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This Purana begins with an explanation of its structure, which is essential for understanding its content. This structure is called "Upkrama" and has another name, "Upodhata."
There are five aspects to this Upkrama:
1. Anupurvi
2. Nama
3. Pramana
4. Abhidheya
5. Arthaadhikāra
If we consider the four Mahaadhikāras in their natural order, then the first Anuyoga is the first Anuyoga. However, if we consider them in reverse order, then the same first Anuyoga becomes the last Anuyoga. Depending on the order of counting, it can be considered the second, third, or any other number.
The name of the text is considered the "Nama Upkrama." This first Anuyoga is the first of the four Anuyogas in the Shruta Skandha, making its name "Prathama Anuyoga" meaningful.
To address the concerns of listeners who might be intimidated by the vastness of this text, I will now explain its "Pramana" (extent). This Pramana will be explained in terms of both the number of words and the meaning.
While this text is immeasurable in terms of its meaning, it is measurable in terms of its words. How can a part of it be immeasurable when the whole text is measurable?
According to the count of 32-letter Anushtup shlokas, this text contains two lakh crore, fifty-five thousand crore, four hundred forty-two crore, and thirty-one lakh seven thousand five hundred (2554423107500) shlokas.
Having established the extent of the text, we will now describe the number of words in it. The number of words in this text is considered to be five thousand, and there are sixteen hundred thirty-four crore eighty-three lakh seven thousand eight hundred eighty-eight (16348307888) letters in a single "Madhyama Pada." This Madhyama Pada is used to describe the number of texts in the eleven Angas and fourteen Purvas.