Skandapurana 16.2

The seers said: / Declare the characteristics of a narrative, its merits and faults in detail, / and the examination of the poetic marks of sages' and human works; / how are they to be known, O highly intelligent one? We wish to hear.

Sūta said: / Now I shall state concisely the order of the Purāṇas, / their characteristics, their number, and the divisions mentioned.

Formerly, the grandfather of the immortals performed fierce austerity; / from that the Vedas appeared, together with the six auxiliary limbs, word-recitations, and step-by-step recitations.

Then the entire Purāṇa, consisting of all scriptures, enduring, / consisting of eternal sound, holy, extending to a billion [verses],

emerged from the mouth of Brahmā: the Brāhma, the Vaiṣṇava, / the Śaiva, the Bhāgavata, the Bhaviṣya, the Nāradīya,

the Mārkaṇḍeya, then the Āgneya, the Brahmavaivarta, / the Laiṅga, as well as the Vārāha, the Skānda, and the Vāmana,

the Kaurma, the Mātsya, the Gāruḍa, and immediately following, the Vāyavīya: / [these] eighteen are declared, destroying all sins.

For formerly there was only one, the Brahmāṇḍa, in a hundred million [verses].

Then, having divided it into eighteen, Veda Vyāsa, / born from a portion of Nārāyaṇa himself, makes it known in this world age after age.

Other secondary Purāṇas were spoken by the sage; / I will declare them to you; let them be heard in brief:

The first is spoken by Sanatkumāra, and next to it the Nārasiṃha; / the third is taught as the Skānda, repeated by Kumāra;

the fourth is named Śivadharma, spoken by Nandīśa himself; / the wonderful [Purāṇa] spoken by Durvāsas, and next to it that spoken by Nārada;

the Kāpila, the Mānava, and likewise that uttered by Uśanas; / the Brahmāṇḍa, the Vāruṇa, and another named Kālikā;

the Māheśvara, as well as the Sāmba, the Saura, a collection of all purposes; / the supreme one spoken by Parāśara, the Mārīca, and that named Bhārgava.

These secondary Purāṇas have been declared, O best of the twice-born.

The seers said: / Tell in detail and in order, Sūta, the verse count of the Purāṇas, / and the duty of giving, O knower of everything, properly and successively.

Sūta said: / What the ancient Spirit, the self of the universe, said to Manu / at that time regarding this very Purāṇa, understand that:

The Purāṇa called Brahmāṇḍa is remembered as the first of all scriptures; / and thereafter the Vedas came forth from his mouths.

There was only one Purāṇa in that intermediate kalpa, / the holy means to attain the three goals of life, extending to a billion [verses].

When the worlds were burned up, Kṛṣṇa, whose form is infinite, / gathered together the four Vedas along with their auxiliary limbs, the expanse of Purāṇas and logic,

Mīmāṃsā, and the treatise on dharma, assimilating them into himself; / and again, in the form of a fish, at the beginning of the kalpa in the ocean of waters,

he narrated it in its entirety to Brahmā who possessed divine vision; / and Brahmā, seeing knowledge of the three times, declared it to the sages.

From that came the emergence of all scriptures and the Purāṇa.

Then, in the course of time, Hari, assuming the form of Vyāsa, / condenses the eighteen Purāṇas age after age,

to a measure of four hundred thousand [verses] always in each Dvāpara; / then, having made it eighteenfold, Kṛṣṇa proclaims it in this world of mortals.

Even today, however, in the realm of the gods it extends to a billion [verses]; / its meaning here has been abridged and arranged into four hundred thousand.

The eighteen Purāṇas are now stated here; / I shall declare them by name and number, O best of sages.

That which was spoken formerly by Brahmā to Marīci, just that amount— / that Brāhma Purāṇa of ten thousand [verses] is spoken of here.

Whoever writes it down and gives it away accompanied by a water-cow / on the full moon day of the month of Vaiśākha is honored in the world of Brahmā.

When this very universe became a golden lotus, / based upon that event, it is called Pādma by the wise.

That Pādma is recited here as consisting of fifty-five thousand [verses]. / And whoever should donate that Purāṇa along with a golden lotus, / accompanied by sesame seeds in the month of Jyeṣṭha, he obtains the fruit of an horse sacrifice.

Taking as its subject the events of the Vārāha Kalpa, the Supreme / proclaimed all duties; what is stated therein is known as the Vaiṣṇava.

Adorned with the deeds of Viṣṇu, it is known as the Vaiṣṇava in the world; / that Purāṇa is declared to have twenty-three thousand [verses].

And whoever should donate it in Āṣāḍha along with a cow made of clarified butter / on the clear full moon day, he goes to the realm of Viṣṇu.

In connection with the Śruta Kalpa, Vāyu then declared duties; / where that is contained, it is the Vāyavīya, accompanied by the māhātmya of Rudra.

It contains twenty-four thousand [verses] with various narratives, / and is endowed with the conduct of the virtuous along with dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa.

On the full moon day of the month of Śrāvaṇa, whoever should donate it / accompanied by a cow made of molasses and curds to a householder brahmin, / that man, purified in soul, will dwell in the world of Śiva for one kalpa.

He is born again as a mortal brahmin, foremost among knowers of the Veda, / knowing the true nature of Vedic lore and meaning, foremost among those who know the true meaning of commentaries.

Where, taking the Gāyatrī as its subject, an extensive account of dharma is described, / and which contains the slaying of Vṛtrāsura, that is called the Bhāgavata.

Whatever mortals and gods were in the middle of the Sārasvata Kalpa, / it arises from their narrative; it is meritorious and accompanied by holy marriages.

Having written it down, whoever donates it along with a golden lion / on the full moon day of Prauṣṭhapada, goes to the supreme state.

That Purāṇa is proclaimed to have eighteen thousand [verses].

Where Nārada declared duties here based on the Bṛhat Kalpa, / that, consisting of twenty-five thousand [verses], is called the Nāradīya.

Whoever gives it in Iṣa on the fifteenth day along with a cow, / attains the highest perfection in this world and in the next; / he obtains all desires; no doubt should be entertained here.

Where, taking the birds as its subject, there is an inquiry into dharma and adharma, / that Purāṇa of nine thousand [verses] is called the Mārkaṇḍeya.

Having copied it down, whoever donates it along with a golden elephant / on the Kārttika full moon day, becomes a sharer in the fruit of the Pauṇḍarīka sacrifice.

That which, based on the narrative of the Īśāna Kalpa, / was spoken to Vasiṣṭha by Agni, is declared to be the Āgneya.

Having written it down, whoever should donate it along with a golden lotus / in Mārgaśīrṣa according to the rule, and likewise with a cow made of sesame seeds, / it has sixteen thousand [verses] and grants the fruit of all sacrifices.

Where, taking the māhātmya of the Sun as his subject, the four-faced / Lord of the universe, in connection with the narrative of the Aghora Kalpa, / spoke to Manu about the characteristics of the host of beings;

it consists of fourteen thousand and five hundred [verses], / mostly containing future deeds, and is called here the Bhaviṣya.

Whoever should give it on the full moon day in the month of Pauṣa, free from malice, / along with a jar of molasses, obtains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.

Taking as subject the narrative of the Rathaṃtara Kalpa, / spoken by Sāvarṇi to Nārada, accompanied by the māhātmya of Kṛṣṇa, / and the deed of the divine Boar is described here;

that, consisting of eighteen thousand [verses], is called the Brahmavaivarta. / Whoever should give the Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa to an excellent brahmin / on the full moon day in the month of Māgha, is honoured in the world of Brahmā.

Where the divine Maheśvara, standing within the liṅga of fire, / spoke of the goals of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa, having taken as his subject the Āgneya

Kalpa, that Purāṇa was called Laiṅga by Brahmā himself.

Whoever presents that eleven-thousand-[verse text] on the full moon day of Phālguna, / accompanied by a cow made of sesame seeds, attains oneness with Śiva.

Taking again the māhātmya of the Great Boar as its subject, / what was told by Viṣṇu to the Earth is called here the Vārāha.

In connection with the blessed Manu, O best of sages, / that Purāṇa is said here to consist of twenty-four thousand [verses].

Having fashioned a golden Garuḍa along with a cow made of sesame seeds, / whoever should then give it on the full moon day to a householder brahmin, / reaches the realm of Viṣṇu through the grace of the Boar.

Where, taking the duties pertaining to Maheśvara and the six-faced [Skanda] as its subject, / having occurred in the Tatpuruṣa Kalpa, it is amplified by narratives;

that is called the Purāṇa named Skānda, consisting of eighty-one / thousand and one hundred [verses], as it is recited among mortals.

Having written it down, whoever should donate it along with a golden trident / when the Sun enters Capricorn, attains the realm of Śiva.

Taking the māhātmya of Trivikrama as his subject, the four-faced [Brahmā] / spoke of the three aims of life; that is celebrated as the Vāmana.

It is an auspicious Purāṇa of ten thousand [verses], following the Kaurma Kalpa.

Whoever should donate it at the autumn equinox along with gold and cloth, / wrapped in linen and accompanied by a cow, goes to the realm of Viṣṇu.

And where Janārdana in the form of a tortoise, in the nether regions, / narrated the māhātmya of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa,

in connection with Indradyumna to the ṛṣis in the presence of Śakra, / [consisting of] seventeen thousand [verses], connected with the Lakṣmī Kalpa;

whoever donates that Kaurma at the solstice along with a golden tortoise, / that person obtains the fruit of the gift of a thousand cows.

Where, at the beginning of the kalpa, for the propagation of the Vedas, Janārdana / in the form of a fish spoke to Manu, recounting Narasiṃha,

and taking as his subject the events of seven kalpas, O observers of sages' vows, / know that to be the Mātsya, consisting of fourteen thousand [verses].

Whoever gives it at the equinox along with a golden fish, a cow, and a pair of linen garments, / by him the entire earth has been gifted.

When, in the Garuḍa Kalpa, Garuḍa came into being from the cosmic egg, / taking that as subject, Kṛṣṇa spoke; that is here called the Gāruḍa.

It is recited here as nineteen thousand [verses]. / Whoever gives it on the other solstice along with a golden goose / attains the foremost perfection and an abode in the world of Śiva. (73)

Brahmā spoke once more, taking as his subject the majesty of the cosmos: / that Brahmāṇḍa consists of twelve thousand two hundred [verses]. (74)

Where the expansion of future aeons is heard, / that Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa has been proclaimed by Brahmā. (75)

Whoever gives it on a vyatīpāta accompanied by a pair of woolen clothes, / that man obtains the fruit of a thousand Rājasūya sacrifices. (76)

Endowed with a golden cow, that [gift] bestows the fruit of the world of Brahmā. / This [body of lore] of four hundred thousand [verses] was proclaimed by Vyāsa of wondrous deeds. (77)

This was abridged in the Dvāpara age, O twice-born ones, for the welfare of the world. (78)

Even today this extends to one billion [verses] among the gods. / I shall declare the secondary divisions that are established in the world. (79)

What is proclaimed in the Pādma Purāṇa as an account of Nārasiṃha, / that, having eighteen thousand [verses], is called the Nārasiṃha here. (80)

Where the majesty [of Śiva] was described to Nandin by Kārtikeya, / that is indeed renowned in the world as the Nandi Purāṇa, O best of the twice-born. (81)

The narrative that will occur placing Sāmba foremost / is proclaimed in the world as the Sāmba itself, O you of ascetic vows. (82)

Likewise, the [Purāṇa] named Āditya is recited right there. / And whatever Purāṇa is seen separate from the eighteen, / know, O best of the twice-born, that it has come forth from these. (83)

Fivefold are the characteristics of a Purāṇa; the rest is remembered as narrative: / primary creation, secondary creation, genealogy, the Manvantaras, / and the history of lineages: a Purāṇa has five characteristics. (84)

The majesty of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the Sun, and Rudra, and of the world, / and dissolution are seen: a Purāṇa has five characteristics. (85)

Dharma, wealth, pleasure, and liberation are celebrated / in all the Purāṇas, as well as the fruit when it has arisen. (86)

In sattvic aeons, the majesty of Hari is greater; / in rajasic [aeons], they know the majesty of Brahmā to be greater; (87)

likewise, in tamasic [aeons], the majesty of Śiva is foremost; / and in mixed [aeons], that of Sarasvatī and the ancestors is proclaimed. (88)

Lord Viṣṇu [is praised] by four, Brahmā by two, and likewise the Sun; / in the remaining of the eighteen Purāṇas, it is the Lord Śiva. (89)

I consider the Purāṇa to be unshakeable like the Veda, O best of the twice-born; / all Vedas are established in the Purāṇa, of this there is no doubt. (90)

The Veda fears a person of little learning, thinking: 'May he not shake me!' / It was formerly made unshakeable by means of the Itihāsas and Purāṇas. (91)

What is not seen in the Vedas, and not seen in the Smṛtis, O twice-born ones, / and what is seen in both, that is sung in the Purāṇas. (92)

A twice-born man who knows the four Vedas together with the auxiliary sciences and Upaniṣads, / but does not know the Purāṇa, would not be a discerning man. (93)

Having composed the eighteen Purāṇas, the son of Satyavatī / created the story of the Bhārata, reinforced with the meanings of the Vedas. (94)

It was proclaimed in one hundred thousand [verses] at the end of the Dvāpara age by that great soul. / And that excellent narrative of Rāma which was proclaimed by Vālmīki, (95)

and which was arranged by Brahmā extending to one billion [verses], / he told to Nārada, and he in turn to Vālmīki. (96)

And by Vālmīki in the world, [a work] accomplishing dharma, desire, and wealth [was composed]. (97)

Thus these five hundred and twenty-five thousand sacred [verses] / in the Purāṇa of the ancient aeon the wise know. (98)

The Itihāsas and Purāṇas diverge on account of the weight of time: / the Skānda, and likewise the Brahmāṇḍa, and the Laiṅga Purāṇa. (99)

In the Vārāha aeon, O lords of brahmins, their division took place; / the Brahmāṇḍa was indeed divided in eighteen ways. (100)

By that, eighteen Purāṇas came into being on the face of the earth. / The auspicious Laiṅga was divided into eleven parts in the Dvāpara age. (101)

The Skānda, however, was divided sevenfold by the wise Vyāsa, / in number eighty-one thousand one hundred [verses]. (102)

Its first division, endowed with the majesty of Skanda, / is declared as the Māheśvara; the second is remembered as the Vaiṣṇava; (103)

the third is proclaimed to belong to Brahmā, indicating a summary of creation; / the fourth, endowed with the majesty of Kāśī, is recited; (104)

the fifth part is proclaimed to belong to the Revā and Ujjayinī; / the sixth is the Nāgara aeon, indicating the majesty of sacred fords; (105)

the seventh division is remembered as the Prābhāsika, O twice-born ones; / all divisions are proclaimed to be twelve thousand [verses]. (106)

In this, the entire extent of the sacred field of Prabhāsa is described, / along with the majesty of the sacred fords and the majesty of Śaṃkara, (107)

and the majesty of other deities is also proclaimed. / Thus the division of the Purāṇas has been told in brief, O twice-born ones. (108)

Whoever recites this sequence of the eighteen Purāṇas / at the offerings to the gods and ancestors goes to the abode of Hari. (109)

This is holy, a repository of glory, and dear even to the ancestors; / this is always like nectar among the gods, and it destroys the great sins of mortals. (110)

Thus ends the second chapter, named 'The Description of the Fruit of the Gift of Purāṇa Manuscripts Preceded by the Description of the Eighteen Mahāpurāṇas and the Upapurāṇas with Their Verse-Counts', in the first [subdivision], the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya, in the seventh [section], the Prabhāsakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of an eighty-one-thousand-[verse] compendium. (2)