अंडस्यांतस्त्विमेलोकाः सप्तद्वीपा च मेदिनी। सूर्याचंद्रमसोश्चारो ग्रहाणां ज्योतिषां तथा
Within the cosmic egg are the worlds, and the earth with its seven continents; the courses of the sun and moon, and likewise of the planets and stars.
कीर्त्यते ध्रुवसामर्थ्यात्प्रजानां च शुभाशुभम्। ब्रह्मणा निर्मितः सौरः स्यंदनोर्थवशात्स्वयम्
By the power of Dhruva, the auspicious and inauspicious destinies of beings are described; the solar chariot, created by Brahmā, moves by its own force.
कल्पितो भगवांस्तेन प्रसर्पति दिवाकरः। सूर्यादीनां स्यंदनानां ध्रुवादेव प्रवर्त्तनं
By him, the Blessed Lord, the chariot was devised, and the sun moves forward; the movement of the chariots of the sun and others begins from Dhruva.
कल्पितः शिंशुमारश्च यस्य पुच्छे ध्रुवः स्थितः। संभवांते च संहारः संहारांते च संभवः
The Śiṃśumāra constellation was formed, in whose tail Dhruva is fixed; at the end of creation is dissolution, and at the end of dissolution is creation.
देवतानामृषीणां च मनोः पितृगणस्य च। न शक्यं विस्तराद्वक्तुमित्युक्तं च समासतः
Of the gods, sages, Manu, and the hosts of ancestors, it is said that their full account cannot be told, but only summarized.
अतीतानागतानां वै समं स्वायंभुवेन तु। मन्वंतरेषु देवानां प्रजेशानां च कीर्तनम्
In each Manvantara, Svāyambhuva equally recounts the gods and the lords of creatures, of the past and future.
नैमित्तिकः प्राकृतिकस्तथैवात्यंतिकः स्मृतः। त्रिविधः सर्वभूतानां कल्पितः प्रतिसंचरः
The threefold dissolution of all beings is described as occasional, natural, and absolute.
अनावृष्टिर्भास्कराच्च घोरः संवर्त्तकानलः। मेघाश्चैकार्णवा ये तु तथा रात्रिर्महात्मनः
The absence of rain from the sun, the terrible consuming fire, the clouds that fill the single ocean, and the great night are described.
संध्यालक्षणमुद्दिष्टं तथा ब्राह्मं विशेषतः। भूतानां चापि लोकानां सप्तानामनुवर्णनम्
The characteristics of twilight are mentioned, as well as the special Brahmā period, and the enumeration of the seven worlds of beings.
संकीर्त्यं ते मया चात्र पापानां रौरवादयः। सर्वेषामेव सत्वानां परिणामविनिर्णयः
Here, the hells such as Raurava, belonging to the sinful, are recounted by me, as well as the determination of the transformations of all beings.
ब्रह्मणः प्रतिसर्गश्च सर्वसंहारवर्णनम्। कल्पेकल्पे च भूतानां महतामपि संक्षयः
The secondary creation of Brahmā and the description of universal dissolution are told; in each cycle, even the great beings are destroyed.
सुसंख्याय च बुद्ध्वा वै ब्रह्मणश्चाप्यनित्यताम्। दौरात्म्यं चैव भोगानां संसारस्य च कष्टताम्
Having understood the precise reckoning and the impermanence of Brahmā, as well as the misery of enjoyments and the hardship of worldly existence—
दुर्ल्लभत्वं च मोक्षस्य वैराग्याद्दोषदर्शनम्। व्यक्ताव्यक्तं परित्यज्य सत्वं ब्रह्मणि संस्थितम्
And seeing the difficulty of liberation, the faults through detachment, one abandons the manifest and unmanifest and remains established in Brahman.
नानात्व दर्शनात्सुस्थस्ततस्तदभिवर्त्तते। ततस्तापत्रयातीतो विरूपाख्यो निरंजनः
By seeing the diversity, one remains steadfast; then, transcending the threefold suffering, one becomes known as Virūpākṣa, the stainless.
आनंदं ब्रह्मणः प्राप्तो न बिभेति कुतश्चन। इति कृत्य समुद्देशः प्रमाणस्योपवर्णितः
Having attained the bliss of Brahman, he fears nothing from anywhere. Thus, the section on the duties and the exposition of authority has been described.
कीर्त्यंते जगतो यत्र सर्गप्रलयविक्रियाः। प्रवृत्तिश्चापि भूतानां निवृत्तीनां फलानि च
Here are recounted the transformations of the world—creation, dissolution, and change—as well as the activity of beings, their withdrawal, and the fruits thereof.
प्रादुर्भावो वसिष्ठस्य शक्तेर्जन्म तथैव च। सौदासान्निग्रहस्तस्य विश्वामित्रकृतेन च
The appearance of Vasiṣṭha, the birth of Śakti, the subjugation of Saudāsa by him, and the punishment of Saudāsa by Viśvāmitra—
पराशरस्य चोत्पत्तिरदृश्यन्त्यां यथा विभोः। जज्ञे पितॄणां कन्यायां व्यासश्चापि यथा मुनिः
The origin of Parāśara, how he was born from the invisible Lord in the daughter of the Pitṛs, and likewise how the sage Vyāsa was born—
शुकस्य च यथा जन्म पुत्रस्य सह धीमतः। पराशरस्य विद्वेषो विश्वामित्रकृतो यथा
How Śuka, the wise son, was born; the enmity of Parāśara caused by Viśvāmitra—
वसिष्ठसंभृतश्चाग्निर्विश्वामित्रजिघांसया। संधानहेतोर्विभुना जीर्णः कण्वेन धीमता
The fire produced by Vasiṣṭha, with the intent to destroy Viśvāmitra; and how, for the sake of reconciliation, it was extinguished by the wise Kaṇva—
देवेन विप्रा विप्राणां विश्वामित्रहितैषिणा। एकं वेदं चतुःपादं चतुर्धा पुनरीश्वरः
By the god, desiring the welfare of the Brāhmaṇas and of Viśvāmitra, the one four-footed Veda was divided into four parts again by the Lord.
यथा बिभेद भगवान् व्यासः सर्वेष्वनुग्रहात्। तस्य शिष्यप्रशिष्यैश्च शाखाभेदाः पुनः कृताः
How the venerable Vyāsa divided it for the benefit of all, and how his disciples and their disciples again made further divisions into branches—
प्रयागे मुनिवर्यैश्च यथा पृष्टः स्वयं प्रभुः। कृष्णेन चानुशिष्टास्ते मुनयो धर्मकांक्षिणः
How, at Prayāga, the Lord himself was questioned by the eminent sages, and how those sages, desiring righteousness, were instructed by Kṛṣṇa—
एतत्सर्वं यथातत्वमाख्यातं द्विजसत्तमाः। मुनीनां धर्मनित्यानां लोकतंत्रमनुत्तमम्
All this has been narrated in its true nature, O best of twice-born, the supreme tradition of the world for sages devoted to righteousness.
ब्रह्मणा यत्पुरा प्रोक्तं पुलस्त्याय महात्मने। पुलस्त्येनाथ भीष्माय गंगाद्वारे प्रभाषितम्
What was formerly spoken by Brahmā to the great-souled Pulastya, and then by Pulastya to Bhīṣma at Gaṅgādvāra—
धन्यं यशस्यमायुष्यं सर्व्वपापप्रणाशनम्। कीर्तनं श्रवणं चास्य धारणं च विशेषतः
Its recitation, hearing, and especially retention are blessed, bring fame, prolong life, and destroy all sins.
सूतेनानुक्रमेणेदं पुराणं संप्रकाशितम्। ब्राह्मणेषु पुरा यच्च ब्रह्मणोक्तं सविस्तरम्
This Purāṇa was revealed in sequence by Sūta, and what was formerly spoken in detail by Brahmā among the Brāhmaṇas.
पादमस्य विदन्सम्यग्योधीयीत जितेंद्रियः। तेनाधीतं पुराणं स्यात्सर्वं नास्त्यत्र संशयः५० 1.2.
He who knows a quarter of it well and studies it with controlled senses—he is considered to have studied the entire Purāṇa; of this there is no doubt.
यो विद्याच्चतुरो वेदान्सांगोपनिषदो द्विजः। पुराणं च विजानाति यः स तस्माद्विचक्षणः
That twice-born who knows the four Vedas with their limbs and Upaniṣads, and also understands the Purāṇa—he is truly wise.
इतिहासपुराणाभ्यां वेदं समुपबृंहयेत्। बिभेत्यल्पश्रुताद्वेदो मामयं प्रतरिष्यति
One should supplement the Veda with Itihāsa and Purāṇa; the Veda fears one of little learning, thinking, 'He will distort me.'