सर्गोऽस्याथ विसर्गश्च वृत्तिरक्षान्तराणि च । वंशो वंशानुचरितं संस्था हेतुरपाश्रय: ॥ ९ ॥ दशभिर्लक्षणैर्युक्तं पुराणं तद्विदो विदु: । केचित् पञ्चविधं ब्रह्मन् महदल्पव्यवस्थया ॥ १० ॥
sargo ’syātha visargaś ca vṛtti-rakṣāntarāṇi ca vaṁśo vaṁśānucaritaṁ saṁsthā hetur apāśrayaḥ daśabhir lakṣaṇair yuktaṁ purāṇaṁ tad-vido viduḥ kecit pañca-vidhaṁ brahman mahad-alpa-vyavasthayā
- sargaḥ
- the creation
- asya
- of this universe
- atha
- then
- visargaḥ
- the secondary creation
- ca
- and
- vṛtti
- maintenance
- rakṣā
- protection by sustenance
- antarāṇi
- the reigns of the Manus
- ca
- and
- vaṁśaḥ
- the dynasties of great kings
- vaṁśa-anucaritam
- the narrations of their activities
- saṁsthā
- the annihilation
- hetuḥ
- the motivation (for the living entities’ involvement in material activities)
- apāśrayaḥ
- the supreme shelter
- daśabhiḥ
- with the ten
- lakṣaṇaiḥ
- characteristics
- yuktam
- endowed
- purāṇam
- a Purāṇa
- tat
- of this matter
- vidaḥ
- those who know
- viduḥ
- they know
- kecit
- some authorities
- pañca-vidham
- fivefold
- brahman
- O brāhmaṇa
- mahat
- of great
- alpa
- and lesser
- vyavasthayā
- according to the distinction
O brāhmaṇa, authorities on the matter understand a Purāṇa to contain ten characteristic topics: the creation of this universe, the subsequent creation of worlds and beings, the maintenance of all living beings, their sustenance, the rule of various Manus, the dynasties of great kings, the activities of such kings, annihilation, motivation and the supreme shelter. Other scholars state that the great Purāṇas deal with these ten topics, while lesser Purāṇas may deal with five.