Sauti said : I shall recite from the beginning the great and excellent history, called Mahabharata, composed by Krishna Dvaipayana.
सौतिरुवाच हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि महदाख्यानमुत्तमम्। कृष्णद्वैपायनमतं महाभारतमादितः॥