Shloka 52
अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope
मन्वादि भारतं केचिदास्तीकादि तथा परे | तथोपरिचराद्यन्ये विप्रा: सम्पगधीयते,कोई-कोई इस ग्रन्थका आरम्भ “नारायणं नमस्कृत्य'-से मानते हैं और कोई-कोई आस्तीकपर्वसे। दूसरे विद्वान् ब्राह्मण उपरिचर वसुकी कथासे इसका विधिपूर्वक पाठ प्रारम्भ करते हैं
manvādi bhārataṁ kecid āstīkādi tathā pare | tathoparicarādy anye viprāḥ sampragadhīyate ||
Some authorities hold that the Mahābhārata begins with the account of Manu, while others say it begins with Āstīka. Yet other learned brāhmaṇas, following established tradition, commence the proper recitation from the narrative of Uparicara Vasu. The verse highlights how revered texts may be approached through different traditional starting points, each grounded in lineage and method rather than mere preference.