द्वापरे यज्ञमित्याहुर्दानमेकं कलौ युगे। सर्वेषामेव दानानामिदमेवैकमुत्तमम्
In Dvapara, sacrifice is said to be supreme, and in the Kali age, charity alone; among all gifts, this one is the highest.
अभयं सर्वभूतानां नास्ति दानमतः परम्। दानं प्रधानं शूद्रस्य त्वित्याह भगवान्प्रभुः
There is no gift greater than granting fearlessness to all beings; the Lord himself has said that charity is foremost for the Shudra.
दानेन सर्वकामाप्तिस्तस्य संजायते तपः। पुण्यं पवित्रमायुष्यं सर्वपापविनाशनम्
Through charity, all desires are fulfilled, and from it arises ascetic power; it brings merit, purity, longevity, and destroys all sins.
पुराणमेतत्कथितं तीर्थश्राद्धानुवर्णनम्। शृणोति यः पठेद्वापि श्रीमान्संजायते नरः
This Purana, describing holy places and ancestral rites, has been told; whoever hears or recites it becomes a prosperous man.
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः सलक्ष्मीकं हरिं लभेत्। इदं महाराज अगादि तुभ्यं पुण्यं महापातकनाशनं च
Freed from all sins, he attains Hari along with fortune; O great king, this sacred and sin-destroying teaching has been given to you.
ब्रह्मार्करुद्रैश्च सुपूजितं च श्रोतव्यमेतत्प्रवदंति तज्ज्ञाः। सृष्टिखंडमिदं राजन्मया तुभ्यं प्रकीर्तितम्
This should be heard, as it is highly honored by Brahma, the Sun, and Rudra; the wise declare this, O king, and I have recounted to you the Srishti-khanda.
पुराणस्यादिभूतं च नवधा सृष्टि पौष्करम्। द्विजेभ्यः श्रावयेद्विद्वान्यश्च वै शृणुयात्पठेत्। कल्पकोटिशतं साग्रं ब्रह्मलोके स मोदते
This is the beginning of the Purana, the ninefold creation called Paushkara; a learned man should recite it to the twice-born, and others may hear or read it; he rejoices in Brahma's world for hundreds of millions of kalpas.
इति श्रीपाद्मपुराणे सृष्टिखंडे पुराणावतारे ग्रहार्चनवर्णनंनाम द्व्यशीतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the Padma Purana, in the Srishti-khanda, the eighty-second chapter named 'Description of the Worship of the Planets' is concluded.
ॐ श्रीगणेशाय नमः ऋषय ऊचुः- शृणु सूत महाभाग सर्वतत्त्वार्थकोविद । संदेहमागतं विद्वन्दारुणं बुद्धिनाशनम्
Om, obeisance to Shri Ganesha. The sages said: Hear, O Suta, greatly fortunate and wise in the meaning of all truths; a doubt has arisen, O learned one, which is harsh and destructive to understanding.
केचित्पठंति प्रह्लादं पुराणेषु द्विजोत्तमाः । पंचवर्षान्वितेनापि केशवः परितोषितः
Some excellent Brahmins recite the story of Prahlada in the Puranas; even at the age of five, Keshava was pleased by him.
देवासुरे कथं प्राप्ते हरिणा सह युध्यति । निहतो वासुदेवेन प्रविष्टो वैष्णवीं तनुम्
When the battle between gods and demons arose, how did he fight alongside Hari? Slain by Vasudeva, he entered a Vaishnava body.
सूत उवाच- कश्यपेन पुरा ज्ञातं कृतं व्यासेन धीमता । ब्रह्मणा कथितं पूर्वं व्यासस्याग्रे स्वयं प्रभोः
Suta said: Formerly, this was known by Kashyapa and composed by the wise Vyasa; it was told by Brahma himself before Vyasa, O Lord.
तमेवं हि प्रवक्ष्यामि भवतामग्रतो द्विजाः । संदेहकारणं जातं छिन्नं देवेन वेधसा
Therefore, O twice-born, I shall now explain before you the cause of doubt that arose, which was dispelled by the god, the Creator.
व्यास उवाचः- शृणु सूत महाभाग ब्रह्मणा परिभाषितम् । प्रह्लादस्य यथा जन्म पुराणेप्यन्यथा श्रुतम्
Vyāsa said: Hear, O Sūta, highly fortunate one, what was declared by Brahmā, regarding the birth of Prahlāda, which is heard differently in other Purāṇas.
जातमात्रः सर्वसुखं वैष्णवं मार्गमाश्रितः । महाभागवतश्रेष्ठः प्रह्लादो देवपूजितः
Immediately upon birth, Prahlāda, the foremost of great devotees, took refuge in the Vaiṣṇava path and was worshipped by the gods.
विष्णुना सह युद्धाय सपुत्रः संगरंगतः । निहतो वासुदेवेन प्रविष्टो वैष्णवीं तनुम्
He, along with his sons, entered into battle with Viṣṇu; slain by Vāsudeva, he entered a Vaiṣṇava body.
सृष्टिभावं शृणुष्व त्वमस्यैव च महात्मनः । संगरं प्राप्य पुत्राद्यैर्विष्णुना सह वीर्यवान्
Hear now of the creation and nature of that great soul; having engaged in battle with Viṣṇu together with his sons and others, he was mighty.
प्रविष्टो वैष्णवं तेजः संप्राप्य स्वेन तेजसा । पुराकल्पे महाभाग यथा जातः स वीर्यवान्
Having entered the Vaiṣṇava radiance by his own brilliance, O highly fortunate one, hear how that mighty one was born in a former age.
वृत्तांतं तस्य वीरस्य प्रवक्ष्यामि समासतः । पश्चिमे सागरस्यांते द्वारका नाम वै पुरी
I shall briefly recount the story of that hero; at the western edge of the ocean lies the city called Dvārakā.
सर्वऋद्धिसमायुक्ता सर्वसिद्धिसमन्विता । तस्यामास्ते सदा देवो योगज्ञो योगवित्तमः
Endowed with all prosperity and all accomplishments, in that city dwells always the god, knower of yoga and supreme in yogic knowledge.
शिवशर्मेति विख्यातो वेदशास्त्रार्थकोविदः । तस्यापि पंचपुत्रास्तु बभूवुः शास्त्रकोविदाः
Renowned as Śivaśarman, expert in the meaning of the Vedas and śāstras, he had five sons, all learned in the scriptures.
यज्ञशर्मा वेदशर्मा धर्मशर्मा तथैव च । विष्णुशर्मा महाभागो नूनं तत्कर्मकोविदः
Yajñaśarman, Vedaśarman, Dharmaśarman likewise, and Viṣṇuśarman, highly fortunate and certainly skilled in those duties.
पंचमः सोमशर्मेति पितृभक्तिपरायणः । पितृभक्तिं विना चैव धर्ममन्यं द्विजोत्तमाः
The fifth was Somaśarman, devoted above all to service of his father; O best of twice-born, apart from devotion to one's father, they did not know any other dharma.
न विदंति महात्मानस्तद्भावेन तु भाविताः । तेषां तु भक्तिं संपश्यञ्छिवशर्मा द्विजोत्तमः
Great souls, absorbed in that feeling, know no other; seeing their devotion, Śivaśarman, best of twice-born, reflected.
चिंतयामास मेधावी निष्कर्षिष्ये सुरोत्तमान् । पितृभक्तेषु यो भावो नैतेषां मनसि स्थितः
The wise one considered, 'I shall test these excellent sons; the feeling of devotion to the father is not established in their minds.'
यथा जानाम्यहं चाथ करिष्ये बुद्धिपूर्वकम् । विष्णोश्चैव प्रसादात्स सर्वसिद्धिर्बभूव ह
As I know, so I shall act with discernment; and by the grace of Viṣṇu, all success was attained.
सद्भावं चिंतयामास अंजनार्थं द्विजोत्तमाः । उपायं ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठस्तपसस्तेजसः किल
He contemplated a true means, O best of twice-born, for the purpose of testing; the foremost of Brāhmaṇas, by austerity and brilliance.
चकार सोप्युपायज्ञो मायया ब्रह्मवित्तमः । तेषामग्रे ततो व्याजं शिवशर्मा व्यदर्शयत्
Skilled in expedients and supreme in knowledge of Brahman, he devised a stratagem by his power of illusion; then Śivaśarman displayed a pretense before them.
महता ज्वररोगेण मृता माता विदर्शिता । तैस्तु दृष्टा मृता माता पितरं वाक्यमब्रुवन्
He showed their mother as dead, afflicted by a great fever; seeing their mother dead, they spoke to their father.
ययावयं महाभाग गर्भोदरे प्रवर्द्धिताः । कलेवरं परित्यज्य स्वयमेव गता क्षयम्
"O highly fortunate one, we who grew in her womb, she has now abandoned her body and departed of her own accord to destruction."