Bhagavata Purana

गंगाद्या सरितस्तत्र पुष्करादिसरांसि च । क्षेत्राणि च दिशः सर्वा दण्डकादि वनानि च

There, the rivers beginning with the Ganges, the lakes beginning with Puṣkara, the holy places, all directions, and forests such as Daṇḍaka came.

नगादयो ययुस्तत्र देवगन्धर्वदानवाः । गुरुत्वात्तत्र नायातान् भृगुः सम्बोध्य चानयत्

Mountains and others came there, as did gods, Gandharvas, and Dānavas; but due to their heaviness, Bhṛgu, after instructing them, brought them.

दीक्षिता नारदेनाथ दत्तं आसनमुत्तमम् । कुमारा वन्दिताः सर्वैः निषेदुः कृष्णतत्पराः

Having been initiated by Nārada, and given the excellent seat, the Kumāras, honored by all, sat absorbed in Krishna.

वैष्णवाश्च विरक्ताश्च न्यासिनो ब्रह्मचारिणः । मुखभागे स्थितास्ते च तदग्रे नारदः स्थितः

The Vaiṣṇavas, the detached, the renunciants, and the celibates stood at the front, and Nārada stood before them.

एकभागे ऋषिगणाः तद् अन्यत्र दिवौकसः । वेदोपनिषदो अन्यत्र तीर्थान् यत्र स्त्रियोऽन्यतः

In one section were the groups of sages, elsewhere the celestial beings; elsewhere the Vedas and Upaniṣads, elsewhere the holy places, and elsewhere the women.

जयशब्दो नमःशब्दोः शंखशब्दस्तथैव च । चूर्णलाजा प्रसूनानां निक्षेपः सुमहान् अभूत्

Shouts of victory, cries of reverence, and the sound of conch shells arose; a great scattering of roasted grains and flowers occurred.

विमानानि समारुह्य कियन्तो देवनायकाः । कल्पवृक्ष प्रसूनैस्तान् सर्वान् तत्र समाकिरन्

Ascending their aerial chariots, many leaders of the gods showered all those present with flowers from the wish-fulfilling trees.

सूत उवाच - एवं तेष्वकचित्तेषु श्रीमद्‌भागवस्य च । माहात्म्यं ऊचिरे स्पष्टं नारदाय महात्मने

Sūta said: Thus, among those whose minds were undistracted, they clearly spoke the greatness of the Śrīmad Bhāgavata to the great-souled Nārada.

कुमारा ऊचुः - अथ ते वर्ण्यतेऽस्माभिः महिमा शुकशास्त्रजः । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण मुक्तिः करतले स्थिता

The Kumāras said: Now, we shall describe the glory born from Śuka's scripture, by hearing which alone liberation rests in one's palm.

सदा सेव्या सदा सेव्या श्रीमद्‌भागवती कथा । यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण हरिश्चित्तं समाश्रयेत्

The narration of the glorious Bhāgavata is always to be served, always to be served; by merely hearing it, Hari takes up residence in one's heart.

ग्रन्थोऽष्टादशसाहस्त्रो द्वादशस्कन्धसम्मितः । परीक्षित् शुकसंवादः श्रृणु भागवतं च तत्

This scripture consists of eighteen thousand verses, arranged in twelve books; it is the dialogue between Parīkṣit and Śuka—listen to this Bhāgavata.

तात संसारचक्रेऽस्मिन् भ्रमतेऽज्ञानतः पुमान् । यावत् कर्णगता नास्ति शुकशास्त्रकथा क्षणम्

Dear one, in this cycle of worldly existence, a person wanders in ignorance as long as even for a moment the teachings of Śuka's scripture have not entered his ears.

किं श्रुतैबहुभिः शास्त्रैः पुराणैश्च भ्रमावहैः । एकं भागवतं शास्त्रं मुक्तिदानेन गर्जति

What is the use of hearing many scriptures and Purāṇas that only cause confusion? The single scripture, the Bhāgavata, thunders forth as the giver of liberation.

कथा भागवतस्यापि नित्यं भवति यद्‌गृहे । तद्‌गृहं तीर्थरूपं हि वसतां पापनाशनम्

That house in which the narration of the Bhāgavata occurs daily is truly a place of pilgrimage, destroying the sins of its inhabitants.

अश्वमेधसहस्राणि वाजपेयशतानि च । शुकशास्त्रकथायाश्च कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्

A thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices and a hundred Vājapeya sacrifices do not equal even a sixteenth part of the merit of the narration of Śuka's scripture.

तावत् पापानि देहेस्मिन् निवसन्ति तपोधनाः । यावत् न श्रूयते सम्यक् श्रीमद्‌भागवतं नरैः

O ascetics, sins remain in this body as long as the Bhāgavata is not properly heard by people.

न गंगा न गया काशी पुष्करं न प्रयागकम् । शुकशास्त्रकथायाश्च फलेन समतां नयेत्

Neither the Gaṅgā, nor Gayā, nor Kāśī, nor Puṣkara, nor Prayāga can equal the fruit of the narration of Śuka's scripture.

श्लोकार्धं श्लोकपादं वा नित्यं भागवतोद्‌भवम् । पठस्व स्वमुखेनैव यदीच्छसि परां गतिम्

Recite daily, with your own mouth, even half a verse or a quarter of a verse arising from the Bhāgavata, if you desire the highest goal.

वेदादिः वेदमाता च पौरुषं सूक्तमेव च । त्रयी भागवतं चैव द्वादशाक्षर एव च

The Vedas, the mother of the Vedas, the Puruṣa Sūkta, the threefold Veda, the Bhāgavata, and the twelve-syllable mantra—

द्वादशात्मा प्रयागश्च कालं संवत्सरात्मकः । ब्राह्मणाश्चाग्निहोत्रं च सुरभिर्द्वादशी तथा

The twelvefold self, Prayāga, time in the form of a year, the Brāhmaṇas, the Agnihotra, the cow of plenty, and the twelfth day—

तुलसी च वसन्तश्च पुरुषोत्तम एव च । एतेषां तत्त्वतः प्राज्ञैः न पृथ्ग्भाव इष्यते

Tulasī, the spring season, and the Supreme Person—wise people do not consider any essential difference among these.

यश्च भागवतं शास्त्रं वाचयेत् अर्थतोऽनिशम् । जन्मकोटिकृतं पापं नश्यते नात्र संशयः

Whoever recites the Bhāgavata scripture with understanding, day and night, destroys the sins accumulated over millions of births—of this there is no doubt.

श्लोकार्धं श्लोकपादं वा पठेत् भागवतं च यः । नित्यं पुण्यं अवाप्नोति राजसूयाश्वमेधयोः

Whoever recites even half a verse or a quarter of a verse of the Bhāgavata daily attains merit equal to that of the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices.

उक्तं भागवतं नित्यं कृतं च हरिचिन्तनम् । तुलसीपोषणं चैव धेनूनां सेवनं समम्

The daily recitation of the Bhāgavata, constant contemplation of Hari, the nurturing of Tulasī, and the service of cows—these are equal.

अन्तकाले तु येनैव श्रूयते शुकशास्त्रवाक् । प्रीत्या तस्यैव वैकुण्ठं गोविन्दोऽपि प्रयच्छति

At the time of death, whoever hears the words of Śuka's scripture with devotion—Govinda grants that person Vaikuṇṭha.

हेमसिंहयुतं चैतत् वैष्णवाय ददाति च । कृष्णेन सह सायुज्यं स पुमान् लभते ध्रुवम्

Whoever gives this (Bhāgavata) adorned with a golden lion throne to a Vaiṣṇava surely attains union with Kṛṣṇa.

(वसंततिलका) आजन्ममात्रमपि येन शठेन किंचित् चित्तं विधाय शुकशास्त्रकथा न पीता । चाण्डालवत् च खरवत् बत तेन नीतं मिथ्या स्वजन्म जननी जनिदुःखभाजा

Even if someone, from birth, with a deceitful mind, never tasted the narration of Śuka's scripture, such a one lives like a caṇḍāla or a donkey; alas, his birth is in vain, and his mother suffers the pain of childbirth for nothing.

जीवच्छवो निगदितः स तु पापकर्मा येन श्रुतं शुककथावचनं न किंचित् । धिक् तं नरं पशुसमं भुवि भाररूपम् एवं वदन्ति दिवि देवसमाजमुख्याः

He who is called a living corpse, whose actions are sinful, and who has not heard even a little of Śuka’s narration, is condemned as a man equal to an animal, a burden upon the earth; thus speak the foremost among the assembly of gods in heaven.

(अनुष्टुप्) दुर्लभैव कथा लोके श्रीमद्‌भागवतोद्‌भवा । कोटिजन्मसमुत्थेन पुण्येनैव तु लभ्यते

The story arising from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is indeed rare in this world; it is attained only by virtue accumulated over millions of births.