1 - Introductory

1. I bow to (goddesses) Śri (Lakshmi), Sarasvati, Gauri (Pärvati) and gods Gaņeśa, Skanda, Ishvara (Śiva), Brahma, Vahni, Indra and other celestials and Vasudeva (Krishņa). 

2. Saunaka and other sages (staying at the sacred forest) of Naimisha, conducting a sacrifice devoted to Hari (Vishnu), welcomed Sūta (the reciter of ancient lores) on his arrival there after a pilgrimage.

 The sages said:

3. O Sūta! You are adored by us. Tell us the quintessence of all things, by knowing which alone one gets omniscience.

 Sūta said:

4. The illustrious Vishnu (who is) the Supreme Being (and) the Creator, is the quintessence. By know ng that 'I am Brahman', one gets omniscience. 

5. Two Brahmans are to be known, the Sabdabrahman (the Vedas) and Parabrahman (the Supreme Spirit). The Atharvani Sruti (Mundakopanishad) refers to this as the two (kinds of) knowl- edge to be learnt. 

6. Myself, (sage) Suka (son of sage Vyasa), (sage) Paila (disciple of sage Vyåsa) and others bowed Vyåsa having resorted to the hermitage at (holy) Badarikåśrama. He imparted. to us the quintessence (of all things).

Vyasa said:

7. O sūta, listen in the company of Šuka and others what Vasishtha has said to me about the excellent quintessence of the Brahman, when he was requested by the sages.

Vasistha said:

8. O Vyåsa, Listen, in entirety, to the two (kinds of) knowl- 

edge, which (god) Agni narrated to me in the company of the sages and the celestials. 

9. The excellent Purāņa (known as) the Agneya (or Agni) and the two (kinds of) knowledge, Para (the superior) and Apara (the inferior) signifying respectively the knowledge about the Brahman and the knowledge about the Rugveda and so on, which satisfies all the celestials (will be narrated to you). 

10. The Purāņa spoken by Agni and designated as the Agneya by Brahma and which gives bhukti (enjoyment) and mukti (release from mundane existence) for those who read it or hear it (will be narrated to you). 

11. Being requested by the sages (I will also describe) (god) Vishnu in the form of the destructive Fire at the end of the world (who is) the effulgent Brahman (and) the most Supreme Being (who is) worshipped by means of knowledge and action (religious rites and so on). 

Vasistha said:

12. O Brahman (Agni), point out to me the masterly way of crossing the ocean of mundane existence, by knowing the quintessence of which knowledge one becomes omniscient.

Agni said:

13. Vishnu is the destructive Fire at the end of the world (in the form of) Rudra (Siva). Ishall tell you the essence of knowl-edge (in the form of) this Purāņa, which represents all learning and is the cause of all things. 

14. (Lord) Vishnu, who assumes the form of a fish, a tortoise (and other beings), is the cause of the primary creation, the secondary creation, the genealogy of the sages, the cycles of Manu-periods and the genealogy of the kings. 

15-17. O Twice-born! (Lord) Vishnu (is the cause of) the two kinds of knowledge Pará (the superior) and Apará (the in-ferior). Here the Apara is represented by the Rugveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, the six supplementary texts, (namely)- Sikshā (phonetics), Kalpa (rules governing rituals), Vyakarana (grammar), Nirukta (etymological science), (the science dealing with) the movement of the luminary bodies, Chandovidhana (metrics), Mimamsa (investigation of the interpretation of the ritual of the Vedas), Dharmasastra (law -books),  Purāṇas (18 in number), Nyaya (logical philosophical system), Vaidya (medical science), Gandharva (science of music), and Arthasastra (polity). The Para-Vidya (superior knowledge) is that through which the Brahman is known. 

18. Ishall narrate to you (that  Purāṇa) which was told to me by Vishnu and the celestials by Brahmå and which deals with that invisible, incomprehensible, not having a cause for itself and eternal (form of Vishnu) which is the cause of the forms such as the fish and others.