मेति जानीध्वं मुनयः शोनकादयः ।। ३८३.

For the welfare of the worlds, Agni has summarized and sung it; know, O sages headed by Śaunaka, that all is indeed Brahman.

श्रृणुयाच्छ्रावयेद्वापि यः पठेत्पाठयेदपि । लिखेल्लेखापयेद्वापि पूजयेत्कीर्त्तयेदपि ।। ३८३.

Whoever listens, causes others to listen, recites, causes others to recite, writes, causes to be written, worships, or praises it—

पुराणपाठकञ्चैव पूजयेत् प्रयतो नृपः । गोभूहिरण्यदानाद्यैर्वस्त्रालङ्कारतर्पणैः ।। ३८३.

A king should devoutly honor the reciter of the Purāṇa with gifts of cows, land, gold, garments, ornaments, and offerings.

तं संपूज्य लभेच्चैव पुराणश्रवणात् फलं । पुराणान्ते च वै कुर्य्यादवश्यं द्विजभोजनं ।। ३८३.

Having thus honored him, one obtains the fruit of hearing the Purāṇa; and at the end of the Purāṇa, one must certainly feed the twice-born.

निर्म्मलः प्राप्तसर्व्वार्थः सकुलः स्वर्गमाप्नुयात् । शरयन्त्रं पुस्तकाय सूत्रं वै पत्रसञ्चयं ।। ३८३.

Pure, having attained all goals, together with his family, he reaches heaven; a case for the book, a cord, or a bundle of leaves—

पट्टिकाबन्धवस्त्रादि दद्याद् यः स्वर्गमाप्नुयात् । यो दद्याद्ब्रह्म्लोकी स्यात् पुस्तकं यस्य वै गृहे ।। ३८३.

Whoever gives a cloth wrapping or band for the manuscript attains heaven; whoever gives a book becomes one with Brahman, and in whose house the book is kept—

तस्योत्पातभयं नास्ति भुक्तिमुक्तिमवाप्नुयात् । यूयं स्मरत चाग्नेयं पुराणं रूपमैश्वरं ३८३.

For him there is no fear of calamity; he attains both enjoyment and liberation. Remember, all of you, the divine form of the Agni Purāṇa.