Mahabharata 1.1.49–50

Anukramaṇikā-parva (The List of Contents)1.1.49–50

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Mahabharata · 1.1.49–50

॥

Devanāgarī

विस्तीर्यैतन् महज् ज्ञानम् ऋषिः संक्षेपम् अब्रवीत् ।
इष्टं हि विदुषां लोके समासव्यासधारणम् ॥
मन्वादि भारतं के चिद् आस्तीकादि तथापरे ।
तथोपरिचराद्य् अन्ये विप्राः सम्यग् अधीयते ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

vistīryaitan mahaj jñānam ṛṣiḥ saṃkṣepam abravīt |
iṣṭaṃ hi viduṣāṃ loke samāsavyāsadhāraṇam ||
manvādi bhārataṃ ke cid āstīkādi tathāpare |
tathoparicarādy anye viprāḥ samyag adhīyate ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

विस्तीर्यvistīryahaving expounded at length; having set forth expansively

एतत्etatthis

महत् ज्ञानम्mahat jñānamgreat knowledge

ऋषिःṛṣiḥthe sage (Vyasa)

संक्षेपम्saṃkṣepambrief exposition; in condensed form

अब्रवीत्abravītset forth; told

इष्टम्iṣṭamdesired; beloved

हिhiindeed; truly

विदुषाम्viduṣāmto the learned; to those versed in knowledge

लोकेlokein the world

समासव्यासधारणम्samāsa-vyāsa-dhāraṇampossession of knowledge in both condensed and expanded form

मन्वादिmanu-ādibeginning with (the section on) Manu; from Manu

भारतम्bhāratamthe «Bharata» (Mahabharata)

के चित्ke citsome; certain ones

आस्तीकादिāstīka-ādibeginning with (the section) «Astika»

तथाtathālikewise

अपरेapareothers

तथाtathālikewise

उपरिचरादिuparicara-ādibeginning with (the tale of) Uparichara

अन्येanyeothers

विप्राःviprāḥbrahmins; sages

सम्यक्samyakcorrectly; in the proper way

अधीयतेadhīyatestudy; read; recite

विस्तीर्यैतन्vistīryaitanoriginal form «vistīryaitan», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

महज्mahajoriginal form «mahaj», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

इष्टंiṣṭaṃoriginal form «iṣṭaṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

विदुषांviduṣāṃoriginal form «viduṣāṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

समासव्यासधारणम्samāsavyāsadhāraṇamoriginal form «samāsavyāsadhāraṇam», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

मन्वादिmanvādioriginal form «manvādi», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

भारतंbhārataṃoriginal form «bhārataṃ», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

चिद्cidoriginal form «cid», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

आस्तीकादिāstīkādioriginal form «āstīkādi», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

तथापरेtathāpareoriginal form «tathāpare», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

तथोपरिचराद्य्tathoparicarādyoriginal form «tathoparicarādy», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

सम्यग्samyagoriginal form «samyag», added for full coverage of the word-by-word block

Translation

Having expounded this great knowledge at length, the sage also set it forth in brief; for the learned in this world love to possess knowledge both in condensed and in expanded form. Some brahmins recite the Bharata beginning from the section on Manu, others from the ‘Astika,’ and still others from the tale of Uparichara; and all of them study it in the proper way.

Commentary

Vyasa set forth the Mahabharata both at length and in brief, so that it would be accessible to people of differing capacities. In this we see the mercy of the Lord's incarnation: the truth is offered in a form every soul can receive. And the fact that different brahmins begin their reading at different points — with Manu, with the ‘Astika,’ with the tale of Uparichara — speaks to the inexhaustible richness of the work: from whichever side one enters, the one who studies it ‘in the proper way’ (samyak) is led along the same path, through dharma to devotion to the Lord. In just this way a spiritual teacher meets each person where they stand: the starting points differ, but the goal is one — Hari.

Version

14b45d9afd52 · published Jul 12, 2026, 2:16:08 PM UTC

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