All the realms where beings dwell, the threefold mysteries, the Vedas themselves, the paths of yoga joined with knowledge, and the eternal pursuits of dharma, artha, and kāma—these, and the many treatises that uphold them, along with the rules that govern worldly conduct, have all been seen and understood by the great sage. He perceived the political order of the Bharata lineage in all its breadth, the histories and their explanations, and the traditions handed down through generations. Here, within this text, all these matters have been told, its defining features laid out. Now, a summary of the history will be spoken, and later, its details will unfold. The sage, in his wisdom, expanded this vast knowledge and also condensed it, for the wise of the world delight in both the brief and the elaborate. Some recite the Bhārata beginning with Manu, others start with Āstīka, and yet others, learned brāhmaṇas, commence with Uparicara. The wise illuminate the many collections of knowledge: some are skilled in explanation, others in the careful preservation of the texts. Through austerity and celibacy, Vyāsa composed this sacred and ancient history after dividing the eternal Veda. The learned son of Parāśara, a brahmarṣi firm in his vows, at the request of his mother and the wise Gāṅgeya, begot three Kauravas—Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura—in the line of Vicitravīrya, just as one would kindle three sacred fires. Having fulfilled this duty, the sage returned to his hermitage to pursue further austerities. When these three princes were born, grew, and reached their prime, the great sage spoke the Bhārata for the benefit of the world. Later, when Janamejaya, surrounded by thousands of Brahmins, posed questions, Vyāsa instructed his disciple Vaiśampāyana, who sat nearby. At the intervals of Janamejaya’s great sacrifice, Vyāsa had Vaiśampāyana recite the Bharata before the assembled sages. Vyāsa described in detail the lineage of the Kurus, the righteousness of Gandhari, the wisdom of Vidura, and the steadfastness of Kunti. He narrated the greatness of Vasudeva, the truthfulness of the Pāṇḍavas, and the wickedness of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons. This Bhārata, together with its supplementary tales, is to be known and heard as the supreme Bharata—a hundred thousand verses of virtuous deeds. The sage also composed a version called the Bharata Samhita in twenty-four thousand verses; without the supplementary tales, the wise refer to this as the Bharata. Afterward, he made a further abridgment of over fifty chapters, an index that recounted the events of all the books. Having created this most excellent narrative, the sage Dvaipāyana considered how he might teach it to his disciples. Knowing the sage’s thoughts, the blessed Brahmā, teacher of the worlds, arrived. For the sage’s joy and the welfare of the worlds, Brahmā, seeing Vyāsa, was astonished and stood with joined palms, bowing. Surrounded by all the groups of sages, Brahmā arranged a seat. Upon that supreme golden seat he sat, and near him, the son of Vasu took his place. Then, with Brahmā’s permission, Krishna Dvaipāyana, pleased and smiling with pure joy, sat down near the seat. He, radiant and wise, spoke to Brahmā, the supreme lord: “O blessed one, this revered poem has been composed by me. The secret of the Veda and all else established by me, the detailed arrangement of the Vedas with their limbs and Upanishads, the emergence and dissolution of histories and ancient tales, and what is called the threefold time—past, present, and future—are all here. “The determination of aging, death, fear, disease, existence and non-existence, the various forms of dharma, and the characteristics of the stages of life; the arrangement of the four varnas, the entirety of the Purāṇas, the practices of austerity and celibacy, the workings of the earth, the moon, and the sun; the measures of planets, stars, and constellations with their cycles; the Rig, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, and their essence; logic, phonetics, medicine, charity, and the Pāśupata doctrine—all these disciplines, both divine and human, are described here. “There is praise of holy places and blessed lands, of rivers, mountains, forests, and the ocean; divine and ancient tales, the cycles of creation, the arts of warfare, the varieties of speech, and the order of worldly conduct. And whatever is the all-pervading reality, that too is explained here—there is no other writer on earth who has done so. “Even compared to the great sage Vasiṣṭha, renowned for his austerity, I consider you superior, O Brahmā, for you possess knowledge of secret wisdom. From your very birth, I know you to be devoted to the Vedas; and since you have declared this to be a poem, therefore it shall be called a poem. Poets are not capable of describing the qualities of this poem, just as the other three stages of life cannot describe the householder. “If you had not kindled the fire of knowledge, the world would have become dull, blind, deaf, mad, and enveloped in darkness. For the world, blinded and bound by its own actions, you have brought a festival of vision to the intellect with the collyrium-stick of knowledge.” Thus, the Mahābhārata, in its fullness and depth, was revealed for the upliftment and illumination of all beings.