Maa Kali dressed with lights, flowers, and the scythe of the shrine.

Sacred Learning

Mahābhārata vulgate Ādi-parvan maṅgala (nārāyaṇaṃ namaskṛtya…)

Mahābhārata vulgate Ādi-parvan maṅgala (nārāyaṇaṃ namaskṛtya…)

Mahābhārata vulgate Ādi-parvan maṅgala (nārāyaṇaṃ namaskṛtya…)

Canonical source text

नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम् । देवीं सरस्वतीं व्यासं ततो जयमुदीरयेत् ॥

IAST transliteration

nārāyaṇaṃ namaskṛtya naraṃ caiva narottamam | devīṃ sarasvatīṃ vyāsaṃ tato jayam udīrayet ||

Close translation

Having bowed to Nārāyaṇa, to Nara the best of men, to the goddess Sarasvatī and to Vyāsa, one should then utter Jaya.

Reader-friendly meaning

A liturgical opening printed at the head of many vulgate Ādi copies. The BORI Critical Edition treats the first numbered Ādi śloka differently; this card names the difference.

Meenananda editorial explanation

Before the great tale, the house bows. That bow is already study.

Word meanings

  • नारायणम् — Nārāyaṇa
  • व्यासं — Vyāsa
  • जयम् — Jaya (the tale)

Vulgate Ādi maṅgala. BORI CE does not treat this as Ādi 1.1; the difference is recorded here. Sanskrit: public domain. Foundation translations: CC BY-SA 4.0.