त्वया भारतसूर्येण नृणां विनिहतं तमः
By you, O sun of the Bharata, the darkness of men has been destroyed.
पुराणपूर्णचन्द्रेण श्रुतिज्योत्स्नाप्रकाशिना। नृणां कुमुदसौम्यानां कृतं बुद्धिप्रसादनम्
By the full-moon of ancient tales, shining with the light of the Vedas, the minds of men, gentle as lotuses, have been gladdened.
इतिहासप्रदीपेन मोहावरणघातिना। लोकगर्भगृहं कृत्स्नं यथावत्संप्रकाशितम्
By the lamp of history, which destroys the veil of delusion, the entire womb of the world has been properly illuminated.
संग्रहाध्यायबीजो वै पौलोमास्तीकमूलवान्। संभवस्कन्धविस्तारः सभापर्वविटङ्कवान्
The summary chapter is the seed, with the stories of Pauloma and Astika as roots; the section on origins is its trunk, and the Sabha Parva is its knot.
आरण्यपर्वरूपाढ्यो विराटोद्योगसारवान्। भीष्मपर्वमहाशाखो द्रोणपर्वपलाशवान्
It is rich 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.
कर्णपर्वसितैः पुष्पैः शल्यपर्वसुगन्धिभिः। स्त्रीपर्वैषीकविश्रामः शान्तिपर्वमहाफलः
The Karna Parva is adorned with flowers, the Shalya Parva with fragrance; the Stri Parva is its resting place, and the Shanti Parva its great fruit.
अश्वमेधामृतसस्त्वाश्रमस्थानसंश्रयः। मौसलश्रुतिसंक्षेपः शिष्टद्विजनिषेवितः
It is sheltered by the Ashvamedhika and Amshasana Parvas, and the Ashramavasika Parva; the Mausala Parva is its summary, and it is served by worthy twice-born men.
सर्वेषां कविमुख्यानामुपजीव्यो भविष्यति। पर्जन्यइव भूतानामक्षयो भारद्रुमः
It will be the support of all the foremost poets, just as the inexhaustible cloud is for all beings, and the great tree of Bharata.
काव्यस्य लेखनार्थाय गणेशः स्मर्यतां मुने
Let Ganesha be remembered, O sage, for the purpose of writing this poem.
एवमाभाष्य तं ब्रह्मा जगाम स्वं निवेशनम्। भगवान्स जगत्स्रष्टा ऋषिदेवगणैः सह
Having thus spoken to him, Brahma, the blessed creator of the world, departed to his own abode along with the hosts of sages and gods.
ततः सस्मार हेरम्बं व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः
Then Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, remembered Heramba (Ganesha).
स्मृतमात्रो गणेशानो भक्तचिन्तितपूरकः। तत्राजगाम विघ्नेशो वेदव्यासो यतः स्थितः
As soon as he was remembered, the Lord of Ganas, fulfiller of his devotee’s thoughts, arrived there where Vyasa was standing.
पूजितश्चोपविष्टश्च व्यासेनोक्तस्तदानघ। लेखको भारतस्यास्य भव त्वं गणनायक।। मयैव प्रोच्यमानस्य मनसा कल्पितस्य च
Having been worshipped and seated, Vyasa then spoke to the sinless Gananayaka: 'Be the scribe of this Bharata, as I recite it and as it is conceived in my mind.'
श्रुत्वैतत्प्राह विघ्नेशो यदि मे लेखनी क्षणम्। लिखतो नावतिष्ठेत तदा स्यां लेखको ह्यहम्
Hearing this, the Lord of Obstacles replied, 'If my pen should not pause even for a moment while writing, then I shall be the scribe.'
व्यासोऽप्युवाच तं देवमबुद्ध्वा मा लिख क्वचित्। ओमित्युक्त्वा गणेशोपि बभूव किल लेखकः
Vyasa also said to that god, 'Do not write anywhere without understanding.' Having said 'Om,' Ganesha indeed became the scribe.
ग्रन्थग्रन्थिं तदा चक्रे मुनिर्गूढं कुतूहलात्। यस्मिन्प्रतिज्ञया प्राह मुनिर्द्वैपायनस्त्विदम्
Then the sage, out of hidden curiosity, composed intricate knots in the text, in accordance with the condition he had set.
अष्टौ श्लोकसहस्राणि अष्टौ श्लोकशतानि च। अहं वेद्मि शुको वेत्ति संजयो वेत्ति वा न वा
There are eight thousand verses and eight hundred more; I know them, Shuka knows them, and Sanjaya may or may not know them.
तच्छ्लोककूटमद्यापि ग्रथितं सुदृढं मुने। भेत्तुं न शक्यतेऽर्थस्यं गूढत्वात्प्रश्रितस्य च
Even today, O sage, that knot of verses remains firmly composed; it cannot be unraveled because of the depth and subtlety of its meaning.
सर्वज्ञोपि गणेशो यत्क्षणमास्ते विचारयन्। तावच्चकार व्यासोपि श्लोकानन्यान्बहूनपि
Even Ganesha, though all-knowing, would pause for a moment in thought; during that time, Vyasa composed many other verses.
तस्य वृक्षस्य वक्ष्यामि शाखापुष्पफलोदयम्। स्वादुमेध्यरसोपेतमच्छेद्यममरैरपि
I shall describe the branches, flowers, and fruits of that tree, endowed with sweet, pure, and nourishing essence, unbreakable even by the immortals.
अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायं वृत्तान्तं सर्वपर्वणाम्। इदं द्वैपायनः पूर्वं पुत्रमध्यापयच्छुकम्
Dvaipayana (Vyasa) first taught this chapter of the index, the account of all the parvas, to his son Shuka.
ततोऽन्येभ्योऽनुरूपेभ्यः शिष्येभ्यः प्रददौ प्रभु षष्टिं शतसहस्राणि चकारान्यां स संहिताम्। त्रिंशच्छतसहस्रं च देवलोके प्रतिष्ठितम्
Then the master gave it to other worthy disciples; he made another compilation of sixty hundred thousand verses, and thirty hundred thousand were established in the world of the gods.
पित्र्ये पञ्चदश प्रोक्तं रक्षोयक्षे चतुर्दश। एकं शतसहस्रं तु मानुषेषु प्रतिष्ठितम्
Fifteen thousand are said to be in the Pitri world, fourteen thousand among the Rakshasas and Yakshas, and one hundred thousand are established among humans.
नारदोऽश्रावयद्देवानसितो देवलः पितृन्। गन्धर्वयक्षरक्षांसि श्रावयामास वै शुकः
Narada recited it to the gods, Asita-Devala to the ancestors, and Shuka indeed recited it to the Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Rakshasas.
वैशंपायनविप्रर्षिः श्रावयामास पार्थिवम्। पारिक्षितं महात्मानं नाम्ना तु जनमेजयम्
The sage Vaishampayana recited it to the king, the great-souled Parikshit, who was also called Janamejaya.
अस्मिंस्तु मानुषे लोके वैशंपायन उक्तवान्। शिष्यो व्यासस्य धर्मात्मा सर्ववेदविदां वरः
In this human world, Vaishampayana, the righteous disciple of Vyasa and the foremost among knowers of all the Vedas, recited it.
एकं शतसहस्रं तु मयोक्तं वै निबोधत
Now listen as I recount the one hundred thousand verses I have spoken.
दुर्योधनो मन्युमयो महाद्रुमः कर्णः स्कन्धः शकुनिस्तस्य शाखाः। दुश्शासनः पुष्पफले समृद्धे मूलं राजा धृतराष्ट्रोऽमनीषि
Duryodhana is the great tree of wrath, Karna its trunk, Shakuni its branches, Dushasana its abundant flowers and fruits, and King Dhritarashtra, lacking discernment, is its root.
युधिष्ठिरे धर्ममयो महाद्रुमः स्कन्धोऽर्जुनो भीमसेनोऽस्य शाखाः। माद्रीसुतौ पुष्पफले समृद्धे मूलं कृष्णो ब्रह्म च ब्राह्मणाश्च
In Yudhishthira is the great tree of righteousness, Arjuna 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.
पाण्डुर्जित्वा बहून्देशान्युधा विक्रमणेन च। अरण्ये मृगयाशीलो न्यवसत्सजनस्तथा
Pandu, having conquered many lands by valor and prowess in battle, dwelled with his people in the forest, devoted to hunting.