01.056
Core:Significance of Mahabharata as Artha-shastra, Dharma-shastra, and also Mokhsa-shastra.
janamejaya uvāca॥
Janamejaya said.
kathitaṁ vai samāsena tvayā sarvaṁ dvijottama. mahābhāratamākhyānaṁ kurūṇāṁ caritaṁ mahat ॥1-056-1॥
Indeed, you have concisely narrated everything, O best of the twice-born — the Mahābhārata, the great tale of the Kurus.
kathāṁ tvanagha citrārthāmimāṁ kathayati tvayi. vistaraśravaṇe jātaṁ kautūhalamatīva me ॥1-056-2॥
O sinless one, as you narrate this wondrous tale, an intense curiosity has arisen in me to hear it in detail.
sa bhavān vistareṇemāṁ punarākhyātumarhati. na hi tṛpyāmi pūrveṣāṁ śṛṇvānaścaritaṁ mahat ॥1-056-3॥
You ought to narrate this again in detail, for I am not yet satisfied, hearing the great deeds of the ancients.
na tat kāraṇam alpaṁ hi dharmajñā yatra pāṇḍavāḥ. avadhyān sarvaśo jaghnuḥ praśasyante ca mānavaiḥ ॥1-056-4॥
That reason is surely not trivial, for the Pāṇḍavas, though knowers of dharma, slew those who should not be slain, and are still praised by men.
kimarthaṁ te naravyāghrāḥ śaktāḥ santo hyanāgasaḥ. prayujyamānān saṅkleśān kṣāntavanto durātmanām ॥1-056-5॥
For what reason did those powerful and guiltless tiger-like men, though virtuous, endure the torments inflicted upon them by the wicked?
kathaṁ nāgāyutaprāṇo bāhuśālī vṛkodaraḥ. parikliśyannapi krodhaṁ dhṛtavān vai dvijottama ॥1-056-6॥
How did Vṛkodara, mighty-armed and possessing the strength of ten thousand elephants, even while being tormented, restrain his anger, O best of the twice-born?
kathaṁ sā draupadī kṛṣṇā kliśyamānā durātmabhiḥ. śaktā satī dhārtarāṣṭrān nādahad ghoracakṣuṣā ॥1-056-7॥
How did Draupadī, the chaste and dark-complexioned one, though afflicted by the wicked, not burn the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra with her terrible gaze, despite being capable?
kathaṁ vyatikraman dyūte pārthau mādrīsutau tathā. anuvrajan naravyāghraṁ vañcyamānaṁ durātmabhiḥ ॥1-056-8॥
How did the sons of Mādrī, Nakula and Sahadeva, also fall into the defeat of the dice game, following Yudhiṣṭhira, the tiger among men, as he was being deceived by the wicked?
kathaṁ dharmabhṛtāṁ śreṣṭhaḥ suto dharmasya dharmavit. anarhaḥ paramaṁ kleśaṁ soḍhavān sa yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ॥1-056-9॥
How did Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Dharma, knower of righteousness, greatest among the upholders of dharma, endure such immense suffering though undeserving of it?
kathaṁ ca bahulāḥ senāḥ pāṇḍavaḥ kṛṣṇasārathiḥ. asyan neko’nayat sarvāḥ pitṛlokaṁ dhanañjayaḥ ॥1-056-10॥
And how did Dhanañjaya, the Pāṇḍava with Kṛṣṇa as charioteer, alone shooting, send forth all those vast armies to the realm of the ancestors?
etad ācakṣva me sarvaṁ yathāvṛttaṁ tapodhana. yadyacca kṛtavantas te tatra tatra mahārathāḥ ॥1-056-11॥
Tell me all this as it truly happened, O sage rich in austerity — all that those great warriors did in various places.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
maharṣeḥ sarvalokeṣu pūjitasya mahātmanaḥ. pravakṣyāmi mataṁ kṛtsnaṁ vyāsasyāmitatejasaḥ ॥1-056-12॥
I shall fully expound the teaching of Vyāsa, the great-souled sage of boundless brilliance, who is revered in all the worlds.
idaṁ śatasahasraṁ hi ślokānāṁ puṇyakarmaṇām. satyavatyātmajeneha vyākhyātam amitaujasā ॥1-056-13॥
This compilation of one hundred thousand verses of meritorious deeds was expounded here by Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, of boundless energy.
ya idaṁ śrāvayed vidvān yaś cedaṁ śṛṇuyān naraḥ. te brahmaṇaḥ sthānam etya prāpnuyur devatulyatām ॥1-056-14॥
He who causes this to be heard, being learned, and he who listens to it — both attain the abode of Brahman and a status equal to the gods.
idaṁ hi vedaiḥ samitaṁ pavitram api cottamam. śrāvyāṇām uttamaṁ cedaṁ purāṇam ṛṣisaṁstutam ॥1-056-15॥
This sacred and supreme Purāṇa, praised by sages and regarded by the Vedas as equivalent to themselves, is the best among all that is to be heard.
asminn arthaś ca dharmaś ca nikhilenopadiśyate. itihāse mahāpuṇye buddhiś ca parinaiṣṭhikī ॥1-056-16॥
In this epic of great merit, both financial wellbeing and righteousness are fully taught, and it fosters a steadfast intellect inclined toward liberation.
akṣudrān dānaśīlāṁś ca satyaśīlān anāstikān. kārṣṇaṁ vedam imaṁ vidvāñ chrāvayitvārtham aśnute ॥1-056-17॥
The learned one who causes this Veda of Kṛṣṇa (Vyāsa) to be heard by noble, charitable, truthful, and theistic people, attains its reward.
bhrūṇahatyākṛtaṁ cāpi pāpaṁ jahyād asaṁśayam. itihāsam imaṁ śrutvā puruṣo’pi sudāruṇaḥ ॥1-056-18॥
Even a very wicked man can undoubtedly rid himself of the sin of foeticide by listening to this epic.
jayo nām etihāso’yaṁ śrotavyo vijigīṣuṇā. mahīṁ vijayate sarvāṁ śatrūṁś cāpi parājayet ॥1-056-19॥
This epic called "Jaya" should be heard by one desiring conquest — he conquers all the earth and vanquishes all enemies.
idaṁ puṁsavanaṁ śreṣṭham idaṁ svastyayanaṁ mahat. mahiṣīyuvarājābhyāṁ śrotavyaṁ bahuśas tathā ॥1-056-20॥
This is the most excellent text for begetting male offspring and for great auspiciousness; it should be heard repeatedly by the queen and the crown prince.
arthaśāstram idaṁ puṇyaṁ dharmaśāstram idaṁ param. mokṣaśāstram idaṁ proktaṁ vyāsenāmitabuddhinā ॥1-056-21॥
This is a sacred treatise on wealth, a supreme treatise on righteousness, and a declared scripture on liberation — spoken by Vyāsa of infinite intellect.
sampratyācakṣate caiva ākhyāsyanti tathāpare. putrāḥ śuśrūṣavaḥ santi preṣyāś ca priyakāriṇaḥ ॥1-056-22॥
Even now, some recite it and others will continue to tell it; there are sons who are obedient and servants who act with affection.
śarīreṇa kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ vācā ca manasaiva ca. sarvaṁ tat tyajati kṣipram idaṁ śṛṇvan naraḥ sadā ॥1-056-23॥
A man who always listens to this quickly casts off all sins committed by body, speech, and even by the mind.
bhāratānāṁ mahajjanma śṛṇvatām anasūyatām. nāsti vyādhibhayaṁ teṣāṁ paralokabhayaṁ kutaḥ ॥1-056-24॥
For those who hear of the great lineage of the Bhāratas without envy, there is no fear of disease — what fear then can there be of the afterlife?
dhanyaṁ yaśasyam āyuṣyaṁ svargyaṁ puṇyaṁ tathaiva ca. kṛṣṇadvaipāyanenedaṁ kṛtaṁ puṇyacikīrṣuṇā ॥1-056-25॥
This sacred, glorious, life-extending, and heaven-leading work was composed by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana with the intent of doing merit.
kīrtiṁ prathayatā loke pāṇḍavānāṁ mahātmanām. anyeṣāṁ kṣatriyāṇāṁ ca bhūridraviṇatejasām ॥1-056-26॥
By spreading the fame of the great-souled Pāṇḍavas and of other Kṣatriyas endowed with abundant wealth and valor in the world.
yathā samudro bhagavān yathā ca himavān giriḥ. khyātāv ubhau ratnanidhī tathā bhāratam ucyate ॥1-056-27॥
Just as the glorious ocean and Mount Himavat are both famed as treasure-houses of gems, so too is the Mahābhārata declared.
ya idaṁ śrāvayed vidvān brāhmaṇān iha parvasu. dhūtapāpmā jitasvargo brahmabhūyaṁ sa gacchati ॥1-056-28॥
He who recites this to Brāhmaṇas on sacred occasions, being learned, is cleansed of sin, conquers heaven, and attains Brahmanhood.
yaś cedaṁ śrāvayec chrāddhe brāhmaṇān pādam antataḥ. akṣayyaṁ tasya tacchrāddham upatiṣṭhet pitṝn api ॥1-056-29॥
And he who causes even a portion of this to be heard by Brāhmaṇas at a śrāddha ceremony — his śrāddha becomes inexhaustible and benefits even his ancestors.
ahnā yad enaś cājñānāt prakaroti naraś caran. tan mahābhāratākhyānaṁ śrutvaiva pravilīyate ॥1-056-30॥
Whatever sin a man commits unknowingly during the day — that is dissolved simply by hearing the narration of the Mahābhārata.
bhāratānāṁ mahajjanma mahābhāratam ucyate. niruktam asya yo veda sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate ॥1-056-31॥
The Mahābhārata is called the great birth of the Bhāratas; whoever understands its interpretation is freed from all sins.
tribhir varṣaiḥ sadotthāyī kṛṣṇadvaipāyano muniḥ. mahābhāratam ākhyānaṁ kṛtavān idam uttamam ॥1-056-32॥
The ever-vigilant sage Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana composed this excellent narrative, the Mahābhārata, within three years.
dharme cārthe ca kāme ca mokṣe ca bharatarṣabha. yad ihāsti tad anyatra yan nehāsti na tat kvacit ॥1-056-33॥
O best of the Bhāratas, in righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation — whatever is found here is found elsewhere; what is not here is found nowhere else.
