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॥ अथ १.१ ॥
१.१.०
नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम् ।
देवीं सरस्वतीं चैव ततो जयमुदीरयेत् ॥
M N Dutt Having saluted the Supreme Deity (Narayana) and the highest of all male beings (Nara) and also the Goddess of Learning (Sarasvati), let us cry success!
१.१.१
लोमहर्षणपुत्र उग्रश्रवाः सूतः पौराणिको नैमिषारण्ये शौनकस्य कुलपतेर्द्वादशवार्षिके सत्रे ॥
M N Dutt One day when the great sages of hard austerities, who were present at the twelve years' sacrifice of Kulapati Shaunaka, were comfortably sitting in the Naimisharanya, Rishi Lomaharshana's son, Ugrashrava, popularly known as Sauti, well-read in the Puranas, came to them with all humility.
१.१.२
समासीनानभ्यगच्छद्ब्रह्मर्षीन्संशितव्रतान् ।
विनयावनतो भूत्वा कदाचित्सूतनन्दनः ॥
M N Dutt One day when the great sages of hard austerities, who were present at the twelve years' sacrifice of Kulapati Shaunaka, were comfortably sitting in the Naimisharanya, Rishi Lomaharshana's son, Ugrashrava, popularly known as Sauti, well-read in the Puranas, came to them with all humility.
सूत उवाच ।
१.१.८
जनमेजयस्य राजर्षेः सर्पसत्रे महात्मनः ।
समीपे पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य सम्यक्पारिक्षितस्य च ॥
M N Dutt Sauti said: After listening to the various sacred and wonderful stories of the Mahabharata composed by Krishna Dvaipayana those that were fully recited by Vaishampayana at the great Snake-sacrifice held by that noblehearted royal sage, the prince of all princes, the son of Parikshit, Janamejaya
१.१.९
कृष्णद्वैपायनप्रोक्ताः सुपुण्या विविधाः कथाः ।
कथिताश्चापि विधिवद्या वैशंपायनेन वै ॥
M N Dutt Sauti said: After listening to the various sacred and wonderful stories of the Mahabharata composed by Krishna Dvaipayana those that were fully recited by Vaishampayana at the great Snake-sacrifice held by that noblehearted royal sage, the prince of all princes, the son of Parikshit, Janamejaya
१.१.१२
दिदृक्षुरागतस्तस्मात्समीपं भवतामिह ।
आयुष्मन्तः सर्व एव ब्रह्मभूता हि मे मताः ॥
M N Dutt Being anxious to see you (all), I have now come before your (august) presence. O Revered sages, to you who are all to me as Brahma to you who are greatly learned and highly blessed, who shine with the fire of the Sun in this holy place of sacrifice, who are pure by sacred ablutions, who have performed and finished the deep meditation, who have kept up the sacred fire, who are beyond all cares, to you, O twice-born ones, what shall I speak?
१.१.१३
अस्मिन्यज्ञे महाभागाः सूर्यपावकवर्चसः ।
कृताभिषेकाः शुचयः कृतजप्या हुताग्नयः ।
भवन्त आसते स्वस्था ब्रवीमि किमहं द्विजाः ॥
M N Dutt Being anxious to see you (all), I have now come before your (august) presence. O Revered sages, to you who are all to me as Brahma to you who are greatly learned and highly blessed, who shine with the fire of the Sun in this holy place of sacrifice, who are pure by sacred ablutions, who have performed and finished the deep meditation, who have kept up the sacred fire, who are beyond all cares, to you, O twice-born ones, what shall I speak?
१.१.१४
पुराणसंश्रिताः पुण्याः कथा वा धर्मसंश्रिताः ।
इतिवृत्तं नरेन्द्राणामृषीणां च महात्मनाम् ॥
M N Dutt Shall I repeat to you the sacred stories of the Puranas, bearing on religious merites and worldly prosperity, or shall I recount to you the wonderful deeds of the great sages and saints and the sovereigns of mankind?
ऋषय ऊचुः ।
१.१.१६
तस्याख्यानवरिष्ठस्य विचित्रपदपर्वणः ।
सूक्ष्मार्थन्याययुक्तस्य वेदार्थैर्भूषितस्य च ॥
M N Dutt And which, being full of various dictions and divisions, is (undoubtedly) the most eminent narrative (amongst all narratives) that exist, containing (as it does) subtle and logically combined meanings, enriched with (the essence of) the Vedas, is a sacred work.
१.१.१७
भारतस्येतिहासस्य पुण्यां ग्रन्थार्थसंयुताम् ।
संस्कारोपगतां ब्राह्मीं नानाशास्त्रोपबृंहिताम् ॥
M N Dutt It is composed in beautiful language and it includes all other works. It is explained by all Shastras and contains the sense of the four Vedas. (But Sauti), we desire to hear Bharata, the sacred history that drives away all fear, the holy composition of great Vyasa, just as it was beautifully narrated in the great Snake-sacrifice of Raja Janamejaya by Rishi Vaishampayana as directed by Krishna Dvaipayana himself.
सूत उवाच ।
१.१.२०
आद्यं पुरुषमीशानं पुरुहूतं पुरुष्टुतम् ।
ऋतमेकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्यक्ताव्यक्तं सनातनम् ॥
M N Dutt Sauti then said: Bowing (most reverentially) my head to the original first being Ishana, who is adored by all and to whom all make offerings, who is the true unchangeable One, who is manifested and unmanifested, eternal and everlasting Brahma.
१.१.२१
असच्च सच्चैव च यद्विश्वं सदसतः परम् ।
परावराणां स्रष्टारं पुराणं परमव्ययम् ॥
M N Dutt Who is both non-existing and existing, who is the existing) universe and still distinct from both the existing and the non-existing world, who is the originator of all, both high and low, who is ancient, great and undecaying.
१.१.२२
मङ्गल्यं मङ्गलं विष्णुं वरेण्यमनघं शुचिम् ।
नमस्कृत्य हृषीकेशं चराचरगुरुं हरिम् ॥
M N Dutt Vishnu, who is pleasing and auspicious one, who is worthy of all worship, pure and sinless, who is Hari, the lord of the faculties, the guide of all the movable and the immovable.
१.१.२७
निष्प्रभेऽस्मिन्निरालोके सर्वतस्तमसावृते ।
बृहदण्डमभूदेकं प्रजानां बीजमक्षयम् ॥
M N Dutt In this universe, when there was no brightness and no light and when all was enveloped in darkness, there came into being a Mighty Egg, the one inexhaustible Seed of all created beings.
१.१.२८
युगस्यादौ निमित्तं तन्महद्दिव्यं प्रचक्षते ।
यस्मिंस्तच्छ्रूयते सत्यं ज्योतिर्ब्रह्म सनातनम् ॥
M N Dutt It is called Mahaddivya and was created at the beginning of the Yuga. In it existed the true Light, Brahma, the eternal One, the wonderful and inconceivable Being, the omnipresent, invisible and subtle Cause, the Entity and Nonentity-natured Self.
१.१.२९
अद्भुतं चाप्यचिन्त्यं च सर्वत्र समतां गतम् ।
अव्यक्तं कारणं सूक्ष्मं यत्तत्सदसदात्मकम् ॥
M N Dutt It is called Mahaddivya and was created at the beginning of the Yuga. In it existed the true Light, Brahma, the eternal One, the wonderful and inconceivable Being, the omnipresent, invisible and subtle Cause, the Entity and Nonentity-natured Self.
१.१.३०
यस्मात्पितामहो जज्ञे प्रभुरेकः प्रजापतिः ।
ब्रह्मा सुरगुरुः स्थाणुर्मनुः कः परमेष्ठ्यथ ॥
M N Dutt From this Egg was born the Lord Pitamaha, Brahma, the one only Prajapati, with Suraguru and Sthanu, Manu, Ka (Vishnu) and Parameshti. Prachetasas, Daksha and the seven of Daksha. Then also twenty one Prajapatis were born. The "Purusha of inconceivable nature whom all the Rishis know. Then appeared Vishvedevas, Adityas, the Vasus and the two Ashvins.
१.१.३३
यक्षाः साध्याः पिशाचाश्च गुह्यकाः पितरस्तथा ।
ततः प्रसूता विद्वांसः शिष्टा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽमलाः ॥
M N Dutt The Yakshas, the Sadhyas, the Pisachas, the Guhyakas and the Pitris. Then were produced the wise and the most holy Brahmarshi and the numerous Rajarshis, distinguished for every noble quality, then the water, the heavens, the earth, the sky and the points of the heavens.
१.१.३४
राजर्षयश्च बहवः सर्वैः समुदिता गुणैः ।
आपो द्यौः पृथिवी वायुरन्तरिक्षं दिशस्तथा ॥
M N Dutt The Yakshas, the Sadhyas, the Pisachas, the Guhyakas and the Pitris. Then were produced the wise and the most holy Brahmarshi and the numerous Rajarshis, distinguished for every noble quality, then the water, the heavens, the earth, the sky and the points of the heavens.
१.१.३५
संवत्सरर्तवो मासाः पक्षाहोरात्रयः क्रमात् ।
यच्चान्यदपि तत्सर्वं संभूतं लोकसाक्षिकम् ॥
M N Dutt The years, the seasons, the months, the fortnights and the day and night in succession. And again, at the end of the world and of the Yuga, whatever is seen in the universe, all created things, both animate and inanimate, will be turned into chaos.
१.१.३६
यदिदं दृश्यते किंचिद्भूतं स्थावरजङ्गमम् ।
पुनः संक्षिप्यते सर्वं जगत्प्राप्ते युगक्षये ॥
M N Dutt The years, the seasons, the months, the fortnights and the day and night in succession. And again, at the end of the world and of the Yuga, whatever is seen in the universe, all created things, both animate and inanimate, will be turned into chaos.
१.१.३७
यथर्तावृतुलिङ्गानि नानारूपाणि पर्यये ।
दृश्यन्ते तानि तान्येव तथा भावा युगादिषु ॥
M N Dutt And at the beginning of other (new) Yugas, all things will be again produced; and like the various fruits of the earth will succeed one another in the dye order of their seasons.
१.१.३८
एवमेतदनाद्यन्तं भूतसंहारकारकम् ।
अनादिनिधनं लोके चक्रं संपरिवर्तते ॥
M N Dutt This mysterious wheel, which causes, the destruction and production of all things, revolves thus perpetually in the world, without beginning and without an end.
१.१.४१
पुत्रा विवस्वतः सर्वे मह्यस्तेषां तथावरः ।
देवभ्राट्तनयस्तस्य तस्मात्सुभ्राडिति स्मृतः ॥
M N Dutt Of these Vivasvanas, old Mahya was the youngest whose son was Devabhrata. Devabhrata had one son, named Subhrata who had three sons, namely Dashajyoti, Shatajyoti and Sahasrajyoti, each of whom gave birth to innumerable offsprings.
१.१.४२
सुभ्राजस्तु त्रयः पुत्राः प्रजावन्तो बहुश्रुताः ।
दशज्योतिः शतज्योतिः सहस्रज्योतिरात्मवान् ॥
M N Dutt Of these Vivasvanas, old Mahya was the youngest whose son was Devabhrata. Devabhrata had one son, named Subhrata who had three sons, namely Dashajyoti, Shatajyoti and Sahasrajyoti, each of whom gave birth to innumerable offsprings.
॥ इति १.१ ॥

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