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,
करणे चापि लग्ने च ग्रहताराबलान्विते । अमूढेन ग्रहे बाले न च वृद्धौ गुरौस्थिते
When the lunar day and ascendant are favorable, and the planets and stars are strong; when the planets are not eclipsed, not in infancy nor in old age, nor when Jupiter is afflicted,
न कृष्णपक्षे ग्रहणे न च नास्तिकसंनिधौ । पूर्वोक्तलक्षणोपेतं पुराणं शृणुयादिति
Not during the dark fortnight, not during an eclipse, nor in the presence of atheists; one should listen to the Purāṇa endowed with the previously mentioned characteristics.
शुद्धगेहेऽथवा शुद्धवेदिकायां मठेथ वा । नदीतीरे देवगेहे सभामंडप एव च
In a pure house, or on a clean altar, or even in a monastery; on a riverbank, in a temple, or in a public hall,
रथ्या मठेथ वा रम्ये पुण्यशालासु राघव । स्वयं नमस्य विप्रेंद्रान्पुराणज्ञं विशेषतः
Or in a beautiful street or in a hall of merit, O Rāghava; one should personally honor the foremost brāhmaṇas, especially the knower of the Purāṇas.
आसनं कल्पितं कुर्य्यादूर्ध्वं सर्वविशेषितम् । एहि धर्म्मासनमिति वक्तव्यं स्यादनिष्ठुरम्
One should prepare a distinguished seat above all others, and gently say, 'Come, O seat of dharma.'
पुराणप्रक्रमदिने यत्कार्यं तदुदीरयेत् । व्याख्यातारं पुराणस्य वस्त्राद्यैः परिपूजयेत्
On the day the Purāṇa is commenced, one should declare the intended act, and honor the expounder of the Purāṇa with garments and other gifts.
शुभानि दत्वा वस्त्राणि सूक्ष्माणि च नवानि च । करकंठविभूषादि पात्रमासनमेव च
Giving auspicious, fine, and new garments, as well as a water pot, a neck ornament, and a vessel or seat,
गंधपुष्पाक्षतैः पूज्य तांबूलं विनिवेद्य च । शुक्लांबरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम्
One should worship with fragrance, flowers, and unbroken rice, and offer betel; then meditate on Viṣṇu, clad in white, moon-hued, four-armed.
प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत्सर्वविघ्नोपशांतये । सभासदश्च संपूज्य गणेशं प्रार्थयेत्ततः
One should meditate on his gracious face to remove all obstacles; after honoring the assembly, one should then pray to Gaṇeśa.
ॐनमेत्यादि मंत्रेण पूजनं भारती नुतिः । प्रातःकाले पुराणस्य प्रक्रमं प्रारभेदिति
With the mantra beginning with 'oṃ namah,' one should perform worship and praise Sarasvatī; in the morning, one should begin the recitation of the Purāṇa.
उपक्रमदिने राम त्रिपंचदश वा शुभाः । श्लोका द्वितीये दिवसे ततो द्विगुणिताः शुभाः
On the first day, O Rāma, fifteen auspicious verses; on the second day, twice as many auspicious verses.
तृतीये दिवसे राम ततश्चाधिकमिष्यते । दिनानामव्यवच्छेदाद्व्याख्यानं श्रवणं तथा
On the third day, O Rāma, even more are desired; without interruption of days, both exposition and listening should continue.
व्यवस्थितिर्यदा जाता तदा पौराणिकं गुरुम् । तांबूलादिप्रदायाथ परेद्युः शृणुयादपि
When the arrangement is made, then one should offer betel and similar items to the Purāṇic teacher, and on the next day, listen again.
पुराणमेवं श्रोतव्यं दैनंदिनमिति श्रुतिः । व्रतरूपेण यः कश्चित्पुराणं शृणुयान्नरः
The Purāṇa should be listened to daily—so declares the scripture; whoever listens to the Purāṇa as a vow,
यदैवं तत्पुराणं तु तत्र याति न संशयः । पुराणं श्रोतुकामेन श्लोकश्चैकोपि चेच्छ्रुतः
Whenever one listens to that Purāṇa, there is no doubt he attains its result; even if a single verse is heard by one desiring to listen to the Purāṇa,
तद्दिने तु कृतं पापं नाशयेत्तु न संशयः
On that very day, any sin committed is destroyed—there is no doubt about this.
एवं पुराणं शृणुयाच्च यस्तु स ब्रह्महत्याकृतपापबंधात् । सुरापीतिः स्वर्णहरश्च राम गुर्वंगनागश्च विमुक्तिमेति
Thus, whoever listens to the Purāṇa—even one guilty of killing a brāhmaṇa, drinking liquor, stealing gold, violating the teacher’s wife, or other such acts—attains liberation.
पापानि चान्यानि कृतानि पुंभिः सर्वाणि नश्यंति पुराकृतानि । इहापि यान्यब्दशतार्जितानि श्रोतुर्विनश्यंति तथा च वक्तुः
All other sins committed by men, even those done in the past, are destroyed; and those accumulated over hundreds of years in this very life perish for both the listener and the reciter.
कलौ समस्तविप्राणां सर्वज्ञत्वं न विद्यते । विगुणापि ततो व्याख्या फलदा दानकर्मवत्
In the Kali age, none of the brāhmaṇas possess complete knowledge; yet even an imperfect explanation yields fruit, like the act of giving gifts.
पुराणानामभिप्रायं व्यासो वेद न चापरः । अहं वेद्मि विशेषेण व्यासादपि विधेरपि
Vyāsa alone knows the true intent of the Purāṇas, and no one else; I know it especially, even more than Vyāsa and the Creator.