Chapter 383 - The Glorification of the Agnipurāṇa (āgneyapurāṇa-māhātmya)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Fire-god said:

1-4. I have expounded to you the Āgneyapurāṇa of the form of Brahman. It with extension and without extension consists of the two vidyās^[1]. The learning consists of the Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva (veda). Viṣṇu is the creator of the world. Prosody, phonetics, grammar, lexicon, astronomy, etymology, dharmaśāstra (treatises on religious duties), mīmāṃsā (inquiry), nyāya (logic), science of medicine, archery, science of music and science of statecraft are all (known as parā) vidyā. The other one beyond the Vedas is lord Hari known as aparā vidyā (that which has nothing superior to it). Highest knowledge is the supreme undecaying thing.

5-6. One who has the feeling that all the things are (the manifestations of lord) Viṣṇu, is not affected by the Kali (era). One would not incur any sin by not performing the great sacrificial rites or not offering the obsequial rites to the manes if he worships (lord) Kṛṣṇa with devotion. One does not get ruined by intensive contemplation of (lord) Viṣṇu, who is the cause of all things.

7. A person whose mind has been drawn towards the objects arising from defects due to other rituals, gets released from sins, even after doing a sin, by contemplating (lord) Govinda (Kṛṣṇa).

8. It is contemplation where there is Govinda. It is a narrative where there is Keśava. That is an action which is devoted to Him. What is the use of others which are repeatedly spoken about.

9. He is not a father who fails to describe this supreme knowledge spoken by me to the son and he is not a preceptor who fails to impart (this) to his pupil.

10. O Twice-born! One could get a son, wife, wealth, prosperity, friends and other things by wandering in this world, but not this knowledge.

11. What is the use of son and wife? What (comes out of) friend, land and relatives? Such knowledge is the supreme relative, which liberates a person.

12. There are two courses for the beings—divine and demoniac. Constant devotion to (lord) Viṣṇu is divine and the contrary is demoniac.

13. This, which has been expounded to you, is sacred, healthy, praise-worthy, capable of destroying bad dreams, giving pleasure and satisfaction and liberation to men.

14. In whatever houses transcripts of the Āgneyapwrāṇa are kept, disturbances never approach them.

15. What is the good of pilgrimages, or making gifts of cows, or sacrificial rites or fasting, when people hear the Āgneya (purāṇa) daily?

16. A person who gives a prastha (measure) of sesamum or a māṣa (weight) of gold, would obtain equal (merit) by listening to one verse of the Agni (Purāṇa).

17. The reading of a chapter of this (Purāṇa) is more commendable than making a gift of a cow. A sin done in the course of a day and night by a person is destroyed by his desire to listen to this (Purāṇa).

18. (The benefit) that would accrue by making a gift of hundred tawny cows at Puṣkara^[2] in (the month of) Jyeṣṭha (June-July), that benefit would be obtained by reading the Āgneyapurāṇa.

19. The piety of two kinds—being engaged and being withdrawn—does not become equal to this sacred text of Agnipurāṇa.

20. O Vasiṣṭha! A devoted man would get liberated from all sins by either reading the Agnipurāṇa daily or listening to it.

21-22. Where there is a copy of the Agnipurāṇa, in that house there would not be any difficulty, mishap or fear of theft, or fear of miscarriage of foetus, or possession of children by the spirits. There would not be the fear of the evil spirits and the like, where there is (a copy of) the Agnipurāṇa.

23. By listening to this (purāṇa), a brahmin would become learned in the Vedas, a kṣatriya (would be) a monarch, a vaiśya would gain wealth and a śūdra would get health.

24-25. O Brahmin! A devotee of Viṣṇu, having equanimity would get all his afflictions destroyed by reading or listening to the Agnipurāṇa. (Lord) Keśava would destroy all the misfortunes that would be celestial, terrestrial or earthly such as bad dreams, evil incantations and other mishaps (of such a person).

26-28. The reading or listening to the text is more meritorious for a ṃan than performing a sacrificial rite. A person who listens to the sacred Agnipurāṇa in the Hemanta (early winter) after offering worship with perfumes and flowers would get the benefit of (performing) Agniṣṭoma (rite). (A person would get the benefit of performing) the Puṇḍarīka (rite) in Śiśira (advanced winter), Aśvamedha (rite) in the spring, Vājapeya (rite) in the summer and Rājasūya in the rainy season. (One would get) the benefit (of making a gift) of thousand cows in the autumn by reading this (Purāṇa).

29. O Vasiṣṭha! He who devoutly recites the Agnipurāṇa in front of (lord) Hari, would be deemed as worshipping (lord) Keśava with the rite of knowledge.

30. He who has a book of the Agnipurāṇa in his house would be victorious. In whose house the transcribed (Purāṇa) is worshipped, (that person) has enjoyment and emancipation on his hand.

31. Thus (lord) Hari (Viṣṇu) has expounded to me in days of yore in the form of the destructive fire at the end of the world. The Āgneyapurāṇa consists of two sorts of knowledge. O Vasiṣṭha! You would impart to the devotees these two kinds of knowledge.

Vasiṣṭha said:

32-33a. O Vyāsa! I have narrated to you the Āgneyapurāṇa, consisting of two sorts of knowledge, obtained from (lord) Viṣṇu, the Supreme Brahman, and as expounded to me by Agni (Firegod) in the presence of the celestials and sages. It makes everything known.

33b-35a. O Vyāsa! He who reads or listens to or writes or causes to write or causes to listen to or causes to read or worships or carries this Agnipurāṇa, known as the Brahman and expounded by Agni (Fire-god) in days of yore, would be liberated from all sins and would attain heaven after obtaining the desires.

35b-36. After having caused the excellent Purāṇa. to be copied, he who gives (the copies) to brahmins, would attain the world of Brahmā and elevate hundreds of his family. He who reads a verse (from this Purāṇa) would become free from the mire of sin.

37-38. Hence, O Vyāsa! This Purāṇa making everything explicit should always be read to the disciples in the company of the sages such as Śuka and others who are desirous of hearing. The Āgneya (purāṇa) read and contemplated would be auspicious and confer enjoyment and emancipation. Obeisance to that Fire-god who has sung the Purāṇa.

Vyāsa said:

39-44a. O Sūta (redactor): This Āgneya (purāṇa) which is of the form of parā and aparā vidyā and the supreme position was sung by (sage) Vasiṣṭha in days of yore and it has been expounded to you by me. The fortunate ones would attain a form difficult to get. Those who meditate upon this Āgneyapurāṇa, the Brahman, would reach (lord) Hari. Those who seek knowledge (would get) knowledge. Those who wish for kingdom would obtain kingdom. Those without progeny get children. Those without resort would reach a resort. Those who seek fortune and those who desire for liberation get them. Those who transcribe and those who cause it to be transcribed become sinless and gain fortune. O Sūta! Think of the form of the Āgneyapurāṇa (expounded) by Śuka, Paila and others. There is no doubt that you would gain enjoyment and emancipation. You recite the Purāṇa to the disciples and devotees.

Sūta said:

44b-47a. I have heard the Āgneyapurāṇa with respect by the favour of Vyāsa. The Agni (purāṇa) is a manifestation of the Supreme Brahman. You and other sages such as Śaunaka and others had worshipped lord Hari in the Naimiṣa forest. They were steadfast. The Agnipurāṇa is spoken by Agni and conforms to the Vedas. This (Purāṇa) endowed with the two (sorts of) brahmavidyā confers enjoyment and emancipation.

47b-51. There is nothing richer in substance than this. Nothing is a better friend than this. There is no greater work than this. There is no better course than this. There is no greater treatise than this. There is no greater scripture than this. There is no superior knowledge than this. There is no smṛti (textbook of piety) than this. No āgama (texts dealing with worship) is superior to this. No knowledge is greater than this. No exposition excels this. There is nothing extremely auspicious excelling this. No philosophic exposition is greater than this. This is the foremost Purāṇa. There is no object more difficult to obtain than this on the earth. All the lores have been expounded in this Purāṇa.

52. All the manifestations (of lord Viṣṇu) such as the fish and the like, Gītā, Rāmāyaṇa (epic story of Rāma), Harivaṃśa (Account of the successors of lord Kṛṣṇa), Bhārata (the legend of the patricidal war between the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas) and fresh creation have been described.

53-55. The vaiṣṇava āgama (mode of worship relating to Viṣṇu) such as worship, initiation and installation (of the idol), investiture with the sacred thread, the characteristic of the idols and temples etc. and formulae yielding enjoyment and emancipation, texts dealing with worship relating to Śaivite gods and their substance, (the worship) of the goddess and Sun, different circles, vāstu (relating to the ground), different types of formulae and secondary creation of the primordial egg and the like have been sung.

56. The geography of the world with the continents, mountain ranges and rivers and the greatness of the sacred places of pilgrimage such as Gayā, Gaṅgā, Prayāga etc. have been told.

57. The galaxy of stars, astronomy and prognostication for victory in battle have been described. The different periods of Manu and the duties of different classes of men have been explained.

58. Pollutions, purification of things and expiations have been explained. The duties of kings, the making of gifts and different kinds of austerities have been described.

59-60. Disputes, appeasing rites, the application (of the formulae) of the Ṛgveda etc., the Solar and Lunar dynasties, archery, medical science, science of music, statecraft, mīmāṃsā (inquiry), nyāya (logic), the greatness and number of Purāṇas, prosody and grammar have been explained.

61. Poetics, lexicography, phonetics and rules relating to performance of rites have been described. The casual, natural, and absolute destructions have been explained.

62. Vedānta is said to be the knowledge about Brahman and yoga as having eight constituents. The eulogy, greatness of the Purāṇas and the eighteen lores have been expounded.

63. The Ṛgveda etc. (are known to be) the parāvidyā (that which has something superior to it) and the aparāvidyā (that which has nothing superior to it) is the undecaying Supreme Brahman. The form of Brahman is said to be cosmic and acosmic.

64. This Purāṇa (having an extent) of fifteen thousand (verses)^[3] is always read by the celestials in the celestial world as having one hundred crore (verses).

65. Fire-god has sung it here after shortening it for the sake of the welfare of the world. O Sages, Śaunaka and others! You know that all the things (are manifestations of) Brahman.

66. One may listen to, cause to be heard, read, cause to be read, transcribe, cause to be transcribed, worship or sing (its glory).

67-68. The king should take effort to honour the reader of this Purāṇa. After having honoured him by (making) gifts of cows, land and gold and the satiating gifts of clothes and ornaments, one would get the fruits of listening to (the recitation of) the Purāṇa. At the end of (the reading of) the Purāṇa, the twice-born must be fed.

69-71. (He who does as above) would become spotless, gain all the riches and attain heaven along with his ancestors. He who gives leaves (paper) for (copying) the book, thread for stitching together the leaves and the cloth for binding would attain heaven. He who gives (the book as a gift) would reach the world of Brahmā. He who has the book in his house does not have the fear due to portents. (Such a person) would get enjoyment and emancipation. You all remember the Āgneyapurāṇa as a form of the lord. After having been honoured by them (Śaunaka and others) Sūta went away and Śaunaka and others reached (lord) Hari.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Explained below.

[2]:

A holy place of pilgrimage in Rajasthan.

[3]:

But this Purāṇa here contains about 8000 verses only.