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 Purāṇa, one should give gifts and the like.
अधिकं तु तथा देयं भूहिरण्यादिकं नृप । न च तूष्णीमुपक्रम्य श्रोतुमर्हति कश्चन
Moreover, one should give land, gold, and the like, O king; and no one should begin to listen in silence.
सभासद्भिः कृता चैव या पूजैकेन वा कृता । देवस्थाने यथाशक्ति सर्वैः पूजनमिष्यते
Whether the worship is performed by an assembly or by one person, worship in a temple by all, according to ability, is approved.
तीर्थेपि च यथा राम पुण्येष्वायतनेषु च । स्वशक्त्या पूजनं कुर्यात्पुराणज्ञाय राघव
Likewise, O Rāma, in holy places and sacred shrines, worship should be performed for the knower of the Purāṇas, according to one's ability, O descendant of Raghu.
श्रोतुस्तु लक्षणं पूर्वं मयोक्तं तु भवेन्नृप । पौराणिकस्य सर्वस्य लक्षणं कथयामि ते
O king, I have previously described the characteristics of one who listens; now I will tell you the characteristics of a Purāṇika in full.
कुलहीनो महाव्याधिर्महापापी तिरस्कृतः । शौचाचारविहीनश्च वेदस्मृतिविवर्जितः
He is without noble lineage, afflicted by grave disease, a great sinner, despised, lacking purity and proper conduct, and devoid of Vedic and Smṛti knowledge.
अन्यदेवः पूतिवचो व्यंगश्चाप्यधिकांगवान् । परपूर्वापतिः स्तेनः प्राणिहंता निराकृतिः
He worships other gods, speaks impure words, is deformed or has extra limbs, has another's wife as his own, is a thief, a killer of living beings, and without proper appearance.
अथ वर्ज्यं पुराणं ते कथयामि नृपोत्तम । पूर्वज्ञैरुच्यमानं च यत्प्रोक्तं मुनिभिः परैः
Now, O best of kings, I will tell you which Purāṇa should be avoided, as spoken by the ancient sages and declared by the great seers.
व्यासादयो मुनिवरा यत्प्रोचुस्तदुदीरयेत् । पुराणस्थं पठेद्ग्रन्थं व्याख्यायेत विचारयन्
Whatever the eminent sages like Vyāsa have proclaimed, that alone should be recited; one should read the text found in the Purāṇas and explain it after careful consideration.
यया कयापि वा राम भाषयादेशभाषतः । न देशभाषा रचितं ग्रंथं श्रुत्वा फलं लभेत्
O Rāma, in whatever language or regional dialect it is spoken, one does not obtain the fruit by hearing a text composed in a regional language.
व्याख्या या कापि काकुत्स्थ पुराणस्य हिता हि सा । तस्मात्त्वं देवयाचस्व व्याख्यास्ये यत्पुराणकम्
O Kākutstha, whatever explanation of the Purāṇa there may be, it is beneficial; therefore, you should request the gods for the explanation of whichever Purāṇa.
शंभुरुवाच- एवं पौराणिकेनोक्तं श्रुतवानपि गौतमः । स्वयं वस्त्रत्रयं प्रादाद्ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने
Śaṃbhu said: Thus, although Gautama heard what was spoken by the Purāṇika, he himself gave three garments to the great-souled Brāhmaṇa.
कौर्मं पुराणं प्रथमं श्रुतवानिति नः श्रुतम् । दत्तवान्स्वर्णमधिकं वस्त्राणि च शुभानि च
It is heard that he first listened to the Kūrma Purāṇa; he gave gold and also auspicious garments.
अथ लैंगं च शुश्राव वैष्णवं वामनं तथा । पाद्मं च गारुडं चैव सौरं ब्राह्ममथैव च
Then he listened to the Liṅga, Vaiṣṇava, Vāmana, Padma, Gāruḍa, Sāura, and Brāhma Purāṇas.
एवमष्ट स शुश्राव पुराणानि स गौतमः । अथ रामायणं चैव कौर्ममेव पुनश्च सः
Thus Gautama listened to eight Purāṇas; then he also listened to the Rāmāyaṇa and again to the Kūrma Purāṇa.
शिवनारायणेत्येवं जपं चक्रे सदैव हि । अवाप निधनं चापि स गतो ब्रह्मणः पदम्
He always performed the recitation of 'Śiva-Nārāyaṇa', and upon death, he attained the abode of Brahma.
ब्रह्मा संपूज्य तं विप्रं विष्णुलोकमथागमत् । विष्णुना पूजितः सोऽथ जगाम शिवमंदिरम्
Brahmā, having worshipped that Brāhmaṇa, then went to the world of Viṣṇu; there, being worshipped by Viṣṇu, he proceeded to the temple of Śiva.
सर्वेषामेव वंद्योऽसौ गौतमो मुनिसत्तमः । भारतश्रवणे चापि नियमा ये मयेरिताः
Gautama, the foremost sage, is worthy of reverence by all; and the rules I have stated for hearing the Bhārata apply to him.
पुरा व्यासेन मुनिना त्रिवर्षाद्यत्कृतं शुभम् । श्रवणात्तस्य कृत्स्नस्य व्याकर्ता भारतस्य यः
Long ago, the auspicious work created by the sage Vyāsa over three years—whoever explains the entire Bhārata after hearing it—
न किंचित्प्रणमेद्विप्रं मुक्त्वा योगिनमुत्तमम् । सर्वेषामेव वंद्योसौ भारतं व्याकरोति यः
He should not bow to any Brāhmaṇa except the supreme yogin; for whoever explains the Bhārata is worthy of reverence by all.
यो महाभारतं नित्यं व्याख्यास्यति पठेच्च वा । स सर्वेभ्योधिको विप्रस्तारयेच्चैव मानवान्
Whoever always explains or reads the Mahābhārata, that Brāhmaṇa surpasses all and indeed delivers mankind.
व्याकरोति च पर्वैकं सर्वाणि कतिचित्तु वा । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो हव्ये कव्ये विशिष्यते
Whether he explains a single section or all of them, he is freed from all sins and excels in offerings and poetry.
तमेव प्रणमेद्विप्रं तमेवार्हं च पूजयेत् । तमेव भोजयेन्नित्यं सर्वं तस्मै निवेदयेत्
One should bow to that very learned Brahmin, honor him as worthy, feed him daily, and offer everything to him.
तस्य पूजाविधिः प्रोक्तो व्याख्यानसमये द्विजः । प्रतिपूज्योऽथ वस्त्राद्यैः पूजयेद्विधिमार्गतः
The procedure for his worship has been described, O twice-born; at the time of exposition, he should be duly honored with garments and other gifts, worshipping him according to the prescribed method.
आदिपर्वसमाप्तौ च सूक्ष्मवस्त्रत्रयं ददेत् । सुवर्णं च यथाशक्ति सभापर्वणि वाससी
At the completion of the Adi Parva, three fine garments should be given, and gold as one is able; at the Sabha Parva, two garments.
आनुशासनिकारण्यस्वर्गारोहेषु पर्वसु । आदिपर्वणि पूजा या सा पूजा नृपपुंगव
At the Parvas of Anushasana, Aranya, and Swargarohana, O best of kings, the worship at the Adi Parva should be performed in the same way.
कर्णाश्वमेधवैराटशल्यद्रोणेषु पर्वसु । सूक्ष्मवस्त्रत्रयं शुद्धं निष्कद्वयमथापि वा
At the Parvas of Karna, Ashvamedha, Virata, Shalya, and Drona, three pure fine garments or two nishkas should be given.
क्षुद्रपर्वस्वथान्येषु निष्कावथ समानयेत् । हरिवंशे सनिष्कं तु वस्त्रत्रितयमेव तु
At the minor Parvas and others, one should give nishkas; in the Harivamsha, three garments along with a nishka should be given.
भारतस्याखिलस्यैव समाप्तौ क्षेत्रदो भवेत् । रामायणस्य श्रवणे कांडेकांडे प्रपूजयेत्
At the completion of the entire Mahabharata, the giver of land is established; in the Ramayana, at the end of each section, one should perform worship.
क्षेत्रं पर्याप्तमथवा सुवर्णमपि दापयेत् । व्याख्यातुर्गुरुवाक्यस्य सर्वकल्मषनाशनः
If land is not sufficient, then gold should be given; the words of the teacher who explains destroy all sins.