Svarga-khaṇḍa · Chapter 1
Sourceनमामि गोविन्दपदारविंदं सदेंदिरावंदितमुत्तमाढ्यम् । जगज्जनानां हृदि संनिविष्टं महाजनैकायनमुत्तमोत्तमम् १। एकदा मुनयः सर्वे ज्वलज्ज्वलनसन्निभाः । हिमवद्वासिनः सर्वे मुनयो वेदपारगाः २। त्रिकालज्ञा महात्मानो नानापुण्यसमाश्रयाः । महेंद्राद्रिरता ये च ये च विंध्यनिवासिनः ३। येऽर्बुदारण्यनिरताः पुष्करारण्यवासिनः । श्रीशैलनिरता ये च कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिनः ४। धर्म्मारण्यरता ये च दंडकारण्यवासिनः । जंबूमार्गरता ये च ये च सत्यनिवासिनः ५। एते चान्ये च बहवः सशिष्या मुनयोऽमलाः । नैमिषं समुपायाताः शौनकं द्रष्टुमुत्सुकाः ६। तं पूजयित्वा विधिवत्तेन ते च सुपूजिताः । आसनेषु विचित्रेषु बृस्यादिषु यथाक्रमम् ७। शौनकेन प्रदत्तेषु आसीनास्ते तपोधनाः । कृष्णाश्रिताः कथाः पुण्याः परस्परमथाब्रुवन् ८। कथांतेषु ततस्तेषां मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । आजगाम महातेजाः सूतस्तत्र महाद्युतिः ९। व्यासशिष्यः पुराणज्ञो रोमहर्षणसंज्ञकः । तान्प्रणम्य यथान्यायं स तैश्चैवाभिपूजितः १०। उपविष्टं यथायोग्यं शौनकाद्या महर्षयः । व्यासशिष्यं सुखासीनं सूतं वै रोमहर्षणम् ११। तं पप्रच्छुर्महाभागाः शौनकाद्यास्तपोधनाः । ऋषय ऊचुः-। पौराणिक महाबुद्धे रोमहर्षण सुव्रत १२। त्वत्तः श्रुता महापुण्याः पुरा पौराणिकीः कथाः । सांप्रतं च प्रवृत्ताः स्म कथायां सक्षणा हरेः १३। स वै पुंसां परोधर्मो यतो भक्तिरधोक्षजे । पुनः पुराणमाचक्ष्व हरिवार्ता समन्वितम् १४। हरेरन्या कथा सूत श्मशानसदृशी स्मृता । हरिस्तीर्थस्वरूपेण स्वयं तिष्ठति तच्छ्रुतम् १५। तीर्थानां पुण्यदातॄणां नामानि किल कीर्तय । कुत एतत्समुत्पन्नं केन वा परिपाल्यते १६। कस्मिन्विलयमभ्येति जगदेतच्चराचरम् । क्षेत्राणि कानि पुण्यानि के च पूज्याः शिलोच्चयाः १७। नद्यश्च काः पराः पुण्या नृणां पापहराः शुभाः । एतत्सर्वं महाभाग कथयस्व यथाक्रमम् १८। सूत उवाच-। साधुसाधु महाभागाः साधुपृष्टं तपोधनाः । तं प्रणम्य प्रवक्ष्यामि पुराणं पद्मसंज्ञकम् १९। पाराशर्यं परमपुरुषं विश्ववेद्यैकयोनिं विद्याधारं विपुलमतिदं वेदवेदांतवेद्यम् । शश्वच्छांतं स्वमतिविषयं शुद्धतेजोविशालं वेदव्यासं विततयशसं सर्वदाहं नमामि २०। नमो भगवते तस्मै व्यासायामिततेजसे । यस्य प्रसादाद्वक्ष्यामि नारायणकथामिमाम् २१। प्रवक्ष्यामि महापुण्यं पुराणं पद्मसंज्ञितम् । सहस्रं पंचपंचाशत्षड्भिः खंडैः समन्वितम् २२। तत्रादावादिखंडं स्याद्भूमिखंडं ततः परम् । ब्रह्मखंडं च तत्पश्चात्ततः पातालखंडकम् २३। क्रियाखंडं ततः ख्यातमुत्तरं खंडमंतिमम् । एतदेव महापद्ममद्भुतं यन्मयं जगत् २४। तद्वृत्तांताश्रयं तस्मात्पाद्ममित्युच्यते बुधैः । एतत्पुराणममलं विष्णुमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् २५। देवदेवोहरिर्यद्वै ब्रह्मणे प्रोक्तवान्पुरा । ब्रह्मा तन्नारदायाह नारदोऽस्मद्गुरोः पुरः २६। व्यासः सर्वपुराणानि सेतिहासानि संहिताः । अध्यापयामास मुहुर्मामतिप्रियमात्मनः २७। तत्तेऽहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि पुराणमतिदुर्लभम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा ब्रह्महत्यादि पापेभ्यो मुच्यते नरः २८। सर्वतीर्थाभिषेकं च लभते शृणुते हि यः । श्रद्धया परया भक्त्या श्रुतमात्रेण मुक्तिदः २९। अश्रद्धयापि शृणुते लभते पुण्यसंचयम् । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पद्मं श्रोत्रातिथी कुरु ३०। तत्रादिखंडं वक्ष्यामि पुण्यं पापविनाशनम् । शृण्वंतु मुनयः सर्वे सशिष्यास्त्वत्र ये स्थिताः ३१। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे प्रथमोऽध्यायः १।
namāmi govindapadāraviṃdaṃ sadeṃdirāvaṃditamuttamāḍhyam | jagajjanānāṃ hṛdi saṃniviṣṭaṃ mahājanaikāyanamuttamottamam 1| ekadā munayaḥ sarve jvalajjvalanasannibhāḥ | himavadvāsinaḥ sarve munayo vedapāragāḥ 2| trikālajñā mahātmāno nānāpuṇyasamāśrayāḥ | maheṃdrādriratā ye ca ye ca viṃdhyanivāsinaḥ 3| ye'rbudāraṇyaniratāḥ puṣkarāraṇyavāsinaḥ | śrīśailaniratā ye ca kurukṣetranivāsinaḥ 4| dharmmāraṇyaratā ye ca daṃḍakāraṇyavāsinaḥ | jaṃbūmārgaratā ye ca ye ca satyanivāsinaḥ 5| ete cānye ca bahavaḥ saśiṣyā munayo'malāḥ | naimiṣaṃ samupāyātāḥ śaunakaṃ draṣṭumutsukāḥ 6| taṃ pūjayitvā vidhivattena te ca supūjitāḥ | āsaneṣu vicitreṣu bṛsyādiṣu yathākramam 7| śaunakena pradatteṣu āsīnāste tapodhanāḥ | kṛṣṇāśritāḥ kathāḥ puṇyāḥ parasparamathābruvan 8| kathāṃteṣu tatasteṣāṃ munīnāṃ bhāvitātmanām | ājagāma mahātejāḥ sūtastatra mahādyutiḥ 9| vyāsaśiṣyaḥ purāṇajño romaharṣaṇasaṃjñakaḥ | tānpraṇamya yathānyāyaṃ sa taiścaivābhipūjitaḥ 10| upaviṣṭaṃ yathāyogyaṃ śaunakādyā maharṣayaḥ | vyāsaśiṣyaṃ sukhāsīnaṃ sūtaṃ vai romaharṣaṇam 11| taṃ papracchurmahābhāgāḥ śaunakādyāstapodhanāḥ | ṛṣaya ūcuḥ-| paurāṇika mahābuddhe romaharṣaṇa suvrata 12| tvattaḥ śrutā mahāpuṇyāḥ purā paurāṇikīḥ kathāḥ | sāṃprataṃ ca pravṛttāḥ sma kathāyāṃ sakṣaṇā hareḥ 13| sa vai puṃsāṃ parodharmo yato bhaktiradhokṣaje | punaḥ purāṇamācakṣva harivārtā samanvitam 14| hareranyā kathā sūta śmaśānasadṛśī smṛtā | haristīrthasvarūpeṇa svayaṃ tiṣṭhati tacchrutam 15| tīrthānāṃ puṇyadātṝṇāṃ nāmāni kila kīrtaya | kuta etatsamutpannaṃ kena vā paripālyate 16| kasminvilayamabhyeti jagadetaccarācaram | kṣetrāṇi kāni puṇyāni ke ca pūjyāḥ śiloccayāḥ 17| nadyaśca kāḥ parāḥ puṇyā nṛṇāṃ pāpaharāḥ śubhāḥ | etatsarvaṃ mahābhāga kathayasva yathākramam 18| sūta uvāca-| sādhusādhu mahābhāgāḥ sādhupṛṣṭaṃ tapodhanāḥ | taṃ praṇamya pravakṣyāmi purāṇaṃ padmasaṃjñakam 19| pārāśaryaṃ paramapuruṣaṃ viśvavedyaikayoniṃ vidyādhāraṃ vipulamatidaṃ vedavedāṃtavedyam | śaśvacchāṃtaṃ svamativiṣayaṃ śuddhatejoviśālaṃ vedavyāsaṃ vitatayaśasaṃ sarvadāhaṃ namāmi 20| namo bhagavate tasmai vyāsāyāmitatejase | yasya prasādādvakṣyāmi nārāyaṇakathāmimām 21| pravakṣyāmi mahāpuṇyaṃ purāṇaṃ padmasaṃjñitam | sahasraṃ paṃcapaṃcāśatṣaḍbhiḥ khaṃḍaiḥ samanvitam 22| tatrādāvādikhaṃḍaṃ syādbhūmikhaṃḍaṃ tataḥ param | brahmakhaṃḍaṃ ca tatpaścāttataḥ pātālakhaṃḍakam 23| kriyākhaṃḍaṃ tataḥ khyātamuttaraṃ khaṃḍamaṃtimam | etadeva mahāpadmamadbhutaṃ yanmayaṃ jagat 24| tadvṛttāṃtāśrayaṃ tasmātpādmamityucyate budhaiḥ | etatpurāṇamamalaṃ viṣṇumāhātmyamuttamam 25| devadevohariryadvai brahmaṇe proktavānpurā | brahmā tannāradāyāha nārado'smadguroḥ puraḥ 26| vyāsaḥ sarvapurāṇāni setihāsāni saṃhitāḥ | adhyāpayāmāsa muhurmāmatipriyamātmanaḥ 27| tatte'haṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi purāṇamatidurlabham | yacchrutvā brahmahatyādi pāpebhyo mucyate naraḥ 28| sarvatīrthābhiṣekaṃ ca labhate śṛṇute hi yaḥ | śraddhayā parayā bhaktyā śrutamātreṇa muktidaḥ 29| aśraddhayāpi śṛṇute labhate puṇyasaṃcayam | tasmātsarvaprayatnena padmaṃ śrotrātithī kuru 30| tatrādikhaṃḍaṃ vakṣyāmi puṇyaṃ pāpavināśanam | śṛṇvaṃtu munayaḥ sarve saśiṣyāstvatra ye sthitāḥ 31| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe prathamo'dhyāyaḥ 1|
English translation
1. Om, salutation to ( Gaṇeśa ) the remover of obstacles. Salutation to the glorious one. I salute the lotus-like feet of Govinda (i.e. Viṣṇu ), which are always saluted by Indirā (i.e. Lakṣmī ), which are called ‘the best’, which are fixed in the hearts of people, and which are the only, absolutely excellent abode of the great people.
2-6. Once all the sages resembling blazing fire, all the sages living on the Himalaya mountain and masters of the Vedas , knowing(events) of (all) the three times (viz. past, present and future), magnanimous ones, resorting to (i.e. doing) many meritorious (acts), those who lived on the Mahendra mountain, the Vindhya mountain, in the Arbuda forest, in the Puṣkara forest, on the Śrīśaila mountain, in Kurukṣetra , in Dharmāraṇya , in Daṇḍakāraṇya . Jambumārga, in Satya (- loka )—these and many other spotless sages came along with their disciples, as they were eager to see Śaunaka .
7-8a. The ascetics, having duly worshipped Śaunaka, and being well-honoured by him, sat, in due order, on beautiful seats meant for holy sages and offered by Śaunaka.
8b-12a. They told one another stories about Kṛṣṇa . At the end of (the narration of) the stories by the sages of pure hearts, there came the very bright, very lustrous Sūta , Vyāsa ’s disciple, named Romaharṣaṇa , and well-versed in the Purāṇas . He duly saluted them; they also honoured him. The great, glorious sages, the ascetics, like Śaunaka, asked Romaharṣaṇa, Sūta, Vyāsa’s disciple, who was properly and comfortably seated:
The sages said :
12b-15. O very intelligent Romaharṣaṇa of a good vow and well-versed in the legends of the past, formerly we have heard from you stories from the Purāṇas. Now we, who are delighted, are engaged in (narrating) the story of Viṣṇu, since the devotion to Hari is the greatest Dharma of all men. (Please) narrate (to us) again the Purāṇa connected with the account of Viṣṇu. Any other story about Viṣṇu, O Śuta, is said to be like a crematory. That is a sacred text which in itself remains in the form of Viṣṇu’s story.
16-18. Tell us the name of holy places giving merit. Wherefrom has this mobile and immobile world sprung? By whom is it looked after? In which (object) is it dissolved? Which places of pilgrimage are meritorious? Which mountains are venerable? Which rivers are very meritorious, auspicious and remover of the sins of men? O distinguished one, tell us all this in the proper order.
Sūta said :
19-21. Well, well, glorious ones, you have asked well, O ascetics. Having saluted that ( Vedavyāsa ) I shall narrate to you the very meritorious Purāṇa called Padma . I always salute that Vedavyāsa, Parāśara ’s son, who is the greatest man, who is the only source to be known by all, who is the support of learning, who gives great knowledge, who is to be known by the Vedas and the Upaniṣads , who is always tranquil, who is the object of his own intellect, who is great due to pure lustre, whose glory has spread. My salutation to that revered Vyāsa of unlimited lustre, by whose grace I shall narrate this story about Nārāyaṇa .
22-24. I shall narrate the very meritorious Purāṇa called Padma which contains fifty-five thousand verses and has six khaṇḍas (i.e. sections). There (i.e. in that Purāṇa) the first one is the Ādikhaṇḍa. Then comes the Bhūmikhaṇḍa. After that is Brahmakhaṇḍa . Then follows the Pātāla Khaṇḍa . The next one is known as Kriyākhaṇḍa, and the last one is Uttarakhaṇḍa. This is the great, wonderful lotus, of which the world is full.
25. It is based on the account of that (lotus); therefore the wise call it ‘Padma’. This Purāṇa is spotless and excellent, (describing) the greatness of Viṣṇu.
26-31. (It is the Purāṇa) which, formerly, Viṣṇu, the god of gods, narrated to Brahmā , which Brahmā told to Nārada , and which Nārada narrated to my preceptor. Vyāsa taught me, very dear to him, all the Purāṇas with (treatises on) history, and collections (of verses). I shall narrate to you that Purrāṇa, very difficult to obtain, hearing which a man is free from such sins as killing a brāhmaṇa . He who listens to it gets (the merit of) having bathed at all the holy places. It gives salvation just by listening to it with great faith and devotion. Even if a person listens to it without faith and devotion, he gets a heap of merit. Therefore make all efforts to make the Padma Purāṇa the (honourable) guest of your ears (i.e. make all efforts to listen to Padma Purāṇa). In (i.e. from) it I shall narrate the Ādikhaṇḍa which destroys all sins. The sages, who are here, should, along with their disciples, listen to it.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43161, revision 351719 (2022-09-20T23:30:22Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365220.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.