The ancient scripture describes with clarity the measures and movements of planets, stars, and constellations, as well as the cycles they follow. It embraces the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas, and reveals the very essence at the heart of all the Vedas. Within its scope are found the disciplines of logic, phonetics, and medicine, the practice of charity, and the Pashupata doctrine. Thus, it narrates the birth and development of many branches of knowledge, both divine and human. The text extols holy places and sacred lands, as well as the virtues of rivers, mountains, forests, and the ocean. It recounts the divine tales of old, the cycles of creation, the arts of warfare, the many forms of speech, and the proper order of conduct in the world. Moreover, it explains the all-pervading reality itself—a feat no other author on earth has accomplished. Even when compared to the great sage Vasishtha, renowned for his austerity, the composer of this work is considered superior, for he possesses the deepest understanding of secret wisdom. From his very birth, he was known to be devoted to the Vedas, and having declared this work to be a poem, it is thus rightfully called a poem. No poet is capable of describing the full glory of this composition, just as those in the other three stages of life cannot truly describe the householder. Without the light of this knowledge, the world would have become dull, blind, deaf, mad, and shrouded in darkness. But the fire of wisdom was kindled, dispelling these shadows. For a world blinded and bound by its own actions, the author brought a festival of vision to the intellect, like applying the collyrium-stick of knowledge to the eyes. By him, the sun of the Bharata lineage, the darkness enveloping humanity was dispelled. The full-moon of ancient tales, shining with the light of the Vedas, gladdened the minds of men, gentle as lotuses. The lamp of history, which destroys the veil of delusion, has illuminated the entire world. In this great work, the summary chapter is the seed; the stories of Pauloma and Astika are the roots; the section on origins forms the trunk, and the Sabha Parva is the knot. It is adorned with the form of the Aranyaka Parva and contains the essence of the Virata and Udyoga Parvas. The Bhishma Parva is its great branch, and the Drona Parva its leaves. The Karna Parva is bright with flowers, the Shalya Parva with fragrance; the Stri Parva is its resting place, and the Shanti Parva its great fruit. It finds shelter in the Ashvamedhika, Amshasana, and Ashramavasika Parvas; the Mausala Parva is its summary, and it is served by worthy twice-born men. This work will be the support of all the foremost poets, just as the inexhaustible cloud supports all beings, and as the great tree of Bharata gives shelter. Before beginning the task of writing this poem, Vyasa was urged to remember Ganesha. Having spoken thus, Brahma, the blessed creator of the world, departed to his own abode, accompanied by the hosts of sages and gods. Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, then remembered Heramba—Ganesha. Instantly, the Lord of the Ganas, who fulfills the thoughts of his devotees, appeared before Vyasa. After worshipping and seating him, Vyasa addressed the sinless Gananayaka: “Be the scribe of this Bharata, as I recite it and as it arises in my mind.” Hearing this, the Lord of Obstacles replied, “I shall be your scribe, but only if my pen does not pause even for a moment while writing.” Vyasa agreed, but added, “Do not write anywhere without understanding.” With the sacred utterance “Om,” Ganesha became the scribe. To fulfill the condition, Vyasa, out of hidden curiosity, composed intricate knots in the text. There are eight thousand and eight hundred verses; Vyasa knows them, Shuka knows them, and Sanjaya may or may not know them. Even today, those knots of verses remain firmly composed, impossible to unravel because of their deep and subtle meaning. Even Ganesha, though all-knowing, would pause for a moment in thought at these knots, and during these moments, Vyasa composed many other verses. Now, the branches, flowers, and fruits of this great tree, endowed with sweet, pure, and nourishing essence—unbreakable even by the immortals—are to be described. Vyasa first taught this summary chapter, the account of all the parvas, to his son Shuka. Then the master gave it to other worthy disciples. He made another compilation of sixty hundred thousand verses; thirty hundred thousand were established in the world of the gods, fifteen thousand among the ancestors, and fourteen thousand among the Rakshasas and Yakshas. One hundred thousand verses were established among humans. Narada recited it to the gods, Asita-Devala to the ancestors, and Shuka to the Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Rakshasas. The sage Vaishampayana recited it to King Parikshit, also called Janamejaya. In this human world, Vaishampayana, the righteous disciple of Vyasa and foremost knower of the Vedas, recited it. Now, the full hundred thousand verses are recounted. In Duryodhana is seen the great tree of wrath; Karna is its trunk, Shakuni its branches, Dushasana its abundant flowers and fruits, and King Dhritarashtra, lacking discernment, is its root. In Yudhishthira is the great tree of righteousness; Arjuna is its trunk, Bhimasena its branches, the sons of Madri its abundant flowers and fruits, and Krishna, along with Brahma and the Brahmanas, is its root. Pandu, having conquered many lands through valor and prowess in battle, dwelled with his people in the forest, devoted to hunting.