Vayu Purana

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे दीर्घसत्रन्तु ईजिरे। नद्यास्तीरे दृषद्वत्याः पुण्यायाः शुचिरोधसः। दीक्षितास्ते यथाशास्त्रं नैमिषारण्यगोचराः

In the field of righteousness, Kurukṣetra, they performed a long sacrifice on the pure banks of the holy river Dṛṣadvatī, consecrated according to scripture, dwelling in the region of Naimiṣāraṇya.

द्रष्टुं तान् स महाबुद्धिः सूतः पौराणिकोत्तमः। लोमानि हर्षयाञ्चक्रे श्रोत्रूणां यत् सुभाषितैः। कर्मणा प्रथितस्तेन लोकेऽस्मिँल्लोमहर्षणः

To see them, the wise Sūta, foremost among narrators, caused the hairs of his listeners to stand on end with his eloquent words; thus, he became renowned in the world as Lomaharṣaṇa.

तपःश्रुताचारनिधेर्वेदव्यासस्य धीमतः। शिष्यो बभूव मेधावी त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः

A disciple of the wise Vedavyāsa, a treasure of austerity, learning, and conduct, he became famous throughout the three worlds.

पुराण वेदो ह्यखिलो यस्मिन् सम्यक् प्रतिष्ठितः। भारती चैव विपुला महाभारतवर्द्धिनी

The entire Purāṇa and Veda are firmly established in it, as is the vast Bhārati, the enhancer of the Mahābhārata.

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षार्थाः कथा यस्मिन् प्रतिष्ठिताः। सूक्ताः सुपरिभाषाश्च भूमावोषधयो यथा

Within it are established the narratives concerning dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa, as well as wise sayings and clear expressions, just as herbs are found upon the earth.

स तान् न्यायेन सुधियो न्यायविन्मुनिपुङ्गवान्। अभिगम्योपसंसृत्य नमस्कृत्य कृताञ्जलिः। तोषयामास मेधावी प्रणिपातेन तानृषीन्

He, intelligent and learned in justice, approached those foremost sages, masters of justice and wisdom, greeted them with joined palms, and satisfied them by his respectful salutation.

ते चापि सर्त्रिणः प्रीताः ससदस्या महौजसः। तस्मै साम च पूजाञ्च यथावत् प्रतिपेदिरे

And those powerful sages, together with their assembly, being pleased, offered him due honor and worship.

अथ तेषां पुराणस्य शुश्रूषा समपद्यत। दृष्ट्वा तमातिविश्वस्तं विद्वांसं लोमहर्षणम्

Then, seeing Lomaharṣaṇa, the wise one, so fully devoted, the desire to hear the Purāṇa arose among them.

तस्मिन् सत्रे गृहपतिः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः। इङ्गितैर्भावमालक्ष्य तेषां सूतमनोदयत्

In that assembly, the householder, expert in all the śāstras, discerning their intent by their gestures, encouraged the sūta to speak.

त्वया सूत महाबुद्धिर्भगवान् ब्रह्मवित्तमः। इतिहासपुराणार्थं व्यासः सम्यगुपासितः। दुदोह वै मतिं तस्य त्वं पुराणाश्रयां कथाम्

O Sūta, you of great intellect, the venerable Vyāsa, knower of Brahman, was properly served by you for the sake of understanding the meaning of itihāsa and Purāṇa; you have drawn from his wisdom—now narrate the Purāṇa-based tale.

एषाञ्च ऋषिमुख्यानां पुराणं प्रति धीमताम्। शुश्रूषास्ति महाबुद्धे तच्छ्रावयितुमर्हसि

Among these foremost sages, there is a desire to hear the Purāṇa, O wise one; you ought to recite it to them.

सर्वे हीमे महात्मानो नाना गोत्राः समागताः। स्वान् स्वान् वंशान् पुराणैस्तु श्रृणुयुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः

All these great souls, assembled from various lineages, wish to hear from the Purāṇas about their own ancestries, O speakers of Brahman.

सपुत्रान् दीर्घसत्रेऽस्मिञ्छ्रवयेथा मुनीनथ। दीक्षिष्यमाणैरस्माभि स्तेन प्रागसि संस्मृतः

O sage, in this long sacrifice, you should cause the sages, along with their sons, to hear; we, about to be initiated, have remembered you for this.

इति सन्नोदितः सूतस्तैरेव मुनिभिः पुरा। पुराणार्थं पुराणज्ञैः सत्यव्रतपरायणैः

Thus addressed by those very sages of old, who were devoted to truth and knowledgeable in the Purāṇa, the sūta was urged to recount the meaning of the Purāṇa.

स्वधर्म एष सूतस्य सद्भिर्दृष्टः पुरातनैः। देवतानामृषीणाञ्च राज्ञाञ्चामिततेजसाम्

This is the proper duty of the sūta, as seen by the virtuous ancients: to recite to the gods, sages, and kings of immeasurable energy.

वंशानां धारणं कार्यं श्रुतानाञ्च महात्मनाम्। इतिहासपुराणेषु दिष्टा ये ब्रह्मवादिभिः

The preservation of the lineages of the great souls, as heard in the itihāsas and Purāṇas, is prescribed by the speakers of Brahman.

न हि वेदेष्वधिकारः कश्वित् सूतस्य दृश्यते। वैन्यस्य हि पृथोर्यज्ञे वर्त्तमाने महात्मनः। सुत्यायामभवत् सूतः प्रथमं वर्णवैकृतः

For indeed, no sūta is seen to have authority over the Vedas; at the sacrifice of the noble Pṛthu, son of Vena, the sūta first arose as a distinct class during the soma pressing.

ऐन्द्रेण हविषा तत्र हविः पृक्तं बृहस्पतेः। जुहावेन्द्राय देवाय ततः सूतो व्यजायत। प्रमादात्तत्र सञ्जज्ञे प्रायश्चित्तञ्च कर्मसु

There, with the oblation dedicated to Indra, the clarified butter meant for Bṛhaspati was offered to Indra; from that, the sūta was born—arising from a mistake, and expiation was performed for that act.

शिष्यहव्येन यत् पृक्तमभिभूतं गुरोर्हविः। अधरोत्तरचारेण जज्ञे तद्वर्णवैकृतः

When the disciple’s oblation was mixed and the teacher’s oblation was overcome, by a reversal of the proper order, that class difference was produced.

यच्च क्षत्रात् समभवद्ब्राह्मणाऽवरयोनितः। ततः पूर्वेण साधर्म्यात्तुल्यधर्मा प्रकीर्त्तितः

And when a brāhmaṇa was born from a kṣatriya mother, by similarity to the former, he is said to have similar duties.

मध्यमो ह्येष सूतस्य धर्मः क्षत्रोपजीवनम्। रथनागाश्वचरितं जघन्यञ्च चिकित्सितम्

This is the intermediate duty of the sūta: to live by serving kṣatriyas, to be skilled in chariots, elephants, and horses, and lastly, in medicine.

तत् स्वधर्ममहं पृष्टो भवद्भिर्ब्रह्मवादिभिः। कस्मात् सम्यङ्न विब्रूयां पुराणमृषिपूजितम्

You seekers of Brahman have asked me about my own duty; why should I not properly speak of the Purāṇa, honored by the ancient sages?

पितॄणां मानसी कन्या वासवी समपद्यत। अपध्याता च पितृभिर्मत्स्ययोनौ बभूव सा

The mind-born daughter of the Fathers became Vāsavī; condemned by her fathers, she was born in the form of a fish.

अरणीव हुताशस्य निमित्तं यस्य जन्मनः। तस्यां जातो महायोगी व्यासो वेदविदां वरः

Like the lower stick for kindling fire, she became the cause of his birth; in her was born the great yogi Vyāsa, foremost among knowers of the Veda.

तस्मै भगवते कृत्वा नमो व्यासाय वेधसे।। पुरुषाय पुराणाय भृगुवाक्यप्रवर्त्तिने। मानुषच्छद्मरूपाय विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे

To that blessed one, to Vyāsa the creator, I bow; to the primeval person, the ancient one, the promulgator of Bhṛgu’s words; to Viṣṇu, who is mighty, taking the form of a man as a disguise.

जातमात्रञ्च यं वेद उपतस्थे ससङ्ग्रहः। धर्ममेव पुरस्कृत्य जातूकर्णादवाप तम्

The Veda, complete with its branches, attended upon him as soon as he was born; having placed dharma first, he received it from Jātūkarṇa.

मतिं मन्थानमाविध्य येनासौ श्रुतिसागरात्। प्रकाशं जनितो लोके महाभारतचन्द्रमाः

By churning his mind as a churning stick, he brought forth from the ocean of the Veda the radiant moon of the Mahābhārata into the world.

वेदद्रुमश्च यं प्राप्य सशाखः समपद्यत। भूमिकालगुणान् प्राप्य बहुशाखो यथा द्रुमः

The tree of the Veda, having reached him, became full of branches; having attained the qualities of place and time, it became manifold-branched, like a tree.

तस्मादहमुपश्रुत्य पुराणं ब्रह्मवादिनः। सर्वज्ञात्सर्ववेदेषु पूजिताद्दीप्ततेजसः

Therefore, having heard the Purāṇa from the knower of Brahman, honored by all, radiant with splendor, and all-knowing in all the Vedas,