श्रुत्वा जगाद च मुनीन्प्रतिवेदांश्चतुर्मुखः। प्रवृत्तिस्सर्वशास्त्राणां पुराणस्याभवत्तदा५० 1.1.
Having heard, the Four-faced One spoke to the sages and to the knowers of the Vedas: at that time, the origin of all the scriptures and of the Purāṇa took place.
कालेनाग्रहणं दृष्ट्वा पुराणस्य तदा विभुः। व्यासरूपस्तदा ब्रह्मा संग्रहार्थं युगे युगे
Seeing, with time, that the Purāṇa was not being properly retained, the Lord, in the form of Vyāsa, for the sake of compilation, appeared in every age.
चतुर्लक्षप्रमाणेन द्वापरे द्वापरे जगौ। तदाष्टादशधा कृत्वा भूलोकेस्मिन्प्रकाशितं
In each Dvāpara age, he declared it in four hundred thousand verses; then, having divided it into eighteen parts, he revealed it in this world.
अद्यापि देवलोकेषु शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्। तदेवात्र चतुर्लक्षं संक्षेपेण निवेशितम्
Even today, in the worlds of the gods, it extends to a hundred crores of verses; but here, it is arranged in summary as four hundred thousand.
प्रवक्ष्यामि महापुण्यं पुराणं पाद्मसञ्ज्ञितम्। सहस्रं पञ्चपञ्चाशत्पंचखण्डैस्समन्वितम्
I shall now declare the highly meritorious Purāṇa called Padma, consisting of fifty-five thousand verses and endowed with five sections.
तत्रादौ सृष्टिखण्डं स्याद्भूमिखण्डं ततः परम्। स्वर्गखण्डं ततः पश्चात्ततः पातालखण्डकम्
Therein, first is the Section on Creation, then the Section on the Earth; after that, the Section on Heaven, then the Section on the Netherworld.
पञ्चमं च ततः ख्यातमुत्तरं खण्डमुत्तमम्। एतदेव महापद्ममुद्भूतं यन्मयं जगत्
The fifth, known as the Uttara Section, is the supreme section; this very great Padma has arisen, from which the world is composed.
तद्वृत्तान्ताश्रयं यस्मात्पाद्ममित्युच्यते ततः। एतत्पुराणममलं विष्णुमाहात्म्यनिर्मलम्
Because its narratives are based on that, it is therefore called Padma; this Purāṇa is pure, purified by the greatness of Viṣṇu.
देवदेवो हरिर्यद्वै ब्रह्मणे प्रोक्तवान्पुरा। ब्रह्मणाभिहितं पूर्वं यावन्मात्रं मरीचये
What the god of gods, Hari, formerly spoke to Brahmā, and what Brahmā previously told Marīci in its entirety—
एतदेव च वै ब्रह्मा पाद्मं लोके जगाद वै। सर्वभूताश्रयं तच्च पाद्ममित्युच्यते बुधैः
This very Padma Purāṇa was declared by Brahmā in the world; and because it is the support of all beings, the wise call it Padma.
पाद्मं तत्पंचपंचाशत्सहस्राणीह पठ्यते। पंचभिः पर्वभिः प्रोक्तं संक्षेपाद्व्यासकारितात्
This Padma is recited here as fifty-five thousand verses, spoken in five sections, composed in summary by Vyāsa.
पौष्करं प्रथमं पर्व यत्रोत्पन्नः स्वयं विराट्। द्वितीयं तीर्थपर्व स्यात्सर्वग्रहगणाश्रयम्
The first section is Pauṣkara, in which the great Virāṭ was self-born; the second is the Section on Sacred Fords, which contains all the groups of planets.
तृतीयपर्वग्रहणा राजानो भूरिदक्षिणाः। वंशानुचरितं चैव चतुर्थे परिकीर्तितम्
In the third section are the accounts of kings who gave abundant gifts; the genealogies are also described in the fourth.
पंचमे मोक्षतत्वं च सर्वतत्वं निगद्यते। पौष्करे नवधा सृष्टिः सर्वेषां ब्रह्मकारिता
In the fifth, the essence of liberation and all truths are explained; in Pauṣkara, the creation of all beings by Brahmā is described in nine ways.
देवतानां मुनीनां च पितृसर्गस्तथापरः। द्वितीये पर्वताश्चैव द्वीपाः सप्त ससागराः
The creation of gods, sages, and ancestors is another topic; in the second section, the mountains and the seven islands with their oceans are described.
तृतीये रुद्रसर्गस्तु दक्षशापस्तथैव च। चतुर्थे संभवो राज्ञां सर्ववंशानुकीर्त्तनम्
In the third, the creation of Rudra and the curse of Dakṣa are told; in the fourth, the origin of kings and the narration of all dynasties.
अन्त्येपवर्गसंस्थानं मोक्षशास्त्रानुकीर्त्तनम्। सर्वमेतत्पुराणेऽस्मित्कथयिष्यामि वो द्विजाः
In the last, the arrangement of the final paths and the teaching of the scriptures on liberation are recounted; all this I shall tell you, O twice-born, in this Purāṇa.
इदं पवित्रं यशसो निधानमिदं पितॄणामतिवल्लभं स्यात् इदं च देवस्य सुखाय नित्यमिदं महापातकभिच्च पुंसाम्
This is pure, a treasure of fame, greatly beloved by the ancestors; this is always for the happiness of the Lord, and for men, it removes even great sins.
सूत उवाच। नमस्ये सर्वलोकानां विश्वस्य जगतः पतिम्। य इमं कुरुते भावं सृष्टिरूपं प्रधानवित्
Sūta said: I bow to the lord of all worlds, the master of the universe, who, knowing the primordial matter, creates this existence in the form of creation.
लोककृल्लोकतत्वज्ञो योगमास्थाय योगवित्। असृजत्सर्वभूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च
The creator of worlds, knower of their essence, established in yoga and expert in it, produced all beings, both immobile and mobile.
तमजं विश्वकर्माणं चित्पतिं लोकसाक्षिणम्। पुराणाख्यानजिज्ञासुर्व्रजामि शरणं विभुम्
To that unborn, universal architect, lord of consciousness, witness of the worlds, desiring to know the ancient stories, I go for refuge to the mighty one.
ब्रह्मविष्णुगिरीशेभ्यो नमस्कृत्वा समाहितः। इंद्राय लोकपालेभ्यः सवित्रे च समाधिना
Having reverently saluted Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, with concentrated mind, and also Indra, the guardians of the worlds, and Savitṛ, with meditation,
मुनीनां च वरिष्ठाय वसिष्ठाय महात्मने। तद्वक्त्रेभाततपसे जातूकर्ण्याय चाक्षुषे
And to the most eminent among sages, Vasiṣṭha, the great-souled, to Jātūkarṇa, renowned for austerity, and to Ākṣu, I offer my respects.
तस्मै भगवते नत्वा वेदव्यासाय वेधसे। पुरुषाय पुराणाय भृगुवाक्यानुवर्तिने
To that blessed one, having bowed, to Vyāsa, the creator, to the primordial person, follower of Bhṛgu's words, I offer my salutations.
तस्मादहमुपाश्रौषं पुराणं ब्रह्मवादिनः। सर्वज्ञात्सर्वलोकेषु पूजिताद्दीप्ततेजसः
Therefore, I listened to the Purāṇa from the Brahmin sage, honored in all worlds, all-knowing, radiant with brilliance.
अव्यक्तं कारणं यत्तन्नित्यं सदसदात्मकम्। महदादिविशेषांतं सृजतीति विनिश्चयः
That unmanifest cause, eternal, composed of both being and non-being, from the great principle to the particular, is said to create all things.
अण्डे हिरण्मये पूर्वं ब्रह्मणः सूतिरुत्तमा। अंडस्यावरणं चाद्भिरपामपि च तेजसा
In the golden egg, at first, was the supreme origin of Brahma; the covering of the egg was by waters, by the elements, and by radiance.
वायुना तस्य वायोः खात्तद्भूतादित आवृतम्। भूतादिर्महता चापि अव्यक्तेनावृतो महान्
By air, and from that air, by space, it was enveloped from the primordial elements; the primordial elements were covered by the great principle, and the great principle by the unmanifest.
प्रादुर्भावश्च लोकानामंड एवोपवर्णितः। नदीनां पर्वतानां च प्रादुर्भावोनुवर्ण्यते
The manifestation of worlds within the egg has been described; likewise, the origin of rivers and mountains is recounted.
मन्वंतराणां संक्षेपात्कल्पानां चोपवर्णनम्। ब्रह्मवृक्षलय ब्रह्मप्रजासर्गोपवर्णनम्
A summary of the Manvantaras and an account of the Kalpas; the abode of Brahma, the creation of Brahma's progeny, are narrated.