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.
प्रहसच्चंद्र किरणैः सुधालिप्तमिवांबरम् । प्रसन्नताराकुसुमं वितानमिव सर्वतः
The sky, bright with moonbeams, seemed as if smeared with nectar; everywhere, the canopy of stars appeared like a garland of flowers.
अथागच्छत्सौधतलं वृद्धामात्येन कल्पितम् । नानासनसमोपेतं सभास्थानं ययौ नृपः
Then he went to the upper story of the palace, arranged by an aged minister; the king entered the assembly hall, furnished with various seats.
अथ मुनिं ह्युपवेश्य स राघवः स्वयमपि प्रथमासनमाभजत् । कपिगणाः परितः पृथुविग्रहा रचनयास्थितिमाप्रतिपेदिरे
Then, seating the sage, Rāghava himself occupied the foremost seat; the hosts of monkeys, broad-bodied, took their places all around in orderly fashion.
सुखस्थितं नृपमभिवीक्ष्य स द्विजो वचस्तदा समुचितमाह शंभुः । इहस्थितो भवति समस्तपूजितः कथं कथा नृपवर वर्तते गुहायाम्
Seeing the king seated comfortably, that brāhmaṇa, Śambhu, spoke fitting words: 'Here you remain, honored by all—how does the tale unfold, O best of kings, within the cave?'
आकर्ण्याथ रघूद्वहो द्विजवचः शुश्रूषुरासीत्कथां । तत्रस्थो निपुणं निवार्यवचनं सर्वैः श्रुतं तत्क्षणात् । शुश्रूषामि कथं महाद्भुततया स्वात्माश्रयामन्यथा । रक्षोबाधनवादिनीमथनृपः किंत्वेतदित्याह च
Hearing the brāhmaṇa's words, the descendant of Raghu became eager to listen to the story; sitting there, he attentively restrained all speech, and everyone heard it at that very moment; 'I wish to hear this, for it is most wondrous and concerns my own self—otherwise, what is this tale of demon destruction?' Thus the king spoke.
कुंभश्रोत्रवधः पुरा समजनि प्राप्तो दशास्यो वधं । पश्चादित्ययमन्यथा विरचितं रामायणं भाषते । कोऽयं विप्रवरः समस्तजनता नास्तिक्य संपादको । राज्ञांस्थानमुपेत्य वक्ति समया दंड्योऽथ पूज्योऽथवा
Formerly, the slaying of Kumbhaśrotra took place, and then the ten-headed one's death; afterwards, this Rāmāyaṇa is recited in a different manner—who is this excellent brāhmaṇa, who, among all people, promotes disbelief? Having come to the king's court, does he speak by right, or is he to be punished or honored?
अथाह जांबवानमुं रघूत्तमं कथां प्रति । रामायणं न तावकं त्विदं हि कल्पितं मतम् । समस्तमत्र विस्तराद्वदामि देव तच्छृणु । पंकेरुहस्यसूनुतो मया श्रुतं पुराह्यभूत्
Then Jāmbavān said to that best of Raghus regarding the story: 'This Rāmāyaṇa is not yours, but is a fabricated account, in my opinion; I shall tell you everything here in detail, O lord, listen to that which I heard long ago from the son of the lotus.'
जांबवंतं विज्ञाप्य रामचंद्रो वचनमाह
Informing Jāmbavān, Rāmacandra spoke these words.
श्रीराम उवाच- कीर्तय पुराणं मे शुश्रूषुः कुतूहलादहं प्रणीतं तत्केन च विज्ञातम्
Śrī Rāma said: Recite the Purāṇa for me; I am eager to listen out of curiosity. By whom was it composed, and how was it known?
जांबवानथ बभाषे हि विधात्रे नमो नमस्तथैव विधुभूषणकेशवाभ्याम्
Jāmbavān then spoke, offering salutations to the Creator, and likewise to Keśava, the ornament of the moon.