In ancient times, the eternal, beginningless and endless God, the creator and lord of the universe, existed as the imperceptible, imperishable Brahman—the primordial essence composed of the three qualities. This immutable Self, the origin and master of all nature, was the cosmic artificer, established in sattva, eternal and unchanging. He is the infinite, unmoving deity, the swan, Narayana, the supreme lord; the sustainer, unborn and unmanifest, whom sages call the supreme, imperishable One. He is the absolute, devoid of qualities, yet the universe itself—without beginning, unborn and imperishable. This all-pervading Creator is the ancestor of all beings. For the establishment of righteousness, this divine One was born among the Andhakas and Vrishnis as two mighty warriors, skilled in weapons and all scriptures. Satyaki and Kritavarma, devoted to Narayana, were born from Satyaka and Hriddika, both masters of weaponry. From Bharadvaja’s seed, which grew in Drona’s womb, Drona was born, endowed with the sage’s austerity. Gautama’s lineage produced twins: Kripa, of great strength, from the arrow-pillar, and Ashvatthama’s mother. From Drona came Ashvatthama, mighty in strength; likewise, Dhrishtadyumna, brilliant as fire, was born. In the Vedic sacrifice, a hero arose from the fire, armed with a bow and endowed with valor, destined for Drona’s destruction. From the altar, Krishna was born, radiant and auspicious, shining in form and bearing the finest appearance. Prahlada’s disciple, Nagnajit, became powerful, and his offspring, destructive of righteousness, was born from the anger of the gods. Shakuni, son of the king of Gandhara, was born, as was Saubala; the mother of Duryodhana bore those skilled in wealth. From Krishna Dvaipayana, Dhritarashtra, lord of people, was born in the field of Vichitravirya, and Pandu, mighty in strength. Vidura, wise and skilled in righteousness and wealth, intelligent and free from sin, was also born from Dvaipayana, but in a Shudra womb. To Pandu were born five sons, each equal to the gods. Among his two wives, the one with superior qualities was Yudhishthira. Yudhishthira was born from Dharma, Bhima from the wind-god, and Arjuna, radiant and foremost among bearers of weapons, from Indra. Nakula and Sahadeva, both endowed with beauty and devoted to serving their elders, were born from the Ashvins. Dhritarashtra begot a hundred sons, with Duryodhana as their leader, as well as Yuyutsu and Karna. Then came Duhshasana, Duhsaha, Durmarshana, Vikarna, Chitrasena, and Vivingshati. Among the eleven great chariot-warriors were Jaya, Satyavrata, Purumitra, and Yuyutsu, the son of a Vaishya. Abhimanyu was born to Subhadra from Arjuna; he was the nephew of Vasudeva and the grandson of the great Pandu. From Draupadi, five sons were born to the Pandavas—princes of great beauty, skilled in all branches of knowledge: Prativindhya from Yudhishthira, Sutasoma from Bhima, Shrutakirti from Arjuna, Shatanika from Nakula, and Shrutasena from Sahadeva, full of vigor. From Bhima and Hidimba in the forest came Ghatotkacha. Shikhandi was born to Drupada as a daughter who, through the affection of a Yaksha, obtained the status of a son and was transformed into a man. In the great conflict among the Kurus, countless thousands of kings assembled, ready for battle. The names of these innumerable warriors cannot be fully recounted, even in tens of thousands of years; but these principal ones have been named, by whom the narrative is spread. Hearing of these great warriors and many others, a Brahman requested to learn the full account, including the thousands of other kings. He asked, “For what purpose did these mighty chariot-warriors, equal to the gods, arise on earth? O greatly fortunate one, please tell me this fully.” It was said among them that this was a secret of the gods. Yet, bowing to the Self-born, the narrator began: Long ago, Jamadagni’s son, Parashurama, made the earth free of Kshatriyas twenty-one times, and then performed austerities on the great mountain Mahendra. At that time, when the world had been made devoid of Kshatriyas by Bhargava, women seeking sons approached the Brahmanas. The Brahmanas of firm vows united with these women at the proper time, not out of desire or at the wrong time. From these unions, thousands of Kshatriya sons and daughters were conceived, giving birth to Kshatriyas even more powerful than before. Thus, the Kshatriya line was replenished by the Brahmins among the Kshatriya women through ascetic discipline. Born and grown in righteousness, endowed with long life, from them all four orders arose, with Brahmins foremost. Women approached their husbands at the proper season, not out of desire at improper times; likewise, other creatures—even those born in animal wombs—did the same. Living righteously, they flourished for hundreds and thousands of years. Those people, O protector of the earth, were devoted to religious vows and duty. Men were entirely free from afflictions and diseases, living in harmony and righteousness.