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.
एतानि व्याकरणानि पुराणानि निबोध मे । ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च शैवं भागवतं तथा
Hear these grammar-treatises and purāṇas that I set before you: the Brāhma, the Pādma, the Vaiṣṇava, the Śaiva, and the Bhāgavata.
तथान्यन्नारदीयं च मार्कण्डेयं च सप्तमम् । आग्नेयमष्टमं वीर भविष्यं नवमं स्मृतम्
Also listen to the others: the ārādīya, the Mārkaṇḍeya as seventh; the Āgneya as eighth; the Vīra as ninth, it is said.
दशमं ब्रह्मवैवर्त्तं लैङ्गमेकादशं स्मृतम् । वाराहं द्वादशं प्रोक्तं स्कान्दं चैव त्रयोदशम्
The tenth is the Brahmavaivarta; the eleventh is the Laiṅga; the twelfth is the Vārāha; the thirteenth is the Skanda.
चतुर्दशं वामनं च कौर्मं पञ्चदशं स्मृतम् । मात्स्यं च गारुडं चैव ब्रह्माण्डं च ततः परम्
The fourteenth is the Vāmana; the fifteenth is the Kaurma; then the Māṭśya and the Gāruda, and beyond them the Brahmāṇḍa.
एतानि कुरुशार्दूल धर्मशास्त्राणि पण्डितैः । साधारणानि प्रोक्तानि वर्णानां श्रेयसे सदा
These, O tiger of the Kurus, are the dharma-śāstras named by learned men; they are declared common and ever beneficial for the welfare of the castes.
चतुर्णामिह राजेन्द्र श्रोतुमर्हाणि सुव्रत । किमिच्छसि महाबाहो श्रोतुमेषां नृपोत्तम
O foremost of kings, a king should hear these four; what do you wish, mighty-armed one? Do you desire to listen to them?
शतानीक उवाच भारतं तु श्रुतं विप्र तातस्याङ्कगतेन तु । रामस्य चरितं चापि श्रुतं ब्रह्मन्समन्ततः
Śatanīka said: 'O brahmin, I have heard, and the account of Bharata as well, recited by him who dwells in the heart; I also have heard the deeds of Rāma from learned brahmins.'
पुराणानि च विप्रेन्द्र भविष्यं न तु सुव्रत । पुराणं वद विप्रेन्द्र! भविष्यं कौतुकं हि मे
The brahmin-chief replied: 'I will not speak the future purāṇas, O Suvrata. Speak, brahmin-chief, the purāṇa of the future; I am curious to hear it.'
सुमन्तुरुवाच साधु साधु महाबाहो साधु पृष्टोऽस्मि मानद । शृणु मे वदतो राजन् पुराणं नवमं महत्
Sumantu said: 'Well said, well said! O mighty-armed one, I am glad you asked. Hear now, O king, the great ninth purāṇa as I tell it.'
यच्छ्रुत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते मानवो नृप । अश्वमेधफलं प्राप्य गच्छेद् भानौ न संशयः
Whatsoever a king hears from this will free him from all sins; having obtained the fruit of an aśvamedha, he will go to the sun-god without doubt.