पौराणिक उवाच- यथावत्कीर्तयिष्यामि पुराणं पापनाशनम् । यथाज्ञानं यथाशक्ति यथाशुद्धं यथाविधि
The reciter said: 'I will properly recite the Purana that destroys sin, according to my knowledge, ability, purity, and the prescribed method.'
किं वांच्छसि पुराणं तु कीर्तयिष्ये तदेव तु । गौतम उवाच- सर्वं रुचि पुराणं मे वक्तव्यं किं हितं वद
'Which Purana do you wish to hear? I will recite that one.' Gautama said: 'Tell me the Purana that is most agreeable to me; say what is beneficial.'
श्रुते यस्मिन्भिदा नैव जायते तु हरीशयोः । पौराणिक उवाच- कौर्मोक्तं यत्पुराणं तद्देवयोरभिदाभिधम्
'In which, when heard, there is no discord between Hari and Ishvara.' The reciter said: 'The Purana spoken by the Tortoise, which describes both deities.'
शृणोति यस्तत्प्रथमं तस्य पापं विनश्यति । तस्य वक्ता तु यो विप्रस्तस्य विघ्नांतरं भवेत्
Whoever first hears that, his sin is destroyed; but for the Brahmin who recites it, obstacles may arise.
श्रोतव्यं मन्यते पापो यदि भार्या विनश्यति । किंचैकं दुष्करं वक्ष्ये श्रोतुर्वक्तुरनिंदकम्
If a sinner considers it worth hearing, his wife may perish. Moreover, I will tell one difficult thing, which brings no blame to the listener or the speaker.
व्याख्यातरि यदि प्रीतिर्द्धर्मादेव प्रकाशिनी । आचारदर्शने पुण्ये कर्ममोक्षादिदर्शके
If there is joy in the explainer, manifesting from righteousness, in the display of conduct, in merit, and in showing the way to liberation through actions—
तदा तुष्टो महेशः स्याद्विष्णुरिष्टफलप्रदः । पितरस्तारितास्तेन यांति ते परमां गतिम्
Then Mahesha is pleased, and Vishnu grants the desired fruit; by that, the ancestors are uplifted and attain the highest state.
श्रीराम उवाच- कथं पातकसंघात संक्रमे ब्राह्मणाधमे । पुराणज्ञः कथं व्याख्यां चकार द्विजसत्तम
Shri Rama said: 'How, in the midst of a multitude of sins, did the lowest of Brahmins, O best of twice-born, receive an exposition from the knower of the Puranas?'
शंभुरुवाच- अध्यापने चाध्ययने जायते चाथ संगमः । संगतौ वत्सरं राम याति पातकि पातकम्
Shambhu said: 'In teaching and in study, association arises; in such association, O Rama, for a year, the sinner accumulates sin.'
पुराणज्ञे तु काकुत्स्थ सर्वतत्वार्थवेदिनि । अपिपातकसंदोह चीर्णपापं प्रणश्यति
'But for the knower of the Puranas, O descendant of Kakutstha, who knows the essence and meaning of all, even a heap of great sins is destroyed.'
प्रभूतवह्निनाशे हि धूमराशिर्यथैव हि । शलभो दीपनाशाय वह्निनाशाय न प्रभुः
Just as, when a great fire is extinguished, only a heap of smoke remains, so too, a moth is powerless to destroy the lamp or the fire.
कृतं पापं तथान्येषां नाशनाय पुराणिकः । भूतादिग्रस्तमर्त्यानां भूतादि भयमोचकः
In the same way, the knower of the Purāṇas does not destroy the sins committed by others; he is the remover of fear caused by spirits and the like for mortals possessed by such beings.
समंत्रवानपनयेद्यथा न स्वयमातुरः । पौराणिकस्तथा पापं न किंचित्प्राप्तुमर्हति
Just as a healer does not cure himself but removes afflictions from others by means of mantras, so too, the knower of the Purāṇas does not obtain any sin himself.
आत्मना च कृतं पापमन्यैरपि च यत्कृतम् । पुराणज्ञो नाशयति त्वतिदुष्टं स्वकर्म्म वा
Whatever sin is committed by oneself or by others, the knower of the Purāṇas destroys it, whether it is exceedingly wicked or his own action.
भवानीशे हृषीकेशे समवृत्तिर्विवेकवान् । लोकवेदक्रियावेत्ता रुद्रजाप्यतिनिःस्पृहः
O Lord of Bhavānī, O Hṛṣīkeśa, he is impartial, discerning, skilled in worldly and Vedic duties, and unattached even to the recitation of Rudra.
तुष्टः शांतः क्रियादक्षः प्रभूतो योगकृद्वशी । यथैव ते पुराणज्ञो वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः
He is content, tranquil, adept in action, powerful, devoted to yoga, and self-controlled, just as the venerable sage Vasiṣṭha, knower of the Purāṇas, was.
नियोगात्तव भूपाल अयोध्यायामतिष्ठत । अपालयद्भुवं कृत्स्नां त्वां च रक्षः समापतत्
By your command, O king, he remained in Ayodhyā and protected the entire earth, and you as well, when danger approached.
स च शुक्रोपदेशेन राक्षसस्त्वामथाभ्यगात् । निद्रासक्तं हनिष्यामि नान्यथावसरस्त्विति
Then, following Śukra's instruction, the demon approached you, saying, 'I will kill him while he is absorbed in sleep; there is no other opportunity.'
अथ विप्रो विदित्वैतद्वसिष्ठस्त्वद्धितप्रियः । सुप्तं प्रमत्तं काकुत्स्थं रक्षो हंति न संशयः
Then the sage Vasiṣṭha, who desired your welfare, understood this: 'The demon will surely kill Kakutstha while he is asleep and careless.'
ब्रह्मावाप्तवरं तद्धि मया कार्यं निवारणम् । इति संचिंत्य विप्रर्षिः सेनामादाय निर्गतः
'Since he has obtained a boon from Brahmā, I must prevent this act.' Thinking thus, the sage took the army and set out.
रक्षो हंतुमशक्तस्तु मृत्युहीनं ततो मुनिः । स्वयं च राक्षसो भूत्वा वाक्यमाह महामुनिः
But the sage was unable to kill the demon, who was free from death; then, becoming a demon himself, the great sage spoke these words.
किमर्थमागतोसीह वनं मुनिनिषेवितम् । स आह राजा रक्षोघ्नस्तमहं हंतुमागतः
'For what purpose 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 is the use of that life, whether living or dead? Eat my flesh, then fight and win.'
राक्षस उवाच- कथं त्वं राक्षसो मह्यं भक्षणाय भविष्यसि । वसिष्ठोऽप्यथ मानुष्यमास्थाय वियति स्थितः
The demon said: 'How will you, a sage, become food for me, a demon?' Then Vasiṣṭha, assuming a human form, stood in the sky.
निष्ठीव्य मस्तके तस्य मुष्टिना तमताडयत् । ताडितो राक्षसस्तेन व्यद्रावयदृषिश्च तम्
He spat on the demon's head and struck him with his fist; struck by him, the demon fled, and the sage pursued him.
पलायमानावन्योन्यं जलधिं तु गतावुभौ । तत्रस्थेन ग्रहेणासौ गृहीतो राक्षसस्तदा
Both, fleeing from each other, reached the ocean; there, the demon was seized by one who dwelt there.
मुनिः पुनरयोध्यायां पूर्ववत्समतिष्ठत । शंभुरुवाच- तस्मात्स्वाभिमतं कुर्यात्पुराणज्ञो विमत्सरः
The sage then returned to Ayodhyā as before. Śaṃbhu said: 'Therefore, the knower of the Purāṇas should act according to his own inclination, without envy.'
श्रवणस्य विधानं च कथयामि शुभं शृणु । शुक्लपक्षे दिने शुद्धे वारनक्षत्रयोगतः
'I will now tell you the auspicious procedure for listening; listen. On a pure day in the bright fortnight, with the proper conjunction of weekday and lunar mansion—'
करणे चापि लग्ने च ग्रहताराबलान्विते । अमूढेन ग्रहे बाले न च वृद्धौ गुरौस्थिते
Neither during an eclipse, nor when the planets and stars are weak, nor when the mind is confused, nor when the planet is young, nor when Jupiter is in decline, should the Purāṇa be heard.
न कृष्णपक्षे ग्रहणे न च नास्तिकसंनिधौ । पूर्वोक्तलक्षणोपेतं पुराणं शृणुयादिति
Not during the dark fortnight, not during an eclipse, nor in the presence of atheists, should one listen to the Purāṇa; it should be heard only when the previously described auspicious signs are present.