At a certain time, Arjuna journeyed to Dvaravati, where he came before Hrishikesha—Krishna himself. There, the mighty-armed Arjuna won as his wife the lotus-eyed maiden, Subhadra, the eloquent sister of Vasudeva. Their union was as radiant as that of Shachi with Indra, or Fortune with Krishna himself. Subhadra, joined to Arjuna with deep affection, became his beloved, and together they shone as a blessed pair. Afterwards, Arjuna, the son of Kunti, performed the great deed of satisfying Agni, the fire god, in the burning of the Khandava forest. In this formidable task, he was not overburdened, for Vasudeva Krishna, the foremost among men, stood by his side. With Krishna as his companion—resolute and mighty as Vishnu in the destruction of enemies—Arjuna received from Agni the supreme bow Gandiva. Along with this, Agni bestowed upon Arjuna inexhaustible quivers and a wondrous chariot marked with the sign of Kapila. It was then that Arjuna freed Maya, the great Asura, who in gratitude built for the Pandavas a divine assembly hall adorned with every kind of gem. In this splendid hall, Duryodhana, blinded by greed and folly, became consumed with envy. Driven by that envy, Duryodhana, with the cunning Shakuni, son of Subala, deceived Yudhishthira at the game of dice. As a result, Yudhishthira and his brothers were sent into exile: twelve years in the forest and a thirteenth year to be spent incognito. After enduring those thirteen years, the Pandavas spent one year in concealment within a kingdom. When, in the fourteenth year, they sought to regain their rightful inheritance, they were denied. War broke out, and in the ensuing battle, the Pandavas destroyed the Kshatriya host and slew King Duryodhana. Thus, the Pandavas regained a kingdom that had been greatly diminished. They performed many great sacrifices—among them the horse sacrifice, the Ashvamedha, and others. In time, when Dhritarashtra departed for heaven and Vidura passed away, the Pandavas performed the proper rites for these kings of immeasurable splendor, guiding them to the heavenly realms. When Krishna, the illustrious Varshneya, had returned to his own abode and after the Pandavas had protected Krishna’s widowed wives, they themselves undertook the great departure, leaving this world and attaining the supreme heaven. Such were the events of ancient times for these men of unblemished deeds: division, destruction of the kingdom, and ultimate victory, O best of the victorious. At this point, the listener, deeply moved, addressed the sage: “O best of the twice-born, you have recounted in summary the entire Mahabharata—the great tale of the deeds of the Kurus. O sinless one, tell the story again in detail, with all its vivid meanings, for my curiosity has only grown. I am never satisfied by hearing of the great deeds of the ancients. “Surely there must be a profound reason why the Pandavas, though innocent and knowledgeable in dharma, endured and overcame such adversity, and are so praised among men. Why did these tiger-like heroes, blameless and capable, patiently endure the sufferings inflicted by the wicked? How did Bhima, strong as ten thousand elephants, restrain his anger? How did Draupadi, though tormented by evil men, hold back her wrathful gaze from the sons of Dhritarashtra? How did the sons of Madri, though harassed by the wicked, follow Yudhishthira even when he was addicted to dice? How did Yudhishthira, the best among the righteous, endure undeserved suffering? And how did Arjuna, with Krishna as his charioteer, subdue great armies and send so many warriors to the realm of the ancestors? “Tell me all this, O sage, as it truly happened, and whatever else those great chariot-warriors did, in every place and circumstance.” The sage replied, “Wait a moment, O great king, for this is a vast narration. The sacred story spoken by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa must be told. I shall declare the entire teaching of Vyasa, the great sage of immeasurable splendor, honored in all the worlds. This Mahabharata, a hundred thousand verses of righteous deeds, was composed by Satyavati’s son, Vyasa, of boundless energy. “Together with all its stories, the supreme Mahabharata should be known and heard. But now, O king, I will briefly recount its greatness. It contains two thousand chapters and exactly one hundred sections, and ninety thousand and ten verses. The great sage composed it in eighteen books. “Whoever, being learned, recites this, and those who listen to it, attain the abode of Brahman and become equal to the gods themselves. Indeed, this is equal to the Vedas—pure and supreme. Among all things to be heard, this is the best, praised by the ancient seers. “In this most holy epic, purpose and desire are fully taught, as well as steadfast wisdom. A learned person who causes those of noble and truthful conduct—not of mean charity or atheism—to hear this Kārṣṇa Veda, obtains its reward. “Even a person who has committed the terrible sin of killing an embryo is freed from that sin by hearing this epic. He is released from all sins, just as the moon is freed from Rahu. This history called ‘Jaya’ should be heard by one who seeks victory. “A king conquers the earth and defeats his enemies; this is the best rite for begetting sons and a great blessing ceremony. It should be heard many times by the chief queen and the crown prince, for it produces a heroic son or a daughter fit to inherit the kingdom. “This is a sacred treatise on dharma, the supreme treatise on artha, and, according to Vyasa of boundless wisdom, a treatise on moksha as well. O best of the Bharatas, in dharma, artha, kama, and moksha, whatever is here is found elsewhere; but what is not here is found nowhere. Thus has it been declared by the Brahmanas in the world, and among the Brahmanas here.