When Vaiśampayana says that the
Mahabharata gives wealth and victory to its hearers, he seems to mean that the story literally has the power to affect a person’s life. But perhaps he also means this metaphorically, suggesting that the
Mahabharata might not literally make gold appear but might help a person learn how to lead a better life. The first book of the poem is essentially an origin story, starting with the early descendants of a lineage, and going down through each generation until it reaches the people who will serve as the main characters for the majority of the poem: the Pandava brothers.