यत्र धर्मार्थकामानां मोक्षस्य च रसातले माहात्म्यं कथयामास कूर्मरूपी जनार्दनः
Where Janārdana, in the form of a tortoise, narrated the greatness of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa in the netherworld—
इन्द्रद्युम्नप्रसङ्गेन ऋषिभ्यः शक्रसंनिधौ अष्टादश सहस्राणि लक्ष्मीकल्पानुषङ्गिकम्
In connection with Indradyumna, to the sages in the presence of Śakra, there are eighteen thousand verses, associated with the Lakṣmī kalpa.
यो दद्यादयने कूर्मं हेमकूर्मसमन्वितम् गोसहस्रप्रदानस्य फलं सम्प्राप्नुयान्नरः
Whoever gives the Kurma Purāṇa, together with a golden tortoise, at the solstice, obtains the fruit of giving a thousand cows.
श्रुतीनां यत्र कल्पादौ प्रवृत्त्यर्थं जनार्दनः मत्स्यरूपेण मनवे नरसिंहोपवर्णनम्
Where, at the beginning of the kalpa, Janārdana in the form of a fish explained to Manu, for the sake of the Vedas’ activity, the account of Narasiṃha—
अधिकृत्याब्रवीत्सप्तकल्पवृत्तं मुनीश्वराः तन्मात्स्यमिति जानीध्वं सहस्राणि चतुर्दश
Having set forth the account of seven kalpas to the great sages, know this as the Matsya Purāṇa, consisting of fourteen thousand verses.
विषुवे हेममत्स्येन धेन्वा चैव समन्वितम् यो दद्यात्पृथिवी तेन दत्ता भवति चाखिला
Whoever gives, at the equinox, a golden fish together with a cow, thereby gives the entire earth.
यदा च गारुडे कल्पे विश्वाण्डाद्गरुडोद्भवम् अधिकृत्याब्रवीत्कृष्णो गारुडं तदिहोच्यते
And when, in the Garuḍa Kalpa, Kṛṣṇa spoke about Garuḍa arising from the cosmic egg, that teaching concerning Garuḍa is told here.
तद् अष्टादशकं चैकं सहस्राणीह पठ्यते सौवर्णहंससंयुक्तं यो ददाति पुमानिह स सिद्धिं लभते मुख्यां शिवलोके च संस्थितिम्
Here, the eighteen-thousand verse section, joined with the golden swan, is recited; whoever gives it here attains the highest accomplishment and abides in the realm of Śiva.
ब्रह्मा ब्रह्माण्डमाहात्म्यम् अधिकृत्याब्रवीत्पुनः तच्च द्वादशसाहस्रं ब्रह्माण्डं द्विशताधिकम्
Brahmā, having spoken again about the greatness of the cosmic egg, declared that the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa consists of twelve thousand and two hundred verses.
भविष्याणां च कल्पानां श्रूयते यत्र विस्तरः तद्ब्रह्माण्डपुराणं च ब्रह्मणा समुदाहृतम्
Where the detailed accounts of future kalpas are heard, that is the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, as proclaimed by Brahmā.
यो दद्यात्तद्व्यतीपाते पीतोर्णायुगसंयुतम् राजसूयसहस्रस्य फलमाप्नोति मानवः हेमधेन्वा युतं तच्च ब्रह्मलोकफलप्रदम्
Whoever gives that Purāṇa at the time of its recitation, together with a woolen garment, obtains the fruit of a thousand Rājasūya sacrifices, along with a golden cow, and gains the reward of Brahmā's world.
चतुर्लक्षमिदं प्रोक्तं व्यासेनाद्भुतकर्मणा मत्पितुर्मम पित्रा च मया तुभ्यं निवेदितम्
This four hundred thousand-verse work was composed by Vyāsa, the wondrous sage, and was communicated to you by my father, my grandfather, and myself.
इह लोकहितार्थाय संक्षिप्तं परमर्षिणा इदमद्यापि देवेषु शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्
For the welfare of the world, this has been briefly presented by the supreme sage; yet even now, among the gods, it extends to a hundred billion verses.
उपभेदान्प्रवक्ष्यामि लोके ये सम्प्रतिष्ठिताः पाद्मे पुराणे यत्रोक्तं नरसिंहोपवर्णनम् तच्चाष्टादशसाहस्रं नारसिंहमिहोच्यते
I will now describe the subdivisions that are established in the world: in the Padma Purāṇa, where the account of Narasiṃha is told, that Narasiṃha Purāṇa is here said to be eighteen thousand verses.
नन्दाया यत्र माहात्म्यं कार्त्तिकेयेन वर्ण्यते नन्दीपुराणं तल्लोकैर् आख्यातमिति कीर्त्यते
Where the greatness of Nandā is described by Kārttikeya, that is called the Nandī Purāṇa, as it is known among people.
यत्र साम्बं पुरस्कृत्य भविष्यति कथानकम् प्रोच्यते तत्पुनर्लोके साम्बमेतन्मुनिव्रताः
Where, with Sāmba as the focus, a narrative is told, that too is known in the world as the Sāmba Purāṇa, as declared by sages.
पुरातनस्य कल्पस्य पुराणानि विदुर्बुधाः धन्यं यशस्यमायुष्यं पुराणानामनुक्रमम् एवमादित्यसंज्ञा च तत्रैव परिगद्यते
The wise know the Purāṇas of the ancient kalpa; the sequence of the Purāṇas brings prosperity, fame, and longevity. There, the name Āditya is also mentioned.
अष्टादशभ्यस्तु पृथक् पुराणं यत्प्रदिश्यते विजानीध्वं द्विजश्रेष्ठास् तदेतेभ्यो विनिर्गतम्
Whatever Purāṇa is indicated as distinct from the eighteen, know, O best of twice-born, that it has arisen from these.
पञ्चाङ्गानि पुराणेषु आख्यानकमिति स्मृतम् सर्गश्च प्रतिसर्गश्च वंशो मन्वन्तराणि च वंश्यानुचरितं चैव पुराणं पञ्चलक्षणम्
The five features in the Purāṇas are remembered as narrative, creation, dissolution, genealogy, the cycles of Manus, and the deeds of descendants—these are the five marks of a Purāṇa.
ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्करुद्राणां माहात्म्यं भुवनस्य च ससंहारप्रदानां च पुराणे पञ्चवर्णके
The greatness of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the Sun, Rudra, and of the world, along with dissolution and gifts, is described in the fivefold Purāṇa.
धर्मश्चार्थश्च कामश्च मोक्षश्चैवात्र कीर्त्यते सर्वेष्वपि पुराणेषु तद्विरुद्धं च यत्फलम्
Dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa are all mentioned here in every Purāṇa, as well as the results opposed to them.
सात्त्विकेषु पुराणेषु माहात्म्यमधिकं हरेः राजसेषु च माहात्म्यम् अधिकं ब्रह्मणो विदुः
In the Sāttvika Purāṇas, the greatness of Hari is predominant; in the Rājasa Purāṇas, the greatness of Brahmā is known to be foremost.
तद्वदग्नेश्च माहात्म्यं तामसेषु शिवस्य च संकीर्णेषु सरस्वत्याः पितॄणां च निगद्यते
Likewise, the greatness of Agni is told, and in the Tāmasa Purāṇas, that of Śiva; in the mixed Purāṇas, the greatness of Sarasvatī and the ancestors is recounted.
अष्टादश पुराणानि कृत्वा सत्यवतीसुतः भारताख्यानमखिलं चक्रे तदुपबृंहितम् लक्षेणैकेन यत्प्रोक्तं वेदार्थपरिबृंहितम्
Having composed the eighteen Purāṇas, the son of Satyavatī created the entire narrative called Bhārata, which was expanded by one hundred thousand verses, enriched with the meaning of the Vedas.
वाल्मीकिना तु यत्प्रोक्तं रामोपाख्यानमुत्तमम् ब्रह्मणाभिहितं यच्च शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्
That supreme tale of Rāma, as spoken by Vālmīki and declared by Brahmā, which extends to a hundred crores in detail—
आहृत्य नारदायैवं तेन वाल्मीकये पुनः वाल्मीकिना च लोकेषु धर्मकामार्थसाधनम् एवं सपादाः पञ्चैते लक्षा मर्त्ये प्रकीर्तिताः
Having gathered it thus for Nārada, and again for Vālmīki, and by Vālmīki in the world as a means to dharma, desire, and wealth, thus these five and a quarter lakṣas are proclaimed among mortals.
पुरातनस्य कल्पस्य पुराणानि विदुर्बुधाः धन्यं यशस्यमायुष्यं पुराणानामनुक्रमम् यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि स याति परमां गतिम्
The wise know the Purāṇas as belonging to the ancient cycle; blessed, renowned, and life-giving is the sequence of the Purāṇas. Whoever recites or hears it attains the highest state.
इदं पवित्रं यशसो निधानम् इदं पितॄणामतिवल्लभं च इदं च देवेष्व् अमृतायितं च नित्यं त्विदं पापहरं च पुंसाम्
This is pure, a treasure of fame, greatly beloved by the ancestors, and among the gods it is like immortality; indeed, this ever removes the sins of men.
अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि दानधर्मानशेषतः व्रतोपवाससंयुक्तान् यथामत्स्योदितानिह
Now I shall declare in full the duties of charity, together with vows and fasts, as set forth here in the Matsya.
महादेवस्य संवादे नारदस्य च धीमतः यथावृत्तं प्रवक्ष्यामि धर्मकामार्थसाधकम्
In the dialogue of the great-minded Nārada and Mahādeva, I shall recount as it happened, that which accomplishes dharma, desire, and wealth.