सपादलक्षं च तथा भारतं मुनिना कृतम् । इतिहास इति प्रोक्तं पञ्चमं वेदसम्मतम्
The Bhārata, composed by the sage, consists of one hundred thousand and a quarter verses; it is called 'Itihāsa,' the fifth Veda, accepted as such.
शौनक उवाच कानि तानि पुराणानि ब्रूहि सूत सविस्तरम् । कतिसङ्ख्यानि सर्वज्ञ श्रोतुकामा वयं त्विह
Śaunaka said: O Sūta, tell us in detail which are those Purāṇas; how many are they? We wish to hear, O all-knowing one.
कलिकालविभीताः स्मो नैमिषारण्यवासिनः । ब्रह्मणात्र समादिष्टाश्चक्रं दत्त्वा मनोमयम्
We, the dwellers of Naimiṣāraṇya, are fearful of the age of Kali; here, by the command of Brahmā, a mental wheel was given to us.
कथितं तेन नः सर्वान्गच्छन्त्वेतस्य पृष्ठतः । नेमिः संशीर्यते यत्र स देशः पावनः स्मृतः
He told us all to follow wherever its rim would go; the place where the rim falls apart is regarded as holy.
कलेस्तत्र प्रवेशो न कदाचित् सम्भविष्यति । तावत्तिष्ठन्तु तत्रैव यावत्सत्ययुगं पुनः
There, entry of Kali will never occur; let us remain there until the return of the age of truth.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य गृहीत्वा तत्कथानकम् । चालयन्निर्गतस्तूर्णं सर्वदेशदिदृक्षया
Hearing his words, taking that instruction, he swiftly set out, desiring to see all lands.
प्रेत्यात्र चालयंश्चक्रं नेमिः शीर्णोऽत्र पश्यतः । तेनेदं नैमिषं प्रोक्तं क्षेत्रं परमपावनम्
After departing, as he rolled the wheel here, its rim broke before our eyes; therefore, this place is called Naimiṣa, the supremely holy field.
कलिप्रवेशो नैवात्र तस्मात्स्थानं कृतं मया । मुनिभिः सिद्धसङ्घैश्च कलिभीतैर्महात्मभिः
The entrance of Kali is not permitted here; therefore, I have established this place together with the sages and assemblies of accomplished ones, who, being great souls, are fearful of Kali.
पशुहीनाः कृता यज्ञाः पुरोडाशादिभिः किल । कालातिवाहनं कार्यं यावत्सत्ययुगागमः
Sacrifices are performed here without the slaughter of animals, using offerings such as rice cakes and the like; this practice should be maintained until the coming of the Satya Yuga.
भाग्ययोगेन सम्प्राप्तः सूत त्वं चात्र सर्वथा । कथयाद्य पुराणं हि पावनं ब्रह्मसम्मतम्
By the conjunction of fortune, you, Sūta, have arrived here in every way; today, narrate the Purāṇa, which is purifying and approved by Brahmā.
सूत शुश्रूषवः सर्वे वक्ता त्वं मतिमानथ । निर्व्यापारा वयं नूनमेकचित्तास्तथैव च
O Sūta, we are all eager to listen, and you are indeed wise to speak; we are surely free from other occupations and united in mind as well.
त्वं सूत भव दीर्घायुस्तापत्रयविवर्जितः । कथयाद्य पुराणं हि पुण्यं भागवतं शिवम्
O Sūta, may you be long-lived and free from the threefold afflictions; today, narrate the auspicious and meritorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa.
यत्र धर्मार्थकामानां वर्णनं विधिपूर्वकम् । विद्यां प्राप्य तया मोक्षः कथितो मुनिना किल
In which, with due procedure, the description of dharma, artha, and kāma is given; and having obtained knowledge therein, liberation is taught by the sage.
द्वैपायनेन मुनिना कथितं यच्च पावनम् । न तृप्यामो वयं सूत कथां श्रुत्वा मनोरमाम्
That purifying narrative which was told by the sage Dvaipāyana—we do not grow satiated, O Sūta, by hearing that delightful story.
सकलगुणगणानामेकपात्रं पवित्र- ॥ मखिलभुवनमातुर्नाट्यवद्यद्विचित्रम् । निखिलमलगणानां नाशकृत्कामकन्दं
The sole vessel of all virtues, the pure and wondrous play of the Mother of all worlds, the destroyer of all impurities, and the root of all desires.
पुराणवर्णनपूर्वकतत्तद्युगीयव्यासवर्णनम् सूत उवाच शृण्वन्तु सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि पुराणानि मुनीश्वराः । यथाश्रुतानि तत्त्वेन व्यासात्सत्यवतीसुतात्
The account of the Purāṇas is preceded by the description of Vyāsa and the respective ages. Sūta said: Listen, O best of sages, I shall now recount the Purāṇas as I have heard them in truth from Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī.
मद्वयं भद्वयं चैव ब्रत्रयं वचतुष्टयम् । अनापलिंगकूस्कानि पुराणानि पृथक्पृथक्
The Madvaya, the Bhadvaya, the Bratraya, and the Vacatuṣṭaya—these are the Purāṇas, each with its own distinguishing marks.
चतुर्दशसहस्रं च मत्स्यमाद्यं प्रकीर्तितम्
Fourteen thousand verses are said to be in the Matsya and the others.
चतुर्दशसहस्राणि तथा पञ्चशतानि च
Likewise, there are fourteen thousand and five hundred verses.
अष्टादशसहस्रं वै पुण्यं भागवतं किल । तथा चायुतसंख्याकं पुराणं ब्रह्मसंज्ञकम्
The meritorious Bhāgavata is said to have eighteen thousand verses; likewise, the Purāṇa called Brahma is counted as ten thousand.
द्वादशैव सहस्राणि ब्रह्माण्डं च शताधिकम् । तथाष्टादशसाहस्रं ब्रह्मवैवर्तमेव च
The Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa has twelve thousand and a hundred verses; likewise, the Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa has eighteen thousand.
अयुतं वामनाख्यं च वायव्यं षट्शतानि च । चतुर्विंशतिसंख्यातः सहस्राणि तु शौनक
The Vāmana Purāṇa is ten thousand verses, and the Vāyu Purāṇa is six hundred; O Śaunaka, the total number of verses is twenty-four thousand.
त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रं वैष्णवं परमाद्भुतम् । चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रं वाराहं परमाद्भुतम्
The wondrous Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa has twenty-three thousand verses; the wondrous Vārāha Purāṇa has twenty-four thousand.
षोडशैव सहस्राणि पुराणं चाग्निसंज्ञितम् । पञ्चविंशतिसाहस्रं नारदं परमं मतम्
The Agni Purāṇa has sixteen thousand verses; the Nārada Purāṇa, considered supreme, has twenty-five thousand.
पञ्चपञ्चाशत्साहस्रं पद्माख्यं विपुलं मतम् । एकादशसहस्राणि लिङ्गाख्यं चातिविस्मृतम्
The extensive Padma Purāṇa is said to have fifty-five thousand verses; the Liṅga Purāṇa, greatly revered, has eleven thousand.
एकोनविंशत्साहस्रं गारुडं हरिभाषितम् । सप्तदशसहस्रं च पुराणं कूर्मभाषितम्
The Garuḍa Purāṇa, spoken by Hari, consists of nineteen thousand verses; the Kūrma Purāṇa, likewise, contains seventeen thousand verses.
एकाशीतिसहस्राणि स्कन्दाख्यं परमाद्भुतम् । पुराणाख्या च संख्या च विस्तरेण मयानघाः
The Skanda Purāṇa, most marvelous, has eighty-one thousand verses; thus, O sinless ones, I have told you the names and the counts of the Purāṇas in detail.
तथैवोपपुराणानि शृण्वन्तु ऋषिसत्तमाः । सनत्कुमारं प्रथमं नारसिंहं ततः परम्
In the same way, listen, O best of sages, to the Upapurāṇas: first is the Sanatkumāra, then the Nārasiṃha.
नारदीयं शिवं चैव दौर्वाससमनुत्तमम् । कापिलं मानवं चैव तथा चौशनसं स्मृतम्
The Nārada, Śiva, and the incomparable Daurvāsasa; the Kāpila, Mānava, and also the one known as Kauśanasa.
वारुणं कालिकाख्यं च साम्बं नन्दिकृतं शुभम् । सौरं पाराशरप्रोक्तमादित्यं चातिविस्तरम्
The Vāruṇa, Kālikā, Sāmba, the auspicious one composed by Nandi; the Saura, that taught by Parāśara, and the extensive Āditya.