व्यासशिष्यः पुराणज्ञो रोमहर्षणसंज्ञकः । तान्प्रणम्य यथान्यायं स तैश्चैवाभिपूजितः
A disciple of Vyāsa, knower of the Purāṇas, named Romaharṣaṇa, after bowing to them as is proper, was also honored by them.
उपविष्टं यथायोग्यं शौनकाद्या महर्षयः । व्यासशिष्यं सुखासीनं सूतं वै रोमहर्षणम्
The great sages, beginning with Śaunaka, seated Romaharṣaṇa, the Sūta and disciple of Vyāsa, comfortably and appropriately.
तं पप्रच्छुर्महाभागाः शौनकाद्यास्तपोधनाः । ऋषय ऊचुः-। पौराणिक महाबुद्धे रोमहर्षण सुव्रत
Those blessed sages, headed by Śaunaka, rich in austerity, questioned him: The sages said: O learned one in the Purāṇas, great in wisdom, Romaharṣaṇa, steadfast in vows,
त्वत्तः श्रुता महापुण्याः पुरा पौराणिकीः कथाः । सांप्रतं च प्रवृत्ताः स्म कथायां सक्षणा हरेः
From you we have previously heard the highly meritorious ancient stories; now we are engaged in the narration of the acts of Hari.
स वै पुंसां परोधर्मो यतो भक्तिरधोक्षजे । पुनः पुराणमाचक्ष्व हरिवार्ता समन्वितम्
That indeed is the supreme duty of men, from which devotion to the Transcendent arises; therefore, tell again the Purāṇa filled with tales of Hari.
हरेरन्या कथा सूत श्मशानसदृशी स्मृता । हरिस्तीर्थस्वरूपेण स्वयं तिष्ठति तच्छ्रुतम्
O Sūta, stories other than those of Hari are considered like cremation grounds; Hari himself abides in the form of sacred places, this is heard.
तीर्थानां पुण्यदातॄणां नामानि किल कीर्तय । कुत एतत्समुत्पन्नं केन वा परिपाल्यते
Recite, indeed, the names of those sacred places that bestow merit; from where did these arise, and by whom are they maintained?
कस्मिन्विलयमभ्येति जगदेतच्चराचरम् । क्षेत्राणि कानि पुण्यानि के च पूज्याः शिलोच्चयाः
Into what do all these moving and unmoving worlds dissolve? Which fields are meritorious, and which revered clusters of stones?
नद्यश्च काः पराः पुण्या नृणां पापहराः शुभाः । एतत्सर्वं महाभाग कथयस्व यथाक्रमम्
Which rivers are supreme, holy, auspicious, and removers of sin for men? O blessed one, tell all this in proper order.
सूत उवाच-। साधुसाधु महाभागाः साधुपृष्टं तपोधनाः । तं प्रणम्य प्रवक्ष्यामि पुराणं पद्मसंज्ञकम्
Sūta said: Excellent, excellent, O blessed ones, you have asked well, O ascetics; bowing to you, I shall relate the Purāṇa called Padma.
पाराशर्यं परमपुरुषं विश्ववेद्यैकयोनिं विद्याधारं विपुलमतिदं वेदवेदांतवेद्यम् । शश्वच्छांतं स्वमतिविषयं शुद्धतेजोविशालं वेदव्यासं विततयशसं सर्वदाहं नमामि
I always bow to Vyāsa, the son of Parāśara, the supreme person, the sole source known by all, the support of knowledge, of vast and profound intellect, who is to be realized through the Vedas and Vedānta, ever peaceful, self-abiding, beyond the senses, of pure and immense brilliance, and of widespread fame.
नमो भगवते तस्मै व्यासायामिततेजसे । यस्य प्रसादाद्वक्ष्यामि नारायणकथामिमाम्
Salutations to that blessed Vyāsa, of immeasurable radiance, by whose grace I shall speak this narrative of Nārāyaṇa.
प्रवक्ष्यामि महापुण्यं पुराणं पद्मसंज्ञितम् । सहस्रं पंचपंचाशत्षड्भिः खंडैः समन्वितम्
I shall now relate the highly meritorious Purāṇa called Padma, which consists of one thousand sections, together with fifty-six divisions.
तत्रादावादिखंडं स्याद्भूमिखंडं ततः परम् । ब्रह्मखंडं च तत्पश्चात्ततः पातालखंडकम्
Therein, at the beginning, is the Ādikhaṇḍa, then the Bhūmikhaṇḍa follows; after that is the Brahmakhaṇḍa, and then the Pātālakhaṇḍa.
क्रियाखंडं ततः ख्यातमुत्तरं खंडमंतिमम् । एतदेव महापद्ममद्भुतं यन्मयं जगत्
Next is the renowned Kriyākhaṇḍa, and finally the Uttarakhaṇḍa; this is the wondrous Mahāpadma, by which the world is pervaded.
तद्वृत्तांताश्रयं तस्मात्पाद्ममित्युच्यते बुधैः । एतत्पुराणममलं विष्णुमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्
Because it is based on those events, the wise call it Padma; this spotless Purāṇa is the supreme glorification of Viṣṇu.
देवदेवोहरिर्यद्वै ब्रह्मणे प्रोक्तवान्पुरा । ब्रह्मा तन्नारदायाह नारदोऽस्मद्गुरोः पुरः
That which the god of gods, Hari, once spoke to Brahmā, Brahmā told to Nārada, and Nārada spoke before my revered teacher.
व्यासः सर्वपुराणानि सेतिहासानि संहिताः । अध्यापयामास मुहुर्मामतिप्रियमात्मनः
Vyāsa repeatedly taught me all the Purāṇas, the Itihāsas, and the Saṃhitās, which were most dear to his heart.
तत्तेऽहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि पुराणमतिदुर्लभम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा ब्रह्महत्यादि पापेभ्यो मुच्यते नरः
That very rare Purāṇa I shall now fully relate to you; by hearing it, a person is freed from sins such as the slaying of a Brāhmaṇa.
सर्वतीर्थाभिषेकं च लभते शृणुते हि यः । श्रद्धया परया भक्त्या श्रुतमात्रेण मुक्तिदः
Whoever listens with supreme faith and devotion attains the merit of bathing in all sacred waters; merely by hearing, liberation is granted.
अश्रद्धयापि शृणुते लभते पुण्यसंचयम् । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पद्मं श्रोत्रातिथी कुरु
Even one who listens without faith accumulates merit; therefore, with every effort, make the Padma your honored guest through hearing.
तत्रादिखंडं वक्ष्यामि पुण्यं पापविनाशनम् । शृण्वंतु मुनयः सर्वे सशिष्यास्त्वत्र ये स्थिताः
Now I shall relate the Ādikhaṇḍa, which is meritorious and destroys sin; let all the sages assembled here with their disciples listen.
सूत उवाच-। आदिसर्गमहं तावत्कथयामि द्विजोत्तमाः । ज्ञायते येन भगवान्परमात्मा सनातनः
Sūta said: I shall now recount the original creation, O best of twice-born, by which the blessed supreme soul, eternal, is known.
सृष्टेषु प्रलयादूर्ध्वं नासीत्किंचिद्द्विजोत्तमाः । ब्रह्मसंज्ञमभूदेकं ज्योतिर्वै सर्वकारकम्
After the dissolution of creation, O best of Brāhmaṇas, nothing existed; there was only one light, called Brahman, the cause of all.
नित्यं निरंजनं शांतं निर्मलं नित्यनिर्मलम् । आनंदसागरंस्वच्छं यत्कांक्षंति मुमुक्षवः
It is eternal, stainless, peaceful, pure, ever immaculate, an ocean of bliss, transparent, and sought after by those who desire liberation.
सर्वज्ञं ज्ञानरूपत्वादनंतमजमव्ययम् । अविनाशि सदास्वच्छमच्युतं व्यापकं महत्
It is all-knowing, of the nature of knowledge, infinite, unborn, undecaying, imperishable, ever pure, unchanging, all-pervading, and great.
सर्गकाले तु संप्राप्ते ज्ञात्वा तं ज्ञानरूपकम् । आत्मलीनं विकारं च तत्स्रष्टुमुपचक्रमे
When the time for creation arrived, knowing that entity of the nature of knowledge, absorbed in itself and its transformation, it began to create.
तस्मात्प्रधानमुद्भूतं ततश्चापि महानभूत् । सात्विको राजसश्चैव तामसश्च त्रिधा महान्
From that arose Pradhāna (primordial matter), and from that came Mahān (the great principle); Mahān is threefold: sāttvika, rājasika, and tāmasika.
प्रधानेनावृतो ह्येव त्वचा बीजमिवावृतम् । वैकारिकस्तैजसश्च भूतादिश्चैव तामसः
Just as a seed is covered by its husk, so is the principal element enveloped by the skin; the vaikārik, taijasa, and bhūtādi are the threefold forms of tamas.
त्रिविधोयमहंकारो महत्तत्वादजायत । यथा प्रधानेन महान्महता स तथा वृतः
From the great principle arose the threefold ego; as the great arises from the principal, so is it enveloped in the same way.