Ugrashrava Sauti speaks

आद्यम् पुरुषम् ईशानम् पुरुहूतम् पुरुष्टुतम् ।
ऋतमेकाक्षरम् ब्रह्म व्यक्ताव्यक्तम् सनातनम् ॥ 20
आसच्च सच्चैव च यद्विश्वम् सदसतह् परम् ।
परावराणाम् स्रष्टारम् पुराणम् परमव्ययम् ॥ 21
मन्गल्यम् मन्गलम् विष्णुम् वरेण्यमनघम् शुचिम् ।
नमस्क्रुत्य हृषीकेशम् चराचरगुरुम् हरिम् ॥ 22

Aadyam purusham ishaanam puruhootam puru shtutham |

Rutamekaksharam brahma vyaktaavyaktam sanaatanam ||

Asachcha sachchaiva cha yadvishwam sadasatah param |

paraavaraaNaam srashTaaram puraaNam paramavyayam ||

mangalyam mangalam vishNum vareNyamangham shuchim |

namaskrutya hrusheekesham charaacharagurum harim ||

The above shloka (recital) is at the beginning of the 'Bharata', where Ugrashrava Sauti meets Shaunaka maharshi (who had thousands of students then) and is asked as to where was he and what he was doing. Sauti mentions that he had been to the place where 'Sarpa Samskaara', the 'snake sacrifice' was happening at the place of King Janamejaya and Sage Vaishampaayana told the epic written and as directed by the great sage 'Krishna Dwaipayana' or 'Vyasa Maharshi'. When asked by the Shaunaka, Sauti starts reciting the 'Bharata' to all the sages in Shaunaka rishi's ashram. The above shloka is the one Sauti recites before commencing the 'Bharata'.

Shloka meaning:

The supreme of all human beings, who is respected by every living form and is there in every living form. He is the 'Brahma' and to be more specific the 'Ekaaksharam Brahma' as mentioned in the Rig Veda 9th mandala, and always appears and is surrounded since the ancient times. He is the creator of everything, whether it is big or small, pure/impure, as described in the Puranas as the first of all living. I bow to Lord Vishnu, who grants the boon of cleansing, who is known as Hrushikesha and Hari, the Guru for all the movable/immovable   ones.

Sauti then goes further to give credit to Vyasa Maharshi who has written this great epic and has directed his disciples to preach to all the beings.

महर्षेः पूजितस्येह सर्वलोके महात्मनह ।
प्रवक्ष्यामि मतम् कृत्स्नम् व्यासस्यामित तेजसः ॥२३॥

maharsheh pujitasyeha sarvaloke mahaatmanaha |

pravakshyaami matam krutsnam vyasasyaamita tejasaha ||

The Maharshi is worth of being prayed and respected as a great soul 

I'm going to recite the epic created by Vyaasa, whose aura is limitless. 

We talk about plagiarism and copyright and all that stuff and some say that today's world has become like that. However, I'm not sure how it was in the world over 5000 years ago, but the above shlokas definitely teach me the bonding that the Guru and his disciples had and the selfless devotion towards God and the knowledge in the universe.