तथा गुणैस्त्रिभिर्हीनो न देहीति विनिश्चयः । देवदेहो मनुष्यो वा तिरश्चो वा नराधिप
Thus, it is certain that without the three qualities, there is no body—whether divine, human, animal, or kingly.
गुणैर्विरहितो न स्यान्मृद्विहीनो घटो यथा । ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रस्त्रयश्चामी गुणाश्रयाः
Just as a pot cannot exist without clay, so too, Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra are all dependent on the qualities.
कदाचित्प्रीतियुक्तास्ते तथाप्रीतियुताः पुनः । तथा विषादयुक्तास्ते भवन्ति गुणयोगतः
Sometimes they are endowed with joy, and at other times with displeasure; likewise, they experience sorrow, all according to the influence of the qualities.
ब्रह्मा कदाचित्सत्त्वस्थस्तदा शान्तः समाधिमान् । प्रीतियुक्तो भवेत्सर्वभूतेषु ज्ञानसंयुतः
At times, Brahma abides in the quality of sattva, then he is peaceful, composed, filled with joy, and endowed with knowledge toward all beings.
पुनः सत्त्वविहीनस्तु रजोगुणसमावृतः । तदा भवेद् घोररूपः सर्वत्राप्रीतिसंयुतः
Again, when devoid of sattva and enveloped by rajas, he becomes fierce in form and entirely lacking in joy.
यदा तमोगुणाविष्टो बाहुल्येन भवेद्विधिः । तदा विषादसम्पन्नो मूढो भवति नान्यथा
When the lawgiver is overwhelmed predominantly by tamas, then he is filled with sorrow and delusion—never otherwise.
माधवोऽपि सदा सत्त्वसंश्रितः सर्वथा भवेत् । यदा शान्तः प्रीतियुक्तो भवेज्ज्ञानसमन्वितः
Madhava, too, is always associated with sattva in every way; when he is peaceful, joyful, and endowed with knowledge.
स एव रजआधिक्यादप्रीतिसंयुतो भवेत् । घोरश्च सर्वभूतेषु गुणाधीनो रमापतिः
But when predominated by rajas, he becomes devoid of joy, fierce toward all beings—the Lord of Lakshmi is subject to the qualities.
रुद्रोऽपि सत्त्वसंयुक्तः प्रीतिमाञ्छान्तिमान्भवेत् । रजोनिमीलितः सोऽपि घोरः प्रीतिविवर्जितः
Rudra, too, when united with sattva, is joyful and peaceful; but when covered by rajas, he is fierce and devoid of joy.
तमोगुणयुतः सोऽपि मूढो विषादयुग्भवेत् । एते यदि गुणाधीना ब्रह्मविष्णुहरादयः
When joined with tamas, he too becomes deluded and filled with sorrow. If even Brahma, Vishnu, and Hara are subject to the qualities—
सूर्यवंशोद्भवास्तद्वत्सोमवंशभवा अपि । मन्वादयश्च ये प्रोक्ताश्चतुर्दश युगे युगे
So too are those born in the Solar and Lunar dynasties, and the Manus and others spoken of in each of the fourteen ages.
अन्येषां चैव का वार्ता संसारेऽस्मिन्नृपोत्तम । मायाधीनं जगत्सर्वं सदेवासुरमानुषम्
What need is there to speak of others in this world, O best of kings? The entire universe, with gods, demons, and humans, is under the power of Maya.
तस्माद्राजन्न कर्तव्यः सन्देहोऽत्र कदाचन । देही मायापराधीनश्चेष्टते तद्वशानुगः
Therefore, O king, never entertain any doubt about this: the embodied being acts under the control of Maya, following her direction.
सा च माया परे तत्त्वे संविद्रूपेऽपि सर्वदा । तदधीना प्रेरिता च तेन जीवेषु सर्वदा
And that Maya, even in the highest reality, which is of the nature of consciousness, is always governed and impelled by That, in all living beings.
ततो मायाविशिष्टां तां संविदं परमेश्वरीम् । मायेश्वरीं भगवतीं सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम्
Therefore, one should meditate upon that Supreme Mistress of consciousness, distinguished by Maya, the Goddess, the Lady of Maya, whose form is existence, consciousness, and bliss.
ध्यायेत्तथाराधयेच्च प्रणमेच्च जपेदपि । तेन सा सदया भूत्वा मोचयत्येव देहिनम्
One should meditate on her, worship her, bow to her, and recite her names; by this, she, being compassionate, surely liberates the embodied soul.
स्वमायां संहरत्येव स्वानुभूतिप्रदानतः । भुवनं खलु माया स्यादीश्वरी तस्य नायिका
She withdraws her own Maya by granting direct realization; indeed, the world is Maya, and she is its sovereign Mistress.
भुवनेशी ततः प्रोक्ता देवी त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरी । तद्रूपे यदि सक्तं स्याच्चित्तं भूमिपते सदा
Therefore, she is called the Mistress of the world, the Goddess, the Beauty of the Three Worlds; if the mind is always attached to her form, O king—
मायया किं भवेत्तत्र सदसद्भूतया नृप । तस्मान्मायानिरासार्थं नान्यद्वै देवतान्तरम्
O King, what can truly exist there, real or unreal, when all is pervaded by Māyā? Therefore, to dispel Māyā, there is truly no other deity.
समर्थं तु विना देवीं सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम् । तमोराशिं नाशयितुं शक्तं नैव तमो भवेत्
Without the Goddess, who is of the nature of Existence, Consciousness, and Bliss, nothing else is capable of destroying the mass of darkness; indeed, darkness cannot remain.
किन्तु भानुप्रभाचन्द्रविद्युद्वह्निप्रभादयः । तस्मान्मायेश्वरीमम्बां स्वप्रकाशां तु संविदम्
But just as the light of the sun, moon, lightning, and fire arises, so too one should worship the Mother, the sovereign of Māyā, the self-luminous Consciousness.
आराधयेदतिप्रीत्या मायागुणनिवृत्तये । इति सम्यङ्मयाख्यातं वृत्रासुरवधादिकम्
One should worship Her with great devotion to remove the qualities of Māyā; thus I have properly explained the slaying of Vṛtrāsura and related events.
यत्पृष्टं राजशार्दूल किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि । पूर्वार्धोऽयं पुराणस्य कथितस्तव सुव्रत
O tiger among kings, what else do you wish to hear, having asked this? The first half of the Purāṇa has been narrated to you, O virtuous one.
यत्र देव्यास्तु महिमा विस्तरेणोपपादितः । एतद्रहस्यं श्रीमातुर्न देयं यस्य कस्यचित्
In which the greatness of the Goddess has been expounded in detail; this secret of the Blessed Mother is not to be given to just anyone.
देयं भक्ताय शान्ताय देवीभक्तिरताय च । शिष्याय ज्येष्ठपुत्राय गुरुभक्तियुताय च
It is to be given to a devotee who is peaceful and devoted to the Goddess, to a disciple, to an eldest son, or one endowed with devotion to the teacher.
इदमखिलकथानां सारभूतं पुराणं निखिलनिगमतुल्यं सप्रमाणानुविद्धम् । पठति परमभावाद्यः शृणोतीह भक्त्या स भवति धनवान्वै ज्ञानवान्मानवोऽत्र
This Purāṇa, which is the essence of all stories, equal to all the Vedas, and supported by authority—whoever recites it with supreme devotion or listens to it with faith here, becomes truly wealthy, wise, and noble.
दक्षप्रजापतिवर्णनम् सूत उवाच - श्रुत्वैतां तापसाद्दिव्यां कथां राजा मुदान्वितः । व्यासं पप्रच्छ धर्मात्मा परीक्षितसुतः पुनः
Description of Dakṣa Prajāpati. Sūta said: Having heard this divine tale from the sage, the king, filled with joy, again questioned Vyāsa, the righteous son of Parīkṣit.
जनमेजय उवाच - स्वामिन् सूर्यान्वयानां च राज्ञां वंशस्य विस्तरम् । तथा सोमान्वयानां च श्रोतुकामोऽस्मि सर्वथा
Janamejaya said: Master, I wish to hear in detail the lineage of kings descended from the Sun, as well as those descended from the Moon.
कथयानघ सर्वज्ञ कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम् । चरितं भूपतीनां च विस्तराद्वंशयोर्द्वयोः
O sinless and all-knowing one, narrate the story that destroys sin, and the deeds of the kings in detail from both these lineages.
ते हि सर्वे पराशक्तिभक्ता इति मया श्रुतम् । देवीभक्तस्य चरितं शृण्वन्कोऽस्ति विरक्तिभाक्
For I have heard that all of them were devoted to the Supreme Power; hearing the deeds of a devotee of the Goddess, who indeed becomes detached?