यथासंभाविकां तात दक्षिणां धेनुसंयुताम् । ततो विघ्नाः प्रणश्यंति पुराणं सिद्धिमाप्नुयात्
O dear one, one should give the prescribed fee, accompanied by a cow, as is possible; then obstacles are destroyed, and one attains success in the Purāṇa.
एवं न कुरुते यो हि तस्य विघ्नं वदाम्यहम् । तस्यांगे जायते रोगो बहुपीडाप्रदायकः
But if one does not do so, I declare his obstacle: disease arises in his body, causing much suffering.
भार्या शोकः पुत्रशोको धनहानिः प्रजायते । नानाविधान्महारोगान्भुंजते नात्र संशयः
Sorrow from wife, grief from son, and loss of wealth occur; he suffers from various great diseases—of this there is no doubt.
यस्य गेहे नास्ति वित्तमुपवासं समाचरेत् । एकादशीं सुसंप्राप्य पूजयेन्मधुसूदनम्
If there is no wealth in his house, he should observe a fast; upon the arrival of Ekādaśī, he should worship Madhusūdana.
षोडशैश्चोपचारैश्च भावयुक्तेन चेतसा । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेत्पश्चाद्यथावित्तानुसारतः
With a mind filled with devotion, one should honor Brahmins with sixteen kinds of offerings, and then feed them according to one's means.
केशवाय ततो दत्वा संकल्पं हविषान्वितम् । स्वयं कुर्यात्ततः प्राज्ञो भोजनं सह बांधवैः
Afterwards, having offered consecrated food to Keshava with a solemn vow, the wise person should then eat together with family and relatives.
पुत्रैस्तु भार्यया युक्तस्ततः सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात् । पुराणसंहितापूर्णा श्रोतव्या धर्मतत्परैः
Joined by his sons and wife, he then attains success; the complete collection of the Purana should be listened to by those intent on righteousness.
चतुर्वर्गस्य वै सिद्धिर्जायते तस्य नान्यथा । सपादं लक्षमेकं तु ब्रह्माख्यं पुष्करं शृणु
Only thus does one attain the fulfillment of the four aims of life, and not otherwise; now hear about the Brahma-named Pushkara, numbering one and a quarter lakhs.
कृते युगे तु निष्पापाः शृण्वंति मनुजा द्विज । लक्षस्यार्द्धं ततः कृत्स्नं पुराणं पद्मसंज्ञकम्
In the Krita Yuga, sinless men and twice-borns listen to half a lakh in full of the Purana called Padma.
श्लोकानां तु सहस्राभ्यां द्वाभ्यामेव तथाधिकम् । त्रेतायुगे तथा प्राप्ते यदा श्रोष्यंति मानवाः
There are two thousand verses more than two thousand; thus, when the Treta Yuga arrives, men will listen.
चतुर्वर्गफलं भुक्त्वा ते यास्यंति हरिं पुनः । द्वाविंशतिसहस्राणि संहितापद्मसंज्ञिता
Having enjoyed the fruit of the four aims of life, they will go to Hari again; the collection called Padma consists of twenty-two thousand verses.
द्वापरे कथिता विप्र ब्रह्मणा परमात्मना । द्वादशैव सहस्राणां पद्माख्या सा तु संहिता
In the Dvapara, O Brahmin, as declared by Brahma, the Supreme Self, the collection called Padma consists of only twelve thousand verses.
कलौ युगे पठिष्यंति मानवा विष्णुतत्पराः । एकोर्थश्चैकभावश्च चतुर्ष्वपि प्रवर्तितः
In the Kali Yuga, men devoted to Vishnu will recite it; the same meaning and essence are maintained in all four ages.
संहितास्वेव विप्रेंद्र शेषाख्यानप्रविस्तरः । द्वादशैव सहस्राणि नाशं यास्यंति सत्तम
O best of Brahmins, in the collections, the expansion of the remaining stories is found; only twelve thousand will remain, O noble one.
कलौ युगे तु संप्राप्ते प्रथमं हि भविष्यति । भूमिखंडं नरः श्रुत्वासर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
When the Kali Yuga arrives, first, by hearing the section called Bhumikhanda, a person is freed from all sins.
मुच्यते सर्वदुःखेभ्यः सर्वरोगैः प्रमुच्यते । अन्यत्सर्वं परित्यज्य जपं दानं तथा श्रुतम्
He is freed from all sufferings and released from all diseases; abandoning everything else—recitation, giving, and study—
श्रोतव्यं हि प्रयत्नेन पद्माख्यं पापनाशनम् । प्रथमं सृष्टिखंडं तु द्वितीयं भूमिखंडकम्
One should diligently listen to the Padma, which destroys sin; first is the Srishti Khanda, second is the Bhumi Khanda.
तृतीयं स्वर्गखंडं च पातालं तु चतुर्थकम् । पंचमं चोत्तरं खंडं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्
The third is the Svarga Khanda, the fourth is the Patala Khanda, and the fifth is the Uttara Khanda, which destroys all sins.
यः शृणोति नरो भक्त्या पंचखंडान्यनुक्रमात् । गोप्रदानसहस्रस्य मानवो लभते फलम्
Whoever listens with devotion to the five sections in order attains the fruit of giving a thousand cows.
महाभाग्येन लभ्यंते पंचखंडानि भूसुराः । श्रुतानि मोक्षदानि स्युः सत्यं सत्यं न संशयः
O Brahmins, the five sections are obtained by great fortune; when heard, they grant liberation—truly, truly, there is no doubt.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायां वेनोपाख्याने पंचविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred twenty-fifth chapter in the story of Vena, in the Bhumikhanda of the glorious Padma Purana, in the collection of fifty-five thousand verses.
नमामि गोविन्दपदारविंदं सदेंदिरावंदितमुत्तमाढ्यम् । जगज्जनानां हृदि संनिविष्टं महाजनैकायनमुत्तमोत्तमम्
I bow to the lotus feet of Govinda, praised by Indira and the best of the exalted, abiding in the hearts of all beings, the supreme refuge of the great and the best among the best.
एकदा मुनयः सर्वे ज्वलज्ज्वलनसन्निभाः । हिमवद्वासिनः सर्वे मुनयो वेदपारगाः
Once, all the sages, blazing like fire, dwelling in the Himalayas, all accomplished in the Vedas,
त्रिकालज्ञा महात्मानो नानापुण्यसमाश्रयाः । महेंद्राद्रिरता ये च ये च विंध्यनिवासिनः
knowers of the three times, great souls, established in various merits, those devoted to Mount Mahendra and those residing on the Vindhya,
येऽर्बुदारण्यनिरताः पुष्करारण्यवासिनः । श्रीशैलनिरता ये च कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिनः
those engaged in the Arbudā forest, those living in the Puṣkara forest, those devoted to Śrīśaila, and those residing in Kurukṣetra,
धर्म्मारण्यरता ये च दंडकारण्यवासिनः । जंबूमार्गरता ये च ये च सत्यनिवासिनः
those devoted to the Dharmāraṇya, those living in the Daṇḍaka forest, those devoted to the Jambū path, and those residing in Satya,
एते चान्ये च बहवः सशिष्या मुनयोऽमलाः । नैमिषं समुपायाताः शौनकं द्रष्टुमुत्सुकाः
these and many other pure sages with their disciples, eager to see Śaunaka, came together to Naimiṣa.
तं पूजयित्वा विधिवत्तेन ते च सुपूजिताः । आसनेषु विचित्रेषु बृस्यादिषु यथाक्रमम्
Having worshipped him according to the proper rites, and being duly honored by him, they sat in various splendid seats and on mats, each in order.
शौनकेन प्रदत्तेषु आसीनास्ते तपोधनाः । कृष्णाश्रिताः कथाः पुण्याः परस्परमथाब्रुवन्
Seated on the seats provided by Śaunaka, those ascetics, devoted to austerity, began to speak among themselves of sacred stories connected with Kṛṣṇa.
कथांतेषु ततस्तेषां मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । आजगाम महातेजाः सूतस्तत्र महाद्युतिः
As their stories ended, among those sages of purified minds, there arrived the illustrious Sūta, radiant with great splendor.