Chapter 49 - The Merit of Listening to a Purāṇa

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The sages said:

1 -6. O holy Lord Jaimini, O master of the Vedas and their ancillaries, with your blessing everything has been heard by us. The greatness of the Lord of the universe, of the prominent sacred place and all the festivals has been heard by us.

The merit of consuming the leavings (remnants) of the food of the Lord, the rare story of the life of King Indradyumna, the form of Nīlamādhava and the revelation of the Brahman in wooden form—all this has been heard by us as it issued forth from your lotus-like mouth.

O most eloquent one, from you alone we wish to hear the merit of listening to a Purāṇa. We are joyful and eager for the same.

O holy Lord, tell us in detail. What is its mode? By whom should it (be read). If you have mercy on us, it behoves you to relate as it is.

Jaimini said:

7. Very well, O excellent sages. What has been asked by you with great joy is nice; I am exceedingly pleased. It makes me thrilled with joy.

8-10. So I will speak everything. Listen attentively. When a devotee is ready to listen to a Purāṇa, he should first perform the rite of Saṃkalpa in accordance with his capacity.

He should choose a Brāhmaṇa (i.e. narrator of the Purāṇa) for the purpose of listening. He (i.e. the Brāhmaṇa) should be born of a pure family. He should not have any limb mutilated. He should be calm and of the same branch of Veda as oneself. He should be one’s own priest. He should be a knower of the true meaning of all the scriptures. He should be invited with (the offer of) extremely splendid ornaments, robes, sandal-paste, wreaths etc.

11-16. With palms joined in reverence the devotee should pray to the Brāhmaṇa:

“You are Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is yourself. There is no difference at all. Let my undertaking be free from obstacles by your favour. Be pleased.”

The Brāhmaṇa invited should be made to sit on an auspicious and costly seat. He should put a garland round his neck. There must be a flower besmeared with sandal-paste (placed) on the head. Since at that time that Brāhmaṇa is considered to be on a par with Vyāsa, he should be requested to worship the book which is in the form of Viṣṇu. This is called Vyāsapūjā. The Brāhmaṇa should perform it with sandal-powder, aloe-wood and flowers. There should be different kinds of tasty foodstuffs etc. With great devotion the rule of offering the seat should be observed everyday.

Now I shall describe the characteristics of the listener. Let it be heard.

17-18. The devotee should make arrangements for seating the people who may be coming one after another, O Brāhmaṇas. For that purpose he should set apart a number of seats.

He himself should sit on another seat. He should be eager in his mind to listen. Or he should sit on the ground cleansed and purified duly along with the others.

19. He should sit in front of Vyāsa. But his seat should not be higher (than that of Vyāsa). He should have taken his bath. He should be joyful. He should wear two white clothes.

20. He should perform the rite of Ācamana. He should have the markings of conch-shell, discus etc. He should meditate on Viṣṇu mentally. He should have great faith.

21. Faith in the Purāṇa, the Brāhmaṇa, the Lord, the employment of Mantras, Tīrtha, utterance of elderly people etc. is beneficial.

22-23. Hence, O excellent sages, all merit has belief as its cause. One should avoid the following: conversation with heretics, futile talk and all kinds of worries. In this manner, O Brāhmaṇas, he should joyfully listen to it everyday.

24-25. When the reading is concluded, the people should give their appreciation by clapping their hands repeatedly and utter words such as “Be victorious, O Kṛṣṇa, O Lord of the universe, O Hari etc.” The sound of the same should rise to the sky and be heard everywhere. This should be done everyday to propitiate the Enemy of Mura.

26. Then, when the (reading of the) book is completed the devotee should be eager to propitiate Viṣṇu. He should adorn the Brāhmaṇa equal to Vyāsa by good clothes, wreaths, sandal-paste etc. as well as ornaments. O Brāhmaṇas, he should do everything with great devotion.

27-31a. He should give monetary gifts according to his capacity and in accordance with the injunctions. Listen now from me as to who should give what. Kings should give elephants along with their ornaments. Kṣatriyas too should do likewise. Indeed they are considered equal to king.

Brāhmaṇas should give books and bamboo-boxes for the worship of Viṣṇu. In accordance with their devotion, they should give gold, silver, food-grains and clothes.

Vaiśyas should give horses hailing from the Sindhu land and fully caparisoned with gem-set ornaments etc. They should give milch-cows with all (auspicious) characteristics and give them along with their calves. Other pious persons can give other things such as gold etc.

31b-33. Righteous Śūdras should also give gold etc. with great joy in their minds. They can give clothes, gold, food-grains, gems, cows etc. all adorned with different kinds of ornaments. They should be giving plenty of milk or they may be pregnant. Monetary gifts should also be made so that the preceptor may be pleased.

(The listener) should give in accordance with his capacity, O Brāhmaṇas; he should not be unnecessarily stubborn or niggardly in spending.

34-35. Śānti (conciliation) rites, Pauṣṭika (nourishing) rites, Vratas, marriages, rites for the achievement of salvation, listening to the Purāṇas, Yajñas etc., performing charitable acts and different kinds of Vratas—these should never be devoid of monetary gifts (dakṣiṇā). Otherwise they will be fruitless.

36-38. Asuras appropriate the merit of that holy rite. The beauty of a woman (is futile), if it is bereft of the love of a husband. Archers (are deemed unfit), if they show their backs and run away from battlefield. If a horse is not capable of running, it is considered defective, O Brāhmaṇas. A man may be a knower of all the scriptures but dumbness (on his part) makes it (his scholarship) defective. In the same manner all holy rites devoid of monetary gifts are fruitless.

39. Since the mass of sins is destroyed by Dāna (gift), therefore it is called Dakṣiṇā by persons conversant with scriptures, O Brāhmaṇas.

40-41. Then Brāhmaṇas should be fed with articles prepared in accordance with one’s capacity. There should be camphor, sugar-candy, ghee, milk-puddings, foodstuffs of six kinds and beverages tasty like nectar etc. To them also gold, clothes etc. should be given.

42. Thus the mode of listening to a Purāṇa has been entirely described to you. If it is followed, it shall be fruitful. Now, O excellent sages, what else do you wish to hear?

The sages said:

43-45. Oh! It is our great fortune that the fruit and mode of listening to a Purāṇa destructive of the mass of sins, has been heard by us directly along with its sub-divisions and ancillaries from your lotuslike mouth.

We are blessed. We are meritorious. We are free from ailments in this world. Now, O sage, according to our capacity Dakṣiṇā is given to you for the sake of getting the merit. Be pleased to accept it.

46. After saying this those sages who had no possession or assets whatsoever gave him sacrificial twigs, Kuśa grass, flowers, fruits, raw rice grains etc. They became liberated thereby. With great delight they went to the excellent holy region.

:: End of Puruṣottama-Kṣetra-Māhātmya::