Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

अतीवाभिमुखं कृत्वा वचनं चेदमब्रुवन्

Turning their attention fully, they spoke these words.

रोमहर्षण सर्वज्ञ भवान्नो भाग्यगौरवात् संप्राप्तोद्य महाभाग शैवराज महामते

O Romaharṣaṇa, all-knowing one, by the greatness of our fortune, you have come to us today, O illustrious sage, O wise king among Shaivas.

पुराणविद्यामखिलां व्यासात्प्रत्यक्षमीयिवान् तस्मादाश्चर्यभूतानां कथानां त्वं हि भाजनम्

You have directly received the entire knowledge of the Purāṇas from Vyāsa; therefore, you are indeed the vessel of wondrous stories.

रत्नानामुरुसाराणां रत्नाकर इवार्णवः यच्च भूतं यच्च भव्यं यच्चान्यद्वस्तु वर्तते

Like the ocean, the source of precious gems, you possess all that has been, all that will be, and whatever else exists.

न तवाविदितं किञ्चित्त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते त्वमदृष्टवशादस्मद्दर्शनार्थमिहागतः अकुर्वन्किमपि श्रेयो न वृथा गन्तुमर्हसि

Nothing in the three worlds is unknown to you; you have come here for our sake by unseen destiny. Do not depart without doing some good; you should not go in vain.

तस्माच्छ्राव्यतरं पुण्यं सत्कथाज्ञानसंहितम् वेदांतसारसर्वस्वं पुराणं श्रावयाशु नः

Therefore, let us hear the most auspicious Purāṇa, rich in knowledge of noble stories, the essence and entirety of the Vedānta—recount it swiftly to us.

एवमभ्यर्थितस्सूतो मुनिभिर्वेदवादिभिः श्लक्ष्णां च न्यायसंयुक्तां प्रत्युवाच शुभां गिरम्

Thus entreated by the sages, versed in the Vedas, the Sūta replied with gentle, well-reasoned, and auspicious words.

पूजितो ऽनुगृहीतश्च भवद्भिरिति चोदितः कस्मात्सम्यङ्न विब्रूयां पुराणमृषिपूजितम्

Honored and favored by you, how could I not properly narrate the Purāṇa revered by the sages?

अभिवंद्य महादेवं देवीं स्कंदं विनायकम् नंदिनं च तथा व्यासं साक्षात्सत्यवतीसुतम्

After saluting Mahādeva, the Goddess, Skanda, Vināyaka, Nandin, and Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, directly,

वक्ष्यामि परमं पुण्यं पुराणं वेदसंमितम् शिवज्ञानार्णवं साक्षाद्भक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदम्

I shall speak the supreme and auspicious Purāṇa, in accord with the Vedas, the ocean of Shiva's knowledge, which directly bestows the fruits of devotion and liberation.

शब्दार्थन्यायसंयुक्तै रागमार्थैर्विभूषितम् श्वेतकल्पप्रसंगेन वायुना कथितं पुरा

Adorned with sound reasoning and meaning, enriched by themes of passion, it was formerly narrated by Vāyu in the context of the Śvetakalpa.

विद्यास्थानानि सर्वाणि पुराणानुक्रमं तथा तत्पुराणस्य चोत्पत्तिं ब्रुवतो मे निबोधत

Listen as I recount all the sources of knowledge, the sequence of the Purāṇas, and the origin of this Purāṇa.

अंगानि वेदाश्चत्वारो मीमांसान्यायविस्तरः पुराणं धर्मशास्त्रं च विद्याश्चेताश्चतुर्दश

The four Vedas, their limbs, the expanse of Mīmāṃsā and Nyāya, the Purāṇa, the Dharmaśāstra, and these fourteen branches of knowledge,

आयुर्वेदो धनुर्वेदो गांधर्वश्चेत्यनुक्रमात् अर्थशास्त्रं परं तस्माद्विद्या ह्यष्टादश स्मृताः

Āyurveda, Dhanurveda, Gāndharva, and in order, Arthaśāstra as the highest—thus, eighteen branches of knowledge are recognized.

अष्टादशानां विद्यानामेतासां भिन्नवर्त्मनाम् आदिकर्ता कविस्साक्षाच्छूलपाणिरिति श्रुतिः

Of these eighteen branches of knowledge, each with its own path, the original creator, the poet, is directly Śūlapāṇi, as the scripture declares.

स हि सर्वजगन्नाथः सिसृक्षुरखिलं जगत् ब्रह्माणं विदधे साक्षात्पुत्रमग्रे सनातनम्

He, the Lord of all worlds, desiring to create the entire universe, directly produced Brahma, his eternal son, at the beginning.

तस्मै प्रथमपुत्राय ब्रह्मणे विश्वयोनये विद्याश्चेमा ददौ पूर्वं विश्वसृष्ट्यर्थमीश्वरः

To Brahma, the firstborn and source of all creation, the Lord previously gave these sciences for the purpose of creating the universe.

पालनाय हरिं देवं रक्षाशक्तिं ददौ ततः मध्यमं तनयं विष्णुं पातारं ब्रह्मणो ऽपि हि

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.

लब्धविद्येन विधिना प्रजासृष्टिं वितन्वता प्रथमं सर्वशास्त्राणां पुराणं ब्रह्मणा स्मृतम्

Having acquired knowledge and performing creation according to the prescribed method, Brahma first remembered the Purana, the foremost of all scriptures.

अनंतरं तु वक्त्रेभ्यो वेदास्तस्य विनिर्गताः प्रवृत्तिस्सर्वशास्त्राणां तन्मुखादभवत्ततः

Immediately thereafter, the Vedas emerged from his mouths, and from his speech arose the activity of all scriptures.

यदास्य विस्तरं शक्ता नाधिगंतुं प्रजा भुवि तदा विद्यासमासार्थं विश्वेश्वरनियोगतः

When the people on earth were unable to grasp its vastness, then, by the command of the Lord of the universe, the essence of knowledge was condensed.

द्वापरांतेषु विश्वात्मा विष्णुर्विश्वंभरः प्रभुः व्यासनाम्ना चरत्यस्मिन्नवतीर्य महीतले

At the end of each Dvapara age, Vishnu, the soul of the universe and the mighty sustainer, descends to earth under the name Vyasa.

एवं व्यस्ताश्च वेदाश्च द्वापरेद्वापरे द्विजाः निर्मितानि पुराणानि अन्यानि च ततः परम्

Thus, O twice-born, the Vedas were divided in every Dvapara age, and the Puranas and other texts were composed thereafter.

स पुनर्द्वापरे चास्मिन्कृष्णद्वैपायनाख्यया अरण्यामिव हव्याशी सत्यवत्यामजायत

Again, in this Dvapara, he was born to Satyavati in the forest, as one who offered oblations, known as Krishna Dvaipayana.

संक्षिप्य स पुनर्वेदांश्चतुर्धा कृतवान्मुनिः व्यस्तवेदतया लोके वेदव्यास इति श्रुतः

That sage, having condensed the Vedas, divided them into four parts; because of this division, he is known in the world as Vedavyasa.

पुराणानाञ्च संक्षिप्तं चतुर्लक्षप्रमाणतः अद्यापि देवलोके तच्छतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्

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.

यो विद्याच्चतुरो वेदान् सांगोपणिषदान्द्विजः न चेत्पुराणं संविद्यान्नैव स स्याद्विचक्षणः

A twice-born who knows the four Vedas with their limbs and Upanishads, but does not know the Purana, is not truly wise.

इतिहासपुराणाभ्यां वेदं समुपबृंहयेत् बिभेत्यल्पश्रुताद्वेदो मामयं प्रतरिष्यति

One should supplement the Veda with Itihasa and Purana; the Veda fears that, with little hearing, it will be crossed over by me.

सर्गश्च प्रतिसर्गश्च वंशो मन्वंतराणि च वंशानुचरितं चैव पुराणं पञ्चलक्षणम्

Creation, dissolution, genealogies, ages of Manu, and the histories of lineages—these are the five characteristics of the Purana.