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.
आद्यं सनत्कुमाराख्यं नारसिंहमतः परम् । तृतीयमांडमुद्दिष्टं दौर्वाससमथैव च
First is the one called Sanatkumāra, then comes Nārasiṃha; the third is known as Āṇḍa, and then Daurvāsasa as well.
नारदीयमथान्यं च कापिलं मानवं तथा । तद्वदौशनस प्रोक्तं ब्रह्मांडं च ततः परम्
Next is the Nārada, then another, the Kāpila, and also the Mānava; then, as spoken by Uśanas, the Brahmāṇḍa comes after that.
वारुणं कालिकाह्वानं माहेशं सांबमेव च । सौरं पाराशरं चैव मारीचं भार्गवाह्वयम्
The Vāruṇa, the Kālikā by name, the Māheśa, and likewise the Sāmbava; the Saura, the Pārāśara, the Mārīca, and the one called Bhārgava.
कौमारं च पुराणानि कीर्तितान्यष्ट वै दश । अष्टादशपुराणानां व्याकर्ता तु भवेन्मनुः
And the Kaumāra—thus, the Purāṇas are said to be eighteen in all; among the eighteen Purāṇas, Manu is regarded as their expounder.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखंडे शिवराघवसंवादे पुराणमाहात्म्यकथनंनाम पंचदशोत्तरशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Purāṇa, in the section called Pātāla, in the dialogue between Śiva and Rāghava, is the one hundred fifteenth chapter, named 'The Account of the Greatness of the Purāṇas.'
सूत उवाच- संध्यावंदनकर्मक्रियतामिति रामो मुनिमाचष्टायम् । उष्णद्युतिरप्यस्तमुपैति द्विजकुलमेतन्नीडमुपैति
Sūta said: Thus Rāma spoke to the sage about performing the sandhyā-vandana rite; the sun, now hot and radiant, was setting, and the twice-born gathered in their abode.
स्वयमपि संध्यावंदनकामोऽव्रजदुत्तरदिशमुज्झितयानः । हाहाहूहूकृतसंगीतिर्बंदीप्रमुखप्रस्तुतकीर्तिः
Desiring to perform the sandhyā-vandana himself, he went northward, having left his vehicle; with songs of 'hā hā' and 'hū hū' resounding, the chief bards began to praise him.
गौतमीतटमुपेत्य राघवो वायुनंदनसुधौतपद्युगः । जांबवत्कृतकरावलंबनः प्रापदुत्तमनदीं तु गौतमीम्
Rāghava, his feet washed by the son of the wind, reached the bank of the Gautamī; with Jāmbavat holding his hand, he attained the excellent river Gautamī.
करद्वये धृतकुशः स राघवः प्रागमद्वरुणदिशामथोत्तमाम् । दत्वा ततोऽर्घत्रितयं यथाविधि प्रहृष्टरोमाथ जजाप सोंऽतरे
Holding kuśa grass in both hands, that Rāghava proceeded eastward to the excellent region of Varuṇa; then, offering three libations of water as prescribed, his hair bristling with joy, he recited the sacred syllable within.
संप्रार्थयित्वा वरुणं यथाक्रमं शंभुं वसिष्ठं प्रणनाम राघवः । ताभ्यां कृताशीरगमन्मनःपदं हनूमता क्षालित पादपंकजः । जुहाव वह्नीनथ बंदिमागधैः संस्तूयमानोऽथ विनिर्ययौ बहिः
Having duly invoked Varuṇa, Rāghava bowed to Śambhu and Vasiṣṭha; with his mind intent on the path shown by those two, and his lotus feet washed by Hanumān, he offered oblations into the fire, and, praised by bards and minstrels, he then went outside.