सूत उवाच त्यज भीतिं महाभाग प्रश्नं कुरु यदिच्छसि । सर्वं ते कथयिष्यामि यद्यद्गोप्यं मनोहरम्
Sūta said: Abandon fear, O highly fortunate one, ask whatever question you wish; I will tell you everything, even that which is secret and delightful.
शौनक उवाच अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि पुराणानां च लक्षणम् । संख्यानमपि तेषां च फलमस्यैव पुत्रक
Śaunaka said: Now I wish to hear the characteristics of the Purāṇas, their enumeration, and their fruits, O son.
सूत उवाच विस्तराणि पुराणानि चेतिहासश्च शौनक । संहितां पञ्चरात्राणि कथयामि यथागतम्
Sūta said: The Purāṇas are extensive, as are the Itihāsas, O Śaunaka; I will describe the Saṃhitās and the Pañcarātras as they have come down.
सर्गश्च प्रतिसर्गश्च वंशो मन्वन्तराणि च । वंशानुचरितं विप्र पुराणं पञ्चलक्षणम्
Creation, dissolution, genealogies, the cycles of Manus, and the accounts of dynasties, O brāhmaṇa, these are the five marks of a Purāṇa.
एतदुपपुराणानां लक्षणं च विदुर्बुधाः । महतां च पुराणानां लक्षणं कथयामि ते
The wise know this as the characteristic of the Upapurāṇas; now I will tell you the characteristics of the great Purāṇas.
सृष्टिश्चापि विसृष्टिश्च स्थितिस्तेषां च पालनम् । कर्मणां वासना वार्तामनूनां चाक्रमेण च
Creation, secondary creation, preservation of beings, the maintenance of their order, the accounts of actions, and the stories of men, in due sequence.
वर्णनं प्रलयानां च मौक्षस्य च निरूपणम् । उत्कीर्तनं हरेरेव वेदानां च पृथक्पृथक्
The description of dissolutions, the exposition of liberation, the glorification of Hari alone, and the separate accounts of the Vedas.
दशाधिकं लक्षणं च महतां परिकीर्तितम् । संख्यानं च पुराणानां निबोध कथयामि ते
The tenfold characteristic is proclaimed for the great Purāṇas; now listen as I tell you the enumeration of the Purāṇas.
परं ब्रह्मपुराणं च सहस्राणां दशैव तु । पञ्चोनषष्टिसाहस्रं पाद्ममेव प्रकीर्तितम्
The Brahma Purāṇa is said to have ten thousand verses; the Padma is renowned as having fifty-five thousand.
त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रं वैष्णवं च विदुर्बुधाः । चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रं शैवं चैव निरूपितम्
The wise know the Viṣṇu Purāṇa as having twenty-three thousand verses; the Śiva Purāṇa is declared to have twenty-four thousand.
ग्रन्थोऽष्टादशसाहस्रं श्रीमद्भागवतं विदुः । पञ्चविंशतिसाहस्रं नारदीयं प्रकीर्तितम्
The Śrīmad Bhāgavata is known to have eighteen thousand verses; the Nārada Purāṇa is said to have twenty-five thousand.
मार्कण्डं नवसाहस्रं पुराणं पण्डिता विदुः । चतुःशताधिकं पञ्चदशसाहस्रमेव च
The learned know the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa as having nine thousand verses, and the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa as having fifteen thousand four hundred.
परमग्निपुराणं च रुचिरं परिसीर्तितम् । चतुर्दशसहस्राणि परं पञ्चशताधिकम्
The Agni Purāṇa, delightful and well-known, is said to have fourteen thousand five hundred verses.
पुराणप्रवरं चैव भविष्यं परिकीर्तितम् । अष्टादशसहस्रं च ब्रह्मवैवर्तमीप्सितम्
The foremost Purāṇa, the Bhaviṣya, is proclaimed as having eighteen thousand verses; the Brahma-vaivarta is also desired for its eighteen thousand.
सर्वेषां च पुराणानां सारमेव विदुर्बुधाः । एकादशसहस्रं तु परं लिङ्गपुराणकम्
The wise know the essence of all the Purāṇas; the Liṅga Purāṇa is said to have eleven thousand verses.
चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रं वाराहं परिकीर्तितम् । एकाशीतिसहस्रं च परमेव शताधिकम्
The Vārāha Purāṇa is said to have twenty-four thousand verses; the Skanda Purāṇa is supreme, with eighty-one thousand.
वरं स्कन्दपुराणं च सद्भिरेवं निरूपितम् । वामनं दशसाहस्रं कौर्म सप्तदशैव तु
The Skanda Purana is esteemed by the virtuous; the Vamana Purana contains ten thousand verses, and the Kurma Purana seventeen thousand.
मात्स्यं चतुर्दश प्रोक्तं पुराणं पण्डितैस्तथा । ऊनविशतिसाहस्रं गारुडं परिकीर्तितम्
The Matsya Purana is said by scholars to have fourteen thousand verses; the Garuda Purana is declared to have nineteen thousand less one.
परं द्वादशसाहस्रं ब्रह्माढं परिकीर्तितम् । एवं पुराणसंख्यानं चतुर्लक्षमुदाहृतम्
The Brahmanda Purana is proclaimed to have twelve thousand verses; thus, the total count of the Puranas is stated as four hundred thousand.
अष्टादशपुराणानामेवमेव विदुर्बुधाः । एवं चोपपुराणानामष्टादश प्रकीर्तिता
In this way, the wise know the eighteen Puranas; likewise, eighteen Upapurāṇas are enumerated.
इतिहासो भारतं च वान्मीकं काव्यमेव च । पञ्चकं पञ्चरात्राणां कृष्णमाहात्म्यपूर्वकम्
The Itihāsa, the Mahābhārata, and the poetry of Vālmīki, along with the five Pañcarātras, are uniquely devoted to the glory of Krishna.
वसिष्ठं नारदीयं च कापिलं गौतमीयकम् । परं सनत्कुमारीयं पञ्चरात्रं च पञ्चकम्
The Vasiṣṭha, Nārada, Kapila, and Gautamīya, as well as the Sanatkumāra Pañcarātra, form the five Pañcarātras.
पञ्चकं सहितानां च कृष्णभक्तिसमन्वितम् । ब्रह्मणाश्च शिवस्यापि प्रह्लादस्य तथैव च
These five, together with those devoted to Krishna, are associated with Brahma, Shiva, Prahlada, Gautama, and Kumara.
गौतमस्य कुमारस्य संहिताः परिकीर्तिताः । इति ते कथितं सर्व क्रमेण च पृथक्पृथक्
The collections of Gautama and Kumara are also mentioned; thus, everything has been described to you, in order and separately.
अस्त्येवं विपुलं शास्त्रं ममापि च यथागमम् । उवाचेदं पुराणं च गोलोके रासमण्डले
Such is the vast scripture, as transmitted to me; this Purana was spoken in Goloka, within the circle of the rasa dance.
श्रीकृष्णो भगवान्साक्षाद्ब्रह्माणं च स्वभक्तकम् । ब्रह्मा धर्म च धर्मिष्ठं धर्मो नारायणं मुनिम्
The blessed Krishna himself spoke it to Brahma, his devotee; Brahma spoke it to Dharma, the righteous, and Dharma to the sage Narayana.
नारायणो नारदं च नारदो मां च भक्तकम् । अहं त्वां च मुनिश्रेष्ठ वरिष्ठं कथयामि तत्
Narayana spoke it to Narada, Narada to me, his devotee; and I, O foremost sage, now recount it to you, the most distinguished.
सुदर्लभं पुराणं च ब्रह्मवैवर्तमीप्सितम् । यद्वृणोत्येव विश्वौघं जीविनां परमात्मकम्
This Brahmavaivarta Purana, rare and desired, is sought by all living beings as the supreme soul.
तद्ब्रह्म साक्षिरूपं च कर्मणामेव कर्मिणाम् । तद्ब्रह्म विवृतं यत्र तद्विभूतिमनुत्तमाम्
That Brahman is manifest as the witness of actions and of those who act; where Brahman is revealed, there its supreme glory shines.
तेनेदं ब्रह्मवैवर्तमित्येवं च बिदुर्बुधाः । पुण्यप्रदं पुराणं च मङ्गलं मङ्गलप्रदम्
Therefore, this is called the Brahmavaivarta Purana, as the wise know; it is a sacred Purana, bestowing auspiciousness and blessings.