श्रीनारद उवाच। सनत्कुमार प्रिय साहसानां विवेकवैराग्यविवर्जितानाम् । देहप्रियार्थात्मपरायणानां मुक्तापराधाः प्रभवंति नः कथम्
Śrī Nārada said: O Sanatkumāra, dear one, how can those who are reckless, lacking discernment and detachment, devoted to the body, pleasure, and self-interest, become free from offenses?
श्रीसनत्कुमार उवाच। जाते नामापराधे तु प्रमादे तु कथंचन । सदा संकीर्तयन्नाम तदेकशरणो भवेत्
Śrī Sanatkumāra said: When an offense against the Name occurs, or through negligence in any way, one should always chant the Name and take refuge in it alone.
नामापराधयुक्तानां नामान्येव हरंत्यघम् । अविश्रांति प्रयुक्तानि तान्येवार्थ कराणि यत्
For those afflicted by offenses against the Name, only the Names themselves remove sin, when applied without ceasing; those alone accomplish the intended purpose.
नामैकं यस्य चिह्नं स्मरणपथगतं श्रोत्रमूलं गतं वा । शुद्धं वाऽशुद्धवर्णं व्यवहितरहितं तारयत्येव सत्यम् । तच्चेद्देहद्रविणजनितालोभपाखण्ड मध्ये । निक्षिप्तं स्यान्न फलजनकं शीघ्रमेवात्र विप्र
The Name, whether remembered, heard, or uttered, pure or impure in pronunciation, without interruption, truly delivers; but if it is placed amid greed born of body, wealth, or hypocrisy, it will not quickly bear fruit, O sage.
इदं रहस्यं परमं पुरा नारद शंकरात् । श्रुतं सर्वाशुभहरमपराधनिवारकम्
This supreme secret, O Nārada, was formerly heard from Śaṃkara; it removes all inauspiciousness and prevents offenses.
विदुर्विष्ण्वभिधानं ये ह्यपराधपरा नराः । तेषामपि भवेन्मुक्तिः पठनादेव नारद
Even those men who are absorbed in offenses against the Name of Viṣṇu, O Nārada, may attain liberation simply by reciting it.
नाम्नो माहात्म्यमखिलं पुराणे परिगीयते । ततः पुराणमखिलं श्रोतुमर्हसि मानद
The entire glory of the Name is sung in the Purāṇas; therefore, O honored one, you should listen to the whole Purāṇa.
पुराणश्रवणे श्रद्धा यस्य स्याद्भ्रातरन्वहम् । तस्य साक्षात्प्रसन्नः स्याच्छिवो विष्णुश्च सानुगः
Brother, whoever has faith in hearing the Purāṇa daily, Śiva and Viṣṇu, along with their retinues, become directly pleased with him.
यत्स्नात्वा पुष्करे तीर्थे प्रयागे सिंधुसंगमे । तत्फलं द्विगुणं तस्य श्रद्धया वै शृणोति यः
The result obtained by bathing at Puṣkara, Prayāga, or the confluence of rivers is doubled for one who listens with faith.
ये पठंति पुराणानि शृण्वंति च समाहिताः । प्रत्यक्षरं लभंत्येते कपिलादानजं फलम्
Those who recite and listen to the Purāṇas with concentration obtain, for each syllable, the fruit gained by Kapila and others.
अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं धनार्थी लभते धनम् । विद्यार्थी लभते विद्यां मोक्षार्थी मोक्षमाप्नुयात्
The childless obtain a son, the seeker of wealth obtains wealth, the seeker of knowledge obtains knowledge, and the seeker of liberation attains liberation.
ये शृण्वंति पुराणानि कोटिजन्मार्जितं खलु । पापजालं तु ते हत्वा गच्छंति हरिमंदिरम्
Those who listen to the Purāṇas destroy the web of sin accumulated over millions of births and proceed to the abode of Hari.
पुराणवाचकं विप्रं पूजयेद्भक्तिभावतः । गोभूहिरण्यवस्त्रैश्च गंधपुष्पादिभिर्मुने
One should worship the brāhmaṇa who recites the Purāṇa with devotion, O sage, with cows, land, gold, garments, fragrance, flowers, and the like.
कांस्यैर्विनिर्मितं पात्रं जलपात्रं मुदान्वितः । कर्णकुंडलकं चैव मुद्रिकां स्वर्णनिर्मिताम्
One should joyfully give a vessel made of bronze, a water pot, earrings, and a ring made of gold.
आसनं तु तथा दद्यात्पुष्पमाल्यं तपोधन । वित्तशाठ्यं न कुर्वीत दानं हीनफलं यतः
One should also give a seat, flowers, and a garland, O ascetic; one should not act with miserliness in giving, for stingy gifts yield inferior results.
पुराणं वाचयेद्विप्र सर्वकामार्थसिद्धये । सुवर्णं रजतं वस्त्रं पुष्पमाल्यं तु चंदनम्
The brāhmaṇa should recite the Purāṇa for the fulfillment of all desires; gold, silver, garments, flowers, garlands, and sandalwood should be given.
दद्याद्यो पुस्तकं भक्त्या सगच्छेद्धरिमंदिरम् । कुर्वंति विधिनानेन संपूर्णं पुस्तकं च ये । तेषां नामानि लिंपेत चित्रगुप्तोऽर्चनाद्द्विज
Whoever donates a book with devotion, or completes a book according to this injunction, shall reach the abode of Hari; O twice-born, let Citragupta record the names of those who worship thus.
शौनक उवाच। श्रोतुमिच्छामि ते प्राज्ञ कथयस्व समूलकम् । प्रतिज्ञापालने पुण्यं खंडने किं च किल्बिषम्
Śaunaka said: O wise one, I wish to hear from you in detail: what merit arises from keeping a vow, and what sin from breaking it?
अनृते शपथे किं वा सत्ये किंचिद्भवेन्मुने । दक्षिणं किंकरं दत्वा कृपां कृत्वा कृपार्णव
What happens, O sage, if one swears falsely or truthfully? If one gives a fee to an assistant, O ocean of compassion, please tell me kindly.
सूत उवाच। शृणुष्व मुनिशार्दूल कथयामि समूलतः । वैष्णवानां त्वमग्र्योऽसि सर्वलोकहिते रतः
Sūta said: Listen, O tiger among sages, I shall tell you everything in full; you are foremost among Vaiṣṇavas and devoted to the welfare of all worlds.
धेनूनां तु शतं दत्त्वा यत्फलं लभते नरः । तस्मात्कोटिगुणं पुण्यं प्रतिज्ञापालने द्विज
The merit a man gains by giving a hundred cows is multiplied a crore-fold by upholding a vow, O twice-born.
प्रतिज्ञाखंडनान्मूढो निरयं याति दारुणम् । शतमन्वंतरं यावत्पच्यते नात्र संशयः
A foolish person who breaks a vow goes to a terrible hell, and for a hundred intermediate lifespans he is tormented there—of this there is no doubt.
ततोऽत्र जन्म चासाद्य निर्धनस्य निकेतने । अन्नवस्त्रैर्विहीनः स्या क्लेशी चापि स्वकर्मणा
Then, after obtaining birth here, he is born in the house of a poor man, deprived of food and clothing, and suffers due to his own actions.
सत्येन शपथं कुर्याद्देवाग्निगुरुसन्निधौ । तावद्दहति वै गात्रं विष्णोर्वंशो न लुप्यते
One should swear truthfully in the presence of the gods, fire, and guru; as long as this is done, the body is not burned, and the lineage of Viṣṇu is not destroyed.
मिथ्यायां शपथे विप्र किमहं वच्मि सांप्रतम् । शतमन्वंतरं विप्र निरयं मिथ्यया किमु
O brāhmaṇa, what can I say now about a false oath? For a hundred intermediate lifespans, one who swears falsely goes to hell.
निर्माल्यं श्रीहरेः स्पृष्ट्वा सत्येन मुनिपुंगव । गृहीत्वा पुरुषान्सप्त पच्यते निरये चिरम्
O best of sages, after touching the remnants of Śrī Hari and swearing truthfully, if one takes seven people, they are tormented in hell for a long time.
कदाचिज्जन्म संप्राप्य कुष्ठी च प्रतिजन्मनि । सत्येनैवं भवेद्विप्र अनृते वै किमुच्यते
Sometimes, after being born, one becomes a leper in every birth through truth; O brāhmaṇa, what then should be said of falsehood?
यो मर्त्यो दक्षिणं दत्वा करं तत्प्रतिपाल्यते । तस्य प्राप्तिर्भवेत्कृष्णः सत्यं सत्यं वदाम्यहम्
Whoever, after giving a fee, keeps his vow—he attains Kṛṣṇa; I speak the truth, the truth, I say.
करं दत्त्वा तु यो मर्त्यो वचनस्य च पालनम् । तावन्न कुर्यात्पितरः प्राप्नुवंति च यातनाम्
If a person gives a fee but does not keep his word, his ancestors do not perform the rites and they experience suffering.
स्वयं तु मुनिशार्दूल निरयं चातिदारुणम् । उद्धारं कोटिपुरुषैर्मृतो याति न संशयः
But he himself, O tiger among sages, goes to a most dreadful hell; even if a crore of men tried to rescue him after death, he would not be freed—there is no doubt.