The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose Adi Parva by Kisari Mohan Ganguli SECTION I Om! Having bowed down to Narayana and Nara, the most exalted male being, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered. Ugrasrava, the son of Lomaharshana, surnamed Sauti, well-versed in the Puranas, bending with humility, one day approached the great sages of rigid vows, sitting at their ease, who had attended the twelve years' sacrifice of Saunaka, surnamed Kulapati, in the forest of Naimisha. Those ascetics, wishing to hear his wonderful narrations, presently began to address him who had thus arrived at that recluse abode of the inhabitants of the forest of Naimisha. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

The present book is a translation of original Mahabharata written by Vyasa in sanskrit prose. This translation has been carried out in the form of prose in the English language.

The Bhagavad Gita, or the song of God, was revealed by Lord Shree Krishna to Arjun on the threshold of the epic war of Mahabharata. A decisive battle between two sets of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, was just about to commence on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. A detailed account of the reasons that led to such a colossal war is given under Introduction-The Setting of the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita is primarily a conversation between Lord Shree Krishna and Arjun. Yet, the first chapter begins with a dialogue between King Dhritarashtra and his minister Sanjay. Dhritarashtra being blind, could not leave his palace in Hastinapur but was eager to know the ongoings of the battlefield. Sanjay was a disciple of Sage Ved Vyas, the author of the epic Mahabharata and several other Hindu scriptures. Sage Ved Vyas possessed a mystic ability to see and hear events occurring in distant places. He had bestowed upon Sanjay the miraculous power of distant vision. Therefore, Sanjay could see and hear what transpired on the battleground of Kurukshetra, and gave a first-hand account to King Dhritarashtra, while still being in his palace.