Shloka 1
Virāṭa-sabhāyāṃ Saṃniveśaḥ — Assembly at Virāṭa’s Hall and Kṛṣṇa’s Diplomatic Counsel
नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम् | देवीं सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरयेत् ।।
nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam | devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ tato jayam udīrayet ||
ナーラーヤナに礼拝し、また人中第一のナラに礼拝し、さらに女神サラスヴァティーとヴィヤーサに礼拝してのち、はじめて「ジャヤ」（すなわち『マハーバーラタ』）を誦すべきである。この偈は叙事詩を、聖なるものとして、また倫理の重みを帯びた語りとして位置づける。正しい言葉と正しい想起は、神聖なる源、模範たる人、霊感に満ちた学知の力、そして伝統を編み伝える聖仙への敬虔から始まる。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Before engaging a powerful narrative about dharma and conflict, one should begin with reverence: to the divine (Nārāyaṇa), the exemplary human ideal (Nara), the sanctity of learning and speech (Sarasvatī), and the authoritative transmitter (Vyāsa). Ethical listening and truthful speech are presented as grounded in humility and right orientation.
This is a traditional maṅgala (auspicious opening) that instructs the reciter to invoke key divine and authorial figures and then begin the recitation of ‘Jaya,’ the Mahābhārata. It functions as the formal gateway into the Udyoga Parva’s events.