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अनुक्रमणिकापर्वन् (anukramaNikAparvan)

 
Mahabharata
English
[Anukramaṇikā-parvan], the first of the minor parvans (cf. Anukramaṇī). § 1: The Sūta Ugraśravas (Sauti), son of Lomaharshaṇa, had heard the Mahābhārata, which had been composed by Vyāsa, recited--under the direction of Dvaipāyana (i.e. Vyāsa) himself--by Vaiśampāyana, disciple of Vyāsa, at the serpent-sacrifice of king Janamejaya, son of Parikshit
he had thereupon undertaken a pilgrimage to the tīrthas (holy places) and visited Samantapañcaka (b)
thence he came to the twelve years’ sattra (long sacrifice) of Śaunaka in the Naimisha forest, where he related the Mahābhārata, (§ 2) beginning with the adoration of Vishṇu identified with the Absolute (Brahmán), and (§ 3) a brief exposition of the creation and succession of beings from the Absolute through Brahmán, the 21 Prajāpatis (), gods, etc. (), down to the families of the Kurus, etc. (), mentioned in the poem.--§ 4: The Mahābhārata contains an enlarged and an abridged form
some make it begin with Manu (i.e. I, 75, 18 = 3143
otherwise Nīl.), some with Āstīka (i.e. I, 13, 1 = 1020), and some with Uparicara (i.e. I, 63, 1 = 2334) (v. 52). Vyāsa had composed the Mahābhārata in a moment, and, at the counsel of Brahmán, had Gaṇeśa to write it down as fast as he dictated to him. (An enumeration of the first sixteen books is contained in v. 88--91.) The portion destined for men (100, 000 ślokas out of six millions) he taught Vaiśampāyana, who narrated it in the intervals between the parts of the serpent-sacrifice of Janamejaya, first giving a survey of the principal contents (), partly in the form of a conversation between Dhṛtarāshṭra and Sañjaya.--§ 5: Sañjaya, in order to console Dhṛtarāshṭra, first enumerated 24 great kings (), who were formerly mentioned by Nārada to Śaivya (B. Śvaitya) when lamenting the loss of a son, and thereupon (§ 6) 66 others (), who had all died.--§ 7: He, who hears or reads the Mahābhārata, is purified from the most atrocious sins (261 ff. = 254 ff.).