217 - Benefits of Recitation

Sanatkumāra said: 

1-2. You have cleared all my doubts after well thinking about them a lot and told me about Lord Shiva of universal form and unmatched glory who took the form of the deer and also about the installation of its horn and the body in holy places for the good of the world. 

3. Now you may be pleased to tell me about the significance of this. 

Brahmā said: 

4. Whatever there is still to be told, will be narrated by Pulastya. 

5. He will say that before the sages in the Kuru country. He will say about the importance of all tīrthas. 

6. O my son, you are equal to me and have known the true essence of Vedas and Vedāngas. (By listening to what I have said) one gets cleansed of all sins, attains fame and becomes honoured in this world as well as in the world beyond. 

7. This should always be listened to by people of all castes. 

8. It is sacred and auspicious and brings about Dharma, Karma and Artha and all prosperity, long life and success everywhere. 

9. It removes all sins and bestows wealth, fame, happiness and peace. So by listening to it one gets free from all that is bad and evil. 

10. By getting it recited, one gets over the cffects of Kali age and goes to heaven.

Sūta said: 

11. Having thus told Sanatkumara, the great lord Brahma retired. 

12. O virtuous ones, I have thus told you in essence the conversation between Varaha and Bhūmi. 

13. He who recites this or listens to it with devotion, becomes free from all sins and gets beatitude. 

14. This confers a crore times the merit acquired in Prabhāsa, Naimişhăranya, Gangadvăra, Puşhkara, Prayaga, Brahmatirtha and Amarakanțaka. 

15. The merit of gifting a cow is acquired by listening even to one chapter of it. 

16. Listening to ten chapters with attention confers the merit of Agnistoma and Atirätra sacrifices. 

17-18. He who listens always to the narration of utterances of Varäha acquires the merit of all sacrifices, all gifts and all tīrthas. 

19. Varäha himself has declared: “He who listens with devotion to the narration of this greatness of mine gets sons if he has none, and also good grandsons”. 

20. He who keeps in his house a written copy of this, always gets the favour of Lord Nārāyaṇa. 

21. He who always listens to it with deep devotion, 

22. And performs pāja to the work as for the grcat Vishnu with sandal, flowers and clothes and feeds Brahmins, 

23. And the king who does so with gifts of villages according to his capacity, and honours well the discourser of the Purana, 

24. Become free from all sins and attain merger in Lord Vishnu.