Salutation unto Ganesha.¹ Salutation unto Veda Vyasa.² Having saluted Nārāyana and the best of male beings Nara as well as the goddess of learning Saraswati let us cry success (1). What is the use of bathing at the sacred shrine of Pushkara³ for him who listens to the recitation of the Mahābhārata, dropped off the lips of Dwaipayana, wondrous, destructive of sins, auspicious and highly sacred (2). May Vyasa, the son of Parāçara and the delighter of Satyavati, be crowned with success, from whose lotus mouth the wordy ambrosia has come down which the world drinks (3). He, who listens to the sacred theme of Bhārata, acquires the same fruit with him who makes a gift of a hundred kine with golden horns unto a Brāhmana conversant with the Vedas and many Srutis (4). By making a gift of Harivamsha a man acquires far more everlasting piety than what is acquired by the celebration of a hundred horse sacrifices, or by the distribution of inexhaustive food, or by doing what secures the dignity of Indra. This has been recounted by the great Rishi Vyasa (5). This bestows the same fruit as is given by _Bajpeya_⁴ or Rājashuya⁵ Yagnas or by making a gift of a car with elephants. Vyasa’s word is the proof hereof and this has also been said by the great Rishi Vālmiki (6). The great ascetic, who duly commits to writing Harivamsha, speedily approaches the lotus-feet of Hari like a bee moving towards a lotus, drawn by the smell of honey (7). I consider Dwaipāyana as the supreme cause of all, who is the sixth in descent from Brahmā, who is a Rishi endued with eternal spiritual greatness, who has descended from a portion of Nārāyana and who has only Suka for his son (8). ¹ The deity Ganesha, according to the Hindus, confers the accomplishment of all objects. It is customary with them to offer him worship at the beginning of every ceremony, ² Vyasa is a generic term meaning compiler. Here it refers to the person who arranged the Vedas and compiled the Puranas. ³ It is a lake situated in the District of Ajmir, Marwar, where thousands of pilgrims resort every year for bathing. ⁴ A particular sacrifice at which the acetous fermentation of meat and water is drunk by the gods. ⁵ A sacrifice at which all the tributary kings assemble to pay homage to their Emperor. CHAPTER I. AN ACCOUNT OF THE PRIMEVAL CREATION