दद्याद्द्रव्यमतो भूयः सचैलं शोभितं मृदु । भूषणानि यथार्हाणि स्वशक्त्या प्रतिपादयेत्
One should give even more wealth, with fine garments, soft and adorned, and ornaments as appropriate, according to one's ability.
गंधपुष्पं प्रतिदिनं केवलं गंधमेव च । केवलं च तथा पुष्पं फलकाले फलान्यपि
One should offer daily fragrance and flowers, or only fragrance, or only flowers, and fruits when they are in season.
तांबूलं च तथा दद्यान्नमस्कुर्याच्च भक्तितः । पुराणस्य समाप्तौ तु दद्याद्दानादिकं तथा
Likewise, one should give betel and bow with devotion; and at the conclusion of the Purana, one should give gifts and the like.
अधिकं तु तथा देयं भूहिरण्यादिकं नृप । न च तूष्णीमुपक्रम्य श्रोतुमर्हति कश्चन
Additionally, one should give more, such as land, gold, and so on, O King; and no one should approach and listen in silence.
सभासद्भिः कृता चैव या पूजैकेन वा कृता । देवस्थाने यथाशक्ति सर्वैः पूजनमिष्यते
Whether the worship is performed by the assembly or by one person, worship at the temple by all, according to their ability, is approved.
तीर्थेपि च यथा राम पुण्येष्वायतनेषु च । स्वशक्त्या पूजनं कुर्यात्पुराणज्ञाय राघव
Likewise at holy places, O Rama, and in sacred shrines, one should worship the knower of the Purana according to one's ability.
श्रोतुस्तु लक्षणं पूर्वं मयोक्तं तु भवेन्नृप । पौराणिकस्य सर्वस्य लक्षणं कथयामि ते
I have already described the qualifications of the listener, O King; now I will tell you the qualifications of the reciter of the Purana.
कुलहीनो महाव्याधिर्महापापी तिरस्कृतः । शौचाचारविहीनश्च वेदस्मृतिविवर्जितः
One who is without family, afflicted by great disease, a great sinner, despised, lacking purity and proper conduct, and devoid of Veda and Smriti.
अन्यदेवः पूतिवचो व्यंगश्चाप्यधिकांगवान् । परपूर्वापतिः स्तेनः प्राणिहंता निराकृतिः
One who worships other gods, speaks foul words, is deformed or has extra limbs, has another's wife as his first, is a thief, a killer of living beings, or of bad appearance.
अथ वर्ज्यं पुराणं ते कथयामि नृपोत्तम । पूर्वज्ञैरुच्यमानं च यत्प्रोक्तं मुनिभिः परैः
Now I will tell you, O best of kings, which Purana is to be avoided, as declared by the ancients and spoken by the great sages.
व्यासादयो मुनिवरा यत्प्रोचुस्तदुदीरयेत् । पुराणस्थं पठेद्ग्रन्थं व्याख्यायेत विचारयन्
One should recite only what has been spoken by Vyasa and other great sages; one should read the text found in the Purana, explaining it with reflection.
यया कयापि वा राम भाषयादेशभाषतः । न देशभाषा रचितं ग्रंथं श्रुत्वा फलं लभेत्
O Rama, in whatever language or regional dialect it is spoken, one does not obtain the fruit by hearing a text composed in a regional dialect.
व्याख्या या कापि काकुत्स्थ पुराणस्य हिता हि सा । तस्मात्त्वं देवयाचस्व व्याख्यास्ये यत्पुराणकम्
Any explanation of the Purana, O Kakutstha, is indeed beneficial; therefore, you should request the gods, and I will explain the Purana.
शंभुरुवाच- एवं पौराणिकेनोक्तं श्रुतवानपि गौतमः । स्वयं वस्त्रत्रयं प्रादाद्ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने
Shambhu said: Thus, as instructed by the reciter of the Purana, Gautama, having listened, himself gave three garments to the great-souled Brahmin.
कौर्मं पुराणं प्रथमं श्रुतवानिति नः श्रुतम् । दत्तवान्स्वर्णमधिकं वस्त्राणि च शुभानि च
It is heard by us that he first listened to the Kurma Purana; he gave additional gold and fine garments.
अथ लैंगं च शुश्राव वैष्णवं वामनं तथा । पाद्मं च गारुडं चैव सौरं ब्राह्ममथैव च
Then he listened to the Linga, Vaishnava, Vamana, Padma, Garuda, Saura, and Brahma Puranas as well.
एवमष्ट स शुश्राव पुराणानि स गौतमः । अथ रामायणं चैव कौर्ममेव पुनश्च सः
Thus Gautama listened to these eight Puranas; then he also listened again to the Ramayana and the Kurma Purana.
शिवनारायणेत्येवं जपं चक्रे सदैव हि । अवाप निधनं चापि स गतो ब्रह्मणः पदम्
He always recited the names 'Shiva' and 'Narayana'; he attained death and went to the abode of Brahman.
ब्रह्मा संपूज्य तं विप्रं विष्णुलोकमथागमत् । विष्णुना पूजितः सोऽथ जगाम शिवमंदिरम्
Brahma, having honored that Brahmin, then went to the abode of Vishnu; being worshipped by Vishnu, he afterwards proceeded to Shiva's temple.
सर्वेषामेव वंद्योऽसौ गौतमो मुनिसत्तमः । भारतश्रवणे चापि नियमा ये मयेरिताः
Gautama, the foremost among sages, is worthy of reverence from all; and the observances I have prescribed are to be followed when listening to the Bharata.
पुरा व्यासेन मुनिना त्रिवर्षाद्यत्कृतं शुभम् । श्रवणात्तस्य कृत्स्नस्य व्याकर्ता भारतस्य यः
Long ago, the auspicious work accomplished by the sage Vyasa after three years—he who expounds the entire Bharata upon hearing it.
न किंचित्प्रणमेद्विप्रं मुक्त्वा योगिनमुत्तमम् । सर्वेषामेव वंद्योसौ भारतं व्याकरोति यः
One should bow to no Brahmin except the supreme yogi; he alone is worthy of reverence who expounds the Bharata.
यो महाभारतं नित्यं व्याख्यास्यति पठेच्च वा । स सर्वेभ्योधिको विप्रस्तारयेच्चैव मानवान्
Whoever regularly explains or recites the Mahabharata, that Brahmin surpasses all others and indeed delivers mankind.
व्याकरोति च पर्वैकं सर्वाणि कतिचित्तु वा । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो हव्ये कव्ये विशिष्यते
Whether he expounds a single section or several, he becomes free from all sins and excels in both offerings to the gods and ancestors.
तमेव प्रणमेद्विप्रं तमेवार्हं च पूजयेत् । तमेव भोजयेन्नित्यं सर्वं तस्मै निवेदयेत्
One should bow to that Brahmin alone, honor him as worthy, feed him daily, and dedicate everything to him.
तस्य पूजाविधिः प्रोक्तो व्याख्यानसमये द्विजः । प्रतिपूज्योऽथ वस्त्राद्यैः पूजयेद्विधिमार्गतः
The method of honoring him has been declared for the time of exposition; he should be properly worshipped with garments and other items according to prescribed rules.
आदिपर्वसमाप्तौ च सूक्ष्मवस्त्रत्रयं ददेत् । सुवर्णं च यथाशक्ति सभापर्वणि वाससी
At the completion of the Adiparva, three fine garments should be given; and as one is able, gold and clothing at the Sabha Parva.
आनुशासनिकारण्यस्वर्गारोहेषु पर्वसु । आदिपर्वणि पूजा या सा पूजा नृपपुंगव
At the Anushasana, Aranya, and Svargarohana Parvas, the worship performed at the Adiparva should be repeated, O best of kings.
कर्णाश्वमेधवैराटशल्यद्रोणेषु पर्वसु । सूक्ष्मवस्त्रत्रयं शुद्धं निष्कद्वयमथापि वा
At the Karna, Ashvamedha, Virata, Shalya, and Drona Parvas, three pure garments or two gold coins should be given.
क्षुद्रपर्वस्वथान्येषु निष्कावथ समानयेत् । हरिवंशे सनिष्कं तु वस्त्रत्रितयमेव तु
At the minor Parvas and others, gold coins should be presented; in the Harivamsa, three garments along with a gold coin should be given.