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Shall
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Shall I recite Mahabharatha? said Sauti | Adi Parva - Section 1 a
(Ubaparva : Anugramanika Parva)
Shall
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THE MAHABHARATA
ADI PARVA - Section 1A
Om! Having bowed down to Narayana and Nara, the most exalted male being, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.
Ugrasrava, the son of Lomaharshana, surnamed Sauti, well-versed in
the Puranas, bending with humility, 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.
Those ascetics, wishing to hear his wonderful narrations, presently
began to address him who had thus arrived at that recluse abode of the
inhabitants of the forest of Naimisha. Having been entertained with due
respect by those holy men, he saluted those Munis (sages) with joined
palms, even all of them, and inquired about the progress of their
asceticism. Then all the ascetics being again seated, the son of
Lomaharshana humbly occupied the seat that was assigned to him. Seeing
that he was comfortably seated, and recovered from fatigue, one of the
Rishis beginning the conversation, asked him, 'Whence comest thou, O
lotus-eyed Sauti, and where hast thou spent the time? Tell me, who ask
thee, in detail.'
Accomplished in speech, Sauti, thus questioned, gave in the midst of
that big assemblage of contemplative Munis a full and proper answer in
words consonant with their mode of life.
"Sauti said, 'Having heard the diverse sacred and wonderful stories
which were composed in his Mahabharata by Krishna-Dwaipayana, and which
were recited in full by Vaisampayana at the Snake-sacrifice of the
high-souled royal sage Janamejaya and in the presence also of that chief
of Princes, the son of Parikshit, and having wandered about, visiting
many sacred waters and holy shrines, I journeyed to the country
venerated by the Dwijas (twice-born) and called Samantapanchaka where
formerly was fought the battle between the children of Kuru and Pandu,
and all the chiefs of the land ranged on either side. Thence, anxious
to see you, I am come into your presence. Ye reverend sages, all of whom
are to me as Brahma; ye greatly blessed who shine in this place of
sacrifice with the splendour of the solar fire: ye who have concluded
the silent meditations and have fed the holy fire; and yet who are
sitting--without care, what, O ye Dwijas (twice-born), shall I repeat,
shall I recount the sacred stories collected in the Puranas containing
precepts of religious duty and of worldly profit, or the acts of
illustrious saints and sovereigns of mankind?"
 |
| Vyasa (Krishna Dwaipayana) |
"The Rishi replied, 'The Purana, first promulgated by the great Rishi
Dwaipayana, and which after having been heard both by the gods and the
Brahmarshis was highly esteemed, being the most eminent narrative that
exists, diversified both in diction and division, possessing subtile
meanings logically combined, and gleaned from the Vedas, is a sacred
work. Composed in elegant language, it includeth the subjects of other
books. It is elucidated by other Shastras, and comprehendeth the sense
of the four Vedas. We are desirous of hearing that history also called Bharata,
the holy composition of the wonderful Vyasa, which dispelleth the fear
of evil, just as it was cheerfully recited by the Rishi Vaisampayana,
under the direction of Dwaipayana himself, at the snake-sacrifice of
Raja Janamejaya?'
"Sauti then said, 'Having bowed down to the primordial being Isana,
to whom multitudes make offerings, and who is adored by the multitude;
who is the true incorruptible one, Brahma, perceptible, imperceptible,
eternal; 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; who is the creator of high and low; the ancient, exalted,
inexhaustible one; who is Vishnu, beneficent and the beneficence itself,
worthy of all preference, pure and immaculate; who is Hari, the ruler
of the faculties, the guide of all things moveable and immoveable; I
will declare the sacred thoughts of the illustrious sage Vyasa, of
marvellous deeds and worshipped here by all. Some bards have already
published this history, some are now teaching it, and others, in like
manner, will hereafter promulgate it upon the earth. It is a great
source of knowledge, established throughout the three regions of the
world. It is possessed by the twice-born both in detailed and compendious
forms. It is the delight of the learned for being embellished with
elegant expressions, conversations human and divine, and a variety of
poetical measures.
In this world, when it was destitute of brightness and light, and
enveloped all around in total darkness, there came into being, as the
primal cause of creation, a mighty egg, the one inexhaustible
seed of all created beings. It is called Mahadivya, and was formed at
the beginning of the Yuga, in which we are told, was the true light
Brahma, the eternal one, the wonderful and inconceivable being present
alike in all places; the invisible and subtile cause, whose nature
partaketh of entity and non-entity. From this egg came out the lord
Pitamaha Brahma, the one only Prajapati; with Suraguru and Sthanu. Then
appeared the twenty-one Prajapatis, viz., Manu, Vasishtha and
Parameshthi; ten Prachetas, Daksha, and the seven sons of Daksha. Then
appeared the man of inconceivable nature whom all the Rishis know and so
the Viswe-devas, the Adityas, the Vasus, and the twin Aswins; the Yakshas, the Sadhyas, the Pisachas, the Guhyakas, and the Pitris.
After these were produced the wise and most holy Brahmarshis, and the numerous Rajarshis
distinguished by every noble quality. So the water, the heavens, the
earth, the air, the sky, the points of the heavens, the years, the
seasons,
the months, the fortnights, called Pakshas, with day and night in due
succession. And thus were produced all things which are known to
mankind.
And what is seen in the universe, whether animate or inanimate, of
created things, will at the end of the world, and after the expiration
of the Yuga, be again confounded. And, at the commencement of other
Yugas, all things will be renovated, and, like the various fruits of the
earth, succeed each other in the due order of their seasons. Thus
continueth perpetually to revolve in the world, without beginning and
without end, this wheel which causeth the destruction of all things.
The generation of Devas, in brief, was thirty-three thousand, thirty-three hundred and thirty-three. The sons of Div were Brihadbhanu, Chakshus, Atma Vibhavasu, Savita, Richika, Arka, Bhanu, Asavaha, and Ravi. Of these Vivaswans
of old, Mahya was the youngest whose son was Deva-vrata. The latter had
for his son, Su-vrata who, we learn, had three sons,--Dasa-jyoti,
Sata-jyoti, and Sahasra-jyoti, each of them producing numerous
offspring. The illustrious Dasa-jyoti had ten thousand, Sata-jyoti ten
times that number, and Sahasra-jyoti ten times the number of
Sata-jyoti's offspring. From these are descended the family of the Kurus, of the Yadus, and of Bharata; the family of Yayati and of Ikshwaku;
also of all the Rajarshis. Numerous also were the generations produced,
and very abundant were the creatures and their places of abode. The
mystery which is threefold--the Vedas, Yoga, and Vijnana Dharma, Artha,
and Kama--also various books upon the subject of Dharma, Artha, and
Kama; also rules for the conduct of mankind; also histories and
discourses with various srutis; all of which having been seen by the Rishi Vyasa are here in due order mentioned as a specimen of the book.
The Rishi Vyasa published this mass of knowledge in both a detailed and an abridged form. It is the wish of the learned in the world to possess the details and the abridgement. Some read the Bharata
beginning with the initial mantra (invocation), others with the story
of Astika, others with Uparichara, while some Brahmanas study the whole.
Men of learning display their various knowledge of the institutes in
commenting on the composition. Some are skilful in explaining it, while
others, in remembering its contents.
The son of Satyavati having, by penance and meditation, analysed the
eternal Veda, afterwards composed this holy history, when that learned
Brahmarshi of strict vows, the noble Dwaipayana Vyasa, offspring of
Parasara, had finished this greatest of narrations, he began to consider
how he might teach it to his disciples. And the possessor of the six
attributes, Brahma, the world's preceptor, knowing of the anxiety of the
Rishi Dwaipayana, came in person to the place where the latter was, for
gratifying the saint, and benefiting the people. And when Vyasa,
surrounded by all the tribes of Munis, saw him, he was surprised; and,
standing with joined
palms, he bowed and ordered a seat to be brought. And Vyasa having
gone round him who is called Hiranyagarbha seated on that distinguished
seat stood near it; and being commanded by Brahma Parameshthi, he sat
down near the seat, full of affection and smiling in joy. Then the
greatly glorious Vyasa, addressing Brahma Parameshthi, said, "O divine
Brahma, by me a poem hath been composed which is greatly respected. The
mystery of the Veda, and what other subjects have been explained by me;
the various rituals of the Upanishads with the Angas; the compilation of
the Puranas and history formed by me and named after the three
divisions of time, past, present, and future; the determination of the
nature of decay, fear, disease, existence, and non-existence, a
description of creeds and of the various modes of life; rule for the
four castes, and the import of all the Puranas; an account of asceticism
and of the duties of a religious student; the dimensions of the sun and
moon, the planets, constellations, and stars, together with the
duration of the four ages; the Rik, Sama and Yajur Vedas; also the
Adhyatma; the sciences called Nyaya, Orthœphy and Treatment of diseases;
charity and Pasupatadharma; birth celestial and human, for particular
purposes; also a description of places of pilgrimage and other holy
places of rivers, mountains, forests, the ocean, of heavenly cities and
the kalpas; the art of war; the different kinds of nations and
languages: the nature of the manners of the people; and the
all-pervading spirit;--all these have been represented. But, after all,
no writer of this work is to be found on earth.'
"Brahma said. 'I esteem thee for thy knowledge of divine mysteries,
before the whole body of celebrated Munis distinguished for the sanctity
of their lives. I know thou hast revealed the divine word, even from
its first utterance, in the language of truth. Thou hast called thy
present work a poem, wherefore it shall be a poem. There shall be
no poets whose works may equal the descriptions of this poem, even, as
the three other modes called Asrama are ever unequal in merit to the
domestic Asrama. Let Ganesa be thought of, O Muni, for the purpose of
writing the poem.'
 |
| Ganesa and Vyasa |
"Sauti said, 'Brahma having thus spoken to Vyasa, retired to his own
abode. Then Vyasa began to call to mind Ganesa. And Ganesa, obviator of
obstacles, ready to fulfil the desires of his votaries, was no sooner
thought of, than he repaired to the place where Vyasa was seated. And
when he had been saluted, and was seated, Vyasa addressed him thus, 'O
guide of the Ganas! be thou the writer of the Bharata which I have formed in my imagination, and which I am about to repeat."
"Ganesa, upon hearing this address, thus answered, 'I will become the
writer of thy work, provided my pen do not for a moment cease writing."
And Vyasa said unto that divinity, 'Wherever there be anything thou
dost not comprehend, cease to continue writing.' Ganesa having signified
his assent, by repeating the word Om! proceeded to write; and Vyasa
began; and by way of diversion, he knit the knots of composition
exceeding close;
by doing which, he dictated this work according to his engagement.
I am (continued Sauti) acquainted with eight thousand and eight hundred verses, and so is Suka, and perhaps Sanjaya.
From the mysteriousness of their meaning, O Muni, no one is able, to
this day, to penetrate those closely knit difficult slokas. Even the
omniscient Ganesa took a moment to consider; while Vyasa, however,
continued to compose other verses in great abundance.
The wisdom of this work, like unto an instrument of applying
collyrium, hath opened the eyes of the inquisitive world blinded by the
darkness of ignorance. As the sun dispelleth the darkness, so doth the Bharata
by its discourses on religion, profit, pleasure and final release,
dispel the ignorance of men. As the full-moon by its mild light
expandeth the buds of the water-lily, so this Purana, by exposing the
light of the Sruti hath expanded the human intellect. By the lamp of
history, which destroyeth the darkness of ignorance, the whole mansion
of nature is properly and completely illuminated.
This work is a tree, of which the chapter of contents is the seed; the divisions called Pauloma and Astika are the root; the part called Sambhava is the trunk; the books called Sabha and Aranya are the roosting perches; the books called Arani is the knitting knots; the books called Virata and Udyoga the pith; the book named Bhishma, the main branch; the book called Drona, the leaves; the book called Karna, the fair flowers; the book named Salya, their sweet smell; the books entitled Stri and Aishika, the refreshing shade; the book called Santi, the mighty fruit; the book called Aswamedha, the immortal sap; the denominated Asramavasika, the spot where it groweth; and the book called Mausala,
is an epitome of the Vedas and held in great respect by the virtuous
Brahmanas. The tree of the Bharata, inexhaustible to mankind as the
clouds, shall be as a source of livelihood to all distinguished poets."
"Sauti continued, 'I will now speak of the undying flowery and
fruitful productions of this tree, possessed of pure and pleasant taste,
and not to be destroyed even by the immortals. Formerly, the spirited
and virtuous Krishna-Dwaipayana, by the injunctions of Bhishma, the wise
son of Ganga and of his own mother, became the father of three boys who
were like the three fires by the two wives of Vichitra-virya;
and having thus raised up Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura, he returned
to his recluse abode to prosecute his religious exercise.
It was not till after these were born, grown up, and departed on the
supreme journey, that the great Rishi Vyasa published the Bharata in
this region of mankind; when being solicited by Janamejaya and thousands of Brahmanas, he instructed his disciple Vaisampayana,
who was seated near him; and he, sitting together with the Sadasyas,
recited the Bharata, during the intervals of the ceremonies of the
sacrifice, being repeatedly urged to proceed.
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