जातकर्मादिसंस्कारान्कारयस्व ममाशु वै । द्विजो भूत्वा शृणोम्यद्य प्रायश्चित्तं करोम्यतः
'Quickly perform for me the rites from birth onwards; becoming a Brahmin, I will listen today and perform expiation.'
विधायकं पुराणं मे भविष्यति च कीर्तितम् । अतः शक्यं करिष्यामि पुराणार्थं विनिश्चयन्
'Let a Purana that is authoritative for me be recited; then I will be able to act, having determined the meaning of the Purana.'
पौराणिक उवाच- यथावत्कीर्तयिष्यामि पुराणं पापनाशनम् । यथाज्ञानं यथाशक्ति यथाशुद्धं यथाविधि
Pauranika said: I will recite the Purana properly, which destroys sin, to the best of my knowledge, ability, purity, and according to the rules.
किं वांच्छसि पुराणं तु कीर्तयिष्ये तदेव तु । गौतम उवाच- सर्वं रुचि पुराणं मे वक्तव्यं किं हितं वद
'Which Purana do you desire? I will recite that.' Gautama said: 'Tell me the Purana that is most beneficial and pleasing to me.'
श्रुते यस्मिन्भिदा नैव जायते तु हरीशयोः । पौराणिक उवाच- कौर्मोक्तं यत्पुराणं तद्देवयोरभिदाभिधम्
'In which, when heard, no discord arises between Hari and Isha.' Pauranika said: 'The Purana spoken by the Tortoise, which is free from discord between the two gods.'
शृणोति यस्तत्प्रथमं तस्य पापं विनश्यति । तस्य वक्ता तु यो विप्रस्तस्य विघ्नांतरं भवेत्
Whoever hears it first, his sin is destroyed; but for the Brahmin who recites it, obstacles arise.
श्रोतव्यं मन्यते पापो यदि भार्या विनश्यति । किंचैकं दुष्करं वक्ष्ये श्रोतुर्वक्तुरनिंदकम्
If a wicked man thinks he should listen when his wife perishes, I will now speak of one thing difficult to do, which is blameless for both the listener and the speaker.
व्याख्यातरि यदि प्रीतिर्द्धर्मादेव प्रकाशिनी । आचारदर्शने पुण्ये कर्ममोक्षादिदर्शके
If affection arises for the expositor, revealed solely through dharma, in the observation of conduct, in merit, and in the demonstration of actions leading to liberation,
तदा तुष्टो महेशः स्याद्विष्णुरिष्टफलप्रदः । पितरस्तारितास्तेन यांति ते परमां गतिम्
Then Mahesha becomes pleased, Vishnu grants the desired fruits, and the ancestors are rescued by that, attaining the highest state.
श्रीराम उवाच- कथं पातकसंघात संक्रमे ब्राह्मणाधमे । पुराणज्ञः कथं व्याख्यां चकार द्विजसत्तम
Śrī Rāma said: How, in the midst of a multitude of sins, did the lowest of Brahmins, who knew the Purāṇas, deliver an exposition, O best of twice-born?
शंभुरुवाच- अध्यापने चाध्ययने जायते चाथ संगमः । संगतौ वत्सरं राम याति पातकि पातकम्
Śaṃbhu said: In teaching and in study, union arises, and through union, O Rāma, for a year, the sinner accumulates sin.
पुराणज्ञे तु काकुत्स्थ सर्वतत्वार्थवेदिनि । अपिपातकसंदोह चीर्णपापं प्रणश्यति
But for one who knows the Purāṇas, O descendant of Kakutstha, who understands the essence of all principles, even a heap of great sins is destroyed, and committed sins perish.
प्रभूतवह्निनाशे हि धूमराशिर्यथैव हि । शलभो दीपनाशाय वह्निनाशाय न प्रभुः
Just as, when a great fire is extinguished, a mass of smoke remains, so too a moth, though drawn to the lamp, cannot extinguish the fire.
कृतं पापं तथान्येषां नाशनाय पुराणिकः । भूतादिग्रस्तमर्त्यानां भूतादि भयमोचकः
In the same way, the Purāṇika destroys the sins committed by others; for mortals seized by beings such as spirits, he removes their fear of such beings.
समंत्रवानपनयेद्यथा न स्वयमातुरः । पौराणिकस्तथा पापं न किंचित्प्राप्तुमर्हति
Just as one skilled in mantras removes afflictions but is not himself afflicted, so too the Purāṇika does not deserve to receive any sin.
आत्मना च कृतं पापमन्यैरपि च यत्कृतम् । पुराणज्ञो नाशयति त्वतिदुष्टं स्वकर्म्म वा
Whether the sin is committed by himself or by others, the knower of the Purāṇas destroys it, whether it is exceedingly wicked or his own action.
भवानीशे हृषीकेशे समवृत्तिर्विवेकवान् । लोकवेदक्रियावेत्ता रुद्रजाप्यतिनिःस्पृहः
He is equal-minded toward Bhavānī and Īśa, toward Hṛṣīkeśa, discerning, skilled in worldly and Vedic actions, unattached to Rudra recitations.
तुष्टः शांतः क्रियादक्षः प्रभूतो योगकृद्वशी । यथैव ते पुराणज्ञो वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः
He is content, peaceful, adept in rituals, powerful, a practitioner of yoga, self-controlled; just as your Purāṇika was the venerable sage Vasiṣṭha.
नियोगात्तव भूपाल अयोध्यायामतिष्ठत । अपालयद्भुवं कृत्स्नां त्वां च रक्षः समापतत्
By your command, O king, he remained in Ayodhyā, protected the entire earth, and guarded you when danger approached.
स च शुक्रोपदेशेन राक्षसस्त्वामथाभ्यगात् । निद्रासक्तं हनिष्यामि नान्यथावसरस्त्विति
Then, by the instruction of Śukra, the demon came to you, saying, 'I will kill you while you are absorbed in sleep; there is no other opportunity.'
अथ विप्रो विदित्वैतद्वसिष्ठस्त्वद्धितप्रियः । सुप्तं प्रमत्तं काकुत्स्थं रक्षो हंति न संशयः
Then the Brahmin, Vasiṣṭha, who desired your welfare, understood this: 'If the demon finds Kakutstha sleeping and careless, he will surely kill him.'
ब्रह्मावाप्तवरं तद्धि मया कार्यं निवारणम् । इति संचिंत्य विप्रर्षिः सेनामादाय निर्गतः
'That demon has obtained a boon from Brahmā; I must prevent this act.' Thinking thus, the sage took the army and went forth.
रक्षो हंतुमशक्तस्तु मृत्युहीनं ततो मुनिः । स्वयं च राक्षसो भूत्वा वाक्यमाह महामुनिः
Unable to kill the demon, who was free from death, the sage himself became a demon and spoke these words.
किमर्थमागतोसीह वनं मुनिनिषेवितम् । स आह राजा रक्षोघ्नस्तमहं हंतुमागतः
'Why have you come here, to this forest frequented by sages?' He replied, 'I am the king, the slayer of demons; I have come to kill him.'
मुनिरप्याह किं तेन जीवितेन मृतेन वा । भुक्त्वामिषं मदीयं तु युद्धं कृत्वा जयं व्रज
The sage also said: What use is life or death to you? Eat my meat, fight, and attain victory.
राक्षस उवाच- कथं त्वं राक्षसो मह्यं भक्षणाय भविष्यसि । वसिष्ठोऽप्यथ मानुष्यमास्थाय वियति स्थितः
The rākṣasa said: How will you, a rākṣasa, become food for me? Even Vasiṣṭha, having assumed a human form, stands in the sky.
निष्ठीव्य मस्तके तस्य मुष्टिना तमताडयत् । ताडितो राक्षसस्तेन व्यद्रावयदृषिश्च तम्
Spitting on his head, he struck him with his fist; struck by him, the rākṣasa drove the sage away.
पलायमानावन्योन्यं जलधिं तु गतावुभौ । तत्रस्थेन ग्रहेणासौ गृहीतो राक्षसस्तदा
Both, fleeing from each other, reached the ocean; there, the rākṣasa was seized by a resident of that place.
मुनिः पुनरयोध्यायां पूर्ववत्समतिष्ठत । शंभुरुवाच- तस्मात्स्वाभिमतं कुर्यात्पुराणज्ञो विमत्सरः
The sage again remained in Ayodhyā as before. Śaṃbhu said: Therefore, one who knows the Purāṇas, free from envy, should act as he desires.
श्रवणस्य विधानं च कथयामि शुभं शृणु । शुक्लपक्षे दिने शुद्धे वारनक्षत्रयोगतः
I will tell you the auspicious procedure for listening; listen: on a pure day in the bright fortnight, joined with a favorable weekday and constellation,