Vayu Purana

यश्चेदं श्रावयेच्छ्राद्धे ब्राह्मणान्पादमन्ततः। अक्षयं सार्वकामीयं पितॄंस्तच्चोपतिष्ठति ।। ४१.

If one has this recited to Brāhmaṇas at a śrāddha, even a single foot, his ancestors attain inexhaustible and all-desired rewards.

यस्मात्पुरा ह्यनन्तीदं पुराणं तेन चोच्यते। निरुक्तमस्य यो वेद सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते ।। ४१.

Because this ancient Purāṇa is endless, it is so called; whoever knows its etymology is freed from all sins.

तथैव त्रिषु वर्णेषु ये मनुष्याः प्रधानतः। इतिहासमिमं श्रुत्वा धर्माय विदधे मतिम् ।। ४१.

Likewise, among the three classes, those people who chiefly listen to this history turn their minds toward righteousness.

यावन्त्यस्य शरीरेषु रोमकूपाणि सर्वशः। तावत्कोटि सहस्राणि वर्षाणां दिवि मोदते। ब्रह्मसायुज्यगो भूत्वा दैवतैः सह मोदते ।। ४१.

For as many hair follicles as are on his body, for that many crores of thousands of years he delights in heaven; having attained union with Brahman, he rejoices with the gods.

सर्व्वपापहरं पुण्यं पवित्रञ्च यशस्वि च। ब्रह्मा ददौ शास्त्रमिदं पुराणं मातरिश्वने ।। ४१.

This Purāṇa scripture, which removes all sins, is meritorious, pure, and renowned; Brahmā gave it to Mātariśvan in ancient times.

तस्माच्चोशनसा प्राप्तं तस्माच्चापि बृहस्पतिः। बृहस्पतिस्तु प्रेवाच सवित्रे तदनन्तरम् ।। ४१.

From him, Uśanas received it, and from him, Bṛhaspati; then Bṛhaspati taught it to Savitṛ.

सविता मृत्यवे प्राह मृत्युश्चेन्द्राय वै पुनः। इन्द्रश्चापि वसिष्ठाय सोऽपि सारस्वताय च ।। ४१.

Savitṛ spoke it to Mṛtyu, and Mṛtyu again to Indra; Indra then to Vasiṣṭha, and he to Sārasvata.

सारस्वतस्त्रिधाम्ने च त्रिधामा च शरद्वते। शरद्वतस्त्रिविष्टाय सोऽन्तरिक्षाय दत्तवान् ।। ४१.

Sārasvata gave it to Tridhāmā, and Tridhāmā to Śaradvata; Śaradvata gave it to Triviṣṭa, and he to Antarikṣa.

वर्षिणे चान्तरिक्षो वै सोऽपि त्रय्यारुणाय च। त्रय्यारुणो धनञ्जये स च प्रादात्कृतञ्जये ।। ४१.

Antarikṣa gave it to Varṣiṇ, and he to Trayyāruṇa; Trayyāruṇa gave it to Dhanañjaya, and he to Kṛtañjaya.

कृत ञ्जयात्तृणञ्जयो भरद्वाजाय सोऽप्यथ। गौतमाय भरद्वाजः सोऽपि निर्य्यन्तरे पुनः ।। ४१.

From Kṛtañjaya, Tṛṇañjaya received it; he gave it to Bharadvāja, and Bharadvāja to Gautama, who in turn gave it to Niryantara.

निर्यन्तरस्तु प्रोवाच तथा वाजश्रवाय च। स ददौ सोमशूष्माय स ददौ तृणबिन्दवे ।। ४१.

Niryantara then taught it to Vājaśravā, who gave it to Somaśūṣma; he gave it to Tṛṇabindu.

तृणबिन्दुस्तु दक्षाय दक्षः प्रोवाच शक्तये। शक्तेः पराशरश्चापि गर्भस्थः श्रुतवानिदम् ।। ४१.

Tṛṇabindu gave it to Dakṣa, and Dakṣa taught it to Śakti; from Śakti, Parāśara, while still in the womb, heard it.

पराशराज्जातुकर्णस्तस्माद्द्वैपायनः प्रभुः। द्वैपायनात्पुनश्चापि मया प्राप्तं द्विजोत्तमाः ।। ४१.

From Parāśara, Jātukarṇa received it; from him, the lord Dvaipāyana; and from Dvaipāyana, O best of twice-born, it has now come to me.

शांशपायन उवाच ।। मया वै तत्पुनः प्रोक्तं पुत्रायामितबुद्धये। इत्येव वाचा ब्रह्मादिगुरुणा समुदाहृता ।। ४१.

Śāṃśapāyana said: This has indeed been spoken again by me for my son, who possesses immeasurable wisdom, just as it was declared in these very words by the teacher of Brahmā and the others.

नमस्कार्य्यश्च गुरवः प्रयत्नेन मनीषिभिः। धन्यं यशस्यमायुष्यं पुण्यं सर्वार्थसाधकम् ।। ४१.

The wise should diligently offer reverence to their teachers; this brings fortune, fame, long life, merit, and the accomplishment of all aims.

पापघ्नं नियमेनेदं श्रोतव्यं ब्राह्मणैः सदा। नाशुचौ नापि पापाय नाप्यसंवत्सरोषिते ।। ४१.

This should always be listened to by brāhmaṇas with discipline, for it destroys sin; it should not be recited for the impure, the sinful, or those who have not completed a year.

नाश्रद्दधानाविदुषे नापुत्राय कथञ्चन। नाहिताय प्रदातव्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम् ।। ४१.

This supreme and pure teaching must never be given to one who lacks faith, who is ignorant, who is childless, or who is hostile.

अव्यक्तं वै यस्य योनिं वदन्ति व्यक्तं देहं कालमन्तर्गतञ्च । वह्निं वक्रं चन्द्र सूर्य्यौ च नेत्रे दिशः श्रोत्रे घ्राणमाहुश्च वायुम् ।। ४१.

They say his origin is unmanifest, his body is manifest, and time dwells within him; fire is his mouth, the moon and sun his eyes, the directions his ears, the wind his nose.

वायो वेदांश्चान्तरिक्षं शरीरं क्षितिं पादौ तारका रोमकूपान् । सर्वाणि चाङ्गानि तथैव तानि विद्यास्सर्वा यस्य पुच्छं वदन्ति ।। ४१.

They declare the Vedas and the sky to be his speech, the earth his feet, the stars his hair follicles; all his limbs are likewise the sciences, and his tail is said to be all knowledge.

तं देवदेवं जननं जनानां सर्व्वेषु लोकेषु प्रतिष्ठितञ्च। वरं वराणां वरदं महेश्वरं ब्रह्माणमादिं प्रयतो नमस्ये ।। ४१.

I bow with devotion to that god of gods, the source of all beings, established in all worlds, the bestower of boons, the greatest lord, the creator, the origin of all.

सूत सूत महाभाग त्वया भगवता सता। व्यासप्रसादाधिगतशास्त्रसम्बोधनेन च ।। ४२.

O Sūta, O most fortunate one, by you, who are blessed, and through the knowledge of the scriptures attained by Vyāsa’s grace, these teachings have been revealed.

अष्टादशपुराणानि सेतिहासानि चानघ। उपक्रमोपसंहार विधिनोक्तानि कृत्स्नशः ।। ४२.

The eighteen Purāṇas and the Itihāsas, O sinless one, have all been described in their beginnings and conclusions, exactly as prescribed.

चतुर्दशसहस्रं च मात्स्यं प्रोक्तमतिस्फुटम्। तत्संख्यकं भविष्यञ्च प्रोक्तं पञ्चशताधिकम् ।। ४२.

The Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa is said to have fourteen thousand verses, and the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa is also spoken of as having the same number, plus five hundred.

मार्कण्डेयं महारम्यं प्रोक्तं नवसहस्रकम्। कथितं ब्रह्मवैवर्त्तमष्टादशसहस्रकम् ।। ४२.

The delightful Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa is said to have nine thousand verses, and the Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa is recounted as having eighteen thousand.

शतोत्तरञ्च ब्रह्माण्डं सूर्यसंख्यासहस्रकम् । अथ भागवतं दिव्यमष्टादशसहस्रकम् ।। ४२.

The Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa is said to have one hundred chapters and a thousand verses equal to the number of the sun; then the divine Bhāgavata Purāṇa has eighteen thousand verses.

सहस्राणि दशैवोक्तं पुराणं ब्रह्मनामकम्। अयुतश्लोकघटितं पुराणं वामनाभिधम् ।। ४२.

The Brahma Purāṇa is said to have ten thousand verses, and the Vāmana Purāṇa is composed of ten thousand verses as well.

तथैवायुत संख्यातं षट्शताधिकमादिकम्। त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रमनिलं तद्गतं शुभम् ।। ४२.

Likewise, the Ādi Purāṇa is counted as ten thousand and six hundred verses; the Anila Purāṇa is auspicious and contains twenty-three thousand verses.

त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रं नारदीयमुदाहृतम् । एकोनविंशसाहस्रं वैनतेयमुदाहृतम् ।। ४२.

The Nārada Purāṇa is declared to have twenty-three thousand verses, and the Vainateya Purāṇa is said to have nineteen thousand verses.

सहस्रपञ्चपञ्चाशत्प्रोक्तं पाद्मं सुविस्तरम्। सप्तदशसहस्रन्तु कूर्मं प्रोक्तं मनोहरम् ।। ४२.

The extensive Padma Purāṇa is said to have fifty-five thousand verses, and the charming Kūrma Purāṇa is spoken of as having seventeen thousand.