पुस्तकस्य च वक्तुश्च पूजा कार्या तु नित्यशः । वक्त्रा दत्तं प्रसादं तु गृह्णाद्भक्तिपूर्वकम्
The book and the speaker should be worshipped daily; one should accept the offering given by the speaker with devotion.
कुमारी: पूजयेन्नित्यं भोजयेत्प्रार्थयेच्च यः । सुवासिनीश्च विप्रांश्च तस्य सिद्धिर्न संशयः
Whoever daily worships, feeds, and prays to young girls, married women, and Brahmins—there is no doubt that he attains success.
गायत्र्या नामसाहस्रं समाप्तावथ वा पठेत् । विष्णोर्नामसहस्रं च सर्वदोषोपशान्तये
At the conclusion, one may recite the thousand names of Gāyatrī, or the thousand names of Viṣṇu, for the removal of all faults.
यस्य स्मृत्या च नामोक्त्या तपोयज्ञक्रियादिषु । न्यूनं संपूर्णतां याति तस्माद्विष्णुं च कीर्तयेत्
By remembering and uttering His name, any deficiency in austerities, sacrifices, or rites becomes complete; therefore, one should praise Viṣṇu.
देव्याः सप्तशतीमंत्रैः समाप्तौ होममाचरेत् । देवीमाहात्म्यमूलेन नवार्णमनुनाऽथवा
At the conclusion, one should perform a fire offering with the seven hundred mantras of the Goddess, or with the root mantra of the Devī Māhātmya, or with the nine-letter mantra.
गायत्र्या त्वथवा होमः पायसेन ससर्पिषा । यतो भागवतं त्वेतद्गायत्रीमयमीरितम्
Alternatively, the fire offering may be performed with Gāyatrī, using rice pudding with ghee; for this Bhāgavata is declared to be permeated by Gāyatrī.
वाचकं तोषयेत्सम्यग्वस्त्रभूषाधनादिभिः । प्रसन्ने वाचके सर्वाः प्रसन्ना तस्य देवताः
One should properly please the speaker with garments, ornaments, and wealth; when the speaker is pleased, all deities are pleased with him.
ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेद्भक्त्या दक्षिणाभिश्च तोषयेत् ! पृथिव्यां देवरूपास्ते तुष्टेष्वेष्वीप्सितं फलम्
One should feed Brahmins with devotion and satisfy them with gifts; for they are embodiments of the gods on earth, and when they are pleased, one's desired fruits are attained.
सुवासिनी: कुमारीश्च देवीभक्तया च भोजयेत् । ताभ्योऽपि दक्षिणां दत्त्वा प्रार्थयेत्सिद्धिमात्मनः
One should also feed married women and young girls with devotion to the Goddess, and after giving them gifts, pray for one's own success.
दद्याद्दानानि चान्यानि सुवर्णं गाः पयस्विनीः । हयानिभान्मेदिनीं च तस्य स्यादक्षयं फलम्
One should give other gifts as well—gold, cows that give milk, horses, elephants, and land; for him, the reward will be inexhaustible.
देवीभागवतं चैतल्लिखितं शोभनाक्षरम् । हेमसिंहासने स्थाप्यं पट्टवस्त्रेण वेष्टितम्
This Devī Bhāgavata, written in beautiful script, should be placed on a golden throne and wrapped in silk cloth.
अष्टम्यां वा नवम्यां च वाचकायार्चिताय च । दद्यात्स भोगान्भुक्त्वेह दुर्लभं मोक्षमाप्नुयात्
On the eighth or ninth day, after worshipping the speaker, one should give him enjoyment; after enjoying here, he attains the rare liberation.
दरिद्रो दुर्बलो बालस्तरुणो जरठोऽपि वा । पुराणवेत्ता वैद्यः स्यात्पूज्यो मान्यश्च सर्वदा
Whether poor, weak, young, youthful, or even aged, one who knows the Purāṇas or is a physician should always be respected and honored.
सन्ति लोकस्य बहवो गुरवो गुणजन्मतः । सर्वेषामपि तेषां च पुराणज्ञः परो गुरुः
There are many teachers in the world, born of virtue; yet among them all, the knower of the Purāṇas is the supreme teacher.
पौराणिको ब्राह्मणस्तु व्यासासनसमाश्रितः । असमाप्ते प्रसंगे तु नमस्कुर्यान्न कस्यचित्
A Brāhmaṇa versed in the Purāṇas, seated on Vyāsa's seat, should not bow to anyone during the discourse until it is completed.
पौराणिकीं कथां दिव्यां येऽपि शृण्वंत्यभक्तितः । तेषां पुण्यफलं नास्ति दुःखदारिद्र्यभागिनाम्
Those who listen to the divine Purāṇic story without devotion gain no merit, and remain subject to suffering and poverty.
असंपूज्य पुराणं तु ताम्बूलकुसुमादिभिः । ये शृण्वंति कथां देव्यास्ते दरिद्रा भवंति हि
Those who listen to the Goddess's story without first honoring the Purāṇa with offerings like betel or flowers truly become poor.
कीर्त्यमानां कथां त्यक्त्वा ये व्रजंत्यन्यतो नराः । भोगान्तरे प्रणश्यंति तेषां दाराश्च सम्पदः
Those who, abandoning the recited story, go elsewhere, lose their enjoyments, and their spouses and wealth perish.
ये च तुंगासनारूढाः कथां शृण्वंति दांभिकाः । ते वायसा भवंत्यत्र भुक्त्वा निरययातनाम्
Those arrogant ones who, seated on high seats, listen to the story become crows here after suffering the torments of hell.
` ये चाढ्यासनसंस्थाश्च ये वीरासनसंस्थिताः । शृण्वंति च कथां दिव्यां ते स्युरर्जुनशाखिनः
Those seated on low or heroic seats who listen to the divine story become birds dwelling on arjuna trees.
कथायां कीर्त्यमानायां ये वदंति दुरुत्तरम् । रासभास्ते भवंतीह कृकलासास्ततः परम्
Those who utter harsh words during the recitation of the story become donkeys here, and after that, kites.
निंदंति ये पुराणज्ञान्कथां वा पापहारिणीम् । ते तु जन्मशतं दुष्टाः शुनकाः स्युर्न संशयः
Those wicked ones who revile the knowers of the Purāṇas or the sin-destroying story become dogs for a hundred births, without doubt.
ये शृण्वंति कथां वक्तुः समानासनसंस्थिताः । गुरुतल्पसमं पापं लभंते नरकालयाः
Those who listen to the story while seated on the same seat as the speaker incur a sin equal to violating the teacher's bed and go to hell.
ये चाप्रणम्य शृण्वंति ते भवन्ति विषद्रुमाः । शयाना येऽपि शृण्वंति भवंत्यजगराहयः
Those who listen without bowing become poisonous trees; and those who listen while lying down become pythons.
ये कदाचन पौराणीं न शृण्वंति कथां नराः । ते घोरं नरकं भुक्त्वा भवन्ति ग्रामसूकराः
Those men who never listen to the Purāṇic story, after suffering terrible hell, are born as village pigs.
ये कथां नानुमोदंते विघ्नं कुर्वन्ति ये शठाः । कोट्यब्दं निरयं भुक्त्वा भवंति ग्रामसूकराः
Those who do not approve of the story or wickedly create obstacles, after enduring hell for millions of years, are born as village pigs.
आसनं भाजनं द्रव्यं फलं वस्त्राणि कम्बलम् । पुराणज्ञाय यच्छन्ति ते व्रजन्ति हरेः पदम्
Those who give a seat, vessel, wealth, fruit, clothes, or blanket to the knower of the Purāṇas attain the abode of Hari.
पुराणपुस्तकस्यापि ये पट्टवसनं नवम् । प्रयच्छन्ति शुभं सूत्रं ते नराः सुखभागिनः
Those who give new silk cloth or auspicious thread even to the book of the Purāṇa become enjoyers of happiness.
पुराणानां तु सर्वेषां श्रवणाद्यत्फलं लभेत् । तस्माच्छतगुणं पुण्यं देवीभागवताल्लभेत्
Whatever fruit is obtained from hearing any of the Purāṇas, a hundred times that merit is gained from the Devī Bhāgavata.
यथा सरित्सु प्रवरा गंगा देवेषु शंकरः । काव्ये रामायणं यद्वज्ज्योतिष्मत्सु यथा रविः
Just as among rivers the Gaṅgā is supreme, among gods Śaṅkara, among poems the Rāmāyaṇa, and among luminaries the sun—