Description of the Puranas and the Vyasas of Each Age

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.1.3.1)

सूत उवाच । शृण्वन्तु सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि पुराणानि मुनीश्वराः । यथाश्रुतानि तत्त्वेन व्यासात्सत्यवतीसुतात् ॥ 3.1 ॥

sūta uvāca śṛṇvantu sampravakṣyāmi purāṇāni munīśvarāḥ yathāśrutāni tattvena vyāsātsatyavatīsutāt

Suta said: Listen, O lords of sages; I shall now declare the Puranas exactly as I heard them in truth from Vyasa, the son of Satyavati.

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.1.3.2)

मद्वयं भद्वयं चैव ब्रत्रयं वचतुष्टयम् । अनापलिङ्गकूस्कानि पुराणानि पृथक्पृथक् ॥ 3.2 ॥

madvayaṁ bhadvayaṁ caiva bratrayaṁ vacatuṣṭayam anāpaliṅgakūskāni purāṇāni pṛthakpṛthak

Two beginning with 'Ma' (Matsya, Markandeya), two with 'Bha' (Bhagavata, Bhavishya), three with 'Brah' (Brahma, Brahmanda, Brahmavaivarta), four with 'Va' (Vamana, Varaha, Vayu, Vishnu), and one each beginning with 'A', 'Na', 'Pa', 'Li', 'Ga', 'Ku', and 'Ska' (Agni, Naradiya, Padma, Linga, Garuda, Kurma, Skanda) — thus, individually, are the eighteen Puranas.

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.1.3.3)

चतुर्दशसहस्रं च मत्स्यमाद्यं प्रकीर्तितम् । तथा ग्रहसहस्रं तु मार्कण्डेयं महाद्भुतम् ॥ 3.3 ॥

caturdaśasahasraṁ ca matsyamādyaṁ prakīrtitam tathā grahasahasraṁ tu mārkaṇḍeyaṁ mahādbhutam

The Matsya, first among them, is proclaimed to have fourteen thousand verses; and the most wondrous Markandeya has nine thousand.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.1.3.4)

चतुर्दशसहस्राणि तथा पञ्चशतानि च । भविष्यं परिसङ्ख्यातं मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥ 3.4 ॥

caturdaśasahasrāṇi tathā pañcaśatāni ca bhaviṣyaṁ parisaṅkhyātaṁ munibhistattvadarśibhiḥ

The Bhavishya is reckoned by sages who perceive the truth to have fourteen thousand five hundred verses.

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.1.3.5)

अष्टादशसहस्रं वै पुण्यं भागवतं किल । तथा चायुतसङ्ख्याकं पुराणं ब्रह्मसंज्ञकम् ॥ 3.5 ॥

aṣṭādaśasahasraṁ vai puṇyaṁ bhāgavataṁ kila tathā cāyutasaṅkhyākaṁ purāṇaṁ brahmasaṁjñakam

The sacred Bhagavata indeed has eighteen thousand verses; and the Purana named Brahma has ten thousand.

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.1.3.6)

द्वादशैव सहस्राणि ब्रह्माण्डं च शताधिकम् । तथाष्टादशसाहस्रं ब्रह्मवैवर्तमेव च ॥ 3.6 ॥

dvādaśaiva sahasrāṇi brahmāṇḍaṁ ca śatādhikam tathāṣṭādaśasāhasraṁ brahmavaivartameva ca

The Brahmanda has twelve thousand one hundred verses; and likewise the Brahmavaivarta has eighteen thousand.

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.1.3.7)

अयुतं वामनाख्यं च वायव्यं षट्शतानि च । चतुर्विंशतिसङ्ख्यातः सहस्राणि तु शौनक ॥ 3.7 ॥

ayutaṁ vāmanākhyaṁ ca vāyavyaṁ ṣaṭśatāni ca caturviṁśatisaṅkhyātaḥ sahasrāṇi tu śaunaka

The Vamana has ten thousand verses; and the Vayaviya, O Shaunaka, is reckoned at twenty-four thousand six hundred.

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.1.3.8)

त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रं वैष्णवं परमाद्भुतम् । चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रं वाराहं परमाद्भुतम् ॥ 3.8 ॥

trayoviṁśatisāhasraṁ vaiṣṇavaṁ paramādbhutam caturviṁśatisāhasraṁ vārāhaṁ paramādbhutam

The most wondrous Vaishnava has twenty-three thousand verses; the most wondrous Varaha has twenty-four thousand.

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.1.3.9)

षोडशैव सहस्राणि पुराणं चाग्निसंज्ञितम् । पञ्चविंशतिसाहस्रं नारदं परमं मतम् ॥ 3.9 ॥

ṣoḍaśaiva sahasrāṇi purāṇaṁ cāgnisaṁjñitam pañcaviṁśatisāhasraṁ nāradaṁ paramaṁ matam

The Purana named Agni has sixteen thousand verses; the Narada, held supreme, has twenty-five thousand.

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.1.3.10)

पञ्चपञ्चाशत्साहस्रं पद्माख्यं विपुलं मतम् । एकादशसहस्राणि लिङ्गाख्यं चातिविस्मृतम् ॥ 3.10 ॥

pañcapañcāśatsāhasraṁ padmākhyaṁ vipulaṁ matam ekādaśasahasrāṇi liṅgākhyaṁ cātivismṛtam

The Padma, held to be vast, has fifty-five thousand verses; the well-remembered Linga has eleven thousand.

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.1.3.11)

एकोनविंशत्साहस्रं गारुडं हरिभाषितम् । सप्तदशसहस्रं च पुराणं कूर्मभाषितम् ॥ 3.11 ॥

ekonaviṁśatsāhasraṁ gāruḍaṁ haribhāṣitam saptadaśasahasraṁ ca purāṇaṁ kūrmabhāṣitam

The Garuda, spoken by Hari, has nineteen thousand verses; and the Purana spoken through the Kurma has seventeen thousand.

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.1.3.12)

एकाशीतिसहस्राणि स्कन्दाख्यं परमाद्भुतम् । पुराणाख्या च सङ्ख्या च विस्तरेण मयानघाः ॥ 3.12 ॥

ekāśītisahasrāṇi skandākhyaṁ paramādbhutam purāṇākhyā ca saṅkhyā ca vistareṇa mayānaghāḥ

The most wondrous Skanda has eighty-one thousand verses. Thus, O sinless ones, have I declared to you in detail the names and verse-counts of the Puranas.

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.1.3.13)

तथैवोपपुराणानि शृण्वन्तु ऋषिसत्तमाः । सनत्कुमारं प्रथमं नारसिंहं ततः परम् ॥ 3.13 ॥

tathaivopapurāṇāni śṛṇvantu ṛṣisattamāḥ sanatkumāraṁ prathamaṁ nārasiṁhaṁ tataḥ param

Likewise, hear also the Upa-puranas, O best of sages: first the Sanatkumara, and then next the Narasimha,

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.1.3.14)

नारदीयं शिवं चैव दौर्वाससमनुत्तमम् । कापिलं मानवं चैव तथा चौशनसं स्मृतम् ॥ 3.14 ॥

nāradīyaṁ śivaṁ caiva daurvāsasamanuttamam kāpilaṁ mānavaṁ caiva tathā cauśanasaṁ smṛtam

the Naradiya, and the Shiva, the unsurpassed Daurvasa, the Kapila, and the Manava, and likewise the Aushanasa, so remembered,

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.1.3.15)

वारुणं कालिकाख्यं च साम्बं नन्दिकृतं शुभम् । सौरं पाराशरप्रोक्तमादित्यं चातिविस्तरम् ॥ 3.15 ॥

vāruṇaṁ kālikākhyaṁ ca sāmbaṁ nandikṛtaṁ śubham sauraṁ pārāśaraproktamādityaṁ cātivistaram

the Varuna, the one called Kalika, the Samba, the auspicious Nandikrita, the Saura, the one spoken by Parashara, and the very extensive Aditya,

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.1.3.16)

माहेश्वरं भागवतं वासिष्ठं च सविस्तरम् । एतान्युपपुराणानि कथितानि महात्मभिः ॥ 3.16 ॥

māheśvaraṁ bhāgavataṁ vāsiṣṭhaṁ ca savistaram etānyupapurāṇāni kathitāni mahātmabhiḥ

the Maheshvara, the Bhagavata, and the extensive Vasishtha — these Upa-puranas have been declared by great souls.

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.1.3.17)

अष्टादश पुराणानि कृत्वा सत्यवतीसुतः । भारताख्यानमतुलं चक्रे तदुपबृंहितम् ॥ 3.17 ॥

aṣṭādaśa purāṇāni kṛtvā satyavatīsutaḥ bhāratākhyānamatulaṁ cakre tadupabṛṁhitam

Having composed the eighteen Puranas, the son of Satyavati then made the incomparable tale of the Bharata, enriched with all their essence.

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.1.3.18)

मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु द्वापरे द्वापरे युगे । प्रादुःकरोति धर्मार्थी पुराणानि यथाविधि ॥ 3.18 ॥

manvantareṣu sarveṣu dvāpare dvāpare yuge prāduḥkaroti dharmārthī purāṇāni yathāvidhi

In every Manvantara, in each and every Dvapara age, he who desires dharma brings forth the Puranas duly, according to proper method.

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.1.3.19)

द्वापरे द्वापरे विष्ण्णुर्व्यासरूपेण सर्वदा । वेदमेकं स बहुधा कुरुते हितकाम्यया ॥ 3.19 ॥

dvāpare dvāpare viṣṇṇurvyāsarūpeṇa sarvadā vedamekaṁ sa bahudhā kurute hitakāmyayā

In every Dvapara age, Vishnu, ever in the form of Vyasa, divides the single Veda into many, out of a wish for the welfare of the world.

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.1.3.20)

अल्पायुषोऽल्पबुद्धींश्च विप्रान्ज्ञात्वा कलावथ । पुराणसंहितां पुण्यां कुरुतेऽसौ युगे युगे ॥ 3.20 ॥

alpāyuṣo'lpabuddhīṁśca viprānjñātvā kalāvatha purāṇasaṁhitāṁ puṇyāṁ kurute'sau yuge yuge

Knowing the brahmins of that age to be short-lived and of limited intellect, especially in Kali, he composes the sacred Purana-samhita, age after age.

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.1.3.21)

स्त्रीशूद्रद्विजबन्धूनां न वेदश्रवणं मतम् । तेषामेव हितार्थाय पुराणानि कृतानि च ॥ 3.21 ॥

strīśūdradvijabandhūnāṁ na vedaśravaṇaṁ matam teṣāmeva hitārthāya purāṇāni kṛtāni ca

For women, shudras, and unworthy twice-born, the hearing of the Veda is not sanctioned; for their welfare alone the Puranas have been composed.

Verse 22 (devibhagavatam.1.3.22)

मन्वन्तरे सप्तमेऽत्र शुभे वैवस्वताभिधे । अष्टाविंशतिमे प्राप्ते द्वापरे मुनिसत्तमाः ॥ 3.22 ॥

manvantare saptame'tra śubhe vaivasvatābhidhe aṣṭāviṁśatime prāpte dvāpare munisattamāḥ

In this seventh Manvantara, the auspicious one called Vaivasvata, O best of sages, when the twenty-eighth Dvapara arrived —

Verse 23 (devibhagavatam.1.3.23)

व्यासः सत्यवतीसूनुर्गुरुर्मे धर्मवित्तमः । एकोनत्रिंशत्सम्प्राप्ते द्रौणिर्व्यासो भविष्यति ॥ 3.23 ॥

vyāsaḥ satyavatīsūnurgururme dharmavittamaḥ ekonatriṁśatsamprāpte drauṇirvyāso bhaviṣyati

— Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, my own guru and the most learned in dharma, was the Vyasa of this age; when the twenty-ninth arrives, the son of Drona will become Vyasa.

Verse 24 (devibhagavatam.1.3.24)

अतीतास्तु तथा व्यासाः सप्तविंशतिरेव च । पुराणसंहितास्तैस्तु कथितास्तु युगे युगे ॥ 3.24 ॥

atītāstu tathā vyāsāḥ saptaviṁśatireva ca purāṇasaṁhitāstaistu kathitāstu yuge yuge

Thus twenty-seven Vyasas have already passed; by them the Purana-samhitas have been declared, age after age.

Verse 25 (devibhagavatam.1.3.25)

ऋषय ऊचुः । ब्रूहि सूत महाभाग व्यासाः पूर्वयुगोद्भवाः । वक्तारस्तु पुराणानां द्वापरे द्वापरे युगे ॥ 3.25 ॥

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ brūhi sūta mahābhāga vyāsāḥ pūrvayugodbhavāḥ vaktārastu purāṇānāṁ dvāpare dvāpare yuge

The sages said: Tell us, O Suta, greatly fortunate one, of the Vyasas who arose in the ages gone by, the speakers of the Puranas in each and every Dvapara age.

Verse 26 (devibhagavatam.1.3.26)

सूत उवाच । द्वापरे प्रथमे व्यस्ताः स्वयं वेदाः स्वयम्भुवा । प्रजापतिर्द्वितीये तु द्वापरे व्यासकार्यकृत् ॥ 3.26 ॥

sūta uvāca dvāpare prathame vyastāḥ svayaṁ vedāḥ svayambhuvā prajāpatirdvitīye tu dvāpare vyāsakāryakṛt

Suta said: In the first Dvapara, the Vedas were arranged by the Self-born Brahma himself; in the second Dvapara, Prajapati performed the work of Vyasa.

Verse 27 (devibhagavatam.1.3.27)

तृतीये चोशना व्यासश्चतुर्थे तु बृहस्पतिः । पञ्चमे सविता व्यासः षष्ठे मृत्युस्तथापरे ॥ 3.27 ॥

tṛtīye cośanā vyāsaścaturthe tu bṛhaspatiḥ pañcame savitā vyāsaḥ ṣaṣṭhe mṛtyustathāpare

In the third, Ushanas was Vyasa; in the fourth, Brihaspati; in the fifth, Savita, the Sun, was Vyasa; and in the sixth, Mrityu, Death, likewise.

Verse 28 (devibhagavatam.1.3.28)

मघवा सप्तमे प्राप्ते वसिष्ठस्त्वष्टमे स्मृतः । सारस्वतस्तु नवमे त्रिधामा दशमे तथा ॥ 3.28 ॥

maghavā saptame prāpte vasiṣṭhastvaṣṭame smṛtaḥ sārasvatastu navame tridhāmā daśame tathā

When the seventh arrived, Maghavan; in the eighth, Vasishtha is remembered; Sarasvata in the ninth, and likewise Tridhama in the tenth.

Verse 29 (devibhagavatam.1.3.29)

एकादशेऽथ त्रिवृषो भरद्वाजस्ततः परम् । त्रयोदशे चान्तरिक्षो धर्मश्चापि चतुर्दशे ॥ 3.29 ॥

ekādaśe'tha trivṛṣo bharadvājastataḥ param trayodaśe cāntarikṣo dharmaścāpi caturdaśe

In the eleventh, Trivrisha; then next, Bharadvaja; in the thirteenth, Antariksha; and Dharma also in the fourteenth.

Verse 30 (devibhagavatam.1.3.30)

त्रय्यारुणिः पञ्चदशे षोडशे तु धनञ्जयः । मेधातिथिः सप्तदशे व्रती ह्यष्टादशे तथा ॥ 3.30 ॥

trayyāruṇiḥ pañcadaśe ṣoḍaśe tu dhanañjayaḥ medhātithiḥ saptadaśe vratī hyaṣṭādaśe tathā

Trayyaruni in the fifteenth; and in the sixteenth, Dhananjaya; Medhatithi in the seventeenth, and Vrati likewise in the eighteenth.

Verse 31 (devibhagavatam.1.3.31)

अत्रिरेकोनविंशेऽथ गौतमस्तु ततः परम् । उत्तमश्चैकविंशेऽथ हर्यात्मा परिकीर्तितः ॥ 3.31 ॥

atrirekonaviṁśe'tha gautamastu tataḥ param uttamaścaikaviṁśe'tha haryātmā parikīrtitaḥ

Atri in the nineteenth; then next, Gautama; and Uttama in the twenty-first, then next Haryatma is proclaimed.

Verse 32 (devibhagavatam.1.3.32)

वेनो वाजश्रवाश्चैव सोमोऽमुष्यायणस्तथा । तृणबिन्दुस्तथा व्यासो भार्गवस्तु ततः परम् ॥ 3.32 ॥

veno vājaśravāścaiva somo'muṣyāyaṇastathā tṛṇabindustathā vyāso bhārgavastu tataḥ param

Vena, Vajashravas, and likewise Soma and Amushyayana; likewise Trinabindu was Vyasa, and next the Bhargava.

Verse 33 (devibhagavatam.1.3.33)

ततः शक्तिर्जातुकर्ण्यः कृष्णद्वैपायनस्ततः । अष्टाविंशतिसङ्ख्येयं कथिता या मया श्रुता ॥ 3.33 ॥

tataḥ śaktirjātukarṇyaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanastataḥ aṣṭāviṁśatisaṅkhyeyaṁ kathitā yā mayā śrutā

Then Shakti, then Jatukarnya, and then Krishna Dvaipayana — this reckoning of twenty-eight has been declared by me just as I heard it.

Verse 34 (devibhagavatam.1.3.34)

कृष्णद्वैपायनात्प्रोक्तं पुराणं च मया श्रुतम् । श्रीमद्भागवतं पुण्यं सर्वदुःखौघनाशनम् ॥ 3.34 ॥

kṛṣṇadvaipāyanātproktaṁ purāṇaṁ ca mayā śrutam śrīmadbhāgavataṁ puṇyaṁ sarvaduḥkhaughanāśanam

And the Purana spoken by Krishna Dvaipayana was heard by me too — the sacred Shrimad Bhagavata, the destroyer of every mass of sorrow,

Verse 35 (devibhagavatam.1.3.35)

कामदं मोक्षदं चैव वेदार्थपरिबृंहितम् । सर्वागमरसारामं मुमुक्षूणां सदा प्रियम् ॥ 3.35 ॥

kāmadaṁ mokṣadaṁ caiva vedārthaparibṛṁhitam sarvāgamarasārāmaṁ mumukṣūṇāṁ sadā priyam

granter of rightful desire and of liberation alike, expanded with the meaning of the Veda, the very garden of the essence of all the Agamas, ever dear to those who desire liberation.

Verse 36 (devibhagavatam.1.3.36)

व्यासेन कृत्वातिशुभं पुराणं शुकाय पुत्राय महात्मने यत् । वैराग्ययुक्ताय च पाठितं वै विज्ञाय चैवारणिसम्भवाय ॥ 3.36 ॥

vyāsena kṛtvātiśubhaṁ purāṇaṁ śukāya putrāya mahātmane yat vairāgyayuktāya ca pāṭhitaṁ vai vijñāya caivāraṇisambhavāya

That most auspicious Purana, composed by Vyasa, was taught by him to his own great-souled son Shuka — one endowed with dispassion, wise, and born from the fire-sticks.

Verse 37 (devibhagavatam.1.3.37)

श्रुतं मया तत्र तथा गृहीतं यथार्थवद्व्यासमुखान्मुनीन्द्राः । पुराणगुह्यं सकलं समेतं गुरोः प्रसादात्करुणानिधेश्च ॥ 3.37 ॥

śrutaṁ mayā tatra tathā gṛhītaṁ yathārthavadvyāsamukhānmunīndrāḥ purāṇaguhyaṁ sakalaṁ sametaṁ guroḥ prasādātkaruṇānidheśca

There too, O lords of sages, I heard and grasped it just as it truly is, from the very mouth of Vyasa — this whole secret of the Purana, by the grace of my guru, the very ocean of compassion.

Verse 38 (devibhagavatam.1.3.38)

सूतेन पृष्टः सकलं जगाद द्वैपायनस्तत्र पुराणगुह्यम् । अयोनिजेनाद्भुतबुद्धिना वै श्रुतं मया तत्र महाप्रभावम् ॥ 3.38 ॥

sūtena pṛṣṭaḥ sakalaṁ jagāda dvaipāyanastatra purāṇaguhyam ayonijenādbhutabuddhinā vai śrutaṁ mayā tatra mahāprabhāvam

When I, Suta, questioned him, Dvaipayana declared there the whole secret of the Purana; that work of great power I heard there from him, the not-womb-born one of wondrous intellect.

Verse 39 (devibhagavatam.1.3.39)

श्रीमद्भागवतामराङ्घ्रिपफलास्वादादरः सत्तमाः संसारार्णवदुर्विगाह्यसलिलं सन्तर्तुकामः शुकः । नानाख्यानरसालयं श्रुतिपुटैः प्रेम्णाशृणोदद्भुतं तच्छ्रुत्वा न विमुच्यते कलिभयादेवंविधः कः क्षितौ ॥ 3.39 ॥

śrīmadbhāgavatāmarāṅghripaphalāsvādādaraḥ sattamāḥ saṁsārārṇavadurvigāhyasalilaṁ santartukāmaḥ śukaḥ nānākhyānarasālayaṁ śrutipuṭaiḥ premṇāśṛṇodadbhutaṁ tacchrutvā na vimucyate kalibhayādevaṁvidhaḥ kaḥ kṣitau

The most excellent Shuka, eager to taste the fruit at the immortal feet of the Shrimad Bhagavata, desiring to cross the hard-to-fathom waters of the ocean of worldly existence, listened with love, through the cups of his ears, to that wondrous text, the abode of the essence of manifold tales. Having heard it, who on this earth, being of such a nature, is not freed from the fear of Kali?

Verse 40 (devibhagavatam.1.3.40)

पापीयानपि वेदधर्मरहितः स्वाचारहीनाशयो ॥ व्याजेनापि शृणोति यः परमिदं श्रीमत्पुराणोत्तमम् । भुक्त्या भोगकलापमत्र विपुलं देहावसानेऽचलं योगिप्राप्यमवाप्नुयाद्भगवतीनामाङ्कितं सुन्दरम् ॥ 3.40 ॥

pāpīyānapi vedadharmarahitaḥ svācārahīnāśayo vyājenāpi śṛṇoti yaḥ paramidaṁ śrīmatpurāṇottamam bhuktyā bhogakalāpamatra vipulaṁ dehāvasāne'calaṁ yogiprāpyamavāpnuyādbhagavatīnāmāṅkitaṁ sundaram

Even a very sinful man, devoid of Vedic dharma, of impure conduct and intent, who hears this supreme and most excellent Purana even under some pretext, enjoys here a vast abundance of pleasures, and at the end of the body attains that unshakable state otherwise reached only by yogis — this beautiful Purana marked with the name of the Bhagavati.

Verse 41 (devibhagavatam.1.3.41)

या निर्गुणा हरिहरादिभिरप्यलभ्या विद्या सतां प्रियतमाथ समाधिगम्या । सा तस्य चित्तकुहरे प्रकरोति भावं यः संशृणोति सततं तु सतीपुराणम् ॥ 3.41 ॥

yā nirguṇā hariharādibhirapyalabhyā vidyā satāṁ priyatamātha samādhigamyā sā tasya cittakuhare prakaroti bhāvaṁ yaḥ saṁśṛṇoti satataṁ tu satīpurāṇam

That Wisdom, beyond the gunas, unattainable even by Hari and Hara, most dear to the virtuous, attainable only through deep meditation — she awakens devotion in the cave of the heart of whoever constantly listens to this true Purana.

Verse 42 (devibhagavatam.1.3.42)

सम्प्राप्य मानुषभवं सकलाङ्गयुक्तं पोतं भवार्णवजलोत्तरणाय कामम् । सम्प्राप्य वाचकमहो न शृणोति मूढः स वञ्चितोऽत्र विधिना सुखदं पुराणम् ॥ 3.42 ॥

samprāpya mānuṣabhavaṁ sakalāṅgayuktaṁ potaṁ bhavārṇavajalottaraṇāya kāmam samprāpya vācakamaho na śṛṇoti mūḍhaḥ sa vañcito'tra vidhinā sukhadaṁ purāṇam

Having obtained human birth — a vessel complete in every part, fit for crossing the waters of the ocean of worldly existence — and having found a reciter too, the fool who does not listen — alas, he is cheated here by Providence of this Purana, the giver of happiness.

Verse 43 (devibhagavatam.1.3.43)

यः प्राप्य कर्णयुगलं पटुमानुषत्वे रागी शृणोति सततं च परापवादान् । सर्वार्थदं रसनिधिं विमलं पुराणं नष्टः कुतो न शृणुते भुवि मन्दबुद्धिः ॥ 3.43 ॥

yaḥ prāpya karṇayugalaṁ paṭumānuṣatve rāgī śṛṇoti satataṁ ca parāpavādān sarvārthadaṁ rasanidhiṁ vimalaṁ purāṇaṁ naṣṭaḥ kuto na śṛṇute bhuvi mandabuddhiḥ

He who, having obtained a keen pair of ears in human birth, driven by attachment, constantly listens instead to the slander of others — while this stainless Purana, the very ocean of rasa, granter of every end of life, stands before him — how should such a ruined, dull-witted man on this earth not rather listen to it?