Mahabharata Savitri
Vyasa took three years to compose Mahabharata, following which Narada narrated this to the Devas, Asita Devala to the Pitris, Shuka to Yakshas and Rakshasas and Vaishampayana to the humans (नारदॊऽश्रावयद्दॆवानसितॊ दॆवलः पितॄन्। रक्षॊ यक्षान्शुकॊ मर्त्यान् वैशंपायन ऎव तु॥).
Vyasa taught the entire Mahabharata through these four verses which are also called the Mahabharata Savitri:
- मातापितृसहस्राणि पुत्रदारशतानि च। संसारॆष्वनुभूतानि यांति यासंति चापरॆ॥
Thousands of mothers and fathers, hundreds of sons and wives come into existence after existence only to pass away, and more will do so.
- हर्षस्थानसहस्राणि भयस्थानशतानि च। दिवसॆ मूढमाविशंति न पंडितम्॥
Thousands of occasions of joy, hundreds of occasions for fear trouble the fool day after day, but not for the learned man.
- ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्विरौम्यॆष न च कश्चिच्छृणॊति मॆ। धर्मादद्र्थश्च कामश्च स किमर्थं न सॆव्यतॆ॥
Here I cry out, arms raised, and no one hears me: "Both wealth and pleasure spring from Dharma, so why is Dharma not followed?"
- न जातु कामान्न भयान्न लॊभा धर्मं त्ययॆज्जीवतस्यापि हॆतॊः। नित्यॊ धर्मः सुखदुःखॆ त्वनित्यॆ जीवॊ नित्यॊ हॆतुरस्यः त्वनित्यः॥
Not for pleasure, not for fear, not for greed should one ever abandon Dharma - not even to save one's life. Dharma is eternal; happiness and misery are not eternal. The living self is eternal; the body through which it lives is not.