श्रावयिष्यन्ति ये विप्रा ये च श्रोष्यन्ति मानवाः। सर्वथा वर्तमाना वै न ते शोच्याः कृताकृतैः
The Brahmins who will recite and the people who will listen—whatever their circumstances, they are not to be grieved for, whether they have acted or not.
नरेण धर्मकामेन सर्वः श्रोतव्य इत्यपि। निखिलेनेतिहासोऽयं ततः सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात्
Every person who desires dharma should listen to this entire epic; by doing so, one attains success.
न तां स्वर्गगतिं प्राप्य तुष्टिं प्राप्नोति मानवः। यां श्रुत्वैवं महापुण्यमितिहासमुपाश्नुते
A person does not attain the satisfaction from reaching heaven that he enjoys by hearing this supremely meritorious epic.
शृण्वञ्श्राद्धः पुण्यशीलः श्रावयंश्चेदमद्भुतम्। नरः फलमवाप्नोति राजसूयाश्वमेधयोः
If, being pure and virtuous, a person listens to or recites this wondrous tale, he gains the fruit of the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices.
यथा समुद्रो भगवान्यथा मेरुर्महागिरिः। उभौ ख्यातौ रत्ननिधी तथा भारतमुच्यते
Just as the venerable ocean and the great mountain Meru are both renowned as repositories of jewels, so too is the Bharata known.
इदं हि वेदैः समितं पवित्रमषि चोत्तमम्। श्राव्यं श्रुतिसुखं चैव पावनं शीलवर्धनम्
Indeed, this is gathered from the Vedas, pure and most excellent, pleasant to hear, delightful to the ear, purifying, and a promoter of virtue.
य इदं भारतं राजन्वाचकाय प्रयच्छति। तेन सर्वा मही दत्ता भवेत्सागरमेखला
O King, whoever gives this Bharata to a reciter, it is as if he has given the entire earth, girdled by the sea.
पारिक्षित कथां दिव्यां पुण्याय विजयाय च। कथ्यमानां मया कृत्स्नां शृणु हर्षकरीमिमाम्
Hear from me this divine tale of Parikshit, told for merit and victory, complete and bringing joy.
त्रिभिर्वर्षैः सदोत्थायी कृष्णद्वैपायनो मुनिः। महाभारतमाख्यानं कृतवानिदमद्भुतम्
The sage Krishna Dvaipayana, ever diligent for three years, composed this wondrous narrative called the Mahabharata.
शृणु कीर्तयतस्तन्म इतिहासं पुरातनम्
Hear from me as I recite that ancient history.
पूरोर्वंशमहं धन्यं राज्ञाममिततेजसाम्। प्रवक्ष्यामि पितॄणां ते तेषां नामानि मे शृमु
I shall declare the illustrious lineage of Puru, of kings of immeasurable splendor; listen to the names of your ancestors.
अव्यक्तप्रभवो ब्रह्मा शाश्वतो नित्य अव्ययः। तस्मान्मरीचिः संजज्ञे दक्षश्चैव प्रजापतिः
Brahma, whose origin is unmanifest, eternal, everlasting, and imperishable—from him were born Marici and also Daksha, the lord of creatures.
अङ्गुष्ठाद्दक्षमसृजच्चक्षुर्भ्यां च मरीचिनम्। मरीचेः कश्यपः पुत्रो दक्षस्य दुहिताऽऽदितिः
From his thumb, Daksha was created; from his eyes, Marici. Marici's son was Kashyapa, and Daksha's daughter was Aditi.
अदित्यां कश्यपाद्विवस्थान्। विवस्वतो मनुर्मनोरिला
From Aditi and Kashyapa came Vivasvan; from Vivasvan, Manu; from Manu, Ila.
इलायाः पुरूरवाः। पुरूरवस आयुः। आयुषो नहुषः। नहुषस्य ययातिः
From Ila came Pururavas; from Pururavas, Ayu; from Ayu, Nahusha; from Nahusha, Yayati.
ययातेर्द्वे भार्ये बभूवतुः। उशनसो दुहिता देवयानी वृषपर्वणश्च दुहिता शर्मिष्ठा नाम
Yayati had two wives: Devayani, daughter of Ushanas, and Sharmishtha, daughter of Vrishaparvan.
तत्रानुवंशो भवति। यदुं च तुर्वसुं चैव देवयानी व्यजायत। द्रुह्यं चानुं च पूरुं च शर्मिष्ठा वार्षपर्वणी
Here is the succession: Devayani bore Yadu and Turvasu; Sharmishtha, daughter of Vrishaparvan, bore Druhyu, Anu, and Puru.
तत्र यदोर्यादवाः। पूरोः पौरवाः। पूरोर्भार्या कौसल्या बभूव। तस्यामस्य जज्ञे जनमेजयः
From Yadu came the Yadavas; from Puru, the Pauravas. Puru's wife was Kausalya, and in her Janamejaya was born.
स त्रीन्हयमेधानाजहार। विश्वजिता चेष्ट्वा वनं प्रविवेश
He performed three horse sacrifices, and after completing the Visvajit, he entered the forest.
जनमेजयस्तु सुनन्दां नामोपयेमे मागधीं। तस्यामस्य जज्ञे प्राचीन्वान्
Janamejaya married Sunanda, a princess of Magadha; in her, Pracinvan was born.
यः प्राचीं दिशं जिगाय। यावत्सूर्यादयात् तत्तस्य प्राचीनत्वम्
He conquered the eastern direction; as far as the sun rises, that is the extent of his eastern dominion.
प्राचीन्वांस्तु खल्वाश्मकीमुपयेमे यादवीम्। तस्यामस्य जज्ञे शस्यातिः
Pracinvan married Ashmaki, a Yadava woman; in her, Sasyati was born.
शय्यातिस्तु त्रिशङ्कोर्दुहितरं वराङ्गीं नामोपयेमे तस्यामस्य जज्ञेऽहंयातिः
Śayyāti took as his wife Triśaṅku's daughter, named Varāṅgī, and by her he begot Ahaṃyāti.
अहंयातिस्तु खलु कृतवीर्यदुहितरं भानुमतीं नामोपयेमे। तस्यामस्य जज्ञे सार्वभौमः
Ahaṃyāti indeed married Bhānumatī, the daughter of Kṛtavīrya; by her he begot Sārvabhauma.
सार्वभौमस्तु खलु जित्वाऽऽजहार कैकयीं सुन्दरां नाम तामुपयेमे। तस्यामस्य जज्ञे जयत्सेनः
Sārvabhauma, having conquered, took as his wife the beautiful Kaikayī, and by her he begot Jayatsena.
जयत्सेनस्तु खलु वैदर्भीमुपयेमे सुश्रवां नाम। तस्यामस्य जज्ञेऽपराचीनः
Jayatsena married the Vaidarbhī princess named Suśravā, and by her he begot Aparācīna.
अपराचीनस्तु खलु वैदर्भीमपरामुपयेमे मर्यादां नाम। तस्यामस्य जज्ञेऽरिहः
Aparācīna married another Vaidarbhī princess named Maryādā, and by her he begot Ariha.
अरिहः खल्वाङ्गीमुपेयेमे। तस्यामस्य जज्ञे महाभौमः
Ariha indeed married the Aṅgī princess, and by her he begot Mahābhauma.
महाभौमस्तु खलु प्रसेनजिद्दुहितरमुपयेमे सुयज्ञां नाम। तस्यामस्य जज्ञे अयुतानायी
Mahābhauma married Suyajñā, the daughter of Prasenajit, and by her he begot Ayutānāyī.
यः पुरुषमेधे पुरुषाणामयुतमानयत्तत्तस्यायुतानायित्वम्
He who brought ten thousand men in the human sacrifice—that is the reason for his name Ayutānāyī.