श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं किञ्चिद्धर्मशास्त्रमनुत्तमम् । आनृशंस्यं समाश्रित्य कथयध्वम् महाबलाः!
I wish to hear something of the supreme science of dharma; rely on what is free from fault and speak it out, O mighty ones!
येनाहं धर्मशास्त्रं तु श्रुत्वा गच्छे परां गतिम् । यथागतो मम पिता श्रुत्वा वै भारतं पुरा
By hearing the dharmashastra that I have now heard I will attain the supreme goal; thus my father once went, O Bharata, when he heard it long ago.
तथोक्तास्तेन राज्ञा वै ब्राह्मणास्ते समन्ततः । समागम्य मिथस्ते तु विमृश्य च भृशम् तदा
So said that king, and Brahmanas gathered to him on all sides; they met secretly and then reflected on it at length.
पूजयित्वा ततो व्यासमिदं वचनमब्रुवन् । व्यासं प्रसादय विभो! एष ते कथयिष्यति
Having then worshipped Vyasa, he spoke these words: "O lord, propitiate Vyasa! He will tell this to you."
तिष्ठत्यस्मिन्महाबाहो! वयं वक्तुं न शक्नुमः । तिष्ठमाने गुरौ शिष्यः कथं वक्ति महामते!
"Stay here, mighty-armed one; we cannot speak. If the teacher remains, how can the disciple speak, O exalted one?"
अयं गुरुः सदास्माकं साक्षान्नारायणस्तथा । कृपालुश्च तथा चायं तथा दिव्यविधानवित्
This very teacher of ours is none other than Narayana himself; compassionate and skilled in divine rites is he.
चतुर्णामपि वर्णानां पावनाय महात्मनाम् । धर्मशास्त्रमनेनोक्तं धर्माद्यैः सुसमन्वितम्
For the purification of the four varnas this great soul is declared; the dharma-texts taught by him are perfectly consonant with duties.
बिभेति गहनाच्छास्त्राल्लोको व्याधिरिवौषधात् । भारतस्य च विस्तारो मुनिना व्याहृतः स्वयम्
The world fears that profound scripture as one fears a medicine for disease; and the expansion of Bharata was proclaimed by the sage himself.
यथा स्वादु च पथ्यं च दद्यास्त्वं भिषगौषधम् । तथा रम्यं च शास्त्रं च भारतं कृतवान्मुनिः
Just as a physician gives something both tasty and wholesome as medicine, so the sage made Bharata delightful and edifying like a scripture.
आस्तिक्यारोहसोपानमेतद्भारतमुच्यते । तच्छ्रुत्वा स्वर्गनरकौ लोकः साक्षादवेक्षते
This Bharata is named the ascent of the faithful and the stair of truth; when heard, heaven and hell behold it directly.
देवतातीर्थतपसां भारतादेव निश्चयः । न जन्यते नास्तिकता तस्य मीमांसकैरपि
O Bharata, the certainty of the gods, sacred places and ascetics exists solely because of you; even the critics of scripture cannot generate disbelief there.
विष्णौ देवेषु वेदेषु गुरुषु ब्राह्मणेषु च । भक्तिर्भवति कल्याणी भारतादेव धीमताम्
Devotion to Vishnu arises among gods, in the Vedas, in teachers and in Brahmins — such auspicious devotion comes to the wise from you, O Bharata.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां भरतात्सिद्धिरेव हि । अजिह्मो भारतः पन्था निर्वाणपदगामिनाम्
For the achievers of dharma, wealth, pleasure and liberation, Bharata is indeed the means of success; Bharata is the path taken by those bound for the state of nirvana.
मोक्षधर्मार्थकामानां प्रपञ्चो भारते कृतः । अनित्यतापसन्तप्ता भवन्ति तस्य मुक्तये
In Bharata the world is made for the ends of liberation, duty, wealth and desire; those scorched by the transient heat of asceticism become freed by it.
विपत्तिं भारताच्छ्रुत्वा वृष्णिपाण्डवसम्पदाम् । दुःखावसानाद्राजेन्द्र! पुण्यं च संश्रयेद्बुधः
Hearing of calamity befalling Bharata and the riches of the Vrishnis and Pandavas, a wise king should, at the end of sorrow, take refuge in virtue, O lord of kings.
एवंविधं भारतं वै प्रोक्तं येन महात्मना । सोऽयं नारायणः साक्षात् व्यासरूपी महामुनिः
Thus was Bharata described by that great soul; that very Narayana himself is present — the great sage Vyasa in embodied form.
स तेषां वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रतापी यो महीपतिः । प्रसादयामास मुनिं व्यासं शास्त्रविशारदम्
Hearing those words, that king of prowess appeased the seer Vyasa, the master of the scriptures, granting him favor.
शतानीक उवाच अञ्जलिः शिरसा ब्रह्मन्! कृतोऽयं पादयोस्तव । ब्रूहि मे धर्मशास्त्रं तु येना पूततां व्रजे
Anjali, with head bowed, said: O Brahman, your feet have indeed been placed upon my head; speak to me the law code by which rites may be purified.
समुद्धर भवादस्मात्कीर्तयित्वा कथां शुभाम् । यथा मम पिता पूर्वं कीर्तयित्वा तु भारतम्
Lift me up, recounting that auspicious tale which your father once proclaimed about Bharata before me.
व्यास उवाच तस्यैतद्वचनं श्रुत्वा व्यासो वचनमब्रवीत् । एष शिष्यः सुमन्तुर्मे कथयिष्यति ते प्रभो!
Vyasa said: Having heard these words, Vyasa replied — 'This pupil of mine, Sumantra, will relate it to you, O lord.'
यदिच्छसि महाबाहो! प्रीतिदं चाद्भुतं शुभम् । श्रव्यं भरतशार्दूल! सर्वपापभयापहम्
Whatever you wish, O mighty-armed one, this delightful and wondrous auspiciousness—hear, O tiger among Bharatas!—it removes all fear of sin.
यथा वैशम्पायनेन पुरा प्रोक्तं पितुस्तव । महाभारतव्याख्यानं ब्रह्महत्याव्यपोहनम्
As Vaishampayana once told your father long ago: the exposition of the Mahabharata frees one from the grave guilt of killing a brahman.
अथ तमृषयः सर्वे राजानमिदमब्रुवन् । साधु प्रोक्तं महाबाहो! व्यासेनामितबुद्धिना
Then all those seers said to that king: "Well spoken, O mighty-armed! This was rightly said by Vyasa, endowed with such understanding."
सुमन्तुं पृच्छ राजर्षे! सर्वशास्त्रविशारदम् । अस्माकमपि राजेन्द्र! श्रवणे जायते मतिः । अथ व्यासो महातेजाः सुमन्तुमृषिमब्रवीत्
The kingly sage Sumantu asked the sage who is expert in every scripture: "O great king, listening brings understanding to us as well." Thereupon the illustrious Vyasa addressed Sumantu the seer.
कथयास्मै कथास्तात! याः श्रुत्वा मोदते नृपः । भारतादिकथानां तु यत्रास्य रमते मनः
He said: "Tell me, venerable one, the tales upon hearing which a king rejoices—wherein the mind finds delight in the narratives originating from Bharat and others."
असावपि महातेजाः श्रुत्वा भावं महामतेः । व्यासस्य द्विजशार्दूल! ऋषीणां चापि सर्वशः
Hearing this, the great-minded sage felt a deep emotion; O foremost of twice-born Vyasa, he caused all the seers likewise to... (their hearts).
चकार वक्तुं स मनस्तस्मै राज्ञे महामतिः । व्यासस्य शासनाद्विप्र! ऋषीणां चैव सर्वशः
He made that mind speak to the king, O twice-born Vyasa; by Vyasa's command the seers, in every respect, spoke as well.
अथ राजा महातेजा आजमीढो द्विजोत्तमम् । प्रणम्य शिरसात्यर्थं प्रवक्तुमुपचक्रमे
Then the great-radiant king rose up and approached the best of brahmans with bowed head, ready to speak his purpose.
शतानीक उवाच पुण्याख्यानं मम ब्रह्मन्! पावनाय प्रकीर्तय । श्रुत्वा यद्ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ! मुच्येऽहं सर्वपातकात्
Sumantri said: "Recite, O brahman, a sacred story for purification and praise; upon hearing from you, best of brahmans, I shall be freed from all sins."
सुमन्तुरुवाच नानाविधानि शास्त्राणि सन्ति पुष्पानि भारत । यानि श्रुत्वा नरो राजन्! मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषैः
Sumantu replied: "There are many kinds of scriptures, O Bharata, like flowers; whoever hears them, O king, is indeed liberated from all defilements."