त एव साधनीयाः स्युश्चतुर्वर्गफलाप्तये
Those alone are to be practiced for the attainment of the fruits of the four aims of life.
शाक्ताः सौराश्च गाणेशाः शैवाः प्रोक्ताः शुभावहाः
The Śākta, Saura, Gāṇeśa, and Śaiva rites are declared to bring auspiciousness.
देवताराधनं भक्त्या किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
Do you wish to hear further about the worship of deities with devotion?
पुनरप्याह सुप्रीतो जिज्ञासुः श्रेय उत्तमम्
Again, being well pleased and eager to know the highest good, he spoke.
महातन्त्रं त्वया प्रोक्तं सर्वतन्त्रोत्तमोत्तमम्
You have described the great Tantra, the highest among all Tantras.
तत्सर्वं मे समाचक्ष्व सर्वज्ञस्त्वं यतो मतः
Tell me all of that in detail, for you are regarded as all-knowing.
पुराणाख्यानसंप्रश्नं कुमारः प्रत्युवाच ह
Kumāra then replied to the question concerning the narration of the Purāṇas.
नानाकथासमायुक्तमद्भुतं बहुविस्तरम्
It is endowed with various stories, wondrous and very extensive.
न वेद तस्मात्पृच्छ त्वं बहुकल्पविदां वरम्
He does not know it; therefore, you should ask the foremost among those who know many traditions.
प्रणम्य विनयोपेतः सनातनमथाब्रवीत्
Having bowed with humility, he then addressed the eternal one.
पुराणानां विभागं मे साकल्ये नानुकीर्तय
Do not recount to me the complete division of the Purāṇas.
यस्मिञ् श्रुते श्रुतं सर्वं ज्ञातं कृते कृतम्
By hearing which, all is heard; by knowing which, all is known; by doing which, all is done.
कियन्ति च पुराणानि कियत्संख्यानि मानतः
How many Purāṇas are there, and what is their number and measure?
चातुर्वर्ण्याश्रया नानाव्रतादीनां कथास्तथा
And the stories relating to the four varṇas and the various vows and so forth.
त्वत्तो ऽधिको न चान्यो ऽस्ति पुराणाख्यानवित्प्रभो
O lord, there is no one else besides you who knows the narration of the Purāṇas better.
ततः सनातनो विप्राः श्रुत्वा नारदभाषितम्
Then, O brāhmaṇas, having heard the words of Nārada, Sanātana...
साधु साधु मुनिश्रेष्ठ सर्वलोकोपकारिका
Excellent, excellent, O foremost of sages, benefactor of all the worlds!
तुभ्यं समभिधास्यामि यत्प्रोक्तं ब्रह्मणा पुरा
I shall declare to you what was formerly spoken by Brahmā.
एकदा ब्रह्मणः पुत्रो मरीचिर्नाम विश्रुतः
Once, the renowned son of Brahmā named Marīci,
उपसृत्य स्वपितरं ब्रह्मणं लोकभावनम्
Approached his father Brahmā, the creator of the worlds,
पुराणाख्यानममलं यत्त्वं पृच्छसि मानद
O bestower of honor, you ask about the pure narrative called the Purāṇa.
सर्वज्ञ सर्वकल्याण सर्वाध्यक्ष नमो ऽस्तु ते
All-knowing, source of all auspiciousness, overseer of all—salutations to you!
लक्षणं च प्रमाणं च प्रमाणं चं वक्तारं पृच्छकं तथा
Its characteristics, its authority, the authority itself, the speaker, and likewise the inquirer—
यस्मिञ्ज्ञाते भवेज्ज्ञातं वाङ्मयं सचराचरम्
By knowing which, all speech, both animate and inanimate, is known—
चतुर्वर्गस्य बीजं च शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्
And the seed of the four aims of life, extending to a hundred crores—
कालेनाग्रहणं दृष्ट्वा पुरामस्य महामतिः
Seeing that, over time, it was not being retained, the great-minded one formerly—
चतुर्लक्षप्रमाणेन द्वापरे द्वापरे सदा
In the Dvāpara age, always in Dvāpara, it was of four hundred thousand in measure.
अद्यापि देवलोके तु शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्
Even today, in the world of the gods, it extends to a hundred crores.
ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च वायवीयं तथैव च
The Brāhma, Pādma, Vaiṣṇava, and likewise the Vāyavīya—
आग्नेयं च भविष्यं च ब्रह्मवैवर्त्तलिङ्गके
The Āgneya, Bhaviṣya, Brahmavaivarta, and Liṅga,