Bhāgavatam Mahimā — The Glory, Measure, Transmission, and Gift of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
ब्राह्मं दशसहस्राणि पाद्मं पञ्चोनषष्टि च । श्रीवैष्णवं त्रयोविंशच्चतुर्विंशति शैवकम् ॥ ४ ॥ दशाष्टौ श्रीभागवतं नारदं पञ्चविंशति । मार्कण्डं नव वाह्नं च दशपञ्च चतु:शतम् ॥ ५ ॥ चतुर्दश भविष्यं स्यात्तथा पञ्चशतानि च । दशाष्टौ ब्रह्मवैवर्तं लैङ्गमेकादशैव तु ॥ ६ ॥ चतुर्विंशति वाराहमेकाशीतिसहस्रकम् । स्कान्दं शतं तथा चैकं वामनं दश कीर्तितम् ॥ ७ ॥ कौर्मं सप्तदशाख्यातं मात्स्यं तत्तु चतुर्दश । एकोनविंशत्सौपर्णं ब्रह्माण्डं द्वादशैव तु ॥ ८ ॥ एवं पुराणसन्दोहश्चतुर्लक्ष उदाहृत: । तत्राष्टदशसाहस्रं श्रीभागवतमिष्यते ॥ ९ ॥
brāhmaṁ daśa sahasrāṇi pādmaṁ pañcona-ṣaṣṭi ca śrī-vaiṣṇavaṁ trayo-viṁśac catur-viṁśati śaivakam
Le Brahma Purāṇa compte 10 000 vers; le Padma Purāṇa, 55 000; le Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa, 23 000; le Śiva Purāṇa, 24 000; et le Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 18 000. Le Nārada Purāṇa en a 25 000; le Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, 9 000; l’Agni Purāṇa, 15 400; le Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, 14 500; le Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, 18 000; et le Liṅga Purāṇa, 11 000. Le Varāha Purāṇa contient 24 000; le Skanda Purāṇa, 81 100; le Vāmana Purāṇa, 10 000; le Kūrma Purāṇa, 17 000; le Matsya Purāṇa, 14 000; le Garuḍa Purāṇa, 19 000; et le Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, 12 000. Ainsi, l’ensemble des Purāṇas totalise 400 000 vers; et parmi eux, 18 000 appartiennent au Bhāgavatam, si beau et sacré.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has quoted from the Matsya Purāṇa as follows:
This verse states that Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is accepted as having eighteen thousand verses.
It declares that the combined Purāṇas are traditionally said to total four hundred thousand verses.
It helps a seeker prioritize study—recognizing Śrīmad Bhāgavatam as a distinct, complete Purāṇa within the larger Purāṇic tradition and approaching it with focused reverence and consistency.