देवतानां पितॄणां च मनुष्याणां च सर्वदा कुर्यादहरहर्यज्ञैर् भूतर्षिगणतर्पणम्
One should always satisfy the gods, ancestors, and humans daily with offerings and rites that gratify beings, sages, and hosts of spirits.
स्वाध्यायैरर्चयेच्चर्षीन् होमैर्विद्वान्यथाविधि पितॄञ्छ्राद्धैर् अन्नदानैर् भूतानि बलिकर्मभिः
One should worship the seers with study, the ancestors with prescribed oblations, beings with offerings of food, and spirits with ritual offerings.
पञ्चैते विहिता यज्ञाः पञ्चसूनापनुत्तये कण्डनी पेषणी चुल्ली जलकुम्भी प्रमार्जनी
These five sacrifices are prescribed for the removal of the five household slaughters: the mortar, the grinding stone, the hearth, the water pot, and the broom.
पञ्च सूना गृहस्थस्य तेन स्वर्गं न गच्छति तत्पापनाशनायामी पञ्च यज्ञाः प्रकीर्तिताः
These five slaughters belong to the householder; because of them, he does not attain heaven. For the destruction of that sin, these five sacrifices are proclaimed.
द्वाविंशतिस्तथाष्टौ च ये संस्काराः प्रकीर्तिताः तद्युक्तो ऽपि न मोक्षाय यस्त्वात्मगुणवर्जितः
Even one endowed with the twenty-two and eight sacraments that are declared, if he is devoid of the qualities of the self, does not attain liberation.
तस्मादात्मगुणोपेतः श्रुतिकर्म समाचरेत् गोब्राह्मणानां वित्तेन सर्वदा भद्रमाचरेत्
Therefore, one endowed with the qualities of the self should perform scripturally enjoined actions, always acting for the welfare of cows and Brahmins with his wealth.
गोभूहिरण्यवासोभिर् गन्धमाल्योदकेन च पूजयेद्ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्करुद्रवस्वात्मकं शिवम्
With cows, land, gold, garments, fragrant flowers, and water, one should worship the auspicious One—who is Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Sun, Rudra, Fire, and the Self.
व्रतोपवासैर् विधिवच्छ्रद्धया च विमत्सरः यो ऽसाव् अतीन्द्रियः शान्तः सूक्ष्मो ऽव्यक्तः सनातनः वासुदेवो जगन्मूर्तिस् तस्य सम्भूतयो ह्य् अमी
With vows, fasts, proper rituals, and faith, free from envy—he who is beyond the senses, peaceful, subtle, unmanifest, eternal, Vāsudeva, the form of the universe—from him these manifestations arise.
ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च भगवान् मार्तण्डो वृषवाहनः अष्टौ च वसवस्तद्वद् एकादश गणाधिपाः लोकपालाधिपाश्चैव पितरो मातरस्तथा
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the Blessed One, the Sun, the Lord of Bulls, the eight Vasus, likewise the eleven leaders of hosts, the guardians of the worlds, the ancestors, and also the mothers—
इमा विभूतयः प्रोक्ताश् चराचरसमन्विताः ब्रह्माद्याश् चतुरो मूलम् अव्यक्ताधिपतिः स्मृतः
These powers have been declared, endowed with the moving and unmoving; Brahmā and the others, four in number, have their root in the Lord of the Unmanifest.
ॐ ॐ ब्रह्मणा चाथ सूर्येण विष्णुनाथ शिवेन वा अभेदात्पूजितेन स्यात् पूजितं सचराचरम्
Om, om—whether by Brahmā, the Sun, Viṣṇu, or Śiva, when worship is performed without distinction, all that moves and does not move is worshipped.
ब्रह्मादीनां परं धाम त्रयाणामपि संस्थितिः वेदमूर्ताव् अतः पूषा पूजनीयः प्रयत्नतः
The supreme abode of Brahmā and the others, and the foundation of all three, is established in the form of the Veda; therefore Pūṣan is to be worshipped with diligence.
तस्मादग्निद्विजमुखान् कृत्वा सम्पूजयेदिमान् दानैर्व्रतोपवासैश्च जपहोमादिना नरः
Therefore, having made fire and brahmins the foremost, one should duly honor them with gifts, vows, fasts, recitation, offerings, and the like.
इति क्रियायोगपरायणस्य वेदान्तशास्त्रस्मृतिवत्सलस्य विकर्मभीतस्य सदा न किंचित् प्राप्तव्यमस्तीह परे च लोके
For one devoted to the practice of rites, who cherishes the Vedānta, śāstra, and smṛti, and who always fears wrongdoing, there is nothing here or in the next world that remains unattainable.
पुराणसंख्यामाचक्ष्व सूत विस्तरशः क्रमात् दानधर्ममशेषं तु यथावदनुपूर्वशः
O Sūta, recount in detail and in order the enumeration of the Purāṇas, and also the complete law of giving, properly and sequentially.
इदमेव पुराणेषु पुराणपुरुषस्तदा यदुक्तवान्स विश्वात्मा मनवे तन्निबोधत
This very teaching, spoken in the Purāṇas by the Primeval Person, the Soul of the Universe, to Manu—listen to it.
पुराणं सर्वशास्त्राणां प्रथमं ब्रह्मणा स्मृतम् अनन्तरं च वक्त्रेभ्यो वेदास्तस्य विनिर्गताः
The Purāṇa was remembered by Brahmā as the first of all scriptures, and then, from his mouths, the Vedas were brought forth.
पुराणमेकमेवासीत् तदा कल्पान्तरे ऽनघ त्रिवर्गसाधनं पुण्यं शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्
At that time, in a previous cycle, there was only one Purāṇa, sinless one, vast as a hundred crores, a holy means to the three aims of life.
निर्दग्धेषु च लोकेषु वाजिरूपेण वै मया अङ्गानि चतुरो वेदान् पुराणं न्यायविस्तरम्
When the worlds were burned up, I, in the form of a horse, gathered the limbs—the four Vedas and the extensive Purāṇa.
मीमांसां धर्मशास्त्रं च परिगृह्य मया कृतम् मत्स्यरूपेण च पुनः कल्पादावुदकार्णवे
Having taken up Mīmāṃsā and Dharmaśāstra as well, I composed them, and again, in the form of a fish, at the beginning of the cycle, in the ocean of waters.
अशेषम् एतत्कथितम् उदकान्तर्गतेन च श्रुत्वा जगाद च मुनीन् प्रति देवांश्चतुर्मुखः
All this was recounted by me while dwelling in the waters; having heard it, the four-faced one spoke it to the sages and the gods.
प्रवृत्तिः सर्वशास्त्राणां पुराणस्याभवत्ततः कालेनाग्रहणं दृष्ट्वा पुराणस्य ततो नृप
Thus, the Purāṇa became the source of all scriptures; but, O king, seeing its non-acceptance over time—
व्यासरूपमहं कृत्वा संहरामि युगे युगे चतुर्लक्षप्रमाणेन द्वापरे द्वापरे सदा
Assuming the form of Vyāsa, I condense it in every age, always in Dvāpara after Dvāpara, into four hundred thousand verses.
तथाष्टादशधा कृत्वा भूर्लोके ऽस्मिन्प्रकाश्यते अद्यापि देवलोके ऽस्मिञ् छतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्
Thus, having divided it into eighteen parts, it is made manifest in this world; even now, in the world of the gods, it exists in its vast form of a hundred crores.
तदर्थो ऽत्र चतुर्लक्षं संक्षेपेण निवशितः पुराणानि दशाष्टौ च साम्प्रतं तदिहोच्यते
Its meaning here is contained in four hundred thousand verses in summary; the eighteen Purāṇas are now spoken of here.
नामतस्तानि वक्ष्यामि शृणुध्वं मुनिसत्तमाः ब्रह्मणाभिहितं पूर्वं यावन्मात्रं मरीचये
I shall name them, O best of sages; listen, as formerly declared by Brahmā to Marīci, in their entirety.
ब्राह्मं त्रिदशसाहस्रं पुराणं परिकीर्त्यते लिखित्वा तच्च यो दद्याज् जलधेनुसमन्वितम् वैशाखपूर्णिमायां च ब्रह्मलोके महीयते
The Brāhma Purāṇa is said to have thirty thousand verses; whoever writes it out and gives it, along with a cow and water, on the full moon of Vaiśākha, is honored in Brahmā's world.
एतदेव यदा पद्मम् अभूद्धैरण्मयं जगत् तद्वृत्तान्ताश्रयं तद्वत् पाद्ममित्युच्यते बुधैः पाद्मं तत्पञ्चपञ्चाशत्सहस्राणीह कथ्यते
When the world was a golden lotus, this Purāṇa, based on that account, is called the Padma by the wise; here, the Padma Purāṇa is said to have fifty-five thousand verses.
तत्पुराणं च यो दद्यात् सुवर्णकमलान्वितम् ज्येष्ठे मासि तिलैर्युक्तम् अश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
Whoever gives this Purāṇa, accompanied by a golden lotus and sesame seeds in the month of Jyeṣṭha, obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
वाराहकल्पवृत्तान्तम् अधिकृत्य पराशरः यत्प्राह धर्मानखिलांस् तद्युक्तं वैष्णवं विदुः
That Purāṇa which Parāśara spoke, concerning the account of the Boar Epoch and all dharmas, is known as the Vaiṣṇava.