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.
तदाषाढे च यो दद्याद् घृतधेनुसमन्वितम् पौर्णमास्यां विपूतात्मा स पदं याति वारुणम् त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रं तत्प्रमाणं विदुर्बुधाः
At that time, whoever gives, together with a cow and clarified butter, on the full moon, with a purified mind, attains the realm of Varuna; the wise know this measure to be twenty-three thousand.
श्वेतकल्पप्रसङ्गेन धर्मान्वायुरिहाब्रवीत् यत्र तद्वायवीयं स्याद् रुद्रमाहात्म्यसंयुतम् चतुर्विंशसहस्राणि पुराणं तदिहोच्यते
In the context of the Shvetakalpa, Vayu here spoke about dharmas; where that Vayu-related Purana is, endowed with the greatness of Rudra, that Purana is said to be twenty-four thousand.
श्रावण्यां श्रावणे मासि गुडधेनुसमन्वितम् यो दद्याद्वृषसंयुक्तं ब्राह्मणाय कुटुम्बिने शिवलोके स पूतात्मा कल्पमेकं वसेन्नरः
In the month of Shravana, on the Shravana full moon, whoever gives, along with a cow and jaggery, joined with a bull, to a householder Brahmin, that purified soul dwells in Shiva's world for one kalpa.
यत्राधिकृत्य गायत्रीं वर्ण्यते धर्मविस्तरः वृत्रासुरवधोपेतं तद्भागवतमुच्यते
Where, with reference to Gayatri, the expanse of dharma is described, accompanied by the slaying of Vritrasura, that is called the Bhagavata.
सारस्वतस्य कल्पस्य मध्ये ये स्युर्नरोत्तमाः तद्वृत्तान्तोद्भवं लोके तद्भागवतमुच्यते
In the midst of the Sarasvata Kalpa, those best of men who are present, the account of their deeds in the world is called the Bhagavata.
लिखित्वा तच्च यो दद्याद् धेमसिंहसमन्वितम् पौर्णमास्यां प्रौष्ठपद्यां स याति परमां गतिम् अष्टादश सहस्राणि पुराणं तत्प्रचक्षते
Whoever, after writing it, gives it together with a golden lion, on the full moon of the month of Bhadrapada, attains the highest state; that Purana is declared to be eighteen thousand.
यत्राह नारदो धर्मान् बृहत्कल्पाश्रयाणि च पञ्चविंशत्सहस्राणि नारदीयं तदुच्यते
Where Narada spoke of dharmas and those based on the great kalpas, that is called the Naradiya, numbering twenty-five thousand.
आश्विने पञ्चदश्यां तु दद्याद्धेनुसमन्वितम् परमां सिद्धिमाप्नोति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभाम्
On the fifteenth day of Ashvina, one who gives, together with a cow, attains the highest perfection, which is difficult to obtain again.
यत्राधिकृत्य शकुनीन् धर्माधर्मविचारणा व्याख्याता वै मुनिप्रश्ने मुनिभिर्धर्मचारिभिः
Where, with reference to omens, the inquiry into dharma and adharma is explained, in response to the questions of sages by those who practice dharma.
मार्कण्डेयेन कथितं तत्सर्वं विस्तरेण तु पुराणं नवसाहस्रं मार्कण्डेयम् इहोच्यते
All that was narrated in detail by Markandeya; that Purana, numbering nine thousand, is here called the Markandeya.