Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/19

Rh of their lives. I know thou hast revealed the divine word, even from its first utterance, in the language of truth. Thou hast called thy present work a poem, wherefore it shall be a poem. There shall be no poets whose works may equal the descriptions of this poem, even, as the three other modes called Asrama are ever unequal in merit to the domestic Asrama. Let Ganesa be thought of, O Muni, for the purpose of writing the poem.'

"Sauti said, 'Brahma having thus spoken to Vyasa, retired to his own abode. Then Vyasa began to call to mind Ganesa. And Ganesa, obviator of obstacles, ready to fulfil the desires of his votaries, was no sooner thought of, then he repaired to the place where Vyasa was seated. And when he had been saluted, and was seated, Vyasa addressed him tbus, 'O guide of the Ganas ! be thou the writer of the Bharata which I have formed in my imagination, and which I am about to repeat.'

"Ganesa, upon hearing this address, thus answered, 'I will become the writer of thy work, provided my pen do not for a moment cease writing. And Vyasa said unto that divinity, 'Wherever there by any. thing thou dost not comprehend, cease to continue writing. Ganesa having signified his assent, by repeating the word Om ! proceeded to write ; and Vyasa began; and by way of diversion, he knit the knots of composition exceeding close ; by doing which, he dictated this work according to his engagement.

I am (continued Sauti) acquainted with eight thousand and eight hundred verses, and so is Suka, and perhaps Sanjaya. From the mysteriousness of their meaning, O Muni, no one is able to this day, to penetrate those closely knit difficult slokas. Even the omniscient Ganesa took a moment to consider : while Vyasa, however, continued to compose other verses in great abundance.

The wisdom of this work, like unto an instrument of applying collyrium, hath opened the eyes of the inquisitive world blinded by the darkness of ignorance. As the sun dispelleth the darkness, so doth the Bharata by its discourses on religion, profit, pleasure and final release, dispel the ignorance of men. As the full-moon by its mild light expandeth the buds of the water-lily, so this Purana, by exposing the light of the Sruti hath expanded the human intellect. By the lamp of history, which destroyeth the darkness of ignorance, the whole mansion of nature is properly and completely illuminated.

This work is a tree, of which the chapter of contents is the seed ; the divisions called Pauloma and Astika are the root; the part called Sambhava is the trunk; the books called Sabha and Aranya are the roosting perches: the books called Arani is the knitting knots: the books called Virata and Udyoga the pith ; the book named Bhishma, the