स्नानदानोपचारेण पूजयित्वा यथाविधि । केन विष्णुः प्रसन्नः स्यात्स कथं पूज्यते नरैः ॥ ३,१.
After worshipping with bathing, gifts, and proper offerings, by what means does Vishnu become pleased, and how should he be worshipped by men?
मुक्तिसाधनभूतं च ब्रूहि तत्त्वविनिर्णयम् । सूत उवाच । शृणुध्वमृषयः सर्वे हरिं तत्त्वविनिर्णयम् ॥ ३,१.
Tell us the determination of truth regarding that which is the means to liberation. Sūta said: Listen, O sages, to the determination of truth about Hari.
नत्वा विष्णुं श्रियं वायुं भारतीं शेषसंज्ञकम् । द्वैपायनं गुरुं कृष्णं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथामति ॥ ३,१.
Having bowed to Vishnu, Śrī, Vāyu, Bhāratī, Śeṣa, Dvaipāyana, the guru, and Kṛṣṇa, I shall speak according to my understanding.
नास्ति नारायणसमं न भूतं न भविष्यति । एतेन सत्यवाक्येन सर्वार्थान्साधयाम्यहम् ॥ ३,१.
There is none equal to Nārāyaṇa, nor has there been, nor will there be. By this truthful statement, I accomplish all purposes.
शौनक उवाच । किमर्थं नमनं विष्णोर्ग्रन्थादौ मुनिसत्तम । कर्तव्यं ब्रूहि मे ब्रह्मन्कृपया मम सुव्रत ॥ ३,१.
Śaunaka said: For what reason, O best of sages, is it necessary to bow to Vishnu at the beginning of a scripture? Tell me, O Brahman, kindly, O virtuous one.
ततः श्रियं ततो वायुं भारतीं च ततः परम् । अन्ते व्यासं किमर्थं च त्वं नमस्कृतवानसि । सूतसूत महाभाग ब्रूहि कारणमत्र च ॥ ३,१.
Then to Śrī, then to Vāyu, then to Bhāratī, and finally to Vyāsa—why have you offered salutations to them? O Sūta, greatly fortunate, tell me the reason for this.
सूत उवाच । आदौ वन्द्यः सर्ववेदैकवेद्यो वेदे शास्त्रे सेतिहासे पुराणे । सत्तां प्रायो विष्णुरेवैक एव प्रकाशतेऽतो नम्य एको हरिर्हि ॥ ३,१.
Sūta said: At the beginning, the one to be worshipped is Vishnu alone, who is known through all the Vedas, in the Vedas, scriptures, histories, and Purāṇas. He alone shines forth as existence; therefore, Hari alone is to be worshipped.
सर्वत्र मुख्यस्त्वधिकोन्यतोपि स एव नम्यो न च शङ्कराद्याः । नमन्ति येऽविनयाच्छङ्करं तु विनायकं चण्डिकां रेणुकां च ॥ ३,१.
He alone is chief everywhere and superior to others; only he is to be worshipped, not Śaṅkara and others. Those who bow to Śaṅkara, Vināyaka, Caṇḍikā, and Reṇukā do so out of ignorance.
तथा सूर्यं भैरवं मातारश्व तथा वाणीं गिरिजां वै श्रियं च । सर्वेपि ते वैष्णवा नैव लोके न तद्भक्ता वेति चार्या वदन्ति ॥ ३,१.
Likewise, to Sūrya, Bhairava, Mātāraśva, Vāṇī, Girijā, and Śrī—all these are Vaiṣṇavas, not independent deities in the world, nor are their devotees; so say the teachers.
न पार्थिक्यान्नमनं कार्यमेव प्रीणन्ति नैता देवताः पूजनेन । पूजां गृहीत्वा देवताश्चैव सर्वाः किञ्चिद्दत्वा फलदानेन तांश्च ॥ ३,१.
Bowing to those who are not related to Pārtha is not to be done; these deities are not pleased by such worship. Even when worship is accepted, all the deities give only a little fruit.
संतर्प्य तुष्टैः स्वमनोनु सारात्तैः कारितां काम्यपूजां तथैव । निवेदयित्वा परदेवतायां विष्णौ हरौ श्रीपुरुषादिवन्द्ये ॥ ३,१.
Having satisfied them with offerings according to one's desire, and having performed the desired worship, one should dedicate it to the supreme deity, Vishnu, Hari, the lord of Śrī, and those worthy of worship.
इहापरत्रापि सुखेतराणि दास्यन्ति पश्चादधरं वै तमश्च । अतो ह्येते नैव पूज्या न नम्या मोक्षेच्छुभिर्ब्राह्मणाद्यैर्द्विजेन्द्र ॥ ३,१.
In this world and the next, they will give only mixed happiness; afterwards, lower darkness. Therefore, these are not to be worshipped or bowed to by those desiring liberation, O best of twice-born.
तथैव सर्वाश्रमिभिश्च नित्यं महाविपत्तावपि विप्रवर्याः । श्रीकाम्य या ये तु भजन्ति नित्यं श्रीब्रह्मरुद्रेद्रयमादिदेवान् ॥ ३,१.
Likewise, by all those in every stage of life, even in great calamity, O best of Brāhmaṇas. Those who desire Śrī and worship Brahma, Rudra, Indra, Yama, and other gods.
इहेव भुञ्जन्ति महच्च दुः खं महापदः कुष्ठभगन्दरादीन् । नमन्ति येऽवैष्णवान्ब्रह्मरुद्रवायु प्रतीकान्नैव ते विष्णुभक्ताः ॥ ३,१.
They enjoy great suffering here—misery, great disease, leprosy, fistula, and so on. Those who bow to non-Vaiṣṇava forms—Brahma, Rudra, Vāyu—they are not devotees of Vishnu.
अभिप्रायं त्वत्र वक्ष्ये मुनीन्द्राः परं गोप्यं हृदि धार्यं हि तद्धि । वायोः प्रतीकं पूज्यमेवेह विप्रा न ब्रह्मरुद्रादिप्रतीकमेव ॥ ३,१.
Now I will speak my intention here, O foremost sages, which is most secret and should be held in the heart. Among the forms, only that of Vāyu is to be worshipped here by Brāhmaṇas, not those of Brahma, Rudra, and others.
पूजाकाले देवदेवस्य विष्णोर्वायोः प्रतीकं योग्यभागे निधाय । अन्तर्गतं तस्य वायोर्हरिं च लक्ष्मीपतिं पूजयित्वा हि सम्यक् ॥ ३,१.
At the time of worship, placing the form of Vāyu, the representative of Vishnu, in the proper place, one should worship Hari, the lord of Lakṣmī, who is present within Vāyu, properly.
पश्चाद्वायोः सुप्रतीकं च सम्यङ्निर्माल्यशेषेण हरेः समर्चयेत् । पृथक्च स्रग्धूपविलेपनादिपूजां प्रकुर्वन्ति च ये विमूढः ॥ ३,१.
Afterwards, one should properly worship the excellent form of Vāyu with the remaining offerings from Hari. Those who perform separate worship with garlands, incense, ointments, and so on are deluded.
तेषां दुः खमिह लोके परत्र भविष्यते नात्र विचार्यमस्ति । प्रायश्चित्तं स्वस्ति विप्राः कथञ्चित्तत्कुर्वन्तु स्मरणं नाम विष्णोः ॥ ३,१.
For them, suffering will arise in this world and the next; there is no doubt about it. For atonement, O Brāhmaṇas, let them somehow remember the name of Vishnu.
पाषण्डरुद्रादिकसं प्रतिष्ठितान्हरेर्वायोः शङ्करस्य प्रतीकान् । नमन्ति ये फलबुद्ध्या विभूढास्तेषां फलं शाश्वतं दुः खमेव ॥ ३,१.
Those who, with the desire for reward, bow to images established for heretics, Rudra, and others, or to forms of Hari, Vāyu, or Śaṅkara, are truly deluded; for them, the result is only perpetual suffering.
वायोः प्रतीकं यदि विप्रवर्यैः प्रतिष्ठितं चेन्नमनं हि कार्यम् । नैवेद्यशेषेण हरेश्च विष्णोः पूजा कृता चेन्न हि दोषलेशः ॥ ३,१.
If an image of Vāyu has been established by excellent brāhmaṇas, then it should indeed be worshipped; and if worship is performed for Hari or Viṣṇu with the remnants of offerings, there is not even the slightest fault.
गुरुर्हि मुख्यो हनुमज्जनिर्महान्रामाङ्घ्रिभक्तो हनुमान्सदैव । एवं विदित्वा परमं हरिं च पुत्रं पुनर्मुख्यदेवस्य वायोः ॥ ३,१.
The foremost guru is Hanumān, the great devotee born of Vāyu, who is always devoted to the feet of Rāma; knowing thus, one should recognize the supreme Hari as the son, and again, as the principal deity of Vāyu.
नमस्कारो नान्यथा विप्रवर्या आधीयतां हृदि सर्वै रहस्यमम् । ये वैष्णवा वैष्ण वदासभृत्याः सर्वेपि ते सर्वदा विष्णुमेव ॥ ३,१.
O best of brāhmaṇas, worship should not be done otherwise; let this secret be held in your heart. All those who are Vaiṣṇavas, servants of Viṣṇu, are always devoted solely to Viṣṇu.
नमन्ति ये वै प्रतिपादयन्ति तथैव पुण्यानि च सात्त्विकानि । नमन्ति ये वासुदेवं हरिं च सम्यक्स्वशक्त्या प्रतिपादयन्ति ॥ ३,१.
Those who bow and thus establish virtuous and sattvic merits, those who bow to Vāsudeva, to Hari, and establish him rightly according to their ability, are truly virtuous.
प्रवृत्तिमार्गेण न पूजयन्ति ह्यापत्काले परदैवं तदन्यम् । ते वैष्णवा वैष्णवदासभृत्या अन्ये च सर्वेऽवैष्णवमात्रकाः स्मृताः ॥ ३,१.
Those who do not worship other deities, even in times of distress, following the path of action, are Vaiṣṇavas, servants of Viṣṇu; all others are considered merely non-Vaiṣṇavas.
उपक्रमैरुपसंहारस्य लिङ्गैर्हरिं गुरुं ह्यन्तरेणैव यान्ति । तानेवाहुः सत्पुराणानि विप्राः कलौ युगे नाभ्यसूयन्ति सर्वे ॥ ३,१.
By means of introductions, conclusions, and signs, they approach Hari as the guru, and only through him; these alone are declared in the true Purāṇas by the brāhmaṇas, and in the Kali age, none of them are to be censured.
यतो हितान्ये प्रतिपादयन्ति प्रवृत्तिधर्मान्स्वस्ववर्णानुरूपान् । अतो ह्यसूयन्ति सदा विमूढाः कलौ हि विप्राः प्रचुरा हि तेपि ॥ ३,१.
Because they establish beneficial duties appropriate to each one's own class, therefore, the deluded always find fault in the Kali age; and indeed, such brāhmaṇas are numerous.
न चास्ति विष्णोः सदृशं च दैवतं न चास्ति वायोः सदृशो गुरुश्च । न चास्ति तीर्थं सदृशं विष्णुपद्याः न विष्णुभक्तेन समोस्ति भक्तः ॥ ३,१.
There is no deity equal to Viṣṇu, no guru equal to Vāyu, no sacred place equal to Viṣṇupadā, and no devotee equal to a devotee of Viṣṇu.
अन्यानि विष्णोः प्रतिपादकानि सर्वाणि ते सात्त्विकानीति चाहुः । श्राव्याणि तान्येव मनुष्यलोके श्राव्याणि नान्यानि च दुःखदानि ॥ ३,१.
All other teachings that establish Viṣṇu are declared to be sattvic; only those should be heard among people, and not others, for the rest bring only suffering.
कलौ युगे सर्व पुराणमध्ये त्रीण्येव मुख्यानि हरिप्रियाणि । मुख्यं पुराणं हि कलौ नृणां च श्रेयस्करं भागवतं पुराणम् ॥ ३,१.
In the Kali age, among all the Purāṇas, only three are principal and dear to Hari; among them, the Bhāgavata Purāṇa is the foremost for people, bestowing the highest good.
पूर्वं हि सृष्टिः प्रतिपाद्यते त्र यतो ह्यतो भागवतं परं स्मृतम् । यस्मिन्पुराणे कथयन्ति सृष्टिं ह्यादौ विष्णोर्ब्रह्मरुद्रादिकानाम् ॥ ३,१.
First, creation is described therein; therefore, the Bhāgavata is considered supreme, for in that Purāṇa, the creation of Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Rudra, and others is narrated at the beginning.