lent, bestowing fame, granting length of life, sacred, and heavenly. He who, from desire of acquiring religious merit, causeth this history to be heard by sacred Brahmanas, doth acquire great merit and virtue that is inexhaustible. He that reciteth the famous generation of the Kurus becometh immediately purified, and acquireth a large family himself, and is respected in the world. That Brahmana who regularly studies this sacred Bharata for the four months of the rainy season, is cleared of all his sins. He that hath read the Bharata may be regarded as one acquainted with the Vedas.
"In this have been described the gods, the royal sages, the holy Brahmarshis; the sinless Keshava; the god of gods Mahadeva and the goddess Parvati; the birth of Kartikeya (the generalissimo of the celestials) sprung from and reared by many others; and the greatness of Brahmanas and of kine. This Bharata is a collection of all the Srutis, and is fit to be heard by every virtuous person. That learned man who reciteth it to Brahmanas during the sacred lunation, becometh purified of his sins, and not caring for the heavens as it were, attaineth to a union with Brahma. He that causeth even a single foot of this poem to be heard by Brahmanas during the performance of a Shraddha, that Shraddha becometh inexhaustible, the Pitris becoming ever gratified with the articles once presented to them. The sins that are committed daily by our senses or the mind, those that are committed knowingly or unknowingly by any man, are all destroyed by hearing the Mahabharata. This history of the exalted birth of the Bharata princes is called the Mahabharata. He who knoweth this etymology itself of the name is cleared of all his sins. And because this history of the Bharata race is so wonderful, therefore, when recited, it assuredly purifieth mortals from all sins. The Muni Krishna-Dwaipayana attained his object in three years. Rising daily and purifying himself and performing his ascetic devotions, he composed this Mahabharata. Therefore should this be heard by Brahmanas with the formality of a vow. He who reciteth this holy narration composed by Krishna (Vyasa) for the hearing of others, and they who hear it, in whatever state they may be, can never be
