Shloka 78
अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope
श्रुत्वैतत् प्राह विघ्नेशो यदि मे लेखनी क्षणम् | लिखितो नावतिषछ्ेत तदा स्यां लेखको हाहम्,यह सुनकर विघ्नराज श्रीगणेशजीने कहा--“व्यासजी! यदि लिखते समय क्षणभरके लिये भी मेरी लेखनी न रुके तो मैं इस ग्रन्थका लेखक बन सकता हूँ
śrutvaitat prāha vighneśo yadi me lekhanī kṣaṇam | likhito nāvatiṣṭhet tadā syāṁ lekhako hy aham ||
Al oírlo, Vighneśa (Gaṇeśa) respondió: «Si, mientras escribo, mi estilete no ha de detenerse ni por un instante, entonces sí seré el escriba de esta obra». La condición subraya la gravedad de la empresa: el poema épico debe transmitirse con continuidad inquebrantable, exigiendo la claridad del compositor y la atención sin fisuras del escriba.
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined transmission of sacred knowledge: a monumental narrative should be recorded with uninterrupted focus and fidelity, emphasizing steadiness, commitment, and the seriousness of preserving dharmic tradition.
Gaṇeśa responds after hearing the proposal to write the Mahābhārata, agreeing to serve as the scribe on the condition that his pen must not be forced to pause even briefly while writing.