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—
आह्लादकानां चन्द्रश्च धनानां च यथा यशः । क्षमावतां यथा भूमिर्गाम्भीर्ये सागरो यथा
Just as the moon brings delight, as fame brings wealth, as the earth is steadfast for those who are patient, and as the ocean is deep, so too—
! मंत्राणां चैव सावित्री पापनाशे हरिस्मृतिः । अष्टादशपुराणानां देवीभागवतं तथा
Among mantras, Savitri is supreme; for the destruction of sin, remembrance of Hari is foremost; and among the eighteen Purāṇas, so too is the Devī Bhāgavata.
येन केनाप्युपायेन नवकृत्वः शृणोति चेत् । न शक्यं तत्फलं वक्तुं जीवन्मुक्तः स एव ह
By whatever means, if one listens to it nine times, its result cannot be described; such a person is indeed liberated while living.
भूतप्रेतविनाशाय राज्यलाभाय शत्रुतः । पुत्रलाभाय शृणुयाद्देवीभागवतं द्विजाः
For the destruction of ghosts and spirits, for gaining a kingdom from enemies, and for obtaining sons, one should listen to the Devī Bhāgavata, O twice-born.
श्रीमद्भागवतं यस्तु पठेद्वा शृणुयादपि । श्लोकार्द्धं श्लोकपादं वा संयाति परमां गतिम्
Whoever recites or even listens to the Śrīmad Bhāgavata, even half a verse or a quarter of a verse, attains the supreme state.
भगवत्या स्वयं देव्या श्लोकार्द्धेन प्रकाशितम् । शिष्यप्रशिष्यद्वारेण तदेव विपुलीकृतम्
By the Goddess herself, half a verse was revealed; through disciples and their disciples, that very teaching was expanded.
न गायत्र्याः परो धर्मो न गायत्र्याः परं तपः । न गायत्र्याः समो देवो न गायत्र्याः परो मनुः
There is no dharma higher than Gāyatrī, no austerity greater than Gāyatrī, no deity equal to Gāyatrī, nor any law superior to Gāyatrī.
गातारं त्रायते यस्माद्गायत्री तेन सोच्यते । साऽत्र भागवते देवी सरहस्या प्रतिष्ठिता
Because she protects the chanter, she is called Gāyatrī; here in the Bhāgavata, the secret Goddess is established.
अतो भागवतस्यास्य देव्याः प्रीतिकरस्य च । महांत्यपि पुराणानि कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्
Therefore, even the great Purāṇas do not equal a sixteenth part of this Bhāgavata, which brings joy to the Goddess.
श्रीमद्भागवतं पुराणममलं यद्ब्राह्मणानां धनं धर्मो धर्मसुतेन यत्र गदितो नारायणेनामलः । गायत्र्याश्च रहस्यमत्र च मणिद्वीपश्च संवर्णितः श्रीदेव्या हिमभूभृते भगवती गीता च गीता स्वयम्
The Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa, pure and immaculate, is the wealth of the brāhmaṇas; where the pure dharma is spoken by Nārāyaṇa, the secret of Gāyatrī is here, and Maṇidvīpa is described; the Goddess herself sang to Himavat.