Sampoorna Mahabharatam • సంపూర్ణ శ్రీమహాభారతము • Episode 2

Adi parva Chapter 1 - Anukramanika parva.

In this, the greatness of the treatise is explained. With a prayer to Lord Ganapati we begin.

Long ago, a great Maharishi Shounaka, who was an embodiment of knowledge and a great story-teller, was conducting a long yāga for 12 years, for 2nd time, in Naimisharanya forest. At that time, Lomaharshana’s son Maharishi Ugrashrava, who was adept in narrating Puranic stories, arrived there. The Maharishis were delighted to see him. Eager to listen to the stories, everyone assembled around him.

Maharishi accepted their reverential welcome and after formal enquires, one saint asked, ‘O son of Suta, where are you coming from? For how long and in which all places did you reside? Please explain’.

Maharishi Ugrashrava replied, ‘King Janmejaya is conducting sarpa yaga wherein Maharishi Vaishampayana narrated the Mahabharata story. After hearing it, I visited Shamantaka- the holy place that was the battlefield for Pandavas and Kauravas. From there I have arrived here.

In this Yagna all of you are glowing like the Sun and Fire. Having completed bath, you are all clean. Having finished agni-karya (fire ritual) you are seated here with peaceful minds’.

Our country’s wellbeing is the outcome of Agni karya conducted by those great people. As such, all who are eligible to perform agni-karya should necessarily perform it daily. It dispels all diseases; grants purity. It is a supreme scientific process.

He asked- ‘What stories should I narrate to you, who are extremely pure?’

Those who have purity of mind should taught pure, good stories; not those who are filled with excessive thoughts or who lack mind and sense control. They have no interest and hence there is nothing to be gained by teaching them.

In great joy, the saints replied, ‘We wish to hear pious Bharata composed by Vyasa; which was worshipped by Devatas and Brahmarishis. It is a supreme story filled with many unique words and Vedantic secrets. It is filled with subtle inferences, reveals the meaning of the Vedas, contains beautiful words and explains the injunctions of Shastras.

It grants merit while dispelling fear of sin; is enthralling; strange; appears new each time it is heard and grants complete knowledge’.

Maharishi Lomaharshana bowed to Srihari and said,

‘Obeisance to the primordial Purusha who is the Lord for everything. Only after praying to Him, homa is performed in the Yagna. He is eternal; form of truth; manifest and unmanifest and is form of real and unreal. He creates the gross and subtle universe. He is ancient; undecaying; from of auspiciousness; all-pervading; supreme; free from impurity and is Guru for the entire universe. After praying to Him, I will now narrate that story which emerged from Maharishi Vyasa.

In this story, the science of the 3 worlds is contained. It can be explained concisely or elaborately; is filled with auspicious words. Maharishi Vyasa bathed, sat on the darbha seat in his Himalayan cave. With Yogic vision he saw the entire Mahabharata’.

With Yogic vision, Maharishis see past-present-future; happened- happening- to happen events.

‘Prior to creation, when everything was filled with darkness, a cosmic egg emerged. It was the root for creation. It was pervaded totally by Consciousness which is eternal, form of truth- illumination. It was beyond imagination; wonderful; invisible, subtle and the cause for the existence.

From it, Hiranyagarbha - the first embodied entity and the ruler of entities was born. Then came Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, followed by Manu, Prajapati, Parameshti, Pracetas, Daksha and his 7 sons. Then came 21 Prajapatis, a Purusha known to rishis, Vasus, Vishwedevas, Aswini devatas, yakshas, sadhya, pisāchas, guhyaka, forefathers, brahmarishis, rajarishis, 5 elements, directions, years, seasons, months, day-night. At end of creation everything will vanish and will re-emerge at the onset of creation.

This wheel of time which is without beginning and ending, while becoming the cause for the destruction of entities, rotates continually.

It is said there are 36333 Devatas. Brihadbhanu, Chakshu, Atmavibhāvasu, Savita, Ruchika, Arka, Bhanu, Āsavaha, Ravi were the sons of Div. Among them, Ravi (Mahya) was supreme. His son was Devabrāsta, whose son was Subrāshta. His sons were Dashajyoti, Śatajyoti and Sahasrajyoti. Dasajyoti had 10000 children’.

In that era, children were born from mind i.e. merely with intent and without mother’s womb. Such was their power. Also, for instance when a poet says he has 30000 sons, it means he used 30000 alphabets in his poem. They are secretive codes.

‘Śatajyoti had one lakh sons, and Sahasrajyoti 10 lakh. From them came the Kuru, Yadu, Bharata, Yayati, Ikshvaku and other lineages which furthered the creation.

Vyasa Maharishi saw the entire creation with his Yogic vision. He saw the residence of species, dharma, artha, kama- their differences and secrets; the Vedic science, all Shastras and way of life.