SanskritIASTMeaning
लोमहर्षण-पुत्रः उग्रश्रवाः सूतः पौराणिकःlomaharṣaṇa-putraḥ ugraśravāḥ sūtaḥ paurāṇikaḥUgraśravas, son of Lomaharṣaṇa, the Sūta, knower of the Purāṇas
नैमिष-अरण्ये शौनकस्य कुल-पतेः द्वादश-वार्षिके सत्रेnaimiṣa-araṇye śaunakasya kula-pateḥ dvādaśa-vārṣike satrein the Naimiṣa forest, at the twelve-year sacrifice of Śaunaka, head of the clan
ऋषीन् अभ्यागतान् उपतस्थेṛṣīn abhyāgatān upatasthepresented himself before the assembled sages
कृत-अञ्जलिः उवाच किं भवन्तः श्रोतुम् इच्छन्तिkṛta-añjaliḥ uvāca kiṃ bhavantaḥ śrotum icchantiwith joined palms he asked: 'What do you wish to hear?'
परमं प्रक्ष्यामः त्वां वक्ष्यसि कथा-योगम्paramaṃ prakṣyāmaḥ tvāṃ vakṣyasi kathā-yogam'We shall ask you of the highest, and you shall tell us the account'
शौनकः अग्नि-शरणम् अध्यास्तेśaunakaḥ agni-śaraṇam adhyāste[but] Śaunaka [now] abides in the house of [the sacred] fire
यः दिव्याः कथाः वेद देवता-असुर-संकथाःyaḥ divyāḥ kathāḥ veda devatā-asura-saṃkathāḥhe who knows the divine tales, stories of gods and asuras
मनुष्य-उरग-गन्धर्व-कथाः वेद सर्वशःmanuṣya-uraga-gandharva-kathāḥ veda sarvaśaḥknows in full the tales of men, serpents, and gandharvas
विद्वान् कुल-पतिः द्विजः दक्षः धृत-व्रतःvidvān kula-patiḥ dvijaḥ dakṣaḥ dhṛta-vrataḥlearned head of the clan, twice-born, skillful, firm in his vows
शास्त्रे आरण्यके गुरुः सत्य-वादी शम-परः तपस्वीśāstre āraṇyake guruḥ satya-vādī śama-paraḥ tapasvīteacher in the śāstra and in the Āraṇyaka, truthful, devoted to peace, an ascetic
सर्वेषां नः मान्यः सः तावत् प्रतिपाल्यताम्sarveṣāṃ naḥ mānyaḥ saḥ tāvat pratipālyatāmhonored by all of us; let us wait for him
तस्मिन् गुरौ आसनं परम्-अर्चितम् अध्यासतिtasmin gurau āsanaṃ param-arcitam adhyāsatiwhen that teacher takes the seat of highest honor
ततः वक्ष्यसि यत् सः प्रक्ष्यतिtataḥ vakṣyasi yat saḥ prakṣyatithen you shall tell what he asks
लोमहर्षणपुत्रlomaharṣaṇaputraunderlying form 'lomaharṣaṇaputra', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पौराणिकोpaurāṇikounderlying form 'paurāṇiko', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
नैमिषारण्येnaimiṣāraṇyeunderlying form 'naimiṣāraṇye', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कुलपतेर्kulapaterunderlying form 'kulapater', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
द्वादशवार्षिकेdvādaśavārṣikeunderlying form 'dvādaśavārṣike', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
पुराणेpurāṇeunderlying form 'purāṇe', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कृतश्रमःkṛtaśramaḥunderlying form 'kṛtaśramaḥ', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सsaunderlying form 'sa', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तान्tānunderlying form 'tān', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कृताञ्जलिर्kṛtāñjalirunderlying form 'kṛtāñjalir', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
किम्kimunderlying form 'kim', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
अहंahaṃunderlying form 'ahaṃ', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ब्रुवाणीतिbruvāṇītiunderlying form 'bruvāṇīti', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तम्tamunderlying form 'tam', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऋषयṛṣayaunderlying form 'ṛṣaya', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऊचुःūcuḥunderlying form 'ūcuḥ', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
लोमहर्षणेlomaharṣaṇeunderlying form 'lomaharṣaṇe', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
प्रक्ष्यामस्prakṣyāmasunderlying form 'prakṣyāmas', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चcaunderlying form 'ca', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
शुश्रूषतांśuśrūṣatāṃunderlying form 'śuśrūṣatāṃ', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कथायोगम्kathāyogamunderlying form 'kathāyogam', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तद्tadunderlying form 'tad', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
भगवांस्bhagavāṃsunderlying form 'bhagavāṃs', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तुtuunderlying form 'tu', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तावच्tāvacunderlying form 'tāvac', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
छौनकोchaunakounderlying form 'chaunako', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽग्निशरणम्'gniśaraṇamunderlying form ''gniśaraṇam', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
योyounderlying form 'yo', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽसौ'sauunderlying form ''sau', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कथाkathāunderlying form 'kathā', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
देवतासुरसंकथाःdevatāsurasaṃkathāḥunderlying form 'devatāsurasaṃkathāḥ', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
मनुष्योरगगन्धर्वकथाmanuṣyoragagandharvakathāunderlying form 'manuṣyoragagandharvakathā', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चcaunderlying form 'ca', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सsaunderlying form 'sa', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चाप्य्cāpyunderlying form 'cāpy', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
अस्मिन्asminunderlying form 'asmin', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
मखेmakheunderlying form 'makhe', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सौतेsauteunderlying form 'saute', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
कुलपतिर्kulapatirunderlying form 'kulapatir', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
दक्षोdakṣounderlying form 'dakṣo', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
धृतव्रतोdhṛtavratounderlying form 'dhṛtavrato', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
धीमाञ्dhīmāñunderlying form 'dhīmāñ', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
चारण्यकेcāraṇyakeunderlying form 'cāraṇyake', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सत्यवादीsatyavādīunderlying form 'satyavādī', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
शमपरस्śamaparasunderlying form 'śamaparas', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
नियतव्रतःniyatavrataḥunderlying form 'niyatavrataḥ', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सर्वेषाम्sarveṣāmunderlying form 'sarveṣām', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
एवevaunderlying form 'eva', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
नोnounderlying form 'no', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सsaunderlying form 'sa', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
तस्मिन्न्tasminnunderlying form 'tasminn', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
गुराव्gurāvunderlying form 'gurāv', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
परमार्चितम्paramārcitamunderlying form 'paramārcitam', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
ततोtatounderlying form 'tato', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
त्वांtvāṃunderlying form 'tvāṃ', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
सsaunderlying form 'sa', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
द्विजसत्तमःdvijasattamaḥunderlying form 'dvijasattamaḥ', added for full coverage of the word-by-word block
The fourth chapter sets the outer frame of the entire Mahābhārata: the narrator Ugraśravas (the Sūta) arrives in the sacred Naimiṣa forest, where the sages led by Śaunaka are performing a long sattra. Here an ideal of transmitting sacred knowledge is shown: it is not proclaimed to just anyone but entrusted within an assembly of ascetics, in due reverence, awaiting a worthy listener. The sages are in no hurry — they wait for their teacher Śaunaka, for knowledge must be received under the guidance of a guru. Śaunaka's qualities — truthfulness, peace, asceticism, faithfulness to vows — are the marks of one worthy both to receive the sacred word and to instruct in it. Thus from its very beginning the text affirms that śravaṇa, the hearing of the Lord and His deeds, is the highest occupation, yet it is carried out in sādhu-saṅga, the company of the saintly, in humility and proper order. Reverence for the guru's seat and for the act of listening itself sanctifies the whole narrative that follows.