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,
मात्स्यं च गारुडं तद्वद्ब्रह्माण्डाख्यमिति त्रिषट्
The Mātsya, Gāruḍa, and likewise the Brahmāṇḍa—these are eighteen.
प्रवक्ष्यामि समासेन निशामय समाहितः
I shall declare them to you in brief; listen attentively.
व्यासेन वेदविदुषा समाख्यातं महात्मना
They were recounted by Vyāsa, the great soul, knower of the Vedas.
नानाख्यानेतिहासाढ्यं दशसाहस्रमुच्यते
It is said to be ten thousand verses, filled with various narratives and histories.
प्रजापतीनां च तथा दक्षादीनां मुनीश्वर
And likewise, O best of sages, the lineages of the Prajapatis, including Daksha and others.
वंशानुकीर्तनं पुण्यं महापातकनाशनम्
The recounting of these dynasties is meritorious and destroys even great sins.
श्रीमतो रामचन्द्रस्य चतुर्व्यूहावतारिणः
Of the illustrious Ramachandra, the incarnation of the fourfold manifestation,
कृष्णस्य जगदीशस्य चरितं कल्मषापहम्
And of Krishna, Lord of the universe, the account that removes all impurity.
वर्णनं यत्र पातालस्वर्गाणां च प्रदृश्यते
Therein is described the appearance of the realms of Patala and Svarga.
पार्वत्याश्च तथा जन्म विवाहश्च निगद्यते
And likewise, the birth and marriage of Parvati are narrated.
पूर्वभागो ऽयमुदितः पुराणस्यास्य नारद
This, O Narada, is the first part of this Purana as declared.
विस्तरेण समाख्यातं तीर्थयात्राविधानतः
The procedures of pilgrimage have been explained in detail.
वर्णनं यमलोकस्य पितृश्राद्धविधिस्तथा
There is a description of Yama's realm and the rites of ancestral offerings as well.
विष्णुधर्मयुगाख्यानं प्रलयस्य च वर्णनम्
The account of the age of Vishnu's law and the description of dissolution.
ब्रह्मवादसमुद्देशः पुराणस्य प्रशंसनम्
The section on the doctrine of Brahman and the praise of this Purana.
वर्णितं सर्वपापघ्नं सर्वसौख्यप्रदायकम्
All this has been described, which destroys all sins and bestows every happiness.
लिखित्वेतत्पुराणं यो वैशाख्यां हेमसंयुतम्
Whoever writes this Purana, adorned with gold, in the month of Vaishakha,
पौराणिकाय संपूज्य वस्त्रभोज्यविभूषणैः
And respectfully offers it to a reciter of Puranas, with garments, food, and ornaments,
यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि ब्राह्मानुक्रमणीं द्विज
Or whoever, O twice-born, reads or listens to the Brahmanical sequence,
शृणोति यः पुराणं तु ब्रह्मं सर्वं जितेन्द्रियः
Whoever listens to this Purana, having mastered his senses, attains all of Brahman.