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.
भारतस्याखिलस्यैव समाप्तौ क्षेत्रदो भवेत् । रामायणस्य श्रवणे कांडेकांडे प्रपूजयेत्
At the completion of the entire Bharata, one becomes a giver of land; and during the recitation of the Ramayana, one should honor at the end of each section.
क्षेत्रं पर्याप्तमथवा सुवर्णमपि दापयेत् । व्याख्यातुर्गुरुवाक्यस्य सर्वकल्मषनाशनः
If land is not sufficient, gold may also be given; the words of the expounder and teacher destroy all faults.
अर्थोधर्म्मश्च कामश्च मोक्षश्च नृपसत्तम । व्याख्याश्रवणतः सर्वे सिद्धयंति च सुबुद्धयः
O best of kings, wealth, righteousness, pleasure, and liberation—all are attained by hearing and expounding, and wisdom is perfected.
ब्रह्महत्यादिपापानां सर्वेषामपि नाशनम् । एकेन श्रवणेनास्य किं नरैर्न श्रुतं भुवि
The destruction of all sins, including the killing of a Brahmin, occurs; what is there that is not heard on earth by men through a single listening to this?
यानवसुसुवर्णाद्यैर्नित्यमेनं प्रपूजयेत् । व्याख्यातारं यतः पापसंदोहस्य विनाशनम्
One should always honor him with vehicles, gold, and other gifts; for the expounder is the destroyer of accumulated sin.
अन्यान्यपि पुराणानि मुनिप्रोक्तानि तान्यपि । श्रोतॄणां पापनाशाय वक्तुश्चापि विशेषतः
Other Puranas spoken by sages should also be recited; for the destruction of sins of listeners, and especially for the speaker.
यश्च सर्वपुराणानि षट्त्रिंशत्तु प्रकीर्तयेत् । शृणोति वा न तस्यास्ति चित्तच्छेदः कदाचन
Whoever recites all the thirty-six Purāṇas, or even listens to them, will never experience any disturbance of mind at any time.
ब्राह्मं पुराणं प्रथमं द्वितीयं पाद्ममुच्यते । तृतीयं वैष्णवं चैव चतुर्थं शैवमुच्यते
The Brahma Purāṇa is said to be the first, the Padma the second, and the Vaiṣṇava the third; the Śaiva is declared the fourth.
अथ भागवतं प्रोक्तं पंचमं षष्ठमुच्यते । भविष्यं नारदीयं च सप्तमं परिकीर्तितम्
Next, the Bhāgavata is spoken of as the fifth, the Bhaviṣya as the sixth, and the Nārada Purāṇa is renowned as the seventh.
मार्कंडेयमिति प्रोक्तमष्टमं नवमं तथा । आग्नेयं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं दशमं परिकीर्तितम्
The Mārkaṇḍeya is named as the eighth, and the ninth is the Āgneya; the Brahmavaivarta is counted as the tenth.
लैंगं च वामनं चैव स्कांदं मात्स्यमथैव च । कौर्मं वाराहमुदितं गारुडं वाथ कीर्तितम्
The Laiṅga and Vāmana, as well as the Skānda and Matsya, then the Kūrma, Vārāha, and the Gāruḍa are also mentioned.
ब्रह्मांडमित्यष्टादशपुराणानि विदुर्बुधाः । तथा चोपपुराणानि कथयिष्याम्यतः परम्
The Brahmāṇḍa is thus known; the wise recognize these as the eighteen Purāṇas. Now I will recount the Upapurāṇas.
आद्यं सनत्कुमाराख्यं नारसिंहमतः परम् । तृतीयमांडमुद्दिष्टं दौर्वाससमथैव च
The first is called Sanatkumāra, then comes the Nārasiṃha; the third is named Āṇḍa, and next is the Daurvāsasa.
नारदीयमथान्यं च कापिलं मानवं तथा । तद्वदौशनस प्रोक्तं ब्रह्मांडं च ततः परम्
Then there is another Nārada, as well as the Kāpila and Mānava; the Vaiṣṇava and the Brahmāṇḍa are also mentioned thereafter.
वारुणं कालिकाह्वानं माहेशं सांबमेव च । सौरं पाराशरं चैव मारीचं भार्गवाह्वयम्
The Vāruṇa, Kālikā, Māheśa, Sāmba, Saura, Pārāśara, Mārīca, and Bhārgava are also named.
कौमारं च पुराणानि कीर्तितान्यष्ट वै दश । अष्टादशपुराणानां व्याकर्ता तु भवेन्मनुः
The Kaumāra and other Purāṇas are thus recounted, making eighteen in number; Manu is said to be the expounder of the eighteen Purāṇas.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखंडे शिवराघवसंवादे पुराणमाहात्म्यकथनंनाम पंचदशोत्तरशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred fifteenth chapter, entitled 'The Greatness of the Purāṇas,' in the dialogue between Śiva and Rāghava, in the Pātāla section of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
सूत उवाच- संध्यावंदनकर्मक्रियतामिति रामो मुनिमाचष्टायम् । उष्णद्युतिरप्यस्तमुपैति द्विजकुलमेतन्नीडमुपैति
Sūta said: Rāma told the sage that the duties of the twilight worship should be performed; the sun, though still warm, was setting, and the twice-born were returning to their dwellings.
स्वयमपि संध्यावंदनकामोऽव्रजदुत्तरदिशमुज्झितयानः । हाहाहूहूकृतसंगीतिर्बंदीप्रमुखप्रस्तुतकीर्तिः
Desiring to perform the twilight worship himself, he went northward, leaving his vehicle behind; the bards, led by the heralds, sang his praises with shouts of 'Hā Hā' and 'Hū Hū.'
गौतमीतटमुपेत्य राघवो वायुनंदनसुधौतपद्युगः । जांबवत्कृतकरावलंबनः प्रापदुत्तमनदीं तु गौतमीम्
Reaching the bank of the Gautamī, Rāghava, whose feet were washed by the wind-born Hanumān, and supported by Jāmbavat, approached the excellent river Gautamī.