When the sages and the learned seers of the Vedas gathered, they listened attentively as the Four-faced Brahmā addressed them. It was at this sacred moment that the origin of all scriptures, and of the Purāṇas themselves, took place. As ages passed, Brahmā observed that the knowledge of the Purāṇas was not being properly preserved among beings. Out of compassion, the Lord himself, in the form of Vyāsa, would appear in every era, especially in each Dvāpara Yuga, to compile and arrange these vast teachings. In every such age, Vyāsa revealed the Purāṇa in four hundred thousand verses, and then, dividing it into eighteen parts, he made it accessible to the world. Yet, even today, in the celestial realms where the gods reside, the Purāṇa exists in its full glory, extending to a hundred crores of verses. Here on earth, however, it is preserved as a concise collection of four hundred thousand verses. Now, let me declare to you the highly meritorious Padma Purāṇa, which consists of fifty-five thousand verses and is endowed with five distinct sections. Within its sacred pages, the first is the Section on Creation, followed by the Section on the Earth, then the Section on Heaven, and after that, the Section on the Netherworld. The fifth and supreme part is known as the Uttara Section. This great Padma Purāṇa has arisen, forming the very foundation of the world. It is called Padma because its stories and teachings are rooted in the cosmic lotus, and it is pure—purified by the greatness of Viṣṇu. The wisdom that Hari, the Lord of Lords, once spoke to Brahmā, and which Brahmā in turn imparted to Marīci in its entirety, is contained within this very Padma Purāṇa. Brahmā declared it in the world, and because it upholds all living beings, the wise have named it Padma. Here, the Padma Purāṇa is recited as fifty-five thousand verses, arranged into five sections and summarized by Vyāsa for the benefit of humankind. The first section is called Pauṣkara, where the self-born Virāṭ is described. The second is the Section on Sacred Fords, encompassing the myriad groups of planets. The third section recounts the deeds of generous kings, while the genealogies of lineages are described in the fourth. In the fifth, the essence of liberation and all spiritual truths are revealed. In Pauṣkara, the creation of all beings by Brahmā is explained in nine ways, including the origins of gods, sages, and ancestors. The second section describes the mountains and the seven islands with their encircling oceans. The third narrates the creation of Rudra and the curse of Dakṣa. In the fourth, the origins of kings and the stories of all dynasties are told. The final section presents the arrangement of the ultimate paths and the teachings of the scriptures on liberation. All these topics, O twice-born ones, are contained in this Purāṇa. This Padma Purāṇa is pure, a treasure of renown, greatly cherished by the ancestors. It is always for the happiness of the Lord and, for mortals, it removes even the gravest of sins. Thus, Sūta, the revered storyteller, began: “I bow to the Lord of all worlds, the master of the universe, who, knowing the primordial matter, brings forth this creation. He is the creator of worlds, knower of their essence, steadfast in yoga, and expert in its practice. He produced all beings, both movable and immovable. To that unborn, universal architect, the lord of consciousness, the witness of all worlds, I go for refuge, desiring to know the ancient stories.” With a concentrated mind, Sūta paid reverent homage to Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva, to Indra and the guardians of the worlds, and to Savitṛ, through meditation. He also offered his respects to the eminent sages—Vasiṣṭha, the great-souled; Jātūkarṇa, renowned for austerity; and Ākṣu. To Vyāsa, the blessed creator and primordial person, follower of the teachings of Bhṛgu, he bowed in reverence. Thus prepared, Sūta listened to the Purāṇa from the Brahmin sage, honored in all worlds, all-knowing and radiant with brilliance. He learned that the unmanifest cause—eternal, composed of both being and non-being—creates all things, from the great principle down to the particular. In the beginning, within the golden cosmic egg, was the supreme origin of Brahmā. This egg was encased by waters, by the elements, and by radiance. It was enveloped by air, and from air by space, all arising from the primordial elements. These elements were covered by the great principle, which itself was shrouded by the unmanifest. Within this cosmic egg, the manifestation of worlds took place, and so too the origins of rivers and mountains. The sage recounted a summary of the Manvantaras—the ages of the Manus—and the vast cycles of Kalpas, the abode of Brahmā, and the creation of Brahmā’s own progeny. He described the movement of the Kalpas, the establishment of the world, the reclining of Hari upon the cosmic waters, and the raising of the earth anew. The tenfold cycle of births of Keśava, brought about by Bhṛgu’s curse, was told, along with the arrangement of the ages and the division of all the orders of life. The division of heavenly realms, the places of mortals, and those who ascend to the heavens were explained, as well as the origins of animals and birds. The explanation of the Kalpa, the acceptance of recitation, the repeated creations, and the intelligent creations by Brahmā were all recounted. Three other creations, arising without intelligence, established the worlds, and from Brahmā’s mouths emerged Bhṛgu and other sages. The intervals between Kalpas, the connections between creations, and the stories of the creation of progeny by Bhṛgu and other sages were narrated. The exalted state of Brahmanhood attained by the sage Vasiṣṭha was described, as well as the story of Svāyambhuva Manu. The creation by Nābhir, the great-souled one born of rajas, was told, along with the descriptions of the continents, oceans, and mountains. The divisions of the continents, the oceans within the seven, and the beings who dwell there were described, with their measurements given in yojanas. Their regions, their rivers, and mountains, and the continents beginning with Jambūdvīpa, surrounded by the seven oceans, were all recounted in this sacred narrative. Thus, the story unfolds, preserving the ancient wisdom as it was spoken, for the benefit of all seekers.