इतिहासपुराणार्थं व्यासः सम्यगुपासितः। दुदोहिथमतिं तस्य त्वं पुराणाश्रयां शुभां
Vyāsa, having been properly served, drew forth from you the pure mind devoted to the Purāṇas, for the sake of understanding the meaning of history and ancient lore.
अमीषां विप्रमुख्यानां पुराणं प्रति सम्प्रति। शुश्रूषाऽस्ते महाबुद्धे तछ्रावयितुमर्हसि
O wise one, among these foremost Brāhmaṇas, there is now a desire to hear the Purāṇa; you should recite it to them.
सर्वे हीमे महात्मानो नानागोत्राः समागताः। स्वान्स्वानंशान्पुराणोक्ताञ्छृण्वन्तु ब्रह्मवादिनः
All these great souls, assembled from various lineages, are expounders of Brahman; let them hear the portions of the Purāṇa relevant to each.
संपूर्णे दीर्घसत्रेस्मिंस्तांस्त्वं श्रावय वै मुनीन्। पाद्मं पुराणं सर्वेषां कथयस्व महामते
In this long and complete sacrificial session, you must narrate to the sages the Padma Purāṇa in its entirety, O greatly wise one.
कथं पद्मं समुद्भूतं ब्रह्म तत्र कथं न्वभूत्। प्रोद्भूतेन कथं सृष्टिः कृता तां तु तथा वद
How did the lotus arise, and how did Brahmā come to be there? How was creation accomplished by the one who emerged? Tell that as it truly happened.
एवं पृष्टस्ततस्तांस्तु प्रत्युवाच शुभां गिरम्। सूक्ष्मं च न्यायसंयुक्तं प्राब्रवीद्रौमहर्षणिः
Thus questioned, he replied to them with auspicious words; Laumaharṣaṇa spoke concisely and in accordance with reason.
प्रीतोस्म्यनुगृहीतोस्मि भवद्भिरिह चोदनात्। पुराणार्थं पुराणज्ञैः सर्वधर्मपरायणैः
I am pleased and honored by you, who are devoted to all dharmas and knowledgeable in the Purāṇas, for urging me here regarding the meaning of the Purāṇa.
यथाश्रुतं सुविख्यातं तत्सर्वं कथयामि वः। धर्म एष तु सूतस्य सद्भिर्दृष्टः सनातनः
All that I have heard and that is well known, I will tell you; for this is the eternal duty of the Sūta, as recognized by the virtuous.
देवतानामृषीणां च राज्ञां चामिततेजसाम्। वंशानां धारणं कार्यं स्तुतीनां च महात्मनाम्
The preservation of the lineages of the gods, sages, and kings of immeasurable splendor, and the praises of the great souls, must be undertaken.
इतिहासपुराणेषु दृष्टा ये ब्रह्मवादिनः। न हि वेदेष्वधीकारः कश्चित्सूतस्य दृश्यते
Those who are expounders of Brahman are seen in the histories and Purāṇas; for no Sūta is seen to have authority in the Vedas.
वैन्यस्य हि पृथोर्यज्ञे वर्त्तमाने महात्मनः। मागधश्चैव सूतश्च तमस्तौतां नरेश्वरम्
For, during the sacrifice of the great soul King Pṛthu, the Māgadha and the Sūta praised that lord of men.
तुष्टेनाथ तयोर्द्दत्तो वरो राज्ञा महात्मना। सूताय सूतविषयो मगधो मागधाय च
Then, pleased, the great king granted them a boon: the Sūtas received the domain of the Sūtas, and the Māgadhas that of the Māgadhas.
तत्र सूत्यां समुत्पन्नः सूतो नामेह जायते। ऐन्द्रे सत्रे प्रवृत्ते तु ग्रहयुक्ते बृहस्पतौ
There, at the time of the sacrifice, a Sūta was born; in this world, he is called Sūta. When the Indra-sacrifice is commenced, with Bṛhaspati joined to the planets,
तमेवेंद्रं बार्हस्पत्ये तत्र सूतो व्यजायत। शिष्यहस्तेन यत्पृक्तमभिभूतं गुरोर्हविः
That very Indra, in the sacrifice of Bṛhaspati, there the Sūta was born; by the hand of a disciple, what was poured out overcame the offering of the teacher.
अधरोत्तरधारेण जज्ञे तद्वर्णसंकरम्। येत्र क्षत्रात्समभवन्ब्राह्मण्याश्चैव योनितः
Through a lower and upper stream, that mixture of castes was born; where, from a Kṣatriya and a Brāhmaṇa woman, offspring arose.
पूर्वेणैव तु साधर्म्याद्वैधर्मास्ते प्रकीर्तिताः। मध्यमो ह्येष सूतस्य धर्मः क्षेत्रोपजीविनः
By similarity with the former, their differences are described; this is the middle duty of the Sūta, one who lives by the field.
पुराणेष्वधिकारो मे विहितो ब्राह्मणैरिह। दृष्ट्वा धर्ममहं पृष्टो भवद्भिर्ब्रह्मवादिभिः
In the Purāṇas, my authority has been established here by the Brāhmaṇas; seeing the law, I have been questioned by you, O speakers of Brahman.
तस्मात्सम्यग्भुवि ब्रूयां पुराणमृषिपूजितम्। पितॄणां मानसी कन्या वासवं समपद्यत
Therefore, I shall rightly declare on earth the Purāṇa, honored by sages; the mind-born daughter of the ancestors became the wife of Vāsava.
अपध्याता च पितृभिर्मत्स्यगर्भे बभूव सा। अरणीव हुताशस्य निमित्तं पुण्यजन्मनः
Rejected by the ancestors, she entered the womb of a fish; like the kindling stick for the fire, she became the cause of a virtuous birth.
तस्यां बभूव पूतात्मा महर्षिस्तु पराशरात्। तस्मै भगवते कृत्वा नमः सत्याय वेधसे
In her was born the pure-souled great sage from Parāśara; to that blessed one, the truthful creator, I offer homage.
पुरुषाय पुराणाय ब्रह्मवाक्यानुवर्तिने। मानवच्छद्मरूपाय विष्णवे शंसितात्मने
To the ancient person, who follows the words of Brahman; to Viṣṇu, who took the form of a man, whose nature is praised.
जातमात्रं च यं वेद उपतस्थे ससंग्रहः। मतिमंथानमाविध्य येनासौ श्रुतिसागरात्
Whom, as soon as he was born, the Veda approached, together with its branches; having churned the ocean of the Veda with his intellect,
प्रकाशो जनितो लोके महाभारत चंद्रमाः। भारतं भानुमान्विष्णुर्यदि न स्युरमी त्रयः
He produced light in the world and the moon of the Mahābhārata; if these three—Bhārata, the sun, and Viṣṇu—did not exist,
ततोऽज्ञानतमोंधस्य कावस्था जगतो भवेत्। कृष्णद्वैपायनं व्यासं विद्धि नारायणं प्रभुम्
Then the world would remain in the darkness of ignorance; know Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa as Nārāyaṇa, the Lord.
को ह्यन्यः पुंडरीकाक्षान्महाभारतकृद्भवेत्। तस्मादहमुपाश्रौषं पुराणं ब्रह्मवादिनः
For who else but the lotus-eyed one could be the author of the Mahābhārata? Therefore, I have heard the Purāṇa from the speakers of Brahman.
सर्वज्ञात्सर्वलोकेषु पूजिताद्दीप्ततेजसः। पुराणं सर्वशास्त्राणां प्रथमं ब्रह्मणा स्मृतम्
From the all-knowing one, honored in all worlds, of blazing splendor; the Purāṇa, first among all scriptures, was remembered by Brahmā.
उत्तमं सर्वलोकानां सर्वज्ञानोपपादकम्। त्रिवर्गसाधनं पुण्यं शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्
The highest among all worlds, the foundation of all knowledge; the means for the three aims of life, virtuous, and extending to a hundred crores.
निःशेषेषु च लोकेषु वाजिरूपेण केशवः। ब्रह्मणस्तु समादेशाद्वेदानाहृतवानसौ
When all the worlds were exhausted, Keśava, in the form of a horse, at the command of Brahmā, retrieved the Vedas.
अंगानि चतुरो वेदान्पुराणन्यायविस्तरम्। असुरेणाखिलं शास्त्रमपहृत्यात्मसात्कृतम्
The four Vedas, their limbs, the Purāṇa, and the vast science of law; all the scriptures were seized by the Asura and made his own.
मत्स्यरूपेणाजहार कल्पादावुदकार्णवे। अशेषमेतदवददुदकांतर्गतो विभुः
In the form of a fish, he took them at the beginning of the kalpa in the ocean of waters; the Lord, remaining within the waters, spoke all this in full.