Deva–Asura–Gandharva–Nāga Vaṃśa-kathana
Genealogies and Partial Descents
शृणु सर्वमशेषेण कथ्यमानं मया द्विज । शंसितुं तन्महान् हर्षो ममापीह प्रवर्तते,विप्रवर! मेरे द्वारा कही जानेवाली इस सम्पूर्ण महाभारत-कथाको आप पूर्णरूपसे सुनिये। यह कथा सुनाते समय मुझे भी महान् हर्ष प्राप्त होता है
śṛṇu sarvam aśeṣeṇa kathyamānaṃ mayā dvija | śaṃsituṃ tanmahān harṣo mamāpīha pravartate ||
Hỡi bậc Bà-la-môn song sinh, hãy lắng nghe trọn vẹn bản tường thuật này khi ta kể lại, không bỏ sót điều gì. Khi ta cất lời trình bày thiên truyện Mahābhārata vĩ đại ấy, trong ta cũng dâng lên niềm hoan hỷ sâu xa, bởi chính việc kể lại đã là một niềm vui thiêng liêng.
शौनक उवाच
The verse emphasizes śravaṇa (attentive listening) and faithful transmission: the Mahābhārata should be heard in full, without omissions, and the act of narrating dharmic history is itself a source of inner joy and merit.
Śaunaka addresses a learned listener (dvija), inviting him to hear the complete Mahābhārata as Śaunaka narrates it, and he notes that he himself feels great happiness while recounting the story.