Chapter 62

“Janamejaya said, ‘O excellent Brahmana, thou hast, indeed, told me, inbrief, the history, called Mahabharata, of the great acts of the Kurus.But, O thou of ascetic wealth, recite now that wonderful narration fully.I feel a great curiosity to hear it.

It behoveth thee to recite it,therefore, in full. I am not satisfied with hearing in a nutshell thegreat history. That could never have been a trifling cause for which thevirtuous ones could slay those whom they should not have slain, and forwhich they are yet applauded by men. Why also did those tigers among men,innocent and capable of avenging themselves upon their enemies, calmlysuffer the persecution of the wicked Kurus? Why also, O best ofBrahmanas, did Bhima of mighty arms and of the strength of ten thousandelephants, control his anger, though wronged? Why also did the chasteKrishna, the daughter of Drupada, wronged by those wretches and able toburn them, not burn the sons of Dhritarashtra with her wrathful eyes? Whyalso did the two other sons of Pritha (Bhima and Arjuna) and the two sonsof Madri (Nakula and Sahadeva), themselves injured by the wretched Kurus,follow Yudhishthira who was greatly addicted to the evil habit ofgambling? Why also did Yudhishthira, that foremost of all virtuous men,the son of Dharma himself, fully acquainted with all duties, suffer thatexcess of affliction? Why also did the Pandava Dhananjaya, having Krishnafor his charioteer, who by his arrows sent to the other world thatdauntless host of fighting men (suffer such persecution)? O thou ofascetic wealth, speak to me of all these as they took place, andeverything that those mighty charioteers achieved.’

“Vaisampayana said, ‘O monarch, appoint thou a time for hearing it. Thishistory told by Krishna-Dwaipayana is very extensive. This is but thebeginning. I shall recite it. I shall repeat the whole of the compositionin full, of the illustrious and great Rishi Vyasa of immeasurable mentalpower, and worshipped in all the worlds. This Bharata consists of ahundred thousand sacred slokas composed by the son of Satyavati, ofimmeasurable mental power. He that reads it to others, and they that hearit read, attain to the world of Brahman and become equal to the verygods. This Bharata is equal unto the Vedas, is holy and excellent; is theworthiest of all to be listened to, and is a Purana worshipped by theRishis. It contains much useful instruction on Artha and Kama (profit andpleasure). This sacred history maketh the heart desire for salvation.Learned persons by reciting this Veda of Krishna-Dwaipayana to those thatare liberal, truthful and believing, earn much wealth. Sins, such askilling the embryo in the womb, are destroyed assuredly by this. Aperson, however cruel and sinful, by hearing this history, escapes fromall his sins like the Sun from Rahu (after the eclipse is over). Thishistory is called Jaya. It should be heard by those desirous of victory.A king by hearing it may bring the whole world under subjection andconquer all his foes. This history in itself is a mighty act ofpropitiation, a mighty sacrifice productive of blessed fruit. It shouldalways be heard by a young monarch with his queen, for then they beget aheroic son or a daughter to occupy a throne. This history is the high andsacred science of Dharma, Artha, and also of Moksha; it hath been so saidby Vyasa himself of mind that is immeasurable. This history is recited inthe present age and will be recited in the future. They that hear it,read, have sons and servants always obedient to them and doing theirbehests. All sins that are committed by body, word, or mind, immediatelyleave them that hear this history. They who hear, without the spirit offault finding, the story of the birth of the Bharata princes, can have nofear of maladies, let alone the fear of the other world.

“For extending the fame of the high-souled Pandavas and of otherKshatriyas versed in all branches of knowledge, high spirited, andalready known in the world for their achievements, Krishna-Dwaipayana,guided also by the desire of doing good to the world, hath composed thiswork. It is excellent, productive of fame, grants length of life, issacred and heavenly. He who, from desire of acquiring religious merit,causeth this history to be heard by sacred Brahmanas, acquireth greatmerit and virtue that is inexhaustible. He that reciteth the famousgeneration of the Kurus becometh immediately purified and acquireth alarge family himself, and becometh respected in the world. That Brahmanawho regularly studies this sacred Bharata for the four months of therainy season, is cleansed from all his sins. He that has read the Bharatamay be regarded as one acquainted with the Vedas.

“This work presents an account of the gods and royal sages and sacredregenerate Rishis, the sinless Kesava; the god of gods, Mahadeva and thegoddess Parvati; the birth of Kartikeya who sprang from union of Parvatiwith Mahadeva and was reared by many mothers; the greatness of Brahmanasand of kine. This Bharata is a collection of all the Srutis, and is fitto be heard by every virtuous person. That learned man who reciteth it toBrahmanas during the sacred lunations, becometh cleansed of all sins,and, not caring for heaven as it were, attaineth to a union with Brahma.He that causeth even a single foot of this poem to be heard by Brahmanasduring the performance of a Sraddha, maketh that Sraddha inexhaustible,the Pitris becoming ever gratified with the articles once presented tothem. The sins that are committed daily by our senses or the mind, thosethat are committed knowingly or unknowingly by any man, are all destroyedby hearing the Mahabharata. The history of the exalted birth of theBharata princes is called the Mahabharata. He who knoweth this etymologyof the name is cleansed of all his sins. And as this history of theBharata race is so wonderful, that, when recited, it assuredly purifiethmortals from all sins. The sage Krishna-Dwaipayana completed his work inthree years. Rising daily and purifying himself and performing hisascetic devotions, he composed this Mahabharata. Therefore, this shouldbe heard by Brahmanas with the formality of a vow. He who reciteth thisholy narration composed by Krishna (Vyasa) for the hearing of others, andthey who hear it, in whatever state he or they may be, can never beaffected by the fruit of deeds, good or bad. The man desirous ofacquiring virtue should hear it all. This is equivalent to all histories,and he that heareth it always attaineth to purity of heart. Thegratification that one deriveth from attaining to heaven is scarcelyequal to that which one deriveth from hearing this holy history. Thevirtuous man who with reverence heareth it or causeth it to be heard,obtaineth the fruit of the Rajasuya and the horse-sacrifice. The Bharatais said to be as much a mine of gems as the vast Ocean or the greatmountain Meru. This history is sacred and excellent, and is equivalent tothe Vedas, worthy of being heard, pleasing to the ear, sin-cleansing, andvirtue-increasing. O monarch, he that giveth a copy of the Bharata to onethat asketh for it doth indeed make a present of the whole earth with herbelt of seas. O son of Parikshit, this pleasant narration that givethvirtue and victory I am about to recite in its entirety: listen to it.The sage Krishna-Dwaipayana regularly rising for three years, composedthis wonderful history called Mahabharata. O bull amongst the Bharatamonarchs, whatever is spoken about virtue, wealth, pleasure, andsalvation may be seen elsewhere; but whatever is not contained in this isnot to be found anywhere.'”