His power is beyond compare, and his sovereignty pervades all things; mastery and greatness are his very essence. To that one who is unborn, the creator of the universe, eternal, auspicious, and imperishable—the great God, the supreme soul—I seek refuge in Shiva. In the sacred field of righteousness, at the most holy place where the Ganga and Yamuna meet, at Prayaga, and in the revered Naimisha forest, on the path that leads to Brahma's world, a remarkable event unfolded. There, sages of disciplined minds, steadfast in truth and vows, radiant with great energy and fortune, gathered to perform a grand sacrificial session. News of this pure and noble gathering reached the wise disciple of Vedavyasa, the son of Satyavati. Prompted by what he heard, he came directly to that place. This disciple was possessed of a great soul and keen intelligence, renowned throughout the three worlds. He was deeply learned in the merits and faults of speech, which is composed of five parts. His eloquence surpassed even that of Brihaspati; his words were sweet to the ear, delightful, and charming. He was a master storyteller, a poet who knew the right time and manner to speak. This was Suta, the foremost among Puranic bards. When the sages saw the arrival of Suta, their hearts were filled with joy. They welcomed him with proper hospitality and worship, honoring him as was fitting for one of his stature. Suta, in turn, accepted their reverence with a composed and disciplined mind, following the proper conduct. As the assembly of these purified sages gathered, a longing arose among them to hear the ancient tales. Turning their full attention to Suta, they addressed him, saying, “O Romaharṣaṇa, all-knowing one, by the greatness of our fortune, you have come to us today! O illustrious sage, wise king among Shaivas, you have directly received the entire knowledge of the Puranas from Vyasa. Therefore, you are truly the vessel of wondrous stories. Like the ocean, source of precious gems, you possess all that has been, all that will be, and all that exists. “Nothing in the three worlds is hidden from you; you have come here for our sake by the workings of unseen destiny. Do not leave without granting us some good; your visit must not be in vain. Therefore, let us hear from you the most auspicious Purana, rich with noble stories, the very essence and entirety of Vedanta. Please recount it to us swiftly.” Thus entreated by the Veda-knowing sages, Suta replied with gentle, thoughtful, and auspicious words: “Honored and favored by you, how could I not properly narrate the Purana revered by the sages? First, I offer my salutations to Mahadeva, the Goddess, Skanda, Vinayaka, Nandin, and Vyasa, the son of Satyavati. Then, I shall speak the supreme and auspicious Purana, in accord with the Vedas, the ocean of Shiva’s wisdom, which bestows directly the fruits of devotion and liberation. “This Purana, adorned with sound reasoning and meaning, enriched by themes of passion, was once narrated by Vayu in the context of the Svetakalpa. Listen as I recount all the sources of knowledge, the sequence of the Puranas, and the origin of this Purana. “There are the four Vedas, their limbs, the fields of Mimamsa and Nyaya, the Purana, the Dharmashastra—these are fourteen branches of knowledge. To these are added Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Gandharva, and, in order, Arthashastra as the highest—thus, eighteen branches of knowledge are recognized. “Of these eighteen branches, each with its own path, the original creator, the poet, is directly Shulapani (Shiva), as the scripture declares. He, the Lord of all worlds, desiring to create the universe, produced Brahma, his eternal son, at the very beginning. To Brahma, the firstborn and source of all creation, the Lord gave these sciences for the purpose of making the universe. “Then, for the protection of the world, he gave Hari, the god, the power of preservation; thus, Vishnu, the middle son, became the protector—even of Brahma himself. Having obtained knowledge and performing creation as prescribed, Brahma first remembered the Purana, the foremost of all scriptures. Immediately after, the Vedas emerged from his mouths, and from his speech arose the activity of all scriptures. “When the people of earth found themselves unable to grasp the vastness of this knowledge, then, by the command of the Lord of the universe, the essence of knowledge was condensed. At the end of each Dvapara age, Vishnu, the soul of the universe and mighty sustainer, descends to earth under the name Vyasa. “Thus, O twice-born, the Vedas have been divided in every Dvapara age, and the Puranas and other texts were composed thereafter. Again, in this Dvapara, he was born to Satyavati in the forest, as one who offered oblations, known as Krishna Dvaipayana. This sage, having condensed the Vedas, divided them into four parts; because of this division, he is known as Vedavyasa. “He also condensed the Puranas to a measure of four hundred thousand verses, though even today, in the realm of the gods, their extent is a hundred crores. A twice-born who knows the four Vedas with their limbs and Upanishads, but does not know the Purana, is not truly wise. One should supplement the Veda with Itihasa and Purana; the Veda itself fears that, with little hearing, it will be crossed over by me. “The Purana is characterized by five features: creation, dissolution, genealogies, ages of Manu, and the histories of lineages.” Thus Suta began, preparing to narrate the ancient and auspicious Purana to the eager assembly of sages.