梵语IAST释义
शौनकः उवाच भृगुवंशात् प्रभृति त्वया मे महत् आख्यानं अखिलं कथितं तेन प्रीतः अस्मिśaunakaḥ uvāca bhṛguvaṃśāt prabhṛti tvayā me mahat ākhyānaṃ akhilaṃ kathitaṃ tena prītaḥ asmiShaunaka said: from the lineage of Bhrigu onward you have told me the whole great tale; with that I am pleased
भूयः त्वां प्रक्ष्यामि यां कथां व्याससंपन्नां तां भूयः प्रचक्ष्वbhūyaḥ tvāṃ prakṣyāmi yāṃ kathāṃ vyāsasaṃpannāṃ tāṃ bhūyaḥ pracakṣvaI shall ask you once more: that story spoken by Vyasa, tell it to me again
तस्मिन् सर्पसत्रे कर्मान्तरेषु सदस्यानां याः चित्राः कथाः बभूवुः ताः श्रोतुम् इच्छामःtasmin sarpasatre karmāntareṣu sadasyānāṃ yāḥ citrāḥ kathāḥ babhūvuḥ tāḥ śrotum icchāmaḥat that sacrifice, in the intervals of the rite, what wondrous tales the assembly members told — we wish to hear them
सूतः उवाच कर्मान्तरेषु द्विजाः वेदाश्रयाः कथाः अकथयन् व्यासः तु नित्यं महत् भारतम् आख्यानं अकथयत्sūtaḥ uvāca karmāntareṣu dvijāḥ vedāśrayāḥ kathāḥ akathayan vyāsaḥ tu nityaṃ mahat bhāratam ākhyānaṃ akathayatSuta said: in the intervals of the rite the brahmins told tales grounded in the Vedas; but Vyasa constantly told the great tale of Bharata
शौनकः उवाच पाण्डवानां यशस्करं महाभारतम् आख्यानं जनमेजयेन पृष्टः कृष्णद्वैपायनःśaunakaḥ uvāca pāṇḍavānāṃ yaśaskaraṃ mahābhāratam ākhyānaṃ janamejayena pṛṣṭaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaḥShaunaka said: the great tale of Bharata, glorifying the Pandavas, which Krishna-Dvaipayana, asked by Janamejaya,
कर्मान्तरेषु विधिवत् श्रावयाम् आस तां पुण्यां कथां श्रोतुम् इच्छामिkarmāntareṣu vidhivat śrāvayām āsa tāṃ puṇyāṃ kathāṃ śrotum icchāmiin the intervals of the rite, duly recounted — that righteous tale I wish to hear
महर्षेः मनःसागरसंभूतां कथयस्व न हि तृप्यामिmaharṣeḥ manaḥsāgarasaṃbhūtāṃ kathayasva na hi tṛpyāmiborn from the ocean of mind of the great sage — recount it; for I cannot be satisfied
सूतः उवाच हन्त ते महत् उत्तमम् आख्यानं कृष्णद्वैपायनमतं महाभारतम् आदितः कथयिष्यामिsūtaḥ uvāca hanta te mahat uttamam ākhyānaṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanamataṃ mahābhāratam āditaḥ kathayiṣyāmiSuta said: well then, I shall recount to you the great, supreme tale — the Mahabharata, as conceived by Krishna-Dvaipayana, from the very beginning
तज् जुषस्व कथ्यमानं मयाtaj juṣasva kathyamānaṃ mayātake delight then in what is told by me
तत् शंसितुं मम अपि मनोहर्षः प्रवर्ततेtat śaṃsituṃ mama api manoharṣaḥ pravartateand in me too arises a joy of heart — to tell it
शौनकśaunakaoriginal form "śaunaka", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रभृत्य्prabhṛtyoriginal form "prabhṛty", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवevaoriginal form "eva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आख्यानम्ākhyānamoriginal form "ākhyānam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तातtātaoriginal form "tāta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सौतेsauteoriginal form "saute", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रीतोprītooriginal form "prīto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्मि'smioriginal form "'smi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भूयस्bhūyasoriginal form "bhūyas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथावत्yathāvatoriginal form "yathāvat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतनन्दनsūtanandanaoriginal form "sūtanandana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मेmeoriginal form "me", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परमदुष्प्रापेparamaduṣprāpeoriginal form "paramaduṣprāpe", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महात्मनाम्mahātmanāmoriginal form "mahātmanām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाकवेmahākaveoriginal form "mahākave", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
याyāoriginal form "yā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कथाश्kathāśoriginal form "kathāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चित्राcitrāoriginal form "citrā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
येष्व्yeṣvoriginal form "yeṣv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अर्थेषुartheṣuoriginal form "artheṣu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथातथम्yathātathamoriginal form "yathātatham", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वत्तtvattaoriginal form "tvatta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इच्छामहेicchāmaheoriginal form "icchāmahe", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रोतुंśrotuṃoriginal form "śrotuṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सौतेsauteoriginal form "saute", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वंtvaṃoriginal form "tvaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विचक्षणःvicakṣaṇaḥoriginal form "vicakṣaṇaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतsūtaoriginal form "sūta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कर्मान्तरेष्व्karmāntareṣvoriginal form "karmāntareṣv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्विजाdvijāoriginal form "dvijā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्यासस्vyāsasoriginal form "vyāsas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्व्tvoriginal form "tv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अकथयन्akathayanoriginal form "akathayan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नित्यम्nityamoriginal form "nityam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भारतंbhārataṃoriginal form "bhārataṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शौनकśaunakaoriginal form "śaunaka", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यशस्करम्yaśaskaramoriginal form "yaśaskaram", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यत्yatoriginal form "yat", 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
विधिवत्vidhivatoriginal form "vidhivat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सःsaḥoriginal form "saḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ताम्tāmoriginal form "tām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अहंahaṃoriginal form "ahaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विधिवत्vidhivatoriginal form "vidhivat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कथाम्kathāmoriginal form "kathām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुण्यकर्मणःpuṇyakarmaṇaḥoriginal form "puṇyakarmaṇaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सतांsatāṃoriginal form "satāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रेष्ठśreṣṭhaoriginal form "śreṣṭha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतजsūtajaoriginal form "sūtaja", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतsūtaoriginal form "sūta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेteoriginal form "te", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महद्mahadoriginal form "mahad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आख्यानम्ākhyānamoriginal form "ākhyānam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जुषस्वोत्तममतेjuṣasvottamamateoriginal form "juṣasvottamamate", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्विजdvijaoriginal form "dvija", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तन्tanoriginal form "tan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मनोहर्षोmanoharṣooriginal form "manoharṣo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ममापीहmamāpīhaoriginal form "mamāpīha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here is a turning point: having completed the tale of Astika (and with it, the whole prehistory), the narrative now enters the Mahabharata proper. The frame of the tradition is significant: the great epic was first told by Vyasa himself at Janamejaya's serpent-sacrifice, in the intervals of the rite; and now Suta retells it to the sages of the Naimisha forest. Thus the word is passed on — from the composer, to the narrator, to the listeners, and onward; and we who read it now stand in that same line of those who receive the tradition. Here is the sanctity of reverent transmission (parampara): the tale is called "born of the ocean of Vyasa's mind" and "holy" — hearing it is itself a righteous deed that increases merit. Note too the joy that embraces everyone involved: Shaunaka "cannot be satisfied," and Suta himself is filled with "a joy of heart" in telling it. Thus the scripture shows that the sacred word brings bliss both to the speaker and to the listener; and with this joy we now enter the great tale of the Bharatas.