MahabharataThe Mahabharata in eighteen books
A short summary of the whole Mahabharata, the great Sanskrit epic of the Kuru family, in its eighteen books, from the Kuru family history to the final journey of the Pandavas.
The Mahabharata is the longest epic in the world, about 100,000 verses in eighteen books (parvas), attributed by tradition to the sage Vyasa. It is the story of the rivalry of two branches of the Kuru family, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, over the throne of Hastinapura, and it ends with the war at Kurukshetra and its aftermath. It also contains the Bhagavad Gita and many stories, teachings and laws.
- Adi Parva: The book of beginnings
- Sabha Parva: The book of the assembly hall
- Vana Parva: The book of the forest
- Virata Parva: The book of Virata
- Udyoga Parva: The book of effort
- Bhishma Parva: The book of Bhishma
- Drona Parva: The book of Drona
- Karna Parva: The book of Karna
- Shalya Parva: The book of Shalya
- Sauptika Parva: The book of the night attack
- Stri Parva: The book of the women
- Shanti Parva: The book of peace
- Anushasana Parva: The book of instruction
- Ashvamedhika Parva: The book of the horse sacrifice
- Ashramavasika Parva: The book of the hermitage
- Mausala Parva: The book of the clubs
- Mahaprasthanika Parva: The book of the great journey
- Svargarohana Parva: The book of the ascent to heaven
An old saying about it is that what is found here may be found elsewhere, and what is not here is not found anywhere.
Questions people ask
Who wrote the Mahabharata?
Tradition ascribes it to Vyasa. Scholars see it as the work of many hands over centuries.
How long is it?
About 100,000 verses, roughly ten times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined.
A retelling in our own words of a story told in many ways across India and Asia. Tellers differ on many episodes. It is not a scholarly translation.