Adi Parva

OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA

Suta’s Arrival

About five thousand years ago, in the course of his pilgrimage, the saint and scholar Suta Gosvami, wishing to pay his respects to some sages who for years had been carrying out a demanding sacrifice, came to a clearing of the Naimisha forest in stunning India, known around the world at the time by the name Bharata-varsha.

The Rishis, whose hearts were completely purified from any identification with matter, immediately recognized Romaharshana’s son, who despite his young age was already considered worthy of all respect. They greeted him and offered him a seat. So, after eating the food offered to the gods and having recovered from the fatigue of the long journey, Suta sat down on a mat woven with kusha grass and offered respectful greetings to everyone.

“We know that you have traveled a lot in recent years,” said the sages, “and that you have been to numerous sacred places. Where do you come from now, oh, Suta? Tell us everything; we listen to you.”

“I come from the holy arena of the great snake sacrifice of Maharaja Janamejaya,” replied Suta, “where I was granted the honor of hearing the sacred and wonderful story called Maha-bharata, composed by Vyasa. Soon after, seized by curiosity, I went to visit Samanta-panchaka, the place where long ago the fratricidal battle was fought between the sons of Dhritarastra and those of Pandu, the protagonists of this fantastic narrative, which is in itself a meditation on the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and brings to everyone, speakers and listeners, the maximum of the spiritual benefit. If you wish, I can repeat it from the beginning, exactly as I heard it, without adding anything of my own.”

And then, comfortably seated according to the various positions of yoga on their mats made of holy grass, the sages set about with great happiness to listen to the Maha-bharata.

This is a section of the book “Maha-bharata, Vol. 1”.

To buy the complete book, click above

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