by the lips of Dwaipayana is without a parallel; it is the virtue itself and sacred. It destroyeth sin and produceth good. He that listeneth to it while it is being recited hath no need of a bath in the sacred waters of Pushkara. A Brahmana, whatever sins he may commit during the day through his senses, is freed from them all by reading the Bharata in the evening. Whatever sins he may commit also in the night by deeds, words, or mind, he is freed from them all by reading the Bharata in the first twilight (morning). He that giveth a hundred kine with horns plaited with gold to a Brahman cognisant of the Vedas and all branches of learning, and he that daily listeneth to the sacred narrations of the Bharata, acquireth equal merit. As the wide ocean is easily passable by men having ships, so is this extensive history of great excellence and deep import with the help of this chapter called Parva-sangraha."
Thus endeth the section called Parva-sangraha of the Adi Parva of the blessed Mahabharata.
Section III.
( Pausya Parva ).
Sauti said, "Janamejaya the son of Parikshita was with his brothers attending his long sacrifice on the plains of Kuru-kshetra. His brothers were three, Sruta-sena, Ugra-sena, and Bhima-sena. And as they were sitting at the sacrifice, there arrived at the spot an offspring of Saramā (the celestial bitch.) And belaboured by the brothers of Janamejaya, he ran away to his mother, crying in pain. And his mother seeing him crying exceedingly asked him, "Why criest thou so? Who hath beaten thee?" And being thus questioned, he said unto his mother, 'I have been belaboured by the brothers of Janamejaya.' And his mother replied, 'apparently then, thou hast committed some fault for which hast thou been beaten!' He answered, 'I have not committed any fault. I have not touched the sacrificial butter with my tongue, nor have I even cast a look upon it.' His mother Saramā hearing this and much distressed at the affliction of her son went to the place where Janamejaya with his brothers was at his long-extending sacrifice. And she
