Introduction to the Mahābhārata

Vyāsa is a central figure and is regarded respectfully figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also called Vedavyāsa or Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana. He is the author as well as a character in the Mahābhārata and considered to be the scribe of both the Vedas, and supplementary texts such as the Purāṇas. Vyāsa is the avatar of Viṣṇu. This statement is regarded in the Vaiṣṇava tradition. Guru pūrṇimā, the festival is dedicated to him and also known as Vyāsa pūrṇimā, which is believed to be his birth day, also the day he divided the Vedas. Vyāsa is the ocean of knowledge that has illuminated the world through his divine literary accomplishments. He is the origin and the source all the Hindu scriptures. Vyāsa divided and arranged the single sacred and inviolable Veda in to four Vedas. He authored the Brahmasūtras and eighteen Purāṇas. He is the author of the great epic Mahābhārata, which contains Bhagavadgītā, the crown jewel. Of Hindu scriptures he also wrote the most chanted Viṣṇusahasranāma.

The Mahābhārata is the longest Sanskrit epic. The great epic of Mahābhārata portrays the foundations of all Indian culture and civilization. Mahābhārata justifies its name on ‘mahatatvāt bhāravattvācca mahābhāratamucyate’ on account of its large extent, mahatatvāt and its depth, bhāravattvāt, the work is given the name Mahābhārata.

The Mahābhārata itself describes its own all surrounding nature in the following words

yadihāstitadanyatrayannehāsti na tatkvacit
jayonāmetihāso'yaṃśrotavyobhūtimicchatā |^[1]

In the matter of four Puruṣārtthas Dharma, Artha, kāma and Mokṣa whatever that is here in the Mahābhārata is available elsewhere also, and whatever that is not here in the Mahābhārata is available nowhere. The Mahābhārata is a curious mixture of history and mythology.^[2] Mahā means great and bhārata means the descendants of Bharata. Thus the Mahābhārata means the story of the great descendants of Bharata. The Mahābhārata is called the fifth Veda viz., the kārṣṇa Veda.^[3] The epic is treated as an Upaniṣad and four Vedas as said ‘idaṃ mahopaniṣadaṃ caturvedasamanvitam’ The present form consists of over 1,00,000 Ślokas in Mahābhārata The epic informs that Vyāsa, after composing it had taught it to his five pupils namely Sumantu, Jaimini, Paila, Śuka and Vaiśampāyana.^[4] The Mahābhārata contains the tradition that those five pupils composed five different versions of the original work by their preceptor.^[5]

The Mahābhārata has passed through three stages. The first stage is called Jaya and contains 8,800 Ślokas. The epic relates to the victory of the Pāṇḍavas over the Kauravas and it was turned in to a narrative poem recited by wandering singers. It was also called an Itihāsa.^[6] The second stage is called Bharata. It contains 24,000 Ślokas, it was narrated by Vaiśampāyana, one of the three disciples of sage Vyāsa besides Sumantu and Paila at the time of performance of the serpent sacrifices of Janamejaya, the grandson of Abhimanyu. As Janamejaya sought clarification at various places, his question was fully satisfied by Vaiśampāyana. The third and final stage was described by Sauti to Śaunaka, when the latter performed a sacrifice which lasted for twelve years. Jaya was divided into one hundred sections, whereas Śaunaka divided the whole epic in eighteen cantos.

Importance of the Mahābhārata.

The Mahābhārata is regarded as the greatest epic. The famous Indian epic Mahābhārata is a treasure in Indian epic literature. The epic is period between 400 B.C and 400 A.D. Mahābhārata has been considered as the fifth Veda ‘bhāratapañcamo vedaḥ’. The Mahābhārata talks about the importance of following one’s assigned duties in life. It talks of deceit, lies and other vices and yet tells how the good always over power the evil.

The epic appropriately glorifies itself describing its gigantic scope when it says:

dharme cārthe ca kāme ca mokṣe ca bharatarṣabha |
yadihāsti tadanyatra yannehāsti na tatkvacit ||

The longest Sanskrit epic ever written Mahābhārata has a collection of more than 100000 verses. Mahābhārata is divided in to eighteen major sections known as parvans. Each parvan is sub divided into chapters made up of verses or śloka form. Thus the order of following is parvan, adhyāyas and ślokas. The Mahābhārata dwells on the aspect of the important goals of a human being in his mortal life.

There are eighteen parvas in the Mahābhārata They are Ādiparva, Sabhāparva, Vanaparva, Virāṭaparva, Udyogaparva, Bhīṣmaparva, Droṇaparva, Karṇaparva, Śalyaparva, Sauptikaparva, Strīparva, Śāntiparva, Anuśāsanaparva, Aśvamedhikaparva, Āśramavāsika-parva, Mausalaparva, Mahāprasthānikaparva and Svargārohaṇa-parva. Each Parva is divided in to several sub Parvas. First Ādiparva has eighteen sub parvas. Second Sabhāparva has nine sub parvas. Third Vanaparvas has twenty two sub parvas. Fourth Virāṭaparva has five sub parvas. Fifth Udyogaparva has eleven sub parvas. Bhīṣmaparva of sixth parva has five sub parvan. The seventh Droṇaparva has eight sub parvas. The eight Karṇaparva, ninth Śalyaparva has four sub parvans. Sauptikaparva has two sub parva. The Strīparva has three sub parvas. The Śāntiparva has six sub sections. The Anuśāsanaparva has two sub sections. Aśvamedhaparva has two sub parva. Āśramavāsikaparva has three sub parvas. The sixteenth parva is Mausalaparva. The seventeenth parva is Mahāprasthānikaparva. The last parva of Mahābhārata is SvargārohaṇaParva.

Ādiparva

The beginning of the Mahābhārata is with ĀdiParva. Ādi meaning beginning or first. Its first 225 chapters present the cycle of myths leading up to king Janamejaya’s snake sacrifice spoken by Vaiśampāyana. He is the disciple of Vyāsa. It tells the origin of the Pāṇḍava brothers and their cousins the Kauravas. The marriage of the Pāṇḍavas to Draupadi and of the roots of the fight between them. The central themes of the conflict are described.

Sabhāparva

This Parva has 72 chapters. It describes how the kingdom was divided between the two branches of the family and how the great Rājasūya sacrifice was performed by Yudhiṣṭhira and the Pāṇḍavas, how Draupadi is insulted and how Pāṇḍavas are exiled to the forest.

Vanaparva

The Vanaparva has 229 chapters. It describes numerous adventures that happened during the exile of Pāṇḍavas in the forest. A number of remarkable meaningful interludes in which various teachers give religious and philosophical instructions to the main characters.

Virāṭaparva

Sixty seven chapters make the Virāṭaparva. This Parva describes how the Pāṇḍavas pass their last year of exile living in disguise at the court of king Virāṭa. Here the drama is not punctuated by didactic passages as in the Vanaparva.

Udyogaparva

There are 197 chapters. It says the preparations for war with a lengthy formal discussion in both camps over what course of action is virtuous and how success is gained in life. Lord Kṛṣṇa begins to play a prominent role as the controller of events.

Bhīṣmaparva

It has 117 chapters. It explains the initial drawing up of the armies at Kurukṣetra and contains the Bhagavadgītā Kṛṣṇa convinces Arjuna of the right to wage far.

Droṇaparva

It has 173 chapters. This is the major part of the Kurukṣetra war. Most part of this parva continues with the description of the battle. Droṇa is the commander in the battle. In this Droṇaparva the narration is based on most of the great warriors who served the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas respectively, in the battle. Droṇa is killed by Dhṛṣṭadyumna.

Karṇaparva

It has 69 chapters. Karṇa’s and Arjuna’s conflict is explained this Parva.

Śalyaparva

64 Chapters constitutes this Parva. It describes the final stages of the battle in which Yudhiṣṭhira kills his uncle Śalya and Bhīma puts an end to Duryodhana in a single fight.

Sauptikaparva

It had eighteen chapters. This Parva explains the massacre in the Pāṇḍava camp by three survivors from the Kaurava host.

Strīparva

The eleventh Parva of Strīparva has 27 chapters. It describes the bewailing of women whose husbands and sons have fallen in the battle field and the attempts of the survivors to understand philosophically the great disaster that has taken place.

Śāntiparva

It has 365 chapters. It is comprised of numerous treatises covering a range of religious and philosophical views. The Śāntiparva is a huge interpolation in the Mahābhārata, in the genre known as wisdom literature. The narrative progression is placed on hold almost from the first page. It depicts the victorious Yudhiṣṭhira leaving kingdom he has won, to take up the life of a hermit. A formal discussion on the king’s proper duty is stated, Bhīṣma gives more detailed instructions on this subject. This section is known as Rājadharma. The Mokṣadharma too is stated by Bhīṣma. The Sāṃkhya and yoga is the base of the ideas on the subject of salvation.

Anuśāsanaparva

This Parva includes 154 chapters. It is set on the death bed of Bhīṣma. Teachings of devotion are instructed by Bhīṣma to Yudhiṣṭhira. This is the form of Dharmaśāstra. The ritual act in the afterlife brings reward.

Aśvamedhikaparva

96 chapters make this Parva. The first is a long trust in section of Upaniṣadic material, known as Anugīta. The three chapters are known as 16, 17, 18 Anugīta. Arjuna asks Kṛṣṇa to repeat his battlefield discourse and what follows is a somewhat disjointed metaphysical treatise which was probably composed at a much later date than the main narrative. Finally there is the story of the great horse sacrifice of Yudhiṣṭhira, which resumes the main narratives of the Mahābhārata

Āśramavāsikaparva

This Parva has 47 chapters. This explains the exit chapters of the final meeting when the Pāṇḍavas go to visit the elders of the family who have now forsaken the world and are practicing religious austerities in the forest.

Mausalaparva

This has 9 chapters. Mausalaparva denotes the incidents related to the death of kṛṣṇa. This Parva starts with the Pāṇḍavas weeping for Kṛṣṇa and his men. Yudhiṣṭhira sends Arjuna to Dvāraka in order to enquire about the wellbeing of the rest of the survivors of the Yādava tribe. Arjuna brings the news that the Yādavas quarrel and the mourning of the Yādava ladies over their dead husbands and the subsequent submersion of Dvāraka in sea.

Mahāprasthānikaparva

Three chapters are in it.This Parva describes the death of the Pāṇḍavas and of Draupadi after they have given up their kingdom and journeyed to the Himālayas. On their way Draupadi and other Pāṇḍava brothers die midway except Yudhiṣṭhira. Yudhiṣṭhira was the only person to reach heaven with the mortal body directly.

Svargārohaṇaparva

There are five chapters in it. Yudhiṣṭhira moved by kindness towards the dog that accompanied him, refused to ascend it without his companion. Observing the illustrious Yudhiṣṭhira’s steady adherence to virtue, Dharma abandoning his canine form showed himself to the king. Then Yudhiṣṭhira, ascending to heaven felt much pain. The major characters dwell amongst the gods in heaven.

The Mahābhārata is more than simply a story of kings and princes, sages and wise men, demons and Gods. The Mahābhārata includes aspects of Hinduism, stories of the Gods and Goddesses and explanations of Hindu Philosophy. The Mahābhārata contains virtually all the lore and legend of the classical Hindu tradition, which is also in typical Hindu defiance of simple minded historicity very much a living tradition. The Mahābhārata has a strong foot hold on Sāṃkhya Philosophy. It can be seen that Vasiṣṭha, a renowned seer, explaining to the King Karāla Janaka, the Sāṃkhya Philosophy found in the Mahābhārata

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mahābhārata Svargārohaṇa Parva, 38.

[2]:

purāṇasaṃhitāḥ puṇyāḥ kathā dharmārthasaṃśritāḥ || Ādiparva 1.1.16.

[3]:

Mahābhārata XII.161.9

[4]:

Ādi Parva 57-74,75.

[5]:

Ibid

[6]:

jayo nāmetihāso'yaṃ śrotavyo vijigīṣuṇā | mahābhārata 1.62.20