Adi Parwa 4

Mahabharata 1.4

 

Adi Parwa 4

 

  1 लॊमहर्षण पुत्र उग्रश्रवाः सूतः पौराणिकॊ नैमिषारण्ये शौनकस्य कुलपतेर दवादश वार्षिके सत्रे ऋषीन अभ्यागतान उपतस्थे
 2 पौराणिकः पुराणे कृतश्रमः स तान कृताञ्जलिर उवाच
     किं भवन्तः शरॊतुम इच्छन्ति
     किम अहं बरुवाणीति
 3 तम ऋषय ऊचुः
     परमं लॊमहर्षणे परक्ष्यामस तवां वक्ष्यसि च नः शुश्रूषतां कथा यॊगम
     तद भगवांस तु तावच छौनकॊ ऽगनिशरणम अध्यास्ते
 4 यॊ ऽसौ दिव्याः कथा वेद देवतासुरसंकथाः
     मनुष्यॊरगगन्धर्वकथा वेद स सर्वशः
 5 स चाप्य अस्मिन मखे सौते विद्वान कुलपतिर दविजः
     दक्षॊ धृतव्रतॊ धीमाञ शास्त्रे चारण्यके गुरुः
 6 सत्यवादी शम परस तपस्वी नियतव्रतः
     सर्वेषाम एव नॊ मान्यः स तावत परतिपाल्यताम
 7 तस्मिन्न अध्यासति गुराव आसनं परमार्चितम
     ततॊ वक्ष्यसि यत तवां स परक्ष्यति दविजसत्तमः
 8 [सूत]
     एवम अस्तु गुरौ तस्मिन्न उपविष्टे महात्मनि
     तेन पृष्टः कथाः पुण्या वक्ष्यामि विविधाश्रयाः
 9 सॊ ऽथ विप्रर्षभः कार्यं कृत्वा सर्वं यथाक्रमम
     देवान वाग्भिः पितॄन अद्भिस तर्पयित्वाजगाम ह
 10 यत्र बरह्मर्षयः सिद्धास त आसीना यतव्रताः
    यज्ञायतनम आश्रित्य सूतपुत्र पुरःसराः
 11 ऋत्विक्ष्व अथ सदस्येषु स वै गृहपतिस ततः
    उपविष्टेषूपविष्टः शौनकॊ ऽथाब्रवीद इदम

 

 1 lomaharṣaṇa putra ugraśravāḥ sūtaḥ paurāṇiko naimiṣāraṇye śaunakasya kulapater dvādaśa vārṣike satre ṛṣīn abhyāgatān upatasthe
 2 paurāṇikaḥ purāṇe kṛtaśramaḥ sa tān kṛtāñjalir uvāca
     kiṃ bhavantaḥ śrotum icchanti
     kim ahaṃ bruvāṇīti
 3 tam ṛṣaya ūcuḥ
     paramaṃ lomaharṣaṇe prakṣyāmas tvāṃ vakṣyasi ca naḥ śuśrūṣatāṃ kathā yogam
     tad bhagavāṃs tu tāvac chaunako 'gniśaraṇam adhyāste
 4 yo 'sau divyāḥ kathā veda devatāsurasaṃkathāḥ
     manuṣyoragagandharvakathā veda sa sarvaśaḥ
 5 sa cāpy asmin makhe saute vidvān kulapatir dvijaḥ
     dakṣo dhṛtavrato dhīmāñ śāstre cāraṇyake guruḥ
 6 satyavādī śama paras tapasvī niyatavrataḥ
     sarveṣām eva no mānyaḥ sa tāvat pratipālyatām
 7 tasminn adhyāsati gurāv āsanaṃ paramārcitam
     tato vakṣyasi yat tvāṃ sa prakṣyati dvijasattamaḥ
 8 [sūta]
     evam astu gurau tasminn upaviṣṭe mahātmani
     tena pṛṣṭaḥ kathāḥ puṇyā vakṣyāmi vividhāśrayāḥ
 9 so 'tha viprarṣabhaḥ kāryaṃ kṛtvā sarvaṃ yathākramam
     devān vāgbhiḥ pitṝn adbhis tarpayitvājagāma ha
 10 yatra brahmarṣayaḥ siddhās ta āsīnā yatavratāḥ
    yajñāyatanam āśritya sūtaputra puraḥsarāḥ
 11 ṛtvikṣv atha sadasyeṣu sa vai gṛhapatis tataḥ
    upaviṣṭeṣūpaviṣṭaḥ śaunako 'thābravīd idam

 

'UGRASRAVA SAUTI, the son of Lomaharshana, versed in the Puranas, while present in the forest of Naimisha, at the twelve years' sacrifice of Saunaka, surnamed Kulapati, stood before the Rishis in attendance. Having studied Puranas with meticulous devotion and thus being thoroughly acquainted with them, he addressed them with joined hands thus, 'I have graphically described to you the history of Utanka which is one of the causes of King Janamejaya's Snake-sacrifice. What, revered Sirs, do ye wish to hear now? What shall I relate to you?' The holy men replied, 'O son of Lomaharshana, we shall ask thee about what we are anxious to hear and thou wilt recount the tales one by one. Saunaka, our revered master, is at present attending the apartment of the holy fire. He is acquainted with those divine stories which relate to the gods and asuras. He adequately knoweth the histories of men, serpents, and Gandharvas. Further, O Sauti, in this sacrifice that learned Brahmana is the chief. He is able, faithful to his vows, wise, a master of the Sastras and the Aranyaka, a speaker of truth, a lover of peace, a mortifier of the flesh, and an observer of the penances according to the authoritative decrees. He is respected by us all. It behoveth us therefore to wait for him. And when he is seated on his highly respected seat, thou wilt answer what that best of Dwijas shall ask of thee.'

 

"Sauti said, 'Be it so. And when the high-souled master hath been seated I shall narrate, questioned by him, sacred stories on a variety of subjects." After a while that excellent Brahmana (Saunaka) having duly finished all his duties, and having propitiated the gods with prayers and the manes with oblations of water, came back to the place of sacrifice, where with Sauti seated before was the assembly of saints of rigid vows sitting at ease. And when Saunaka was seated in the midst of the Ritwiks and Sadhyas, who were also in their seats, he spake as followeth."