Invocation
By Suta in the assembly at Naimisharanya.
Suta said: "Let me first pay my respect unto the source of all that exists, the indestructable reality called by many names and praised in many prayers, the Absolute Truth, who is eternally present. Unto him I bow down.
Matter and spirit are his potencies. He is one with, yet different from the universe. Transcendental and supreme, the creator of all things great and small, he stands above all, his power never diminished. Full of bliss, he enlivens each of us with his own happiness. The original teacher of all the creatures in this world.
I shall now recite the epic as taught by Vyasa. The learned recited this chronicle in the past, others declare it today, and still others will certainly recite it in times to come. This great teaching is firmly established in all the three worlds. The Mahabharata is a veritable pleasure to read, for it is embellished with beautiful language and a variety of charming matters, both divine and human."