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."
किमिच्छसि महाबाहो! श्रोतुं यत्त्वां ब्रवीमि वै । भारतादिकथानां तु यासु धर्मादयः स्थिताः
What do you wish, O mighty-armed one? Hear now what I shall tell you: among the stories of Bharata are those in which the duties and laws (dharma and so on) stand established.
शतानीक उवाच मतानि कानि विप्रेन्द्र ! धर्मशास्त्राणि सुव्रत! । यानि श्रुत्वा नरो विप्र! मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषैः
Satanika said: Tell me, O learned one, which of the law-books, firmly observed, you hold as true; for upon hearing those a man, O twice-born, is freed from all his sins.
सुमन्तुरुवाच श्रूयन्तां धर्मशास्त्राणि मनुर्विष्णुर्यमोऽङ्गिराः । वसिष्ठदक्षसंवर्तशातातपपराशराः
Sumantu said: Let the law-books be heard—Manu, Vishnu, Yama, Angiras; also Vasistha, Daksha, Sanvart, Satata, Tapas, and Parashara.
आपस्तम्बोऽथ उशना कात्यायनबृहस्पती । गौतमःशङ्खलिखितौ हारीतोऽत्रिरथापि वा
Apastamba and Ushana, Katyayana and Brihaspati; Gautama and Sankhyali, Harita, Atriya, and even Ratha are listed here.
एतानि धर्मशास्त्राणि श्रुत्वा ज्ञात्वा च भारत! । वृन्दारकपुरं गत्वा मोदते नात्र संशयः
Having heard and understood these law-books, O Bharata, go to Vrindaraka-town and rejoice—there is no doubt in this.
शतानीक उवाच यान्येतानि त्वयोक्तानि धर्मशास्त्राणि सुव्रत! । नेच्छामि श्रोतुं विप्रेन्द्र! श्रुतान्येतानि हि द्विज!
Satanika said: Those law-books you have named, O well-vowed one, I do not wish to hear, O twice-born; indeed, O Brahmin, I will not listen to these heard teachings.
त्रयाणामपि वर्णानां प्रोक्तानामपि पण्डितैः । श्रेयसे न तु शूद्राणां तत्र मे वचनं शृणु
Even those expounded for three classes and by learned teachers are for the good, but not for the Shudras—hear my words on that point.
चतुर्णामिह वर्णानां श्रेयसे यानि सुव्रत! । भवन्ति द्विजशार्दूल! श्रुतानि भुवनत्रये
For the welfare of the four castes, O well-vowed one, the teachings are made known; O tiger among the twice-born, these heard laws prevail in the three worlds.
विशेषतश्चतुर्थस्य वर्णस्य द्विजसत्तम!
Especially of the fourth caste is this matter significant, O foremost of the twice-born!
ब्राह्मणादिषु वर्णेषु त्रिषु वेदाः प्रकल्पिताः । मन्वादीनि च शास्त्राणि तथाङ्गानि समन्ततः
Among the castes beginning with the Brahmin, three Vedas have been expounded; likewise the codes beginning with the Manus and others and all their parts throughout.
शूद्राश्चैव भृशं दीनाः प्रतिभान्ति द्विजप्रभो । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षस्य शस्ताः स्युरवने कथम्
The passage declares that Shudras are intensely suffering yet appear before twice-born lords; how can they be fit instruments for the four goals — dharma, artha, kama, moksha?
आगमेन विहीना हि अहो कष्टं मतं मम् । कश्चैषामागमः प्रोक्तः पुरा द्विजमनीषिभिः । त्रिवर्गप्राप्तये ब्रह्मञ्छ्रेयसे च तथोभयोः
Woe — I find it grievous that they are deprived of the Agama traditions; which sacred teachings for them were once taught by twice-born sages to attain the threefold results and Brahmanhood, the highest welfare?
सुमन्तुरुवाच साधु साधु महाबाहो! शृणु मे परमं वचः । चतुर्णामपि वर्णानां यानि प्रोक्तानि श्रेयसे
Sumantu said: Well said, excellent-armed one! Hear my highest word: of the four varnas those precepts which lead to welfare are now declared.
धर्मशास्त्राणि राजेन्द्र! शृणु तानि नृपोत्तम । विशेषतश्च शूद्राणां पावनानि मनीषिभिः
O foremost king, listen to those dharma-shastras; sages have especially pronounced purifying rules for Shudras among the varnas.
अष्टादशपुराणानि चरितं राघवस्य च । रामस्य कुरुशार्दूल! धर्मकामार्थसिद्धये
Eighteen Puranas recount the deeds of Raghava; O tiger of the Kurus, these are for the attainment of dharma, kama and artha.
तथोक्तं भारतं वीर! पाराशर्येण धीमता । वेदार्थसकलं योज्य धर्मशास्त्राणि च प्रभो!
Thus was told, O Bharata! by the wise Parashara: combine all the meanings of the Vedas with the dharma-shastras, O lord.
कृपालुना कृतं शास्त्रं चतुर्णामिह श्रेयसे । वर्णानां भवमग्नानां कृतं पोतो ह्यनुत्तमम्
A compassionate scripture has been made here for the welfare of the four varnas; for those born of the fire (the twice-born) it is an excellent, perfected guide.
अष्टादशपुराणानि अष्टौ व्याकरणानि च । ज्ञात्वा सत्यवतीसूनुश्चक्रे भारतसंहिताम्
There are eighteen Puranas and eight treatises on grammar; having known them, the son of Satyavati composed the Bharata-samhita.
यां श्रुत्वा पुरुषो राजन्! मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया । प्रथमं प्रोच्यते ब्राह्मं द्वितीयं चैन्द्रमुच्यते
Having heard which, O king, a man is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin: first the Brahma-mantra is declared, and second the Indra-mantra is given.
याम्यं प्रोक्तं ततो रौद्रं वायव्यं वारुणं तथा । सावित्रं च तथा प्रोक्तमष्टमं वैष्णवं तथा
Then follows the fierce nocturnal mantra, the northern Vayu-mantra, the Varuna-mantra, the Savitri-mantra, and finally the eighth, the Vaishnava mantra.