mahABArata - a first introduction

Mahabharata is one of the itihAsa texts and is part of smrithis. The text is organized into eighteen parvas, and each parva includes multiple upa-parvas. There are about 100 upa-parvas and the full version of mahAbhAratha has one lakh shlokas.  The mahAbhArata is narrated by vyAsa maharshi and written by mahA gaNapathi.  The dharma is explained in mahAbharatha along with the story of Kurukula.  Bhagavadgeeta is part of Mahabharatha

Contents of Mahabharata

1.       Narration of Mahabharata by Sauti to the assembled rishis at Naimisharanya, after having been recited at the sarpasattra of Janamejaya by Vaishampayana at Takṣaśilā. The history and genealogy of the Bharata and Bhrigu races is recalled, as is the birth and early life of the Kuru princes.

2.       Maya Danava erects the palace and court (sabha), at Indraprastha. Life at the court, Yudhishthira's Rajasuya Yajna, - the game of dice, the disrobing of Pandava wife Draupadi and eventual exile of the Pandavas.

3.       The twelve years of exile of pAnDavAs in the forest

4.       ajnAtavAsa - The year spent incognito at the court of Virata.

5.       Preparations for war and efforts to bring about peace between the Kurus and the Pandavas which eventually fail (udyoga means effort or work).

6.       The first part of the great battle, with Bhishma as commander for the Kauravas and his fall on the bed of arrows. (Includes theBhagavad Gita in chapters 25[25]-42.[26])

7.       The battle continues, with Drona as commander. This is the major book of the war. Most of the great warriors on both sides are dead by the end of this book.

8.       The battle again, with Karna as commander.

9.       The last day of the battle, with Shalya as commander. The  pilgrimage of Balarama to the fords of the river Saraswati and the mace fight between Bhima and Duryodhana which ends the war, since Bhima kills Duryodhana by smashing him on the thighs with a mace.

10.   Ashvattama, Kripa and Kritavarma kill the remaining Pandava army in their sleep. Only 7 warriors remain on the Pandava side and 3 on the Kaurava side.

11.   Gandhari, Kunti and the women (stri) of the Kurus and Pandavas lament the dead.

12.   The crowning of Yudhisthira as king of Hastinapura, and instructions from Bhishma for the newly anointed king on society, economics and politics.

13.   The final instructions (anushasana) from Bhishma.

14.   The royal ceremony of the Ashvamedha (Horse sacrifice) conducted by Yudhisthira. The world conquest by Arjuna. The Anugita is told by Krishna to Arjuna.

15.   Deaths of Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti in a forest fire when they are living in a hermitage in the Himalayas. Vidura predeceases them and Sanjaya on Dhritarashtra's bidding goes to live in the higher Himalayas.

16.   The infighting between the Yadavas with maces (mausala) and the eventual destruction of the Yadavas.

17.   The great journey of Yudhisthira, his brothers and his wifeDraupadi across the whole country and finally their ascent of the great Himalayas where each Pandava falls except for Yudhisthira.

18.   Yudhisthira's final test and the return of the Pandavas to the spiritual world (svarga).

The life of Krishna.

A brief outline of the content of Mahabharata is given below:

Parva	Title of the Parva	Subparvas
1	Adi Parva (The Beginning)	1–19
2	Sabha Parva (The Assembly Hall)	20–28
3	Vana Parva also Aranyaka-parva, Aranya-parva (The Book of the Forest)	29–44
4	Virata Parva (The Book of Virata)	45–48
5	Udyoga Parva (The Book of the Effort)	49–59
6	Bhishma Parva (The Book of Bhishma)	60–64
7	Drona Parva (The Book of Drona)	65–72
8	Karna Parva (The Book of Karna)	73
9	Shalya Parva (The Book of Shalya)	74–77
10	Sauptika Parva (The Book of the Sleeping Warriors)	78–80
11	Stri Parva (The Book of the Women)	81–85
12	Shanti Parva (The Book of Peace)	86–88
13	Anushasana Parva (The Book of the Instructions)	89–90
14	Ashvamedhika Parva (The Book of the Horse Sacrifice)[27]	91–92
15	Ashramavasika Parva (The Book of the Hermitage)	93–95
16	Mausala Parva (The Book of the Clubs)	96
17	Mahaprasthanika Parva (The Book of the Great Journey)	97
18	Svargarohana Parva (The Book of the Ascent to Heaven)	98
khila	Harivamsa Parva (The Book of the Genealogy of Hari)	99–100

  

Adi parva
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
1	anukramaNikA	1
2	Sangraha	2
3	Paushya Parva	3
4	Pauloma Parva	4-12
5	Astika Parva	13-58
6	Adivansavatarana Parva	59-64
7	Sambhava Parva	65-142
8	Jatugriha Parva	143-153
9	Hidimva-vadha Parva	154-158
10	Baka-vadha Parva	159-166
11	Chaitraratha Parva	167-185
12	Swayamvara Parva	186-194
13	Vaivahika Parva	195-201
14	Viduragamana Parva	202-209
15	Rajya-labha Parva	210-214
16	Arjuna-vanavasa Parva	215-220
17	Subhadra-harana Parva	221-222
18	Haranaharana Parva	223
19	Khandava-daha Parva	224-236

2 saBA parva
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
20		1
21		2
22		3
23		4
24	Lokapala Sabhakhayana Parva	5-13
25	Rajasuyarambha Parva	14-19
26	Jarasandhta-badha Parva	20-31
27	Rajasuyika Parva	32-38
28	Sisupala-badha Parva	39-80

     

3 vana parva (15/324)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
29	Aranyaka Parva	1-10
30	Kirmirabadha Parva	11
31	Arjunabhigamana Parva	12-37
32	Kairata Parva (Arjuna-mahAdEva yudha)	38-41
33	Indralokagamana Parva	42-51
34	Nalopakhyana Parva	52-79
35	Tirtha-yatra Parva	80-180
36	Markandeya-Samasya Parva	181-230
37	Draupadi-Satyabhama Samvada	231-233
38	Ghosha-yatra Parva	234-260
39	Draupadi-harana Parva	261-290
40	Pativrata-mahatmya Parva	291-308
41	Aranya Parva	309-313

4 virATa parva
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
42	Pandava-Pravesa Parva	1-12
43	Samayapalana Parva	13
44	Kichaka-badha Parva	14-25
45	Go-harana Parva	26-72

5 udyOga parva (11/198)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
1-40		1-40
41	Sanat-sujata Parva	41-71
42	Bhagwat Yana Parva	72-160
43	Uluka Dutagamana Parva	161-199

6 BhIShma parva (5/124)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
	Jamvu-khanda Nirmana Parva	1-10
	Bhumi Parva	11-12
	Bhagavat-Gita Parva gItA	13-124 25-42

7 drONa parva (8/204)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
	Dronabhisheka Parva	1-30
	Abhimanyu-badha Parva	31-84
	Jayadratha-Vadha Parva	85-151
	Ghatotkacha-badha Parva	152-183
	Drona-vadha Parva	184-203

8 karNa parva
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
		1-96

9 shalya parva (4/64)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
		1-65

10 sauptika parva (3/18)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
		1-18

11 strI parva (5/27)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
	Jalapradanika-parva	1-15
	Stri-vilapa-parva	16-27

12 shAnti parva  (3/366)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
Part 1	Rajadharmanusasana Parva	1-130
	Apaddharmanusasana Parva	131-173
Part 2	Mokshadharma Parva	174-301
Part 3		302-365

13 anuShAsana parva
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
Part 1	Anusasanika Parva	1-35
Part 2		36-168

14 ashvamEDa parva
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
	Aswamedhika Parva	1-15
	Anugita Parva	16-92

15 AshramavAsika parva (2/92)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
	Asramavasa Parva	1-28
	Putradarsana Parva	29-36
	Naradagamana Parva	37-39

16 mausala parva (1/9)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
		1-8

17 mahAprasthAnika parva
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
		1-3

18 svargArohaNa parva  (1/5)
Upa parva	Title of the upa parva	AdhyAya
		1-6