विधातृविहितं मार्गं न कश्चिदतिवर्तते। कालमूलमिदं सर्वं भावाभावौ सुखासुखे
No one can overstep the path ordained by the Creator; all existence and non-existence, pleasure and pain, have their root in Time.
कालः सृजति भूतानि कालः संहरते प्रजाः। संहरन्तं प्रजाः कालं कालः शमयते पुनः
Time creates beings, and Time withdraws creatures; even Time itself, when it withdraws beings, is again subdued by Time.
कालो विकुरुते भावान्सर्वांल्लोके शुभाशुभान्। कालः संक्षिपते सर्वाः प्रजा विसृजते पुनः
Time transforms all things in the world, both auspicious and inauspicious; Time contracts all creatures and then releases them again.
कालः सुप्तेषु जागर्ति कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः। कालः सर्वेषु भूतेषु चरत्यविधतः समः
Time remains awake when all others sleep, for Time is truly insurmountable; Time moves impartially among all beings, ungoverned.
अतीतानागता भावा ये च वर्तन्ति सांप्रतम्। तान्कालनिर्मितान्बुद्ध्वा न संज्ञां हातुमर्हसि
Knowing that all things—past, future, and those existing now—are fashioned by Time, you should not abandon your awareness.
इत्येवं पुत्रशोकार्तं धृतराष्ट्रं जनेश्वरम्। आश्वास्य स्वस्थमकरोत्सूतो गावल्गणिस्तदा
Thus, the charioteer Gāvalgaṇa comforted King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who was afflicted by grief for his son, and restored his composure.
धृतराष्ट्रोऽपि तच्छ्रुत्वा धृतिमेव समाश्रयत्। दिष्ट्येदमागतमिति मत्त्वा स प्राज्ञसत्तमः
And Dhṛtarāṣṭra, having heard this, took refuge in self-control, understanding, 'This has come to pass by destiny,' for he was wise and noble.
लोकानां च हितार्थाय कारुण्यान्मुनिसत्तमः। अत्रोपनिषदं पुण्यां कृष्णद्वैपायनोऽब्रवीत्
For the welfare of the worlds and out of compassion, the eminent sage Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana here spoke the sacred Upaniṣad.
विद्वद्भिः कथ्यते लोके पुराणे कविसत्तमैः। भारताध्ययनं पुण्यमपि पादमधीयतः। श्रद्दधानस्य पूयन्ते सर्वपापान्यशेषतः
It is said by the learned and by the foremost poets in the Purāṇas that even one who studies a single section of the Mahābhārata with faith is purified entirely of all sins.
देवा देवर्षयो ह्यत्र तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽमलाः। कीर्त्यन्ते शुमकर्माणस्तथा यक्षा महोरगाः
Here are praised the gods, the divine sages, the pure Brahmarṣis, as well as the Yakṣas and great serpents, all renowned for their noble deeds.
भगवान्वासुदेवश्च कीर्त्यतेऽत्र सनातनः। स हि सत्यमृतं चैव पवित्रं पुण्यमेव च
Here, too, is praised the blessed Vāsudeva, the eternal one, for he is truth, the law, purity, and merit itself.
शाश्वतं ब्रह्म परमं ध्रुवं ज्योतिः सनातनम्। यस्य दिव्यानि कर्माणि कथन्ति मनीषिणः
He is the eternal, supreme, unchanging Brahman, the everlasting light, whose divine deeds are recounted by the wise.
असत्सत्सदसच्चैव यस्माद्विश्वं प्रवर्तते। सन्ततिश्च प्रवृत्तिश्च जन्ममृत्युपुनर्भवाः
From him, both the existent and the non-existent, and all that is and is not, arise; succession, activity, birth, death, and rebirth all proceed from him.
अध्यात्मं श्रूयतें यत्र पञ्चभूतगुणात्मकम्। अव्यक्तादि परं यच्च स एव परिगीयते
Where the teaching of the Self is heard, composed of the qualities of the five elements, and that which is beyond the unmanifest is also praised as him.
यं ध्यायन्ति सदा मुक्ता ध्यानयोगबलान्विताः। प्रतिबिम्बमिवादर्शे पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम्
Those who are ever liberated, endowed with the power of meditation and yoga, always contemplate him, seeing him established within themselves as a reflection in a mirror.
श्रद्दधानः सदा युक्तः सदा धर्मपरायणः। आसेवन्निममध्यायं नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते
A person who is ever faithful, ever disciplined, and always devoted to righteousness, by reciting this chapter, is freed from sin.
अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायं भारतस्येममादितः। आस्तिकः सततं शृण्वन्न कृच्छ्रेष्ववसीदति
One who, with faith, constantly listens to this opening chapter of the Mahābhārata's Table of Contents, does not falter even in hardship.
उभे सन्ध्ये जपन्किंचित्सद्यो मुच्येत किल्बिषात्। अनुक्रमण्या यावत्स्यादह्नारात्र्या च संचितम्
By reciting even a little at both twilights, one is immediately freed from sin, as long as the recitation of the Table of Contents accumulates for day and night.
भारतस्य वपुर्ह्येतत्सत्यं चामृतमेव च। नवनीतं यथा दध्नो द्विपदां ब्राह्मणो यथा
This is truly the essence and the immortal substance of the Bharata, just as clarified butter is the essence of curds, and the Brahmin is the foremost among men.
आरण्यकं च वेदेभ्य ओषधिभ्योऽमृतं यथा। ह्रदानामुदधिः श्रेष्ठो गौर्वरिष्ठा चतुष्पदाम्
As the Aranyaka is to the Vedas, as nectar is to herbs, as the ocean is the best among lakes, and the cow is the foremost among quadrupeds—
यथैतानीतिहासानां तथा भारतमुच्यते। यश्चैनं श्रावयेच्छ्राद्धे ब्राह्मणान्पादमन्ततः
So too, among all histories, the Bharata is regarded as such; and whoever recites even a quarter of it to Brahmins during a śrāddha—
अक्षय्यमन्नपानं वै पितृंस्तस्योपतिष्ठते। इतिहासपुराणाभ्यां वेदं समुपबृंहयेत्
For him, inexhaustible food and drink are offered to his ancestors; one should augment the Veda with Itihāsa and Purāṇa.
बिभेत्यल्पश्रुताद्वेदो मामयं प्रतरिष्यति। कार्ष्णं वेदमिमं विद्वाञ्श्रावयित्वार्थमश्नुते
The Veda fears a person of little learning, thinking, 'He will cross me over'; the wise one who recites this Kārṣṇa Veda attains its meaning.
भ्रूणहत्यादिकं चापि पापं जह्यादसंशयम्। य इमं शुचिरध्यायं पठेत्पर्वणि पर्वणि
He certainly casts off sins such as the killing of a fetus, without doubt, who, pure, studies and recites this during each festival.
अधीतं भारतं तेन कृत्स्नं स्यादिति मे मतिः। यश्चैनं शृणुयान्नित्यमार्षं श्रद्धासमन्वितः
By him, the entire Bharata is considered as studied—so is my opinion; and whoever listens to it daily with faith and reverence—
स दीर्घमायुः कीर्तिं च स्वर्गतिं चाप्नुयान्नरः। एकतश्चतुरो वेदा भारतं चैतदेकतः
That man attains long life, fame, and the path to heaven; on one side are the four Vedas, and on the other, this Bharata.
पुरा किल सुरैः सर्वैः समेत्य तुलया धृतम्। चतुर्भ्यः सरहस्येभ्यो वेदेभ्यो ह्यधिकं यदा
Once, all the gods assembled and weighed them on a scale; when the Bharata, with all its secrets, outweighed the four Vedas—
तदाप्रभृति लोकेऽस्मिन्महाभारतमुच्यते। महत्त्वे च गुरुत्वे च ध्रियमाणं यतोऽधिकम्
From that time on, in this world, it is called the Mahābhārata; because it surpasses in greatness and weight.
महत्त्वाद्भारवत्त्वाच्च महाभारतमुच्यते। निरुक्तमस्य यो वेद सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
Because of its greatness and its weight, it is called the Mahābhārata; whoever knows its etymology is freed from all sins.
तपो नकल्कोऽध्ययनं नकल्कः स्वाभाविको वेदविधिर्नकल्कः। प्रसह्य वित्ताहरणं नकल्क- स्तान्येव भावोपहतानि कल्कः
Austerity is not tainted, study is not tainted, the natural ordinance of the Veda is not tainted; forcible seizure of wealth is tainted—only those acts corrupted by disposition are tainted.