133 - Characteristics features of the Purana

Shaunaka said- My life has been successful today my birth has been beautified, because the Brahmavaivarta removes all the obstruction and provides salvation. O son, you first assure protection to me and only then I shall put any further question.

Suta said- O virtuous one, slied away the rear and ask me any question of you liking. I shall speak out to you whatever is secret and pleasant.

Shaunaka said- Presently I intend to listen to the distinguishing features of the Puranas, their number and the fruits for the listening, to the same.

Suta said- O Shaunaka, the Puranas are quite comprehensive which include history, collection of hymns and Pancharatra. I speak them to you according to the scriptures.

A Purana has five characteristics which include sarga (creation of the universe), pratisarga (dissolution and recreation of the universe), Vamsha (genealogies of gods, the patriarchs, the sun, the moon etc.) than manvantaras (aeons presided over by Manus) and vamsanucharita (accounts of dynasties of the different ruling families).

The intellectuals should know these characteristics of the Upapuranas. Now I am explaining about the Mahapuranas.

The creation, preservation, maintenance, lust for performing deeds, the story of Manus the description of dissolution, the mode of salvation, the reciting of hymns of Hari, reciting of the Vedas separately are the ten additional, characteristics of Mahapurana. Now I speak to you about the number of the Puranas. You try to understand me.

Brahma-purana happens to be the best of all containing ten thousand verses followed by Padma-purana containing fifty-five thousand verses.

The intellectuals believe, Vishnu-purana to contain twenty-three thousand verses. Shiva-purana consists of twenty-four thousand verses.

Srimadbhagavata-purana comprises of eighteen thousand verses while Naradiya-purana has twenty-five thousand verses.

The Markandeya-purana consists of nine thousand verses, while Agni-purana comprises of fifteen thousand and four hundred verses, the Bhavishya-purana has fourteen thousand and five hundred verses while Brahmavaivarta-purana comprises of eighteen thousand verses.

Brahmavaivarta-purana is considered to be essence of all the Puranas. The Linga-purana has eleven thousand verses.

The Varaha-purana has twenty-four thousand verses. The Skanda-purana has been conceived to contain eighty-one thousand and one hundred verses. Vamana-purana comprises of ten thousand verses and Kurma-purana contains seventeen thousand verses.

The intellectuals’ belief that a Matsya-purana has fourteen thousand verses and Garuda-purana comprises of nineteen thousand verses.

Brahmanda-purana has twelve thousand verses; thus the total number or the verses of all the Puranas comes to two lakhs.

This is the number of verses described by the intellectuals in the Puranas; similarly, there are eighteen Upa-puranas.

Mahabharata is a book of history. The Valmiki Ramayana happens to be an epic. There are five Pancharatras including the Krishna- mahatmya.

The five Pancharatras are the Vasistha-ratra, Naradiya-ratra, Kapila-ratra, Gautamlya-ratra and Sanatkumariya-ratra. There are five collections of hymns known Samhitas relating to the adoration of Krishna. These are Brahma- samhita, Shiva-samhita, Prahlada-samhita, Gautama-samhita and Kumara-samhita; thus I have explained to you everything separately.

This is a vast book. In the Rasamandala of the Goloka, according the agamas this Purana was narrated by Sri Krishna to me as well as to Brahma who happens to be his devotee. Brahma then narrated the same to Dharma and Dharma narrated the same to Narayana.

Narayana narrated it to Narada and Narada narrated the same to me. O best of the sages, I have spoken out to you all this, taking you to be- a senior sage. It is difficult to get the Brahmavaivarta Purana which influences the universe. It is the form of eternal Brahman for the people of the universe and it happens to be the witness for all those, performing the deeds.

The people call it by the title of Brahmavaivarta Purana because of the glory of Brahman is contained in it. This Purana bestows prosperity, merit and all the welfare.

It is quite secretive, pleasant and is filled with many secrets, it bestows the devotion of lord Hari besides the inaccessible slavehood of the lord.

It is quite pleasant, bestower of the Brahman, is the form of gist, destroyer of grief and mental agony; as the Ganga is considered to be the sacred most of all the rivers and bestower of salvation, this Purana also is believed to be like the same.

As Pushkara is considered to be the holiest of all the holy places, Kashi of all the cities, Bharatavarsha of all the contents which bestows salvation. Similarly, this Purana also happens to be like that.

As the Sumeru is among the mountains, Tulasi leaf among all the leaves, Ekadashi among the vratas, at the best, similarly this Purana happens to be the best.

As Radha happens to be the best of the beloved’s of Krishna, Laksmi among the goddesses, Sarasvati among the goddesses of learning, similar is the case with this Purana which is quite pleasant, sweet, bestower of merit. No other Purana is comparable to it.

Now the fruit of listening of the Purana is defined. This Purana has been defined to be the one which shatters all the doubts. This is the one, which provides all the pleasures and' riches in this world.

It bestows pleasure, merit and is the remover of obstructions, bestower of the slavehood of lord Hari and provides pleasure in the other worlds as well.

As kalpavruksha is considered to be the best of the trees, Sri Krishna is the best among the gods, Shiva among the intellectuals, Ganesha among the yogis is considered to be the best, similarly this Purana happens to be the best.

As Kapila happens to be the best of siddhas, the sun among those containing luster, Sanatkumara among the Vaishnavas, similarly this Purana happens to be the best of all.

As Rama is considered to be the best of the kings, Laksmana among the archers, chaste Durga among the goddesses, similar is the case with this Purana.

The merit of performing yajna visiting holy places, vratas, tapas, going round the globe cannot be compared with, the merit of listening to his Purana.

O son, in case anyone listens to it attentively, he achieves a merit greater than the reciting of the Vedas.

In case an issueless person listens to the recitation of this Purana, he achieves a virtuous son. In case an unfortunate woman listens to it, she becomes quite fortunate and enjoys the company of her husband.

The one who always delivers dead Children or the one who is extremely barred or even a wicked woman achieves a virtuous son by listening to this Purana.

A person without a child, gets a child. A person without a wife gets a wife, the one who has lost his glory gets back the glory and the foolish becomes an intellectual. And ailing person is relieved of the ailment, a person in bondages is relieved of them. A terrified person is freed from the fear and the unfortunate perso is relieved of the misfortune.

In the secluded forest or in the forest fire, a person is freed from ail the danger. A virtuous person by listening to this Purana is relieved of all the sins, leprosy, poverty, ailment and terrific grief. The sinful person cannot know about it but he achieves the merit or giving a lakh of cows in charity. There is no doubt about it. The one who has controlled all his senses listens to all the four-khanda of the Purana in auspicious time, with devotion and gives away dakshina thereafter, he is relieved of all the sins accumulated during his childhood boyhood, youthful age or the old age. There is no doubt about it. He, mounting on the gem-studded chariot, taking to the form or Krishna proceeds to Goloka and accepts the slavehood of Krishna. lie never gets destroyed even after the destruction of innumerable Brahmas and he remains with the lord as his attendants for a long time. Taking a proper bath controlling his senses and with an auspicious mind, after listening to Brahma-khanda, one should series the fried food, the pdyasam, the fruit, the betel and gold to a beggar as dakshina.

Thereafter, he should offer the sandal-paste, white garland, fine cloth and the naivedya of the lord to the reciter of the Puranas.

By listening to the beautiful Prakruti Khanda, the reciter of the Purana should be served with curd and the food besides,

Thereafter he should give away in charity, a cow with calf. For the removal of obstruction one should listen to the Ganapati Khanda with a devoted mind.

The reciter of the Purana should be given the yajnopavita of gold, a white horse, a garland, svastika, sesamum sweet balls and the ripe seasonal fruits and flowers. The devotees after listening to the Krishna Janma Khanda with devotion should offer a gem-studded ring to the reciter of the Purana, the fine cloth, a garland, gold ear-rings, beautiful palanquin, boiled milk and everything else should be given to him in dakshina offering him the prayer.

He should then serve find to a hundred Brahmanas, besides the devotees of Vishnu, the person well-versed in the scriptures otherwise the entire exercise would be fruitless. The one who listen to the recitation of the Krishna Janma Khanda from the one who does not believe in Krishna and is devoid of his devotion, he cannot earn the devotion of lord; all the merits or; the other hand get destroyed.

The one who listens to the Purana from a Brahmana who is devoted to Sri Krishna, he earns the devotion of the lord as well as the merit and ultimately he achieves lord Hari.

Whatever I had heard from the mouth of my teacher I have narrated the same to you. Therefore, O best of the Brahmanas, you bid me farewell. I am going to the abode of Sri Narayana.

I had arrived here to offer my salutation finding a group of Brahmanas here. At your command I have recited the Brahmavaivarta Purana.

I bow in reverence to the Brahmanas, lord Krishna, Shiva, Brahma and Ganesha.

The lord of Radha who is beyond the three gunas, is truthful, should be adored through-out day and night physically, mentally as well as with speech.

The goddess Sarasvati, Vyasa, the teacher of the Puranas and Durga the destroyer of the misfortune is adored by me again and again offering salutation to than. O Shaunaka, after looking at your auspicious lotus-like feat, I am now proceeding to Siddhashrama where Ganapati is lodged.