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.
अर्थोधर्म्मश्च कामश्च मोक्षश्च नृपसत्तम । व्याख्याश्रवणतः सर्वे सिद्धयंति च सुबुद्धयः
O best of kings, by hearing the exposition, all attainments—wealth, righteousness, desire, and liberation—are accomplished by those of good understanding.
ब्रह्महत्यादिपापानां सर्वेषामपि नाशनम् । एकेन श्रवणेनास्य किं नरैर्न श्रुतं भुवि
The destruction of all sins, even those like the killing of a Brahmin, occurs; what is there on earth that men have not heard by listening to this once?
यानवसुसुवर्णाद्यैर्नित्यमेनं प्रपूजयेत् । व्याख्यातारं यतः पापसंदोहस्य विनाशनम्
He should always be worshipped with vehicles, cattle, gold, and the like, for the expounder is the destroyer of accumulated sin.
अन्यान्यपि पुराणानि मुनिप्रोक्तानि तान्यपि । श्रोतॄणां पापनाशाय वक्तुश्चापि विशेषतः
Other Puranas also, spoken by sages, should be recited for the destruction of sins of the listeners, and especially of the speaker.
यश्च सर्वपुराणानि षट्त्रिंशत्तु प्रकीर्तयेत् । शृणोति वा न तस्यास्ति चित्तच्छेदः कदाचन
Whoever recites or hears all the thirty-six Puranas, his mind is never disturbed.
ब्राह्मं पुराणं प्रथमं द्वितीयं पाद्ममुच्यते । तृतीयं वैष्णवं चैव चतुर्थं शैवमुच्यते
The Brahma Purana is said to be first, the Padma second, the Vaishnava third, and the Shaiva is called the fourth.
अथ भागवतं प्रोक्तं पंचमं षष्ठमुच्यते । भविष्यं नारदीयं च सप्तमं परिकीर्तितम्
Then the Bhagavata is said to be the fifth, the Bhavishya the sixth, and the Naradiya is counted as the seventh.
मार्कंडेयमिति प्रोक्तमष्टमं नवमं तथा । आग्नेयं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं दशमं परिकीर्तितम्
The Markandeya is called the eighth, the Agneya the ninth, the Brahmavaivarta is counted as the tenth.
लैंगं च वामनं चैव स्कांदं मात्स्यमथैव च । कौर्मं वाराहमुदितं गारुडं वाथ कीर्तितम्
The Linga, Vamana, Skanda, Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, and Garuda are also mentioned.
ब्रह्मांडमित्यष्टादशपुराणानि विदुर्बुधाः । तथा चोपपुराणानि कथयिष्याम्यतः परम्
The Brahmanda is thus the eighteenth; these are known as the eighteen Puranas by the wise. Now I shall tell you about the Upapuranas.