The first of 18 parvas, it describes how Vedavyāsa’s Sanskrit epic came to be recited by Ugrasrava Sauti to the assembled rishis at the Naimisha forest after its first recital by Vaishampayana at the sarpasatra of Janamejaya in Taxila. It includes the Draupadīsvayaṃvara and Śakuntalopākhyāna.