स पीडयति दुष्टात्मा मुनीन् वेदांश्च सर्वशः । न कोऽपि विद्यते तस्य हन्ताद्य भुवनत्रये
That wicked soul torments the sages and the Vedas in every way; today, in the three worlds, there is no one who can slay him.
तस्माच्छीर्षं हयस्यास्य समुद्धृत्य मनोहरम् । देहेऽत्र विशिरोविष्णोस्त्वष्टा संयोजयिष्यति
Therefore, the head of this horse, beautiful to behold, will be taken and joined to the body of Vishnu by Tvashta.
हयग्रीवोऽथ भगवान्हनिष्यति तमासुरम् । पापिष्ठं दानवं क्रूरं देवानां हितकाम्यया
Then the blessed Hayagriva will slay that demon, the most sinful and cruel Danava, desiring the welfare of the gods.
सूत उवाच एवं सुरांस्तदाभाष्य शर्वाणी विरराम ह । देवास्तदातिसन्तुष्टास्तमूचुर्देवशिल्पिनम्
Suta said: Having thus addressed the gods, Sharvani became silent. The gods, exceedingly pleased, then spoke to the divine artisan.
देवा ऊचुः कुरु कार्यं सुराणां वै विष्णोः शीर्षाभियोजनम् । दानवप्रवरं दैत्यं हयग्रीवो हनिष्यति
The gods said: Perform the task for the gods—join the horse's head to Vishnu. Hayagriva will slay the foremost Daitya, the Danava.
सूत उवाच इति श्रुत्वा वचस्तेषां त्वष्टा चातित्वरान्वितः । वाजिशीर्षं चकर्ताशु खड्गेन सुरसन्निधौ
Suta said: Hearing their words, Tvashta, filled with great haste, swiftly cut off the horse's head with a sword in the presence of the gods.
विष्णोः शरीरे तेनाशु योजितं वाजिमस्तकम् । हयग्रीवो हरिर्जातो महामायाप्रसादतः
That horse's head was quickly joined to Vishnu's body; by the grace of the great Maya, Hari became Hayagriva.
कियता तेन कालेन दानवो मददर्पितः । निहतस्तरसा संख्ये देवानां रिपुरोजसा
Within a short time, that Danava, intoxicated with pride, was slain with force in battle by the power of the gods' enemy.
य इदं शुभमाख्यानं शृण्वन्ति भुवि मानवाः । सर्वदुःखविनिर्मुक्तास्ते भवन्ति न संशयः
Those people on earth who listen to this auspicious narrative become freed from all suffering—there is no doubt.
महामायाचरित्रञ्च पवित्रं पापनाशनम् । पठतां शृण्वतां चैव सर्वसम्पत्तिकारकम्
The story of the great Maya is pure and destroys sin; for those who recite or listen to it, it brings all prosperity.
मधुकैटभयोर्युद्धोद्योगवर्णनम् ऋषय ऊचुः सौम्य यच्च त्वया प्रोक्तं शौरेर्युद्धं महार्णवे । मधुकैटभयोः सार्धं पञ्चवर्षसहस्रकम्
Description of the battle and preparations of Madhu and Kaitabha. The sages said: Gentle one, what you have told about the battle of Shauri in the great ocean, together with Madhu and Kaitabha, lasted five thousand years.
कस्मात्तौ दानवौ जातौ तस्मिन्नेकार्णवे जले । महावीर्यो दुराधर्षौ देवैरपि सुदुर्जयौ
Why were those two Danavas born in that single ocean of water, possessing great strength, difficult to overcome, and even very hard for the gods to defeat?
कथं तावसुरौ जातौ कथं च हरिणा हतौ । तदाचक्ष्व महाप्राज्ञ चरितं परमाद्भुतम्
How were those two Asuras born, and how were they slain by Hari? Tell us, O greatly wise one, this most wondrous tale.
श्रोतुकामा वयं सर्वे त्वं वक्ता च बहुश्रुतः । दैवाच्चात्रैव संजातः संयोगश्च तथावयोः
We all wish to hear; you are the speaker and well-versed. By fate, this union has occurred, as has our meeting with you.
मूर्खेण सह संयोगो विषादपि सुदुर्जरः । विज्ञेन सह संयोगः सुधारससमः स्मृतः
Union with a fool is harder than poison; union with the wise is remembered as being like the essence of nectar.
जीवन्ति पशवः सर्वे खादन्ति मेहयन्ति च । जानन्ति विषयाकारं व्यवायसुखमद्भुतम्
All animals live, eat, and defecate; they know the forms of sense objects and the wondrous pleasure of intercourse.
न तेषां सदसज्ज्ञानं विवेको न च मोक्षदः । पशुभिस्ते समा ज्ञेया येषां न श्रवणादरः
Those who have no discernment of real and unreal, no discrimination, and no liberation—know them to be like animals, those who have no reverence for hearing.
मृगाद्याः पशवः केचिज्जानन्ति श्रावणं सुखम् । अश्रोत्राः फणिनश्चैव मुमुहुर्नादपानतः
Some animals, such as deer and others, know the pleasure of hearing; but serpents, lacking ears, are deprived of the joy of sound.
पञ्चानामिन्द्रियाणां वै शुभे श्रवणदर्शने । श्रवणाद्वस्तुविज्ञानं दर्शनाच्चित्तरञ्जनम्
Of the five senses, hearing and sight are considered auspicious; through hearing comes knowledge of things, and through sight, delight of the mind.
श्रवणं त्रिविधं प्रोक्तं सात्त्विकं राजसं तथा । तामसं च महाभाग सुज्ञोक्तं निश्चयान्वितम्
Hearing is said to be of three kinds: sāttvika, rājasika, and tāmasika, O noble one, as explained by the wise with certainty.
सात्त्विकं वेदशास्त्रादि साहित्यं चैव राजसम् । तामसं युद्धवार्ता च परदोषप्रकाशनम्
Sāttvika hearing is of the Vedas, scriptures, and similar; rājasika is of literature; tāmasika is talk of war and exposing the faults of others.
सात्त्विकं त्रिविधं प्रोक्तं प्रज्ञावद्भिश्च पण्डितैः । उत्तमं मध्यमं चैव तथैवाधममित्युत
Sāttvika is also said to be threefold by the learned and wise: superior, middling, and inferior.
उत्तमं मोक्षफलदं स्वर्गदं मध्यमं तथा । अधमं भोगदं प्रोक्तं निर्णीय विदितं बुधैः
Superior gives the fruit of liberation, middling gives heaven, and inferior is said to give enjoyment—thus determined and known by the wise.
साहित्यं चैव त्रिविधं स्वीयायां चोत्तमं स्मृतम् । मध्यमं वारयोषायां परोढायां तथाधमम्
Literature too is threefold: one's own is considered superior, that of a courtesan is middling, and that of another's wife is inferior.
तामसं त्रिविधं ज्ञेयं विद्वद्भिः शास्त्रदर्शिभिः । आततायिनियुद्धं यत्तदुत्तममुदाहृतम्
Tāmasika is to be known as threefold by those learned in scripture: fighting with aggressors is called superior.
मध्यमं चापि विद्वेषात्पाण्डवानां तथारिभिः । अधमं निर्निमित्तं तु विवादे कलहे तथा
Middling is fighting out of enmity, as with the Pāṇḍavas and their foes; inferior is quarrelling and conflict without cause.
तदत्र श्रवणं मुख्यं पुराणस्य महामते । बुद्धिप्रवर्धनं पुण्यं ततः पापप्रणाशनम्
Therefore, O wise one, hearing the Purāṇa is foremost; it increases understanding, brings merit, and destroys sin.
तदाख्याहि महाबुद्धे कथां पौराणिकीं शुभाम् । श्रुतां द्वैपायनात्पूर्वं सर्वार्थस्य प्रसाधिनीम्
So, O greatly intelligent one, narrate the auspicious Purāṇic tale, as you heard it before from Vyāsa, which brings about all good.
सूत उवाच यूयं धन्या महाभागा धन्योऽहं पृथिवीतले । येषां श्रवणबुद्धिश्च ममापि कथने किल
Sūta said: You are blessed, O noble ones, and I am blessed on this earth, for you have the desire to hear and I the opportunity to speak.
पुरा चैकार्णवे जाते विलीने भुवनत्रये । शेषपर्यङ्कसुप्ते च देवदेवे जनार्दने
Long ago, when the three worlds were dissolved in the one ocean, and Janārdana, Lord of the gods, lay asleep on the serpent-bed,