अत्रिरेकोनविंशेऽथ गौतमस्तु ततः परम् । उत्तमश्चैकविंशेऽथ हर्यात्मा परिकीर्तितः
Atri in the nineteenth, then Gautama after that; Uttama in the twenty-first, known as Haryātmā.
वेनो वाजश्रवाश्चैव सोमोऽमुष्यायणस्तथा । तृणबिन्दुस्तथा व्यासो भार्गवस्तु ततः परम्
Vena, Vājaśravā, Soma, Amuṣyāyaṇa, Tṛṇabindu, Vyāsa, and then Bhārgava.
ततः शक्तिर्जातुकर्ण्यः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्ततः । अष्टाविंशतिसंख्येयं कथिता या मया श्रुता
Then Śakti, Jātukarṇya, and then Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana; these twenty-eight are recounted as I have heard.
कृष्णद्वैपायनात्प्रोक्तं पुराणं च मया श्रुतम् । श्रीमद्भागवतं पुण्यं सर्वदुःखौघनाशनम्
From Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana, I have heard the Purāṇa called the glorious Bhāgavata, holy and destroyer of all heaps of sorrow.
कामदं मोक्षदं चैव वेदार्थपरिबृंहितम् । सर्वागमरसारामं मुमुक्षूणां सदा प्रियम्
It grants desires and liberation, is adorned with the meaning of the Vedas, is the delight of the essence of all scriptures, and is always dear to those seeking liberation.
व्यासेन कृत्वातिशुभं पुराणं शुकाय पुत्राय महात्मने यत् । वैराग्ययुक्ताय च पाठितं वै विज्ञाय चैवारणिसम्भवाय
Vyāsa composed this most auspicious Purāṇa and taught it to his son Śuka, the great soul, endowed with detachment, knowing him to be born of the fire-stick.
श्रुतं मया तत्र तथा गृहीतं यथार्थवद्व्यासमुखान्मुनीन्द्राः । पुराणगुह्यं सकलं समेतं गुरोः प्रसादात्करुणानिधेश्च
I have heard and received it there, just as it was, from the mouth of Vyāsa and the great sages, the entire secret of the Purāṇas, by the grace of my guru, the ocean of compassion.
सूतेन पृष्टः सकलं जगाद द्वैपायनस्तत्र पुराणगुह्यम् । अयोनिजेनाद्भुतबुद्धिना वै श्रुतं मया तत्र महाप्रभावम्
When Sūta asked, Dvaipāyana there revealed all the Purāṇa's secrets; I heard it from that one not born from a womb, of wondrous intellect and great power.
श्रीमद्भागवतामरांघ्रिपफलास्वादादरः सत्तमाः संसारार्णवदुर्विगाह्यसलिलं सन्तर्तुकामः शुकः । नानाख्यानरसालयं श्रुतिपुटैः प्रेम्णाशृणोदद्भुतं तच्छ्रुत्वा न विमुच्यते कलिभयादेवंविधः कः क्षितौ
The best among men, Śuka, desiring to cross the difficult ocean of worldly existence, listened with love through attentive ears to the wondrous Bhāgavata, a treasury of many stories and the nectar of the gods' feet; who, having heard it, would not be freed from the fear of Kali in this world?
पापीयानपि वेदधर्मरहितः स्वाचारहीनाशयो ॥ व्याजेनापि शृणोति यः परमिदं श्रीमत्पुराणोत्तमम् । भुक्त्या भोगकलापमत्र विपुलं देहावसानेऽचलं योगिप्राप्यमवाप्नुयाद्भगवतीनामाङ्कितं सुन्दरम्
Even the most sinful, devoid of Vedic dharma and good conduct, who listens even by pretense to this supreme, glorious Purāṇa, enjoys abundant pleasures here and, at life's end, attains the beautiful, unshakable state marked by the names of the Lord, which is reached by yogis.
या निर्गुणा हरिहरादिभिरप्यलभ्या विद्या सतां प्रियतमाथ समाधिगम्या । सा तस्य चित्तकुहरे प्रकरोति भावं यः संशृणोति सततं तु सतीपुराणम्
That knowledge, beyond qualities, unattainable even by Hari, Hara, and others, most dear to the good and realized through meditation, arises in the cave of the heart of one who always listens to this pure Purāṇa.
सम्प्राप्य मानुषभवं सकलाङ्गयुक्तं पोतं भवार्णवजलोत्तरणाय कामम् । सम्प्राप्य वाचकमहो न शृणोति मूढः स वञ्चितोऽत्र विधिना सुखदं पुराणम्
Having obtained a human birth, complete in all limbs, a boat for crossing the ocean of existence, and having found a reciter, alas, the fool who does not listen is deceived by fate and loses the Purāṇa that brings happiness.
यः प्राप्य कर्णयुगलं पटुमानुषत्वे रागी शृणोति सततं च परापवादान् । सर्वार्थदं रसनिधिं विमलं पुराणं नष्टः कुतो न शृणुते भुवि मन्दबुद्धिः
He who, having gained a pair of ears in human birth, always listens with attachment to slander of others, but does not listen to the pure Purāṇa, the giver of all aims and a treasury of nectar—how is such a dull-witted one not lost on earth?
देवीसर्वोत्तमेतिकथनम् ऋषय ऊचुः सौम्य व्यासस्य भार्यायां कस्यां जातः सुतः शुकः । कथं वा कीदृशो येन पठितेयं सुसंहिता
The sages said: Gentle one, in which wife of Vyāsa was the son Śuka born? And how, and of what kind, by whom was this excellent collection recited?
अयोनिजस्त्वया प्रोक्तस्तथा चारणिजः शुकः । सन्देहोऽस्ति महांस्तत्र कथयाद्य महामते
You have said that Śuka was not born from a womb, and also that he was born of a celestial; there is great doubt in this—tell us now, O wise one.
गर्भयोगी श्रुतः पूर्वं शुको नाम महातपाः । कथं च पठितं तेन पुराणं बहुविस्तरम्
It is heard that Śuka, the great ascetic, was formerly a yogi in the womb; and how was this extensive Purāṇa recited by him?
सूत उवाच पुरा सरस्वतीतीरे व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । आश्रमे कलविंकौ तु दृष्ट्वा विस्मयमागतः
Sūta said: Once, on the banks of the Sarasvatī, Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, saw two young birds in his hermitage and was filled with wonder.
जातमात्रं शिशुं नीडे मुक्तमण्डान्मनोहरम् । ताम्रास्यं शुभसर्वाङ्गं पिच्छांकुरविवर्जितम्
In the nest, a newly born chick, freed from its shell and charming to behold, with a copper-colored beak, auspicious limbs, and lacking the beginnings of feathers, was seen.
तौ तु भक्ष्यार्थमत्यन्तं रतौ श्रमपरायणौ । शिशोश्चंचुपुटे भक्ष्यं क्षिपन्तौ च पुनः पुनः
Those two birds, entirely devoted to finding food and diligent in their efforts, repeatedly placed food into the chick’s open beak.
अङ्गेनाङ्गानि बालस्य घर्षयन्तौ मुदान्वितौ । चुम्बन्तौ च मुखं प्रेम्णा कलविंकौ शिशोः शुभम्
With joy, they rubbed their bodies against the chick’s limbs, and with affection, the two birds lovingly kissed the chick’s beautiful face.
वीक्ष्य प्रेमाद्भुतं तत्र बाले चटकयोस्तदा । व्यासश्चिन्तातुरः कामं मनसा समचिन्तयत्
Seeing that wonderful display of love in the young birds, Vyāsa was overcome with anxious thoughts and reflected deeply in his mind.
तिरश्चामपि यत्प्रेम पुत्रे समभिलक्ष्यते । किं चित्रं यन्मनुष्याणां सेवाफलमभीप्सताम्
If even among animals such love for their offspring is observed, what wonder is there that humans, desiring the fruits of service, should do the same?
किमेतौ चटकौ चास्य विवाहं सुखसाधनम् । विरच्य सुखिनौ स्यातां दृष्ट्वा वध्वा मुखं शुभम्
Will these two birds arrange a marriage for their chick, the means to happiness, and, seeing the bride’s beautiful face, become joyful?
अथवा वार्धके प्राप्ते परिचर्यां करिष्यति । पुत्रः परमधर्मिष्ठः पुण्यार्थं कलविंकयोः
Or, when old age comes, will the son, most righteous, serve his parents for the sake of merit, as is fitting for birds?
अर्जयित्वाथवा द्रव्यं पितरौ तर्पयिष्यति । अथवा प्रेतकार्याणि करिष्यति यथाविधि
Or, having acquired wealth, will he satisfy his parents? Or, will he perform the proper funeral rites for them as prescribed?
अथवा किं गयाश्राद्धं गत्वा संवितरिष्यति । नीलोत्सर्गं च विधिवत्प्रकरिष्यति बालकः
Or, will he go to Gayā and perform the ancestral offerings, and properly carry out the ritual of offering water for the departed?
संसारेऽत्र समाख्यातं सुखानामुत्तमं सुखम् । पुत्रगात्रपरिष्वंगो लालनञ्च विशेषतः
In this world, the highest happiness is said to be the embrace of a son’s body and especially the act of nurturing him.
अपुत्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गो नैव च नैव च । पुत्रादन्यतरन्नास्ति परलोकस्य साधनम्
For one without a son, there is no destiny, no heaven at all; apart from a son, there is no means to attain the next world.
मन्वादिभिश्च मुनिभिर्धर्मशास्त्रेषु भाषितम् । पुत्रवान्स्वर्गमाप्नोति नापुत्रस्तु कथञ्चन
It has been stated by Manu and other sages in the scriptures of dharma: one with a son attains heaven, but one without a son does not, in any way.
दृश्यतेऽत्र समक्षं तन्नानुमानेन साध्यते । पुत्रवान्मुच्यते पापादाप्तवाक्यं च शाश्वतम्
This is seen directly here and is not established by inference; one with a son is freed from sin—this is the eternal teaching.