383 - The Glorification of the Agnipuranā

Agni said: 

1-4. I have expounded to you the Agneyapuräna of the form of Brahman. It with extension and without extension consists of the two vidya¹-s. The learning consists of the Rug, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva (veda). Vishņu is the creator of the world, Prosody, phonetics, grammar, lexicon, astronomy, etymology, dharmasastra (treatises on religious duties), mimämsä (inquiry), nyaya (logic), science of medicine, archery, science of music and science of statecraft are all (known as parā) vidya. The other one beyond the Veda-s is lord Hari known as apara vidya (that which has nothing superior to it). Highest knowledge is the supreme undecaying thing. 

1. explained below. 

5-6. One who has the feeling that all the things are (the manifestations of lord) Vishņu, is not affected by the Kali (era). One would not incur any sin by not performing the great sacrificial rites or not offering the obsequial rites to the manes if he worships (lord) Krishņa with devotion. One does not get ruined by intensive contemplation of (lord) Vishņu, who is the cause of all things. 

7. A person whose mind has been drawn towards the objects arising from defects due to other rituals, gets released from sins, even after doing a sin, by contemplating (lord) Govinda (Krishna). 

8. It is contemplation where there is Govinda. It is a narrative where there is Keśhava . That is an action which is devoted to Him. What is the use of others which are repeatedly spoken about. 

9. He is not a father who fails to describe this supreme knowledge spoken by me to the son and he is not a preceptor who fails to impart (this) to his pupil. 

10. O Twice-born! One could get a son, wife, wealth, prosperity, friends and other things by wandering in this world, but not this knowledge. 

11. What is the use of son and wife? What (comes out of) friend, land and relatives? Such knowledge is the supreme relative, which liberates a person. 

12. There are two courses for the beings--divine and demoniac. Constant devotion to (lord) Vishņu is divine and the contrary is demoniac. 

13. This, which has been expounded to you, is sacred, healthy, praise-worthy, capable of destroying bad dreams, giving pleasure and satisfaction and liberation to men.

14. In whatever houses transcripts of the Agneyapurāņa are kept, disturbances never approach them. 

15. What is the good of pilgrimages, or making gifts of cows, or sacrificial rites or fasting, when people hear the Agneya (purâņa) daily? 

16. A person who gives a prastha (measure) of sesamum or a māsha (weight) of gold, would obtain equal (merit) by listening to one verse of the Agni (Purāņa). 

17. The reading of a chapter of this ( Purāṇa) is more commendable than making a gift of a cow. A sin done in the course of a day and night by a person is destroyed by his desire to listen to this ( Purāṇa). 

18. (The benefit) that would accrue by making a gift of hundred tawny cows at Pushkara¹ in (the month of) Jyestha (June-July), that benefit would be obtained by reading the Agneyapurāņa. 

1. A holy place of pilgrimage in Rajasthan. 

19. The piety of two kinds--being engaged and being with drawn--does not become equal to this sacred text of Agnipuråņa. 

20. O Vasishtha! A devoted man would get liberated from all sins by either reading the Agnipurāņa daily or listening to it. 

21-22. Where there is a copy of the Agnipuräna, in that house there would not be any difficulty, mishap or fear of theft, or fear of miscarriage of foetus, or possession of children by the spirits. There would not be the fear of the evil spirits and the like, where there is (a copy of) the Agnipuräna. 

23. By listening to this (purāna), a brahmin would become learned in the Veda-s, a kshatriya (would be) a monarch, a vaisya would gain wealth and ashüdra would get health. 

24-25. O Brahmin! A devotee of Vishņu, having equanimity would get all his afflictions destroyed by reading or listening to the Agnipurâņa. (Lord) Keśhava  would destroy all the misfortunes that would be celestial, terrestrial or earthly such as bad dreams, evil incantations and other mishaps (of such a person). 

26-28. The reading or listening to the text is more meritorious for a man than performing a sacrificial rite. A person who listens to the sacred Agnipurāņa in the Hemanta (early winter) after offering worship with perfumes and flowers would get the benefit of (performing) Agnistoma (rite). (A person would get the benefit of performing) the Pundarika (rite) in Sishira (advanced winter), Ašhvamedha (rite) in the spring, Vajapeya (rite) in the summer and Rājasūya in the rainy season. (One would get) the benefit (of making a gift) of thousand cows in the autumn by reading this (Purāņa). 

29. O Vasishtha! He who devoutly recites the Agni Purāṇa in front of (lord) Hari, would be deemed as worshipping (lord) Keśhava with the rite of knowledge. 

30. He who has a book of the Agnipurāņa in his house would be victorious. In whose house the transcribed (Purāņa) is worshipped, (that person) has enjoyment and emancipation on his hand. 

31. Thus (lord) Hari (Vishņu) has expounded to me in days of yore in the form of the destructive fire at the end of the world. The Agneyapurāņa consists of two sorts of knowledge. O Vasishtha! You would impart to the devotees these two kinds of knowledge.

Vasistha said: 

32-33a. O Vyasa! I have narrated to you the Agneyapuräna, consisting of two sorts of knowledge, obtained from (lord) Vishņu, the Supreme Brahman, and as expounded to me by Agni (Fire god) in the presence of the celestials and sages. It makes everything known. 

33b-35a. O Vyåsa! He who reads or listens to or writes or causes to write or causes to listen to or causes to read or worships or carries this Agnipuräna, known as the Brahman and expounded by Agni (Agni) in days of yore, would be liberateed from all sins and would attain heaven after obtaining the desires.

35b-36. After having caused the excellent Puraņa to be copied, he who gives (the copies) to brahmins, would attain the world of Brahmā and elevate hundreds of his family. He who reads a verse (from this Purāņa) would become free from the mire of sin. 

37-38. Hence, o Vyasa! This Puråņa making everything explicitshould always be read to the disciples in the company of the sages such asshuka and others who are desirous of hearing. The Agneya (puråņa) read and contemplated would be auspicious and confer enjoyment and emancipation. Obeisance to that Agni who has sung the  Purāṇa.

Vydsa said: 

39-44a. O Súta (redactor): This Agneya (purāņa) which is of the form of para and aparå vidya and the supreme position was sung by (sage) Vasishtha in days of yore and it has been expounded to you by me. The fortunate ones would attain a form difficult to get. Those who meditate upon this Agneyapurāņa, the Brahman, would reach (lord) Hari. Those who seek knowledge (would get) knowledge. Those who wish for kingdom would obtain kingdom. Those without progeny get children. Those without resort would reach a resort. Those who seek fortune and those who desire for liberation get them. Those who transcribe and those who cause it to be transcribed become sinless and gain fortune. O Sūta! Think of the form of the Agneyapurāņa (expounded) by Suka, Paila and others. There is no doubt that you would gain enjoyment and emancipation. You recite the Purāņa to the disciples and devotees.

Suta said: 

44b-47a. I have heard the Agneyapuräņa with respect by the favour of Vyåsa. The Agni (puräna) is a manifestation of the Supreme Brahman. You and other sages such as Saunaka and others had worshipped lord Hari in the Naimisa forest. They were steadfast, The Agnipurāņa is spoken by Agni and conforms to the Vedas. This ( Purāṇa) endowed with the two (sorts of) brahmavidya confers enjoyment and emancipation. 

47b-51. There is nothing richer in substance than this. Nothing is a better friend than this. There is no greater work than this. There is no better course than this. There is no greater treatise than this. There is no greater scripture than this. There is no superior knowledge than this. There is no smrti (textbook of piety) than this. No agama (texts dealing with worship) is superior to this. No knowledge is greater than this. No exposition excels this. There is nothing extremely auspicious excelling this. No philosophic exposition is greater than this. This is the foremost Purdņa. There is no object more difficult to obtain than this on the earth. All the lores have been expounded in this Puraņa. 

52. All the manifestations (of lord Vishņu) such as the fish and the like, Gita, Rāmāyāņa ((epic story of Rama), Harivansha (Account of the successors of lord Krishņa), Bharata (the legend of the patricidal war between the Kauravas and Pandavas) and fresh creation have been described. 

53-55. The vaishņavaāgama (mode of worship relating to Vishņu) such as worship, initiation and installation (of the idol), investiture with the sacred thread, the characteristic of the idols and temples etc. and formulae yielding enjoyment and emancipation, texts dealing with worship relating to Saivite gods and their substance, the worship) of the goddess and Sun, different circles, vastu (relating to the ground), different types of formulae and secondary creation of the primordial egg and the like have been sung. 

56. The geography of the world with the continents, mountain ranges and rivers and the greatness of the sacred places of pilgrimage such as Gayà, Gangå, Prayaga etc. have been told. 

57. The galaxy of stars, astronomy and prognostication for victory in battle have been described. The different periods of Manu and the duties of different classes of men have been explained. 

58. Pollutions, purification of things and expiations have been explained. The duties of kings, the making of gifts and different kinds of austerities have been described. 

59-60. Disputes, appeasing rites, the application of the formulae) of the Rugveda etc., the Solar and Lunar dynasties, archery, medical science, science of music, statecraft, mimamsa (inquiry), nyaya (logic), the greatness and number of  Purāṇa-s, prosody and grammar have been explained. 

61. Poetics, lexicography, phonetics and rules relating to performance of rites have been described. The casual, natural, and absolute destructions have been explained. 

62. Vedänta is said to be the knowledge about Brahman and yoga as having eight constituents. The eulogy, greatness of the  Purāṇas and the eighteen lores have been expounded. 

63. The Rugveda etc. (are known to be) the parávidya (that which has something superior to it) and the aparāvidya (that which has nothing superior to it) is the undecaying Supreme Brahman. The form of Brahman is said to be cosmic and acosmic. 

64. This  Purāṇa (having an extent) of fifteen thousand (verses)¹ is always read by the celestials in the celestial world as having one hundred crore (verses). 

1. But this  Purāṇa here contains about 8000 verses only. 

65. Agni has sung it here aftershortening it for the sake of the welfare of the world. O Sages, Saunaka and others! You know that all the things (are manifestations of) Brahman. 

66. One may listen to, cause to be heard, read, cause to be read, transcribe, cause to be transcribed, worship or sing (its glory). 

67-68. The kingshould take effort to honour the reader of this  Purāṇa. After having honoured him by (making) gifts of cows, land and gold and the satiating gifts of clothes and ornaments, one would get the fruits of listening to the recitation of) the Purāņa. At the end of (the reading of) the  Purāṇa, the twice-born must be fed. 

69-71. (He who does as above) would become spotless, gain all the riches and attain heaven along with his ancestors. He who gives leaves (paper) for (copying) the book, thread for stitching together the leaves and the cloth for binding would attain heaven. He who gives (the book as a gift) would reach the world of Brahmå. He who has the book in his house does not have the fear due to portents. (Such a person) would get enjoyment and emancipation. You all remember the Agneya Purāṇa as a form of the lord. After having been honoured by them (Saunaka and others) Sūta went away and Saunaka and others reached (lord) Hari. 

 [vs1]