तस्य तच्चिन्तितं ज्ञात्वा ऋषेर्द्वैपायनस्य च। तत्राजगाम भगवान्ब्रह्मा लोकगुरुः स्वयम्
Knowing the sage Dvaipayana’s thoughts, the blessed Brahma, teacher of the worlds, himself arrived there.
प्रीत्यर्थं तस्य चैवर्षेर्लोकानां हितकाम्यया। तं दृष्ट्वा विस्मितो भूत्वा प्राञ्जलिः प्रणतः स्थितः
For the sage’s pleasure and for the welfare of the worlds, seeing him, he became astonished and stood with joined palms, bowing.
आसनं कल्पयामास सर्वैर्मुनिगणैर्वृतः
Surrounded by all the groups of sages, he arranged a seat.
हिरण्यमर्भमासीनं तस्मिंस्तु परमासने। परिवृत्यासनभ्याशे वासवेयः स्थितोऽभवत्
On that supreme golden seat, he sat; and near that seat, the son of Vasu took his place.
अनुज्ञातोऽथ कृष्णस्तु ब्रह्मणा परमेष्ठिना। निषसादासनाभ्याशे प्रीयमाणः शुचिस्मितः
Then, having been permitted by Brahma, the supreme lord, Krishna, pleased and smiling purely, sat down near the seat.
उवाच स महातेजा ब्रह्माणं परमेष्ठिनम्। कृतं मयेदं भगवन्काव्यं परमपूजितम्
He, of great splendor, spoke to Brahma, the supreme lord: ‘O blessed one, this revered poem has been composed by me.’
ब्रह्मन्वेदरहस्य च यच्चान्यत्स्थापितं मया। साङ्गोपनिषदां चैव वेदानां विस्तरक्रिया
O Brahman, the secret of the Veda and whatever else has been established by me, as well as the detailed arrangement of the Vedas with their limbs and Upanishads.
इतिहासपुरापानामुन्मेषं निमिषं च यत्। भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च त्रिविधं कालसंज्ञितम्
The emergence and dissolution of histories and ancient tales, and that which is called the threefold time: past, present, and future.
जरामृत्युभयव्याधिभावाभावविनिश्चयः। विविधस्य च धर्मस्य ह्याश्रमाणां च लक्षणम्
The determination of aging, death, fear, disease, existence and non-existence, and the various forms of dharma, as well as the characteristics of the stages of life.
चातुर्वर्ण्यविधानं च पुराणानां च कृत्स्नशः। तपसो ब्रह्मचर्यस्य पृथिव्याश्चन्द्रसूर्ययोः
The arrangement of the four varnas, the entirety of the Puranas, the practices of austerity and celibacy, and of the earth, the moon, and the sun.
ग्रहनक्षत्रताराणां प्रमाणं च युगैः सह। ऋचो यजूषि सामानि वेदाध्यात्मं तथैव च
The measures of planets, stars, and constellations, along with their cycles; the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas, and the essence of the Vedas as well.
न्यायशिक्षा चिकित्सा च दानं पाशुपतं तथा। इति नैकाश्रयं जन्म दिव्यमानुषसंज्ञितम्
Logic, phonetics, medicine, charity, and the Pashupata doctrine; thus, the birth of many disciplines, both divine and human, is described.
तीर्थानां चैव पुण्यानां देशानां चैव कीर्तनम्। नदीनां पर्वतानां च वनानां सागरस्य च
The praise of holy places and blessed lands, and also of rivers, mountains, forests, and the ocean.
पुराणां चैव दिव्यानां कल्पानां युद्धकौशलम्। वाक्यजातिविशेषाश्च लोकयात्राक्रमश्च यः
The divine ancient tales, the cycles of creation, the skill of warfare, the varieties of speech, and the order of worldly conduct.
यच्चापि सर्वगं वस्तु तच्चैव प्रतिपादितम्। परं न लेखकः कश्चिदेतस्य भुवि विद्यते
And whatever is the all-pervading reality, that too is explained here; there is no other writer on earth who has done so.
तपोविशिष्टदपि वै वसिष्ठान्मुनिपुंगवात्। मन्ये श्रेष्ठव्यं त्वां वै रहस्यज्ञानवेदनात्
Even compared to the great sage Vasishtha, distinguished by austerity, I consider you superior, for you possess knowledge of secret wisdom.
जन्मप्रभृति सत्यां ते वेद्मि गां ब्रह्मवादिनीम्। त्वयाच काव्यमित्युक्तं तस्मात्काव्यं भविष्यति
From your very birth I know you to be devoted to the Vedas; and since you have declared this to be a poem, therefore it shall be called a poem.
अस्य काव्यस्य कवयो न समर्था विशेषणे। विशेषणे गृहस्थस्य शेषास्त्रय इवाश्रमाः
Poets are not capable of describing the qualities of this poem, just as the other three stages of life cannot describe the householder.
जडान्धबधिरोन्मत्तं तमोभूतं जगद्भवेत्। यदि ज्ञानहुताशेन त्वया नोज्ज्वलियं भवेत्
The world would become dull, blind, deaf, mad, and enveloped in darkness, if you had not kindled the fire of knowledge.
तमसान्धस्य लोकस्य वेष्टितस्य स्वकर्मभिः। ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकाभिर्बुद्धिनेत्रोत्सवः कृतः
For the world, blinded and bound by its own actions, you have brought a festival of vision to the intellect with the collyrium-stick of knowledge.
त्वया भारतसूर्येण नृणां विनिहतं तमः
By you, O sun of the Bharata, the darkness of men has been destroyed.
पुराणपूर्णचन्द्रेण श्रुतिज्योत्स्नाप्रकाशिना। नृणां कुमुदसौम्यानां कृतं बुद्धिप्रसादनम्
By the full-moon of ancient tales, shining with the light of the Vedas, the minds of men, gentle as lotuses, have been gladdened.
इतिहासप्रदीपेन मोहावरणघातिना। लोकगर्भगृहं कृत्स्नं यथावत्संप्रकाशितम्
By the lamp of history, which destroys the veil of delusion, the entire womb of the world has been properly illuminated.
संग्रहाध्यायबीजो वै पौलोमास्तीकमूलवान्। संभवस्कन्धविस्तारः सभापर्वविटङ्कवान्
The summary chapter is the seed, with the stories of Pauloma and Astika as roots; the section on origins is its trunk, and the Sabha Parva is its knot.
आरण्यपर्वरूपाढ्यो विराटोद्योगसारवान्। भीष्मपर्वमहाशाखो द्रोणपर्वपलाशवान्
It is rich with the form of the Aranyaka Parva, and contains the essence of the Virata and Udyoga Parvas; the Bhishma Parva is its great branch, and the Drona Parva its leaves.
कर्णपर्वसितैः पुष्पैः शल्यपर्वसुगन्धिभिः। स्त्रीपर्वैषीकविश्रामः शान्तिपर्वमहाफलः
The Karna Parva is adorned with flowers, the Shalya Parva with fragrance; the Stri Parva is its resting place, and the Shanti Parva its great fruit.
अश्वमेधामृतसस्त्वाश्रमस्थानसंश्रयः। मौसलश्रुतिसंक्षेपः शिष्टद्विजनिषेवितः
It is sheltered by the Ashvamedhika and Amshasana Parvas, and the Ashramavasika Parva; the Mausala Parva is its summary, and it is served by worthy twice-born men.
सर्वेषां कविमुख्यानामुपजीव्यो भविष्यति। पर्जन्यइव भूतानामक्षयो भारद्रुमः
It will be the support of all the foremost poets, just as the inexhaustible cloud is for all beings, and the great tree of Bharata.
काव्यस्य लेखनार्थाय गणेशः स्मर्यतां मुने
Let Ganesha be remembered, O sage, for the purpose of writing this poem.
एवमाभाष्य तं ब्रह्मा जगाम स्वं निवेशनम्। भगवान्स जगत्स्रष्टा ऋषिदेवगणैः सह
Having thus spoken to him, Brahma, the blessed creator of the world, departed to his own abode along with the hosts of sages and gods.