SánscritoIASTSignificado
वैशंपायनः उवाच अमिततेजसः व्यासस्य कृत्स्नं मतं प्रवक्ष्यामिvaiśaṃpāyanaḥ uvāca amitatejasaḥ vyāsasya kṛtsnaṃ mataṃ pravakṣyāmiVaishampayana said: I shall relate the whole teaching of Vyasa, boundless in energy
इदं सत्यवत्यात्मजेन शतसहस्रं श्लोकानां पुण्यकर्मणां व्याख्यातम्idaṃ satyavatyātmajena śatasahasraṃ ślokānāṃ puṇyakarmaṇāṃ vyākhyātamthis hundred thousand verses of righteous deeds has been expounded here by the son of Satyavati, of measureless might
यः इदं श्रावयेत् यः च शृणुयात् ते ब्रह्मणः स्थानं एत्य देवतुल्यतां प्राप्नुयुःyaḥ idaṃ śrāvayet yaḥ ca śṛṇuyāt te brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṃ etya devatulyatāṃ prāpnuyuḥwhoever learned person proclaims this, and whoever person hears it — they, reaching the abode of Brahma, shall attain equality with the gods
इदं वेदैः समितं पवित्रं उत्तमं श्राव्याणाम् उत्तमं पुराणं ऋषिसंस्तुतम्idaṃ vedaiḥ samitaṃ pavitraṃ uttamaṃ śrāvyāṇām uttamaṃ purāṇaṃ ṛṣisaṃstutamthis is equal to the Vedas, pure, supreme; of all things heard, supreme — the ancient tale (purana), praised by the sages
अस्मिन् अर्थः च धर्मः च निखिलेन उपदिश्यते बुद्धिः परिनैष्ठिकीasmin arthaḥ ca dharmaḥ ca nikhilena upadiśyate buddhiḥ parinaiṣṭhikīin it, meaning (artha) and dharma are taught in their entirety, and the understanding that leads to final [liberation]
विद्वान् इमं कार्ष्णं वेदं अक्षुद्रान् दानशीलान् सत्यशीलान् अनास्तिकान् श्रावयित्वा अर्थं अश्नुतेvidvān imaṃ kārṣṇaṃ vedaṃ akṣudrān dānaśīlān satyaśīlān anāstikān śrāvayitvā arthaṃ aśnutethe wise man, having recited this Veda of Krishna (Vyasa) to the generous, truthful, faithful [and] not small-minded, attains [the highest] goal
इमं इतिहासं श्रुत्वा सुदारुणः अपि पुरुषः भ्रूणहत्याकृतं पापं जह्यात्imaṃ itihāsaṃ śrutvā sudāruṇaḥ api puruṣaḥ bhrūṇahatyākṛtaṃ pāpaṃ jahyāthaving heard this history, even a most cruel man will abandon sin equal to the killing of an embryo
अयं इतिहासः जयः नाम विजिगीषुणा श्रोतव्यः महीं विजयते शत्रून् पराजयेत्ayaṃ itihāsaḥ jayaḥ nāma vijigīṣuṇā śrotavyaḥ mahīṃ vijayate śatrūn parājayetthis history is named 'Jaya' ('Victory'); it should be heard by one desiring victory; he shall conquer the whole earth and vanquish his enemies
इदं पुंसवनं श्रेष्ठं महत् स्वस्त्ययनं महिषीयुवराजाभ्यां बहुशः श्रोतव्यम्idaṃ puṃsavanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ mahat svastyayanaṃ mahiṣīyuvarājābhyāṃ bahuśaḥ śrotavyamthis is the best [means for begetting] a son, a great blessing; it should be heard many times by the queen and the crown prince
इदं अर्थशास्त्रं धर्मशास्त्रं मोक्षशास्त्रं व्यासेन अमितबुद्धिना प्रोक्तम्idaṃ arthaśāstraṃ dharmaśāstraṃ mokṣaśāstraṃ vyāsena amitabuddhinā proktamthis is the treatise on wealth, the treatise on dharma, the treatise on liberation — proclaimed by Vyasa of boundless wisdom
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form “vaiśaṃpāyana”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महर्षेःmaharṣeḥoriginal form “maharṣeḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वलोकेषुsarvalokeṣuoriginal form “sarvalokeṣu”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पूजितस्यpūjitasyaoriginal form “pūjitasya”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महात्मनःmahātmanaḥoriginal form “mahātmanaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्यासस्यामिततेजसःvyāsasyāmitatejasaḥoriginal form “vyāsasyāmitatejasaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिhioriginal form “hi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुण्यकर्मणाम्puṇyakarmaṇāmoriginal form “puṇyakarmaṇām”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्यवत्यात्मजेनेहsatyavatyātmajenehaoriginal form “satyavatyātmajeneha”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अमितौजसाamitaujasāoriginal form “amitaujasā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यyaoriginal form “ya”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रावयेद्śrāvayedoriginal form “śrāvayed”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यश्yaśoriginal form “yaś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेदंcedaṃoriginal form “cedaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शृणुयान्śṛṇuyānoriginal form “śṛṇuyān”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नरःnaraḥoriginal form “naraḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्थानम्sthānamoriginal form “sthānam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्राप्नुयुर्prāpnuyuroriginal form “prāpnuyur”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवतुल्यताम्devatulyatāmoriginal form “devatulyatām”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिhioriginal form “hi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पवित्रम्pavitramoriginal form “pavitram”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चोत्तमम्cottamamoriginal form “cottamam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेदंcedaṃoriginal form “cedaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुराणम्purāṇamoriginal form “purāṇam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अस्मिन्न्asminnoriginal form “asminn”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अर्थश्arthaśoriginal form “arthaś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मश्dharmaśoriginal form “dharmaś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निखिलेनोपदिश्यतेnikhilenopadiśyateoriginal form “nikhilenopadiśyate”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इतिहासेitihāseoriginal form “itihāse”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महापुण्येmahāpuṇyeoriginal form “mahāpuṇye”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बुद्धिश्buddhiśoriginal form “buddhiś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दानशीलांश्dānaśīlāṃśoriginal form “dānaśīlāṃś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form “ca”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वेदम्vedamoriginal form “vedam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विद्वाञ्vidvāñoriginal form “vidvāñ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रावयित्वार्थम्śrāvayitvārthamoriginal form “śrāvayitvārtham”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form “cāpi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जह्याद्jahyādoriginal form “jahyād”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
असंशयम्asaṃśayamoriginal form “asaṃśayam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इतिहासम्itihāsamoriginal form “itihāsam”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुरुषोpuruṣooriginal form “puruṣo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽपि'pioriginal form “'pi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जयोjayooriginal form “jayo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नामेतिहासोnāmetihāsooriginal form “nāmetihāso”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽयं'yaṃoriginal form “'yaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रोतव्योśrotavyooriginal form “śrotavyo”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वांsarvāṃoriginal form “sarvāṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शत्रूंश्śatrūṃśoriginal form “śatrūṃś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form “cāpi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रेष्ठम्śreṣṭhamoriginal form “śreṣṭham”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रोतव्यंśrotavyaṃoriginal form “śrotavyaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बहुशस्bahuśasoriginal form “bahuśas”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथाtathāoriginal form “tathā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अर्थशास्त्रम्arthaśāstramoriginal form “arthaśāstram”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इदंidaṃoriginal form “idaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुण्यंpuṇyaṃoriginal form “puṇyaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मशास्त्रम्dharmaśāstramoriginal form “dharmaśāstram”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इदंidaṃoriginal form “idaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परम्paramoriginal form “param”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मोक्षशास्त्रम्mokṣaśāstramoriginal form “mokṣaśāstram”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इदंidaṃoriginal form “idaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रोक्तंproktaṃoriginal form “proktaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्यासेनामितबुद्धिनाvyāsenāmitabuddhināoriginal form “vyāsenāmitabuddhinā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the greatness (mahatmya) of the Mahabharata is proclaimed — its worth and its fruit. It is significant that the epic is set on a level with the Vedas (“equal to the Vedas, pure and supreme”) and called the “Veda of Krishna [Dvaipayana]”: for those to whom direct study of the Vedas is closed, the Mahabharata serves as a gateway to that same truth. This point carries great weight: the great epic and the Puranas are the “fifth Veda,” set forth in the language of narrative for the good of all people in the age of Kali. It is significant, too, that the tale encompasses all four aims of life: it is the treatise on artha (gain), on dharma, and — as will be said — on kama and moksha (liberation) as well; hence it is a complete guide for living. Note the name “Jaya” (“Victory”): the true victory proclaimed here is not only over external enemies but over sin and over oneself, for the hearing of it purifies “even the most cruel.” Thus the scripture itself testifies to its own redemptive power: it is given not for amusement, but for the cleansing of the heart and the ascent to God.