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.
तस्मान्नास्य पुराणस्य लोकेऽन्यत्सदृशं परम् । अतः सदैव संसेव्यं देवीभागवतं द्विजाः
Therefore, in this world, there is nothing equal or superior to this Purāṇa; hence, O twice-born, the Devī Bhāgavata should always be served.
यस्याः प्रभावमखिलं न हि वेद धाता नो वा हरिर्न गिरिशो न हि चाप्यनन्तः । अंशांशका अपि च ते किमुतान्यदेवास्तस्यै नमोऽस्तु सततं जगदम्बिकायै
Whose entire power neither the Creator nor Hari nor Śiva nor Ananta knows; even their portions and sub-portions do not comprehend—what then of other gods? To her, the Mother of the world, I offer constant reverence.
यत्पादपंकजरजः समवाप्य विश्वं ब्रह्मा सृजत्यनुदिनं च बिभर्ति विष्णुः । रुद्रश्च संहरति नेतरथा समर्थास्तस्यै नमोऽस्तु सततं जगदम्बिकायै
By attaining the dust of whose lotus feet, Brahmā creates the universe daily, Viṣṇu sustains it, and Rudra dissolves it; none else is capable. To her, the Mother of the world, I offer constant reverence.
सुधाकूपारांतस्त्रिदशतरुवाटी विलसिते मणिद्वीपे चिन्तामणिमयगृहे चित्ररुचिरे । विराजन्तीमम्बां परशिवहृदि स्मेरवदनां नरो ध्यात्वा भोगं भजति खलु मोक्षं च लभते
In Maṇidvīpa, radiant with wells of nectar and groves of divine trees, in a house made of wish-fulfilling gems, shining with wondrous beauty, the Mother shines, smiling in the heart of Supreme Śiva; one who meditates on her attains both enjoyment and liberation.
ब्रह्मेशाच्युतशक्राद्यैर्महर्षिभिरुपासिता। जगतः श्रेयसे साऽस्तु मणिद्वीपाधिदेवता
Worshipped by Brahmā, Īśa, Acyuta, Śakra, and other great sages, may she, the presiding deity of Maṇidvīpa, bring welfare to the world.
ॐ सर्वचैतन्यरूपां तां आद्यां विद्यां च धीमहि । बुद्धिं या नः प्रचोदयात्
Om. We contemplate that primal knowledge, the embodiment of all consciousness, who may inspire our intellect.
शौनक उवाच - सूत सूत महाभाग धन्योऽसि पुरुषर्षभ । यदधीतास्त्वया सम्यक् पुराणसंहिताः शुभाः
Śaunaka said: Sūta, Sūta, most fortunate one, best among men, you are blessed, for you have thoroughly studied the auspicious collections of Purāṇas.
अष्टादश पुराणानि कृष्णेन मुनिनानघ । कथितानि सुदिव्यानि पठितानि त्वयानघ
The eighteen Purāṇas, O sinless one, were narrated by the sage Kṛṣṇa; you, O sinless one, have recited and studied them, most divine.
पञ्चलक्षणयुक्तानि सरहस्यानि मानद । त्वया ज्ञातानि सर्वाणि व्यासात्सत्यवतीसुतात्
O bestower of honor, all the Purāṇas endowed with the five characteristics and full of secrets have been learned by you from Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī.
अस्माकं पुण्ययोगेन प्राप्तस्त्वं क्षेत्रमुत्तमम् । दिव्यं विश्वसनं पुण्यं कलिदोषविवर्जितम्
By the merit of our good deeds, you have come to this excellent and sacred place, divine, trustworthy, holy, and free from the faults of the Kali age.