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Whatever is seen here, whether moving or unmoving beings, all this world is again withdrawn when the end of the age arrives.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.
भूतस्थानानि सर्वाणि रहस्यं त्रिविधं च यत्। वेदा योगः सविज्ञानो धर्मोऽर्थः काम एव च
All the abodes of beings, the threefold secret, the Vedas, yoga with knowledge, and also dharma, artha, and kāma—
धर्मार्थकामयुक्तानि शास्त्राणि विविधानि च। लोकयात्राविधान च सर्व तद्दृष्टवानृषिः
The various treatises endowed with dharma, artha, and kāma, and the regulations for worldly conduct—all this the sage has seen.
नीतिर्भरतवंशस्य विस्तारश्चैव सर्वशः।' इतिहासाः सहव्याख्या विविधाश्रुतयोऽपि च
The polity of the Bharata line, its complete expansion, the histories with their explanations, and the various traditions as well—
इह सर्वमनुक्रान्तमुक्तं ग्रन्थस्य लक्षणम्। `संक्षेपेणेतिहासस्य ततो वक्ष्यति विस्तरम्
Here, all this has been recounted, the characteristics of the text declared; now, in brief, the history will be spoken, and then in detail.
विस्तीर्यैतन्महज्ज्ञानमृषिः संक्षिप्य चाब्रवीत्। इष्टं हि विदुषां लोके समासव्यासधारणम्
The sage, having expanded this great knowledge, also condensed it; for the wise in the world prefer both summary and detail.
मन्वादि भारतं केचिदास्तीकादि तथाऽपरे। तथोपरिचराद्यन्ये विप्राः सम्यगधीयिरे
Some recite the Bhārata beginning with Manu, others with Āstīka, and yet others, the learned brāhmaṇas, begin with Uparicara.
विविधं संहिताज्ञानं दीपयन्ति मनीषिणः। व्याख्यातुं कुशलाः केचिद्ग्रन्थान्धारयितुं परे
The wise illuminate the various collections of knowledge; some are skilled in explanation, others in preserving the texts.
तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण व्यस्य वेदं सनातनम्। इतिहासमिमं चक्रे पुण्यं सत्यवतीत्सुतः
By austerity and celibacy, Vyāsa composed this sacred and ancient history, after dividing the eternal Veda.
पराशरात्मजो विद्वान्ब्रह्मर्षिः संशितव्रतः। मातुर्नियोगाद्धर्मात्मा गाङ्गेयस्य च धीमतः
The learned son of Parāśara, a brahmarṣi firm in his vows, by his mother's request and the wise Gāṅgeya's too—
क्षेत्रे विचित्रवीर्यस्य कृष्णद्वैपायनः पुरा। त्रीनग्नीनिव कौरव्याञ्जनयामास वीर्यवान्
In the field of Vicitravīrya, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, powerful as he was, begot three Kauravas, like three sacred fires.
उत्पाद्य धृतराष्ट्रं च पाण्डुं विदुरमेव च। जगाम तपसे धीमान्पुनरेवाश्रमं प्रति
Having begotten Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and also Vidura, the wise one returned again to his hermitage for austerity.
तेषु जातेषु वृद्धेषु गतेषु परमां गतिम्। अब्रवीद्भारतं लोके मानुषेऽस्मिन्महानृषिः
When they were born, had grown, and attained their highest state, the great sage spoke the Bhārata to the people of this world.
जनमेजयेन पृष्टः सन्ब्राह्मणैश्च सहस्रशः। शशास शिष्यमासीनं वैशंपायनमन्तिके
When questioned by Janamejaya, together with thousands of Brahmins, he instructed his disciple Vaishampayana, who was seated nearby.
स सदस्यैः सहासीनं श्रावयामास भारतम्। कर्मान्तरेषु यज्ञस्य चोद्यमानः पुनः पुनः
He then caused Vaishampayana, seated among the assembly, to recite the Bharata, being repeatedly urged during the intervals of the sacrifice.
विस्तारं कुरुवंशस्य गान्धार्या धर्मशीलताम्। क्षत्तुः प्रज्ञां धृतिं कुन्त्याः सम्यग्द्वैपायनोब्रवीत्
Vyasa spoke in detail about the lineage of the Kurus, the righteousness of Gandhari, the wisdom of Vidura, and the steadfastness of Kunti.
वासुदेवस्य माहात्म्यं पाण्डवानां च सत्यताम्। दुर्वृत्तं धार्तराष्ट्राणामुक्तवान्भगवानृषिः
The divine sage described the greatness of Vasudeva, the truthfulness of the Pandavas, and the wickedness of the sons of Dhritarashtra.
इदं शतसहस्रं तु श्लोकानां पुण्यकर्मणाम्। उपाख्यानैः सह ज्ञेयं श्राव्यं भारतमुत्तमम्
This Bharata, together with its supplementary tales, is to be known and heard as the supreme Bharata—one hundred thousand verses of virtuous deeds.
चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रीं चक्रे भारतसंहिताम्। उपाख्यानैर्विना तावद्भारतं प्रोच्यते बुधैः
He composed the Bharata Samhita in twenty-four thousand verses; without the supplementary tales, the wise refer to that as the Bharata.
ततोऽध्यर्धशतं भूयः संक्षेपं कृतवानृषिः। अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायं वृत्तान्तं सर्वपर्वणाम्
After that, the sage made a further abridgment of over fifty chapters, an index chapter recounting the events of all the books.
तस्याख्यानवरिष्ठस्य कृत्वा द्वैपायनः प्रभुः। कथमध्यापयानीह शिष्यानित्यन्वचिन्तयत्
Having created this most excellent narrative, the lord Dvaipayana considered how he might teach it here to his disciples.