एतेषां चैव माहात्म्यं पाद्मे दृष्टं तथा श्रुतम् । महाबोधस्वरूपं च सकल्केर्यश एव च
The greatness of these, as seen and heard in the Padma Purāṇa, the true nature of supreme knowledge, and the fame of Sakalkeri—
रामगयाया माहात्म्यं तथा प्रेतशिलाभवम् । ब्रह्मणश्च तथाख्यानं शिलाख्यानं वदाम्यहम्
The greatness of Rāmagayā, the origin of the Pretaśilā, and the account of Brahmā—I shall tell you the story of the stone as well.
ब्रह्मयोनेस्तथाख्यानमक्षयाख्य वटस्य च । श्राद्धे तत्र महत्पुण्यं यत्तत्सर्वं वदाम्यहम्
The account of Brahmayoni and of the imperishable banyan tree—of the great merit of śrāddha performed there—all this I shall declare to you.
महेश्वरकृतां भक्तिं विष्णुना च महात्मना । अद्यापि काश्यां जपति महारुद्रो ह्यनामयम्
The devotion performed by Maheśvara and by the great-souled Viṣṇu—even today, the great Rudra recites it in Kāśī, free from affliction.
माहात्म्यं च ततो वक्ष्ये सागरस्य हि नारद । तिलतर्पणजं पुण्यं यवजं पुण्यमेव च
Then I shall speak of the greatness of the ocean, O Nārada, and the merit arising from offering sesame and barley.
तुलसीदलसंयुक्तं तर्पणं देवजं तथा । तन्माहात्म्यं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथोक्तं ब्रह्मणा मम
The offering to the gods accompanied by tulasī leaves—I shall declare its greatness to you, as it was told to me by Brahmā.
शंखनादस्य माहात्म्यं पुण्यं चासंख्यसंज्ञकम्
The greatness of the conch’s sound, whose merit is said to be beyond measure.
रवेर्वारस्य माहात्म्यं योगस्य विष्णुसंज्ञिनः । वैधृतस्य च माहात्म्यं व्यतीपातस्य वै तथा
The greatness of the day of the Sun, of the yoga called Viṣṇu, and likewise the greatness of Vaidhṛti and Vyatīpāta.
एतत्सर्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथोक्तं चैव नारद । अन्नदानं वस्त्रदानं भूमिदानं तथैव च
All this I shall declare to you, as it has been spoken, O Nārada: the giving of food, the giving of clothing, and likewise the giving of land.
शय्यादानं च गोदानं तथा वृषभमेव च । जन्माष्टम्याश्च माहात्म्यं मत्स्यमाहात्म्यमेव च
The giving of a bed, the giving of a cow, and likewise a bull; the greatness of Janmāṣṭamī, and also the greatness of Matsya.
कूर्ममाहात्म्यं तत्प्रोक्तं वाराहस्य तथैव च । माहात्म्यं च गवादीनां दानानां प्रवदाम्यहम्
The greatness of Kūrma has been spoken, and likewise that of Varāha; I shall declare the greatness of giving cows and other gifts.
प्रह्लादमुखभक्ता ये ये केचिद्भुवि विश्रुताः । तन्माहात्म्यं ततो वक्ष्ये शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम
Those devotees beginning with Prahlāda, and all others renowned on earth—I shall then speak of their greatness; listen, O best of divine sages.
जागरे महिमा चैव दीपदाने कृते च यत् । प्रहरेषु पृथक्पूजाफलं देवर्षिसत्तम
O best of the divine sages, the merit gained from keeping vigil, from offering lamps, and from performing separate worship in each watch of the night—
पर्शुरामस्य चाख्यानं रेणुकाया वधस्तथा । ब्राह्मणानां भूमिदानं रामेणैव च यत्कृतम्
The account of Parashurama, the slaying of Renuka, and the land gifts made by Rama to the Brahmins—
रामस्याश्रमजं पुण्यं वदाम्यहमशेषतः । नर्मदायास्तथाख्यानं पुण्यपूजनयोस्तथा
I shall fully recount the sacred deeds performed by Rama in his hermitage, as well as the story of the Narmada and the merits of its worship.
दानं वेदपुराणानामाश्रमाणां निरूपणम् । हिरण्यदानपुण्यं च ब्रह्मांडदानमेव च
The giving of the Vedas and Puranas, the description of hermitages, the merit of giving gold, and the gift of the cosmic egg—
पद्मपुराणदानं च खंडानां व्यक्तयस्तथा । प्रथमं सृष्टिखंडं च द्वितीयं भूमिखंडकम्
The donation of the Padma Purana, the enumeration of its sections, the first being the Srishti-khanda, and the second, the Bhumi-khanda—
स्वर्गखंडं तृतीयं च तुर्यं पातालसंज्ञकम् । उत्तरं पंचमं प्रोक्तं खंडान्यनुक्रमेण वै
The third is the Svarga-khanda, the fourth is called Patala, and the fifth, the Uttara-khanda; thus, the sections are described in order.
एतत्पद्मपुराणं तु व्यासेन तु महात्मना । कृतं लोकहितार्थाय ब्राह्मणश्रेयसे तथा
This Padma Purana was composed by the great Vyasa for the welfare of the world and for the benefit of Brahmins.
शूद्राणां पुण्यजननं तीव्रदारिद्र्यनाशनम् । मोक्षदं सुखदं चाशु कल्याणप्रदमव्ययम् । श्रुत्वा दानं तथा कुर्याद्विधिना तत्र नारद
It generates merit for Shudras, destroys intense poverty, grants liberation and happiness quickly, and bestows unfailing auspiciousness; having heard it, one should give gifts there according to the prescribed rule, O Narada.
महेश उवाच- एकलक्षं पंचविंशत्सहस्रा पर्वतास्तथा । तेषां मध्ये महत्पुण्यं बद्रिकाश्रममुत्तमम्
Mahesha said: There are one hundred twenty-five thousand mountains, and among them, the most sacred and excellent is the hermitage of Badrika.
नरनारायणो देवो यत्र तिष्ठति नारद । तस्य स्वरूपं तेजश्च वक्ष्यामीह च सांप्रतम्
O Narada, it is there that the divine Nara and Narayana reside; I shall now describe their form and brilliance to you.
हिमपर्वतशृंगे च कृष्णाकारतया द्विज । द्वौ पुरुषौ तत्र वर्तेते नरनारायणावुभौ
On the peak of the snowy mountain, in the form of Krishna, two men dwell there—both Nara and Narayana.
श्वेत एकस्तु पुरुषः कृष्णो ह्येकतमः पुनः । तेन मार्गेण ये यांति हिमाचलकृतोद्यमाः
One of them is white, and the other is dark; those who travel that path, striving to reach the Himalayas—
पिंगलश्वेतवर्णश्च जटाधारी महाप्रभुः । कृष्णो नारायणो ह्येष जगदादिर्महाप्रभुः
One is tawny-white in color, bearing matted hair, a great lord; the other is Krishna, Narayana, the primeval lord of the universe.
चतुर्बाहुर्महान्श्रीमान्व्यक्तोऽव्यक्तः सनातनः । उत्तरायणे महापूजा जायते तत्र सुव्रत
He is four-armed, great, splendid, manifest and unmanifest, eternal; during the northern solstice, a great worship is performed there, O virtuous one.
षण्मासादिकपर्यंतं पूजा नैव च जायते । हिमव्याप्तं तदा जातं यावद्वै दक्षिणं भवेत्
For six months, until the end of the period, worship does not take place; at that time, it is covered with snow, until the southern course begins.
अत एतादृशो देवो न भूतो न भविष्यति । तत्र देवा वसंतीह ऋषीणां चाश्रमास्तथा
Such a deity has never existed before, nor will exist in the future; there, the gods dwell, as well as the hermitages of the sages.
अग्निहोत्राणि वेदाश्च ध्वनिः प्रश्रूयते सदा । तस्य वै दर्शनं कार्यं कोटिहत्याविनाशनम्
There, sacrificial fires and the Vedas are always heard resounding; seeing him destroys the sin of killing millions.
अलकनंदा यत्र गंगा तत्र स्नानं समाचरेत् । कृत्वा स्नानं तु वै तत्र महापापात्प्रमुच्यते
Where the Alakananda, the Ganga, flows, one should bathe there; after bathing at that place, one is freed from great sin.