Rishi Parashara narrates Vishnu Purana to Maitreya

OM! Glory to Vasudeva! Victory be to you, Pundarikaksha; adoration be to you, Vishvabhavana; glory be to you, Hrishikesha, Mahapurusha, and Purvaja.

Maitreya, having saluted him reverentially, thus addressed Parashara, the excellent sage, the grandson of Vasishtha, who was versed in traditional history, and the Puranas; who was acquainted with the Vedas, and the branches of science dependent upon them; and skilled in law and philosophy; and who had performed the morning rites of devotion. Maitreya said:

“Master! I have been instructed by you in the whole of the Vedas, and in the institutes of law and of sacred science: through your favour, other men, even though they be my foes, cannot accuse me of having been remiss in the acquirement of knowledge. I am now desirous, Oh you who are profound in piety! To hear from you, how this world was, and how in future it will be? What is its substance, Oh Brahman, and whence proceeded animate and inanimate things? Into what has it been resolved, and into what will its dissolution again occur? How were the elements manifested? Whence proceeded the gods and other beings? What are the situation and extent of the oceans and the mountains, the earth, the sun, and the planets? What are the families of the gods and others, the Manus, the periods called Manvantaras, those termed Kalpas, and their subdivisions, and the four ages: the events that happen at the close of a Kalpa, and the terminations of the several ages: the histories, Oh great Muni, of the gods, the sages, and kings; and how the Vedas were divided into branches, after they had been arranged by Vyasa: the duties of the Brahmans, and the other tribes, as well as of those who pass through the different orders of life? All these things I wish to hear from you, grandson of Vasishtha! Incline your thoughts benevolently towards me, that I may, through your favour, be informed of all I desire to know”.

Parashara replied:

“Well inquired, pious Maitreya! You recall to my recollection that which was of old narrated by my father's father, Vasishtha. I had heard that my father had been devoured by a Rakshasa employed by Vishwamitra: violent anger seized me, and I commenced a sacrifice for the destruction of the Rakshasas: hundreds of them were reduced to ashes by the rite, when, as they were about to be entirely extirpated, my grandfather Vasishtha thus spoke to me:

“Enough, my child! Let your wrath be appeased: the Rakshasas are not culpable: your father's death was the work of destiny. Anger is the passion of fools; it becomes not a wise man. By whom, it may be asked, is any one killed? Every man reaps the consequences of his own acts. Anger, my son, is the destruction of all that man obtains by arduous exertions, of fame, and of devout austerities; and prevents the attainment of heaven or of emancipation. The chief sages always shun wrath: Do not you, my child, subject to its influence. Let no more of these unoffending spirits of darkness be consumed. Mercy is the might of the righteous.

Being thus admonished by my venerable grandsire, I immediately desisted from the rite, in obedience to his injunctions, and Vasishtha, the most excellent of sages, was content with me. Then arrived Pulastya, the son of Brahma, who was received by my grandfather with the customary marks of respect. The illustrious brother of Pulaha said to me:

“Since, in the violence of animosity, you have listened to the words of your progenitor, and have exercised clemency, therefore you shall become learned in every science: since you have forborne, even though incensed, to destroy my posterity, I will bestow upon you another boon, and, you shall become the author of a summary of the Puranas; you shall know the true nature of the deities, as it really is; and, whether engaged in religious rites, or abstaining from their performance, your understanding, through my favour, shall be perfect, and exempt from doubts”.

Then my grandsire Vasishtha added:

“Whatever has been said to you by Pulastya, shall assuredly come to pass”.

Now truly all that was told to me formerly by Vasishtha, and by the wise Pulastya, has been brought to my recollection by your questions, and I will relate to you the whole, even all you have asked. Listen to the complete compendium of the Puranas, according to its tenour. The world was produced from Vishnu: it exists in him: he is the cause of its continuance and cessation: he is the world."

Parashara continued:

“Glory to the unchangeable, holy, eternal, supreme Vishnu, of one universal nature, the mighty over all: to him who is Hiranygarbha, Hari, and Shankara, the creator, the preserver, and destroyer of the world: to Vasudeva, the liberator of his worshippers: to him, whose essence is both single and manifold; who is both subtle and corporeal, indiscrete and discrete: to Vishnu, the cause of final emancipation! Glory to the supreme Vishnu, the cause of the creation, existence, and end of this world; who is the root of the world, and who consists of the world.

Having glorified him who is the support of all things; who is the smallest of the small; who is in all created things; the unchanged, imperishable Purushottama; who is one with true wisdom, as truly known; eternal and incorrupt; and who is known through false appearances by the nature of visible objects: having bowed to Vishnu, the destroyer, and lord of creation and preservation; the ruler of the world; unborn, imperishable, undecaying: I will relate to you that which was originally imparted by the great father of all (Brahma), in answer to the questions of Daksha and other venerable sages, and repeated by them to Purukutsa, a king who reigned on the banks of the Narmada. It was next related by him to Saraswata, and by Saraswata to me."

Rishi Parashara then narrated Vishnu Purana to Rishi Maitreya.