Shloka 21
अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope
वेदैश्वतुर्भि: संयुक्तां व्यासस्याद्भुतकर्मण: । संहितां श्रोतुमिच्छाम: पुण्यां पापभयापहाम्
vedaiś caturbhiḥ saṃyuktāṃ vyāsasyādbhuta-karmaṇaḥ | saṃhitāṃ śrotum icchāmaḥ puṇyāṃ pāpa-bhaya-apahām ||
We wish to hear that sacred compendium—joined with the four Vedas—composed by Vyāsa of wondrous deeds, a holy work that removes the fear born of sin.
Educational Q&A
Reverent listening to a sacred, Veda-aligned text is presented as ethically transformative: the Mahābhārata, attributed to Vyāsa, is praised as a meritorious compendium whose reception (śravaṇa) dispels the fear and consequences associated with wrongdoing.
The assembled listeners request to hear Vyāsa’s great compilation. They characterize it as a holy saṃhitā connected with the four Vedas and capable of removing pāpa-bhaya, thereby framing the ensuing recitation as both authoritative and spiritually beneficial.