SECTION LXII

(Adivansavatarana Parva continued)

“Janamejaya said, ’O excellent Brahmana, thou hast, indeed, told me, in brief, 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 the great history.  That could never have been a trifling cause for which the virtuous ones could slay those whom they should not have slain, and for which they are yet applauded by men.  Why also did those tigers among men, innocent and capable of avenging themselves upon their enemies, calmly suffer the persecution of the wicked Kurus?  Why also, O best of Brahmanas, did Bhima of mighty arms and of the strength of ten thousand elephants, control his anger, though wronged?  Why also did the chaste Krishna, the daughter of Drupada, wronged by those wretches and able to burn them, not burn the sons of Dhritarashtra with her wrathful eyes?  Why also did the two other sons of Pritha (Bhima and Arjuna) and the two sons of Madri (Nakula and Sahadeva), themselves injured by the wretched Kurus, follow Yudhishthira who was greatly addicted to the evil habit of gambling?  Why also did Yudhishthira, that foremost of all virtuous men, the son of Dharma himself, fully acquainted with all duties, suffer that excess of affliction?  Why also did the Pandava Dhananjaya, having Krishna for his charioteer, who by his arrows sent to the other world that dauntless host of fighting men (suffer such persecution)?  O thou of ascetic wealth, speak to me of all these as they took place, and everything that those mighty charioteers achieved.’

“Vaisampayana said, ’O monarch, appoint thou a time for hearing it.  This history told by Krishna-Dwaipayana is very extensive.  This is but the beginning.  I shall recite it.  I shall repeat the whole of the composition in full, of the illustrious and great Rishi Vyasa of immeasurable mental power, and worshipped in all the worlds.  This Bharata consists of a hundred thousand sacred slokas composed by the son of Satyavati, of immeasurable mental power.  He that reads it to others, and they that hear it read, attain to the world of Brahman and become equal to the very gods.  This Bharata is equal unto the Vedas, is holy and excellent; is the worthiest of all to be listened to, and is a Purana worshipped by the Rishis.  It contains much useful instruction on Artha and Kama (profit and pleasure).  This sacred history maketh the heart desire for salvation.  Learned persons by reciting this Veda of Krishna-Dwaipayana to those that are liberal, truthful and believing, earn much wealth.  Sins, such as killing the embryo in the womb, are destroyed assuredly by this.  A person, however cruel and sinful, by hearing this history, escapes from all his sins like the Sun from