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 Loma-

harshana 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 coun-

try venerated by the Dwijas (twice- born) and called Samantapanchaka

where formerly was fought the battle between the children of Kuru

and PandUt 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 inthis 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 contain-

ing precepts of religious duty and of worldly profit, or the acts of

illustrious saints and sovereigns of mankind ?' "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 begin-

ning of the Yuga, in which we are told, was the true light Brahma,

the eternal one, the wonderful and inconceivable being present alikin 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 Para-

meshthi ; 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 Eajarshis 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 begin*

ning 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 illus-

trious 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, off-

spring 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, address-

ing 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, Orthoepy and Treatment of diseases ; charity

and Pasupatadharma ; birth celestial and human, for particular pur-

poses ; 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, 1 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.'

"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, then 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 I be thou the writer of the Bharata which

I have formed in my imagination, and which I am about to repeat