ग्रहनक्षत्रताराणां प्रमाणं च युगैः सह। ऋचो यजूषि सामानि वेदाध्यात्मं तथैव च
The measures of planets, stars, and constellations, along with their cycles; the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas, and the essence of the Vedas as well.
न्यायशिक्षा चिकित्सा च दानं पाशुपतं तथा। इति नैकाश्रयं जन्म दिव्यमानुषसंज्ञितम्
Logic, phonetics, medicine, charity, and the Pashupata doctrine; thus, the birth of many disciplines, both divine and human, is described.
तीर्थानां चैव पुण्यानां देशानां चैव कीर्तनम्। नदीनां पर्वतानां च वनानां सागरस्य च
The praise of holy places and blessed lands, and also of rivers, mountains, forests, and the ocean.
पुराणां चैव दिव्यानां कल्पानां युद्धकौशलम्। वाक्यजातिविशेषाश्च लोकयात्राक्रमश्च यः
The divine ancient tales, the cycles of creation, the skill of warfare, the varieties of speech, and the order of worldly conduct.
यच्चापि सर्वगं वस्तु तच्चैव प्रतिपादितम्। परं न लेखकः कश्चिदेतस्य भुवि विद्यते
And whatever is the all-pervading reality, that too is explained here; there is no other writer on earth who has done so.
तपोविशिष्टदपि वै वसिष्ठान्मुनिपुंगवात्। मन्ये श्रेष्ठव्यं त्वां वै रहस्यज्ञानवेदनात्
Even compared to the great sage Vasishtha, distinguished by austerity, I consider you superior, for you possess knowledge of secret wisdom.
जन्मप्रभृति सत्यां ते वेद्मि गां ब्रह्मवादिनीम्। त्वयाच काव्यमित्युक्तं तस्मात्काव्यं भविष्यति
From your very birth I know you to be devoted to the Vedas; and since you have declared this to be a poem, therefore it shall be called a poem.
अस्य काव्यस्य कवयो न समर्था विशेषणे। विशेषणे गृहस्थस्य शेषास्त्रय इवाश्रमाः
Poets are not capable of describing the qualities of this poem, just as the other three stages of life cannot describe the householder.
जडान्धबधिरोन्मत्तं तमोभूतं जगद्भवेत्। यदि ज्ञानहुताशेन त्वया नोज्ज्वलियं भवेत्
The world would become dull, blind, deaf, mad, and enveloped in darkness, if you had not kindled the fire of knowledge.
तमसान्धस्य लोकस्य वेष्टितस्य स्वकर्मभिः। ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकाभिर्बुद्धिनेत्रोत्सवः कृतः
For the world, blinded and bound by its own actions, you have brought a festival of vision to the intellect with the collyrium-stick of knowledge.
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.