SánscritoIASTSignificado
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
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.