Sauti narrates the epic

Sauti the story-teller was one of those fortunate enough to attend the snake sacrifice of King Janamejaya (). He was returning from this snake sacrifice and passing through the Naimisha forest when he saw Saunaka's fire and made his way toward it.

On being welcomed by Saunaka and all the sages of his hermitage, Sauti told them of the snake sacrifice where King Janamejaya had made peace with the Naga prince . He told them that he had just heard Vyasa's Mahabharata, which was written down by Ganesha for the poet Vyasa. () When Saunaka expressed his desire to hear more, Sauti continued:

Janamejaya, although he had made his peace with the Naga, was not of a calm mind. The thought of his father, who had been killed by the Naga prince, continued to trouble him.

``You knew my ancestors,'' said Janamejaya to Vyasa, ``tell me about them.'' Vyasa said that he had already told the story of the Bharata race to his disciple Vaisampayana in the forest. So, while Vyasa rested and listened, Vaisampayana narrated the epic to all of us. Takshaka, Astika, King Janamejaya and all those present at the snake sacrifice sat enthralled as we heard the Mahabharata, which I will presently start to narrate.

Thus did Sauti narrate the epic to the group of sages gathered around Saunaka's fire in the Naimisha forest.

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