संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
चत्वारः वेदाःcatvāraḥ vedāḥthe four Vedas
एकतःekataḥon one side
भारतम्bhāratamthe 'Bharata'
चcaand
एकम्ekamone
एकतःekataḥon the other side
समागतैः सुरर्षिभिःsamāgataiḥ surarṣibhiḥby the assembled divine sages
तुलाम् आरोपितम्tulām āropitamplaced on a scale
पुराpurāonce, long ago
महत्त्वे च गुरुत्वे चmahattve ca gurutve cain greatness and in weight (weightiness)
ध्रियमाणम्dhriyamāṇamoutweighing; proving (heavier)
ततः अधिकम्tataḥ adhikamsurpassed that (the Vedas)
महत्त्वात्mahattvātbecause of its greatness
भारवत्त्वात्bhāra-vattvātbecause of its weightiness
चcaand
महाभारतम्mahā-bhāratamthe 'Mahabharata' (the Great Bharata / the Weighty Bharata)
उच्यतेucyateis called
निरुक्तम्niruktamthe etymology (explanation of the name)
अस्यasyaof it; of this
यः वेदyaḥ vedawhoever knows
सर्वपापैःsarva-pāpaiḥfrom all sins
प्रमुच्यतेpramucyateis freed
चत्वारcatvārathe source form “catvāra”, included for full word-by-word coverage
एकतोekatothe source form “ekato”, included for full word-by-word coverage
वेदाvedāthe source form “vedā”, included for full word-by-word coverage
भारतंbhārataṃthe source form “bhārataṃ”, included for full word-by-word coverage
चैकम्caikamthe source form “caikam”, included for full word-by-word coverage
सुरर्षिभिस्surarṣibhisthe source form “surarṣibhis”, included for full word-by-word coverage
आरोपितंāropitaṃthe source form “āropitaṃ”, included for full word-by-word coverage
ध्रियमाणंdhriyamāṇaṃthe source form “dhriyamāṇaṃ”, included for full word-by-word coverage
ततोtatothe source form “tato”, included for full word-by-word coverage
ऽधिकम्'dhikamthe source form “'dhikam”, included for full word-by-word coverage
महत्त्वाद्mahattvādthe source form “mahattvād”, included for full word-by-word coverage
भारवत्त्वाच्bhāravattvācthe source form “bhāravattvāc”, included for full word-by-word coverage
महाभारतम्mahābhāratamthe source form “mahābhāratam”, included for full word-by-word coverage
योyothe source form “yo”, included for full word-by-word coverage
सर्वपापैःsarvapāpaiḥthe source form “sarvapāpaiḥ”, included for full word-by-word coverage
Here is given the celebrated explanation of the epic's very name: once the gods and sages weighed the four Vedas against the one 'Bharata' on a scale — and the 'Bharata' outweighed them ‘in greatness and in weightiness.’ Hence its name, ‘Maha-bharata’: ‘mahattva’ (greatness) plus ‘bhāravattva’ (weightiness, heaviness). This is not a diminishing of the Vedas but an indication that the 'Bharata' holds their essence in fullness and accessibility, crowned by the direct glorification of Lord Vasudeva. And knowledge of this nirukta (etymological explanation) itself purifies from sin — for it turns the mind to the greatness of the word about the Lord. Thus concludes the glorification of the epic as the ‘fifth Veda.’