संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
जनमेजयः सदस्यैः सत्कृतं तं द्विजश्रेष्ठं कृताञ्जलिः पर्यपृच्छत्janamejayaḥ sadasyaiḥ satkṛtaṃ taṃ dvijaśreṣṭhaṃ kṛtāñjaliḥ paryapṛcchatJanamejaya, with joined palms, questioned that best of the twice-born, honored by the assembly
कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च भवान् प्रत्यक्षदर्शिवान् तेषां चरितं त्वया कथ्यमानं इच्छामिkurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca bhavān pratyakṣadarśivān teṣāṃ caritaṃ tvayā kathyamānaṃ icchāmiyou are an eyewitness of the deeds of the Kurus and the Pandavas; I wish that you would tell their story
कथं तेषां अक्लिष्टकर्मणां भेदः समभवत् तत् युद्धं कथं वृत्तंkathaṃ teṣāṃ akliṣṭakarmaṇāṃ bhedaḥ samabhavat tat yuddhaṃ kathaṃ vṛttaṃhow did the discord arise among them, heroes untiring in their deeds, and how did that war come about
सर्वेषां पितामहानां दैवेन आविष्टचेतसां एतत् कार्त्स्न्येन समाचक्ष्व कुशलः असिsarveṣāṃ pitāmahānāṃ daivena āviṣṭacetasāṃ etat kārtsnyena samācakṣva kuśalaḥ asi[the war] of all the forefathers, whose minds were possessed by fate -- tell all of this in full, for you are skilled
तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा कृष्णद्वैपायनः अन्तिके आसीनं शिष्यं वैशंपायनं शशासtasya vacanaṃ śrutvā kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaḥ antike āsīnaṃ śiṣyaṃ vaiśaṃpāyanaṃ śaśāsahaving heard his words, Krishna-Dvaipayana commanded his disciple Vaishampayana, who was sitting nearby
कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च यथा पुरा भेदः अभवत् तत् सर्वं यत् मत्तः श्रुतवान् अस्मै आचक्ष्वkurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yathā purā bhedaḥ abhavat tat sarvaṃ yat mattaḥ śrutavān asmai ācakṣvahow the discord between the Kurus and the Pandavas arose long ago -- tell him all of that which you have heard from me
सः विप्रर्षभः गुरोः वचनं आज्ञाय ततः सर्वं पुरातनं इतिहासं आचचक्षेsaḥ viprarṣabhaḥ guroḥ vacanaṃ ājñāya tataḥ sarvaṃ purātanaṃ itihāsaṃ ācacakṣehe, the foremost of brahmins, having received his teacher's word, then told the entire ancient history
तस्मै राज्ञे सदस्येभ्यः क्षत्रियेभ्यः च भेदं कुरुपाण्डवयोः राज्यविनाशं [आचक्षे]tasmai rājñe sadasyebhyaḥ kṣatriyebhyaḥ ca bhedaṃ kurupāṇḍavayoḥ rājyavināśaṃ [ācakṣe]to that king, to the members of the assembly, and to the kshatriyas [he told] the discord of the Kurus and the Pandavas and the ruin of the kingdom
ततस्tatasoriginal form "tatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वैःsarvaiḥoriginal form "sarvaiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सदस्यैर्sadasyairoriginal form "sadasyair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इदंidaṃoriginal form "idaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पश्चाद्paścādoriginal form "paścād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चरितम्caritamoriginal form "caritam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्विजdvijaoriginal form "dvija", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समभवद्samabhavadoriginal form "samabhavad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भेदस्bhedasoriginal form "bhedas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेषाम्teṣāmoriginal form "teṣām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अक्लिष्टकर्मणाम्akliṣṭakarmaṇāmoriginal form "akliṣṭakarmaṇām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तच्tacoriginal form "tac", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भूतान्तकरणंbhūtāntakaraṇaṃoriginal form "bhūtāntakaraṇaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महत्mahatoriginal form "mahat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दैवेनाविष्टचेतसाम्daivenāviṣṭacetasāmoriginal form "daivenāviṣṭacetasām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कार्त्स्न्येनैतत्kārtsnyenaitatoriginal form "kārtsnyenaitat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भगवन्bhagavanoriginal form "bhagavan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुशलोkuśalooriginal form "kuśalo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form "hy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कृष्णद्वैपायनस्kṛṣṇadvaipāyanasoriginal form "kṛṣṇadvaipāyanas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शिष्यम्śiṣyamoriginal form "śiṣyam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैशंपायनम्vaiśaṃpāyanamoriginal form "vaiśaṃpāyanam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भेदोbhedooriginal form "bhedo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽभवत्'bhavatoriginal form "'bhavat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वम्sarvamoriginal form "sarvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यन्yanoriginal form "yan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
असिasioriginal form "asi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गुरोर्gurororiginal form "guror", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वचनम्vacanamoriginal form "vacanam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विप्रर्षभस्viprarṣabhasoriginal form "viprarṣabhas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वम्sarvamoriginal form "sarvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुरातनम्purātanamoriginal form "purātanam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्षत्रियेभ्यश्kṣatriyebhyaśoriginal form "kṣatriyebhyaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वशःsarvaśaḥoriginal form "sarvaśaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुरुपाण्डवयोस्kurupāṇḍavayosoriginal form "kurupāṇḍavayos", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here begins the opening of the main narrative: the king asks his question, and Vyasa entrusts the telling to his disciple Vaishampayana. The chain of transmission is significant: Vyasa composed the epic and taught it to his disciples; now his disciple recounts it to the king and the assembly; and Suta in turn retells it to the sages of Naimisha. Thus the scripture once again reveals the parampara -- the reverent passing on of knowledge from teacher to disciple; and the authenticity of the account is confirmed by the fact that Vyasa is an "eyewitness" (pratyaksha-darshin) of the events. Here lies an important truth: sacred knowledge is not invented but transmitted -- Vaishampayana speaks not his own words but "that which he heard from his teacher." Note too the sorrowful subject of the tale: "the discord and the ruin of the kingdom" of heroes "whose minds were possessed by fate" (daiva); thus, from its very opening, the theme of fate and the futility of enmity sounds forth -- not the triumph of victory, but a lament over the mutual destruction of kinsmen. It is in this tone of sorrow and reflection on destiny that the great tale begins.