ಗ್ರಹಗಳು, ನಕ್ಷತ್ರಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ತಾರಾಗಣಗಳ ಮಾಪನಗಳು, ಅವುಗಳ ಚಕ್ರಗಳು, ಹಾಗೂ ಋಗ್ವೇದ, ಯಜುರ್ವೇದ, ಸಾಮವೇದ ಮತ್ತು ವೇದಗಳ ಸಾರಾಂಶ—all these profound subjects are described here with clarity and reverence. Alongside them, the scriptures explain logic, phonetics, medicine, the virtue of charity, and the Pāśुपತ ತತ್ವ, thus detailing the origin and development of many divine and human sciences. Sacred places, blessed lands, rivers, mountains, forests, and the great ocean are all praised and extolled. The ancient divine stories, the cycles of creation and dissolution, the art of warfare, varieties of speech, and the proper conduct in worldly life are all narrated in detail. Not only this, whatever is the all-pervading ultimate reality—that too is explained here. Truly, there is no other author on earth who has accomplished such a feat. Even when compared to the great sage Vasishtha, renowned for his austerity, you, Vyasa, are considered superior, for you possess the knowledge of the most secret wisdom. From your very birth, you have been devoted to the Vedas, and since you have declared this to be a poem, it shall indeed be called a mahaakavya—a great poem. The qualities of this work are so profound that no poet can truly describe them, just as the other three stages of life cannot fully describe the householder’s path. If you had not kindled the fire of knowledge, the world would have become dull, blind, deaf, mad, and lost in darkness. For a world blinded and bound by its own actions, you have brought a festival of vision to the intellect, as if applying the collyrium-stick of knowledge to their eyes. O sun of the Bharata lineage, by you the darkness of men has been dispelled. Through the full-moon of these ancient tales, radiant with the light of the Vedas, the minds of men—gentle as lotuses—have been gladdened. By the lamp of history, which destroys the veil of delusion, the entire world has been properly illuminated. This great epic is like a mighty tree: the summary chapter is its seed; the stories of Pauloma and Astika are its roots; the Adi Parva is its trunk; and the Sabha Parva is its knot. The Aranyaka Parva forms its rich body, containing the essence of the Virata and Udyoga Parvas. The Bhishma Parva is its great branch, and the Drona Parva its leaves. The Karna Parva is adorned with beautiful flowers, the Shalya Parva with fragrance; the Stri Parva is its resting place, and the Shanti Parva its great fruit. It is sheltered by the Ashvamedhika, Amshasana, and Ashramavasika Parvas. The Mausala Parva forms its summary, and it is served by worthy twice-born men. This epic will be the support of all foremost poets, just as the inexhaustible cloud is for all beings, and as the great tree of Bharata. O sage, let us remember Ganesha for the purpose of writing this poem. Having thus spoken, Brahma—the blessed creator of the world—departed to his own abode along with the hosts of sages and gods. Then Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, remembered Heramba, Lord Ganesha. As soon as he was remembered, the Lord of Ganas, who fulfills his devotees’ thoughts, arrived there where Vyasa was standing. Once worshipped and seated, Vyasa addressed the sinless Gananayaka: “Be the scribe of this Bharata, as I recite it and as it is conceived in my mind.” 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.” Vyasa also said to Ganesha, “Do not write anywhere without understanding.” Having said “Om,” Ganesha indeed became the scribe. Then, out of hidden curiosity, Vyasa composed intricate knots in the text, in accordance with the condition he had set. There are eight thousand verses and eight hundred more; I know them, Shuka knows them, and Sanjaya may or may not know them. Even today, those knots of verses remain firmly composed; they cannot be unraveled because of the depth and subtlety of their meaning. Even Ganesha, though all-knowing, would pause for a moment in thought; during that time, Vyasa composed many other verses. I shall now describe the branches, flowers, and fruits of that tree, which is endowed with sweet, pure, and nourishing essence, unbreakable even by the immortals. Dvaipayana Vyasa first taught this summary chapter, the account of all the parvas, to his son Shuka. Then the master gave it to other worthy disciples; he made another compilation of sixty hundred thousand verses, and thirty hundred thousand were established in the world of the gods. Fifteen thousand are said to be in the Pitri world, fourteen thousand among the Rakshasas and Yakshas, and one hundred thousand are established among humans. Narada recited it to the gods, Asita-Devala to the ancestors, and Shuka to the Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Rakshasas. The sage Vaishampayana recited it to the king, the great-souled Parikshit, also called Janamejaya. In this human world, Vaishampayana—the righteous disciple of Vyasa and foremost among knowers of all the Vedas—recited it. Now, listen as I recount the one hundred thousand verses I have spoken. Duryodhana is the great tree of wrath, Karna its trunk, Shakuni its branches, Dushasana its abundant flowers and fruits, and King Dhritarashtra, lacking discernment, is its root. In Yudhishthira is the great tree of righteousness, Arjuna its trunk, Bhimasena its branches, the sons of Madri its abundant flowers and fruits, and Krishna, along with Brahma and the Brahmanas, is its root. Pandu, having conquered many lands by valor and prowess in battle, dwelled with his people in the forest, devoted to hunting. Thus, the grand tale begins, filled with wisdom, history, and the essence of dharma, guiding the world through the light of knowledge.