कलौ नष्टदृशामेष पुराणार्कोऽधुनोदितः। तत्र कीर्तयतो विप्रा विप्रर्षेर्भूरितेजसः
In this age, where true vision is lost, a sun among Purāṇas has now risen; there the Brahmins, praising, filled with radiance, proclaimed it among the sage-Brahmins.
अहं चाध्यगमं तत्र निविष्टस्तद् अनुग्रहात्। सोऽहं वः श्रावयिष्यामि यथाधीतं यथामति
I too, having entered that teaching by grace, will recount it to you as I received and as my mind comprehends.
व्यास उवाच । (अनुष्टुप्) इति ब्रुवाणं संस्तूय मुनीनां दीर्घसत्रिणाम् । वृद्धः कुलपतिः सूतं बह्वृचः शौनकोऽब्रवीत्
Vyāsa said: Thus speaking in praise of the long-sitting sages, the venerable head of the clan addressed the sūta — Bhaṛvācchhauna ka — and spoke.
शौनक उवाच । सूत सूत महाभाग वद नो वदतां वर । कथां भागवतीं पुण्यां यदाह भगवान् शुकः
Śaunaka said: O sūta, noble sūta, speak — tell us — your best account: what is the sacred Bhāgavata teaching that Śuka the exalted declared?
कस्मिन् युगे प्रवृत्तेयं स्थाने वा केन हेतुना । कुतः सञ्चोदितः कृष्णः कृतवान् संहितां मुनिः
In what age did this begin, at what place and for what cause was Krishna’s assembly composed by the sage?
तस्य पुत्रो महायोगी समदृङ् निर्विकल्पकः । एकान्तमतिः उन्निद्रो गूढो मूढ इवेयते
His son, the great yogin, equal-seeing and free of conceptual distinctions, single-minded, half-asleep, hidden and seeming like a fool, was of one resolute view.
(वसंततिलका) दृष्ट्वानुयान्तमृषिमात्मजमप्यनग्नं देव्यो ह्रिया परिदधुर्न सुतस्य चित्रम् । तद्वीक्ष्य पृच्छति मुनौ जगदुस्तवास्ति स्त्रीपुम्भिदा न तु सुतस्य विविक्तदृष्टेः
Seeing the sage’s son following after him, unclothed, the goddess, abashed, did not display the boy’s form; observing that, the two sages ask whether the world exists — whether the child be both male and female, not simply secluded in sight.
(अनुष्टुप्) कथमालक्षितः पौरैः संप्राप्तः कुरुजाङ्गलान् । उन्मत्तमूकजडवद् विचरन् गजसाह्वये
How was he perceived by townsfolk when he entered the Kurujangala wilderness, wandering like a mad, heavy‑faced elephant at a war elephant’s call?
कथं वा पाण्डवेयस्य राजर्षेर्मुनिना सह । संवादः समभूत् तात यत्रैषा सात्वती श्रुतिः
How, O son, did that dialogue occur between the kingly-sage of the Pāṇḍavas and the munificent ascetic? Tell me where that sattvic teaching was heard.
स गोदोहनमात्रं हि गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम् । अवेक्षते महाभागः तीर्थीकुर्वन् तदाश्रमम्
A great fortunate man observes in a householder’s home nothing more than the milking of cows; he regards that hermitage as a pilgrimage and does penance there.
अभिमन्युसुतं सूत प्राहुर्भागवतोत्तमम् । तस्य जन्म महाश्चर्यं कर्माणि च गृणीहि नः
The bard said: A Sūta proclaimed Abhimanyu’s son, the excellent of the Bhagavans; tell us of that wondrous birth and the deeds he performed.
स सम्राट् कस्य वा हेतोः पाण्डूनां मानवर्धनः । प्रायोपविष्टो गङ्गायां अनादृत्य अधिराट् श्रियम्
For what reason was that sovereign, the scion of Pāṇḍu and restorer of men, ruler? Having taken his seat on the Ganges’ bank, he did not fail to protect royal wealth.
(वंशस्थ) नमन्ति यत्पादनिकेतमात्मनः शिवाय हानीय धनानि शत्रवः । कथं स वीरः श्रियमङ्ग दुस्त्यजां युवैषतोत् स्रष्टुमहो सहासुभिः
They bow to that sanctified place beneath whose foot the foes suffer loss of wealth; how could that hero, giving up auspicious prosperity, abandon noble companions at their youthful prime?
शिवाय लोकस्य भवाय भूतये य उत्तमश्लोकपरायणा जनाः । जीवन्ति नात्मार्थमसौ पराश्रयं मुमोच निर्विद्य कुतः कलेवरम्
For Shiva, for the world, for the welfare of beings — those devoted to excellent verses live not for themselves but for others; how could he, freed through knowledge, yet cling to the body?
(अनुष्टुप्) तत्सर्वं नः समाचक्ष्व पृष्टो यदिह किञ्चन । मन्ये त्वां विषये वाचां स्नातमन्यत्र छान्दसात्
All that tell us plainly now, for we asked about anything here; I think your speech is polished in this metre and differs elsewhere.
सूत उवाच द्वापरे समनुप्राप्ते तृतीये युगपर्यये । जातः पराशराद् योगी वासव्यां कलया हरेः
Sūta said: In the Dvāpara just before the third age, a yogī born of Paraśara appeared, bringing with him the divine art of Viṣṇu to the sons of Vāsava.
स कदाचित् सरस्वत्या उपस्पृश्य जलं शुचिः । विविक्तदेश आसीन उदिते रविमण्डले
Once he, pure, touched water from the Sarasvatī; sitting in a lonely place at sunrise he observed the sun’s disc.
परावरज्ञः स ऋषिः कालेनाव्यक्तरंहसा । युगधर्मव्यतिकरं प्राप्तं भुवि युगे युगे
That sage, famed above others, by time became subtle and invisible; repeatedly he altered the age’s dharma, arising in world-ages again and again.
भौतिकानां च भावानां शक्तिह्रासं च तत्कृतम् । अश्रद्दधानान्निःसत्त्वान् दुर्मेधान् ह्रसितायुषः
He caused the waning of material qualities and of mental states; he removed faithless, passionless ones, the dull-witted and those whose lives were diminished.
दुर्भगांश्च जनान् वीक्ष्य मुनिर्दिव्येन चक्षुषा । सर्ववर्णाश्रमाणां यद् दध्यौ हितममोघदृक्
Seeing the ill-fated masses with his divine eye, the seer apportioned suitable, unfailing welfare to all varṇas and āśramas.
चातुर्होत्रं कर्म शुद्धं प्रजानां वीक्ष्य वैदिकम् । व्यदधाद् यज्ञसन्तत्यै वेदमेकं चतुर्विधम्
There are four classes of domestic rites, pure actions observed by the people according to Vedic practice; the sacrificial traditions were laid down for the onward transmission of the yajña, and the one Veda was split into four.
ऋग्यजुःसामाथर्वाख्या वेदाश्चत्वार उद्धृताः । इतिहासपुराणं च पञ्चमो वेद उच्यते
Called Ṛg, Yajus, Sāma and Atharva, these four Vedas are enumerated; besides them, the account and ancient lore — the Itihāsa and Purāṇa — are spoken of as a fifth Veda.
तत्रर्ग्वेदधरः पैलः सामगो जैमिनिः कविः । वैशंपायन एवैको निष्णातो यजुषामुत
Among the Ṛg-keepers was Paileya; the Sāma was Jaimini the seer-poet; and Vaiśampāyana alone was expert among the Yajus scholars.
अथर्वाङ्गिरसामासीत् सुमन्तुर्दारुणो मुनिः । इतिहासपुराणानां पिता मे रोमहर्षणः
Atharvan was Angiras’s descendant, Sumanth a stern sage; the father of histories and Purāṇas — my hair stands on end to speak his name.
त एत ऋषयो वेदं स्वं स्वं व्यस्यन्ननेकधा । शिष्यैः प्रशिष्यैः तत् शिष्यैः वेदास्ते शाखिनोऽभवन्
Those very seers composed their own Vedas in diverse ways, and through disciples and grand‑disciples their texts became distinct branches and schools.
त एव वेदा दुर्मेधैः धार्यन्ते पुरुषैर्यथा । एवं चकार भगवान् व्यासः कृपणवत्सलः
These Vedas, however, are held by men of meagre insight for selfish ends; thus the venerable Vyāsa — compassionate yet sparing — arranged them in this manner.
स्त्रीशूद्रद्विजबंधूनां त्रयी न श्रुतिगोचरा । कर्मश्रेयसि मूढानां श्रेय एवं भवेदिह । इति भारतमाख्यानं कृपया मुनिना कृतम्
Women, śūdras and even some twice‑born kin are excluded from the threefold scriptural study; for the ill‑informed their highest good is seen as action alone — so this tale of Bhārata was created by the sage out of pity.
एवं प्रवृत्तस्य सदा भूतानां श्रेयसि द्विजाः । सर्वात्मकेनापि यदा नातुष्यत् हृदयं ततः
Thus have the twice‑born always pursued the welfare of living beings; but when the soul — the inner ruler — no longer finds delight, then the heart falls silent.
नातिप्रसीदद् हृदयः सरस्वत्यास्तटे शुचौ । वितर्कयन् विविक्तस्थ इदं प्रोवाच धर्मवित्
The heart did not relax, as Sarasvatī stood on the pure bank; reasoning in solitude, the knower of dharma spoke these words.
धृतव्रतेन हि मया छन्दांसि गुरवोऽग्नयः । मानिता निर्व्यलीकेन गृहीतं चानुशासनम्
By upholding my vows the metres, the priests and the sacred fires were maintained; honoured and without blemish, the received discipline was accepted.