01001000a nArAyaNanM namaskRtya naraJM caiva narottamam Om! Having bowed down to nArAyaNa and nara, the most exalted male being,
01001000c devIM sarasvatIJM caiva tato jayam udIrayet and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.
01001001A lomaharSaNaputra ugrazravAsH sautiH paurANiko naimiSAraNye zaunakasya kulapater dvAdazavArSike satre ugrazravas, the son of lomaharshana, surnamed Sauti, well-versed in the Puranas,
01001002a samAsInAn abhyagacchad brahmarSIn saMzitavratAn one day approached, the great sages of rigid vows, sitting at their ease, who had attended the twelve years' sacrifice of Saunaka, surnamed Kulapati, in the forest of Naimisha.
01001002c vinayAvanato bhUtvA kadAcit sUtanandanaH bending with humility,
01001003a tam Azramam anuprAptanM naimiSAraNyavAsinaH Him who had thus arrived at that recluse abode of the inhabitants of the forest of naimisha,
01001003c citrAzH zrotuGM kathAs tatra parivavrus tapasvinaH those ascetics, wishing to hear his wonderful narrations, presently began to address.
01001004a abhivAdya munIMs tAMs tu sarvAn eva kRtAJjaliH Having been entertained with due respect by those holy men, he saluted those Munis (sages) with joined palms, all of them,
01001004c apRcchat sa tapovRddhiM sadbhiz caivAbhinanditaH and inquired about the progress of their asceticism.
01001005a atha teSUpaviSTeSu sarveSv eva tapasviSu Then all the ascetics being again seated,
01001005c nirdiSTam AsanamM bheje vinayAl lomaharSaNiH the son of lomaharshana humbly occupied the seat that was assigned to him.
01001006a sukhAsInanM tatas tanM tu vizrAntam upalakSya ca Seeing that he was comfortably seated, and recovered from fatigue,
01001006c athApRcchad RSis tatra kazcit prastAvayan kathAH one of the RSis beginning the conversation, asked him,
01001007a kuta Agamyate saute kva cAyaM vihRtas tvayA 'Whence comest thou, O lotus-eyed Sauti, and where hast thou spent the time?
01001007c kAlaH kamalapatrAkSa zaMsaitat pRcchato mama Tell me, who ask thee, in detail.'
01001008 sUta uvAca 'Sauti said,
01001008a janamejayasya rAjarSesH sarpasatre mahAtmanaH At the Snake-sacrifice of the high-souled royal sage janamejaya...
01001008c samIpe pArthivendrasya samyak pArikSitasya ca and in the presence also of that chief of Princes, the son of Parikshit,
01001009a kRSNadvaipAyanaproktAsH supuNyA vividhAH kathAH the diverse sacred and wonderful stories which were told by kRSNdvaipayana,
01001009c kathitAz cApi vidhivad yA vaizamMpAyanena vai and which were recited in full by vaizaMpAyana,
01001010a zrutvAhanM tA vicitrArthA mahAbhAratasaMzritAH I having heard , called mahabharata,
01001010c bahUni samMparikramya tIrthAny AyatanAni ca and having wandered about, visiting many sacred waters and holy shrines,
01001011a samantapaJcakanM nAma puNyanM dvijaniSevitam to the sacred country frequented by brahmins and called Samantapanchaka
01001011c gatavAn asmi tanM dezaM yuddhaM yatrAbhavat purA I journeyed, in which formerly was fought the battle
01001011e pANDavAnAGM kurUNAJM ca sarveSAJM ca mahIkSitAm between the children of kuru and pANDu, and all the kings.
01001012a didRkSur Agatas tasmAt samIpamM bhavatAm iha Thence, anxious to see y'all, I am come into your presence,
01001012c AyuSmantasH sarva eva brahmabhUtA hi me matAH ye reverend sages, as all of you are to me as brahmA;
01001013a asmin yajJe mahAbhAgAsH sUryapAvakavarcasaH ye greatly blessed who shine in this place of sacrifice with the splendour of the solar fire:
01001013c kRtAbhiSekAzH zucayaH kRtajapyA hutAgnayaH ye who have concluded the silent meditations and have fed the holy fire;
01001013e bhavanta Asate svasthA bravImi kim ahanM dvijAH and yet who are sitting--without care, what, O ye dvwijas (twice-born), shall I repeat,
01001014a purANasaMzritAH puNyAH kathA vA dharmasaMzritAH shall I recount the sacred stories collected in the Puranas containing precepts of religious duty
01001014c itivRttanM narendrANAm RSINAJM ca mahAtmanAm as they happened, or the acts of illustrious saints and sovereigns of mankind?'
01001015 RSaya UcuH 'The RSis replied,
01001015a dvaipAyanena yat proktamM purANamM paramarSiNA 'The purANa that was first said by the great RSidvaipayana,
01001015c surair brahmarSibhiz caiva zrutvA yad abhipUjitam and which the gods and the Brahmarshis was highly praised after hearing it
01001016a tasyAkhyAnavariSThasya vicitrapadaparvaNaH being the most eminent narrative that exists, diversified both in diction and division,
01001016c sUkSmArthanyAyayuktasya vedArthair bhUSitasya ca possessing subtile meanings logically combined, and decorated with senses from the Vedas,
01001017a bhAratasyetihAsasya puNyAGM granthArthasaMyutAm also called bhArata, it includeth the subjects of other books, is a sacred work
01001017c saMskAropagatAmM brAhmInM nAnAzAstropabRMhitAm Composed in elegant language, it is elucidated by other Shastras, the holy composition of the wonderful vyAsa,
01001018a janamejayasya yAM rAjJo vaizamMpAyana uktavAn of king janamejaya, just as it was cheerfully recited by the RSivaizaMpAyana,
01001018c yathAvat sa RSis tuSTyA satre dvaipAyanAjJayA at the snake-sacrifice, under the direction of dvaipayana himself,
01001019a vedaiz caturbhisH samitAM vyAsasyAdbhutakarmaNaH and comprehendeth the sense of the four Vedas,
01001019c saMhitAM zrotum icchAmo dharmyAmM pApabhayApahAm that history we are desirous of hearing , which dispelleth fear and evil.
01001020 sUta uvAca 'Sauti then said,
01001020a AdyamM puruSam IzAnamM puruhUtamM puruSTutam 'Having bowed down to the primordial being IzAna, to whom multitudes make offerings, and who is adored by the multitude;
01001020c Rtam ekAkSaramM brahma vyaktAvyaktaM sanAtanam who is the true incorruptible one, brahmA, perceptible, imperceptible, eternal;
01001021a asac ca sac caiva ca yad vizvaM sadasataH param who is both a non-existing and an existing-non-existing being; who is the universe and also distinct from the existing and non-existing universe;
01001021c parAvarANAM sraSTAramM purANamM param avyayam who is the creator of high and low; the ancient, exalted, inexhaustible one;
01001022a maGgalyamM maGgalaM viSNuM vareNyam anaghaM zucim who is viSNu, beneficent and the beneficence itself, worthy of all preference, pure and immaculate;
01001022c namaskRtya hRSIkezaJM carAcaraguruM harim who is Hari, the ruler of the faculties, the guide of all things moveable and immoveable;
01001023a maharSeH pUjitasyeha sarvaloke mahAtmanaH Of the illustrious sage vyAsa, of marvellous deeds and worshipped here by all,
01001023c pravakSyAmi mataGM kRtsnaM vyAsasyAmitatejasaH I will declare the sacred thoughts.
01001024a AcakhyuH kavayaH ke cit saMpraty AcakSate pare Some bards have already published this history, some are now teaching it,
01001024c AkhyAsyanti tathaivAnye itihAsam imamM bhuvi and others, in like manner, will hereafter promulgate it upon the earth.
01001025a idanM tu triSu lokeSu mahaj jJAnamM pratiSThitam It is a great source of knowledge, established throughout the three regions of the world.
01001025c vistaraiz ca samAsaiz ca dhAryate yad dvijAtibhiH It is possessed by the twice-born both in detailed and compendious forms.
01001026a alaGMkRtaM zubhaizH zabdaisH samayair divyamAnuSaiH For being embellished with elegant expressions, conversations human and divine,
01001026c chandovRttaiz ca vividhair anvitaM viduSAmM priyam and a variety of poetical measures, it is the delight of the learned
