Mahabharata

नमो भगवते तस्मै व्यासायामिततेजसे। यस्य प्रसादाद्वक्ष्यामि नारायणकथामिमाम्

Salutations to that blessed Vyasa, of immeasurable energy, by whose grace I shall speak this tale of Narayana.

सर्वाश्रमाभिशमनं सर्वतीर्थावगाहनम्। न तथा फलद सूते नारायणकथा यथा

The merit gained by subduing all the senses or by bathing in all holy waters does not yield as much fruit as the tale of Narayana.

नास्ति नारायणसमं न भूतं न भविष्यति। एतेन सत्यवाक्येन सर्वार्थान्साधयाम्यहम्

There is none equal to Narayana, nor has there been, nor will there be; by this truthful statement, I shall accomplish all purposes.

आचख्युः कवयः केचित्संप्रत्याचक्षते परे। आख्यास्यन्ति तथैवान्य इतिहासमिमं भुवि

Some poets have told it, others are now telling it, and still others will narrate this history on earth in the same way.

इदं तु त्रिषु लोकेषु महज्ज्ञानं प्रतिष्ठितम्। विस्तरैश्च समासैश्च धार्यते यद्द्विजातिभिः

But this great knowledge, established in the three worlds, is preserved by the twice-born, both in detail and in summary.

अलङ्कृतं शुभैः शब्दैः समयैर्दिव्यधनुषैः। छन्दोवृत्तैश्च विविधैरन्वितं विदुषांप्रियम्

Adorned with beautiful words, with timely references to divine bows, and composed in various metrical forms, it is cherished by the learned.

तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण व्यस्य वेदं सनातनम्। इतिहासमिमं चक्रे पुण्यं सत्यवतीसुतः

By asceticism and celibacy, having mastered the eternal Veda, the son of Satyavati composed this sacred history.

पुण्ये हिमवतः पादे मेध्ये गिरिगुहालये। विशोध्य देहं धर्मात्मा दर्भसंस्तरमाश्रितः

On the holy slopes of the Himalaya, in a pure mountain cave, the righteous one, having purified his body, sat upon a bed of sacred grass.

शुचिः सनियमो व्यासः शान्तात्मातपसि स्थितः भारतस्येतिहासस्य धर्मेणान्वीक्ष्य तां गतिम्

Pure and self-restrained, Vyasa, with a tranquil mind established in austerity, contemplated the course of the Bharata's history through righteousness.

प्रविश्य योगं ज्ञानेन सोऽपश्यत्सर्वमन्ततः

Entering into union through knowledge, he perceived everything in its entirety.

निष्प्रभेऽस्मिन्निरालोके सर्वतस्तमसा वृते। बृहदण्डमभूदेकं प्रजानां बीजमव्ययम्

In that dim, lightless expanse, enveloped on all sides by darkness, there arose a single vast cosmic egg, the imperishable seed of beings.

युगस्यादिनिमित्तं तन्महद्दिव्यं प्रचक्षत। व्यस्मिंस्तच्छ्रूयते सत्यंज्योतिर्ब्रह्म सनातनम्

They declare that great and divine principle to be the cause of the beginning of the age; in it is heard the eternal truth, the light, the everlasting Brahman.

अद्भुतं चाप्यचिन्त्यं च सर्वत्र समतां मतम्। अव्यक्तं कारणं सूक्ष्मं यत्तत्सदसदात्मकम्

It is considered wondrous and inconceivable, the essence of equality everywhere; the unmanifest, subtle cause, which is both being and non-being.

यस्मिन्पितामहो जज्ञे प्रभुरेकः प्रजापतिः। ब्रह्मा सुरगुरुः स्थाणुर्मनुः कः परमेष्ठ्यथ

From that, the Grandfather was born—the one lord, the progenitor: Brahma, the teacher of the gods, Sthanu, Manu, Ka, and Parameshthin.

प्राचेतसस्तथा दक्षो दक्षपुत्राश्च सप्तवै। ततः प्रजानां पतयः प्राभवन्नेकविंशतिः

Likewise, Prachetas, Daksha, and Daksha's seven sons; then, the lords of creatures, twenty-one in number, arose.

पुरुषश्चाप्रमेयात्मा यं सर्वऋषयो विदु। विश्वेदेवास्तथाऽऽदित्या वसवोऽथाश्विनावपि

And the Person, whose nature is immeasurable, whom all the seers know, as well as all the gods, the Adityas, the Vasus, and the Ashvins.

यक्षाः साध्याः पिशाचाश्च गुह्यकाः पितरस्तथा। ततः प्रसूता विद्वांसः शिष्टा ब्रह्मर्षिसत्तमाः

Yakshas, Sadhyas, Pisachas, Guhyakas, and the Pitrs; then were born the wise and noble Brahmarshi sages.

महर्षयश्च बहवः सर्वैः समुदिता गुणैः। आतो द्यौः पृथिवी वायुरन्तरिक्षं दिशस्तया

And many great sages, endowed with all virtues; from them came the sky, earth, wind, the intermediate space, and the directions.

संवत्सरर्तवो मासाः पक्षाहोरात्रयः क्रमात्। यच्चान्यदपि तत्सर्वं संभूतं लोकसाक्षिकम्

The year, the seasons, the months, the fortnights, and the days and nights in order; and all else that exists, everything that came into being as witness to the worlds.

यदिदं दृश्यते किंचिद्बूतं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। पुनःसंक्षिप्यते सर्वं जगत्प्राप्ते युगक्षये

Whatever is seen here, whether moving or unmoving beings, all this world is again withdrawn when the end of the age arrives.

यथर्तुष्वृतुलिङ्गानि नानारूपाणि पर्यये। दृश्यन्ते तानि तान्येव तथा भावा युगादिषु

Just as, in the seasons, the signs of the solstices appear in various forms in turn, so too do the states of being at the beginnings of the ages.

एवमेतदनाद्यन्तं भूतसंघातकारकम्। अनादिनिधनं लोके चक्रं संपरिवर्तते

Thus, this wheel, without beginning or end, which brings about the aggregation of beings, turns perpetually in the world, without origin or destruction.

त्रयस्त्रिंशत्सहस्राणि त्रयस्त्रिंशच्छतानि च। त्रयस्त्रिंशच्च देवनां सृष्टिः संक्षेपलक्षणा

Thirty-three thousand, thirty-three hundred, and thirty-three gods—such is the concise reckoning of their creation.

दिवः पुत्रो बृहद्भानुश्चक्षुरात्मा विभावसुः। सविता स ऋचीकोऽर्को भानुराशावहो रविः

The son of heaven, Bṛhadbhānu, is the eye, the self, the radiant one; he is Savitṛ, Ṛcīka, Arka, Bhānu, the bringer of light, and Ravi.

पुत्रा विवस्वतः सर्वे मनुस्तेषां तथाऽवरः। देवभ्राट् तनयस्तस्य सुभ्राडिति ततः स्मृतः

All the sons of Vivasvat are known, and Manu is the youngest among them; Devabhṛt is his son, who is therefore called Subhrāṭ.

सुभ्राजस्तु त्रयः पुत्राः प्रजावन्तो बहुश्रुताः। दशज्योतिः शतज्योतिः सहस्रज्योतिरेव च

Subhrāj had three sons, prolific and learned: Daśajyoti, Śatajyoti, and also Sahasrajyoti.

दशपुत्रसहस्राणि दशज्योतेर्महात्मनः। ततो दशगुणाश्चान्ये शतज्योतेरिहात्मजाः

Daśajyoti, the great-souled, had ten thousand sons; the sons of Śatajyoti were ten times more than that.

भूयस्ततो दशगुणाः सहस्रज्योतिषः सुताः। तेभ्योऽयं कुरुवंशश्च यदूनां भरतस्य च

The sons of Sahasrajyoti were yet ten times more numerous; from them arose the lineages of the Kurus, the Yadus, and Bharata.

ययातीक्ष्वाकृवंशश्च राजर्षीणां च सर्वशः। संभूता बहवो वंशा भूतसर्गाः सुविस्तराः

From Yayāti and Ikṣvāku, and from all the royal sages, many lineages arose, vast and manifold in their creation.