The ''Adi Parva'' or ''The Book of the Beginning'' is the first of eighteen books of the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...

. "Adi" ( आदि, Ādi) is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

word that means "first". Adi Parva traditionally has 19 parts and 236 adhyayas (chapters). The

critical edition Textual criticism is a branch of textual scholarship, philology, and of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification of textual variants, or different versions, of either manuscripts or of printed books. Such texts may range in da ...

of Adi Parva has 19 parts and 225 chapters. Adi Parva describes how the epic came to be recited by

Ugrasrava Sauti Ugrashravas Sauti (Sanskrit: उग्रश्रवस् सौती, also Ugraśravas, Sauti, Sūta, Śri Sūta, Suta Gosvāmī) is a character in Hindu literature, featured as the narrator of the Mahābhārata and several Puranas includin ...

to the assembled rishis at the Naimisha Forest after first having been narrated at the ''sarpasatra'' of

Janamejaya Janamejaya ( sa, जनमेजय) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period. Along with his father and predecessor Parikshit, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic hymns ...

by Vaishampayana at Taxila. It includes an outline of contents from the eighteen books, along with the book's significance. The history of the

Bhāratas The Bharatas were an early Vedic tribe that existed in the latter half of the second millennium B.C.E. The earliest mentioned location of the Bharatas was on the first Sarasvati River in southern Afghanistan. Under the tribal king Divodāsa, ...

and the

Bhrigu Bhrigu ( sa, भृगु, ) was a rishi in Hinduism. He was one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshis, one of the many Prajapatis (the facilitators of Creation) created by Brahma. The first compiler of predictive astrology, and also the ...

s are described. The main part of the work covers the birth and early life of the

princes A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

of the

Kuru Kingdom Kuru (Sanskrit: ) was a Vedic Indo-Aryan tribal union in northern Iron Age India, encompassing parts of the modern-day states of Haryana, Delhi, and some parts of western Uttar Pradesh, which appeared in the Middle Vedic period (c. 1200 – c. ...

and the persecution of the

Pandava The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

s by

Dhritarashtra Dhritarashtra ( sa, धृतराष्ट्र, ISO-15919: Dhr̥tarāṣṭra) was a Kuru king, and the father of the Kauravas in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the King of the Kuru Kingdom, with its capital at Hastinapura. He was ...

Structure and chapters

The Adi Parva consists of 19 ''upa-parva''s or parts (also referred to as little books). Each part is also called a ''parva'' and is further subdivided into chapters, for a total of 236 chapters in Adi Parva. The following are the sub-parvas: Astika stops Takshaka from falling into Fire

Astika stops Takshaka from falling into Fire

: 1. Anukramanika Parva (Chapter: 1) :: Sauti meets the Rishis led by Shaunaka in Naimisha Forest. They express a desire to hear ''Mahabharata''. He explains the stories of creation to them. He narrates the story of how the ''Mahabharata'' was written. This parva describes the significance of ''Mahabharata'', claims comprehensive synthesis of all human knowledge, and why it must be studied. : 2. Sangraha Parva (Chapter: 2) :: Story of '' Samantha Panchaka''. Definition of ''Akshauhini'' in an army. Outline of contents of 18 books of ''Mahabharata''. : 3. Paushya Parva (Chapter: 3) :: Story of Sarama's curse on Janamejaya, of Aruni, Upamanyu and

Veda upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...

(The disciples of Sage

Dhaumya The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Hindu culture and associated cultures (Indian, Nepali, Balinese) traditions, which are expressed as words in Sanskrit or other Indic languages and Dravidian languages. The m ...

) and of

Uttanka In Vedic tradition, Uttanka( sa, उत्तङ्क), also spelled Utanka, is a rishi (sage) who resided in the Maru desert. The primary source of this account is found in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. In the earliest version, Uttanka is ...

, Paushya and sage

. : 4. Pauloma Parva (Chapters: 4–12) :: History of the

Bhargava Bhargava () or Bhṛguvamsha refers to a Brahmin race or dynasty that is said to have been founded by the legendary Hindu sage, Bhrigu. Legend In Hinduism, the Bhargavas are the purohitas, the family priests, of the daityas and the danavas ...

race of men. Story of

Chyavana Chyavana () was a sage (rishi) in Hinduism. He was a son of Bhrigu, also known as Bhrigu Varuni in the Upanishads, and is known for his rejuvenation through a special herbal paste or tonic known as '' chyavanaprasham'', which was prepared by t ...

's birth. : 5. Astika Parva (Chapters: 13–58) :: Story of the ''

Churning of the Ocean The Samudra Manthana ( sa, समुद्रमन्थन; ) is a major episode in Hinduism that is elaborated in the Vishnu Purana, a major text of Hinduism. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of the elixir of eternal life, amrita. Nom ...

''. Theories on dharma, worldly bondage and release. Story of the

Sarpa Satra According to legend, Sarpa Satra or Snake sacrifice was a yagna performed by Emperor Janamejaya of the Kuru empire who had ascended to the throne of Hastinapura upon the death of his father Parikshit. The legend states that Parikshit, the lon ...

including Janamejaya's vow to kill all snakes, step to annihilate them with a sacrificial fire, decision to apply Ahimsa (non-violence) to snakes and all life forms. Story of birth of Astika. Story of how

Vaishampayana Vaishampayana ( sa, वैशंपायन, ) is the traditional narrator of the ''Mahabharata'', one of the two major Sanskrit epics of India. Legend Vaishampayana is a renowned sage who is stated to be the original teacher of the ''Kr ...

came to narrate the Mahabharata to Janamejaya. : 6. Adivansavatarana Parva Anshavatarana Parva (Chapters: 59–64) :: History of Pandava and Kuru princes. Stories of

Shantanu Shantanu (Sanskrit: शंतनु) is a character in the Mahabharata, described as the ruler of the Kuru Kingdom with his capital at Hastinapura. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, a forebear of the lineage of the Lunar dynasty, and th ...

, Bhishma and Satyavati. Stories of

Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...

's birth,

Lord Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one of ...

's birth and of and Animandavya. Appeal to

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

that the gods should reincarnate to save the chaos that earth has become. Raja Ravi Varma - Mahabharata - Bharata

: 7. Sambhava Parva (Chapters: 65–142) :: Theory of life on earth and of gods. Story of Dronacharya, Kripacharya, Ashwatthama and other sages. Story of

Dushyanta Dushyanta ( sa, दुष्यन्त, translit=Duṣyanta) is a king of the Chandravamsha (Lunar) dynasty featured in Hindu literature. He is the husband of Shakuntala and the father of Bharata. He appears in the Mahabharata and in Kalidas ...

and Shakuntala. Story of Bharata's birth. Sakuntala goes to Dushyanta with the boy. He first refuses to remember her and their marriage but later apologizes and accepts. Bharata becomes prince. Stories of

Yayati Yayāti ( sa, ययाति, translit=Yayāti), is a king in Hindu tradition. He is described to be a Chandravamsha king. He is regarded to be the progenitor of the races of the Yadavas and the Pandavas. He is considered in some texts t ...

, Devayani and Sharmishtha. Stories of Yadu,

Puru Puru refer to: *Puru (Vedic tribe), a tribe, or a confederation of tribes, mentioned many times in the Rigveda *King Puru, a Hindu king in the Rigveda and Mahabharata *King Porus, a king of northwest India in the time of Alexander the Great *Puru ( ...

and the

Paurava The Pauravas were an ancient dynasty on the Indus (present-day India and Pakistan) to which King Porus may have belonged. Porus and the Pauravas The origins of the Pauravas are still disputed. The Pauravas may be related to the Puru tribe, due ...

race of men. The Pandava brothers retreat into the forest, chased by Dhritarashtra. The stories the

Swayamvara Svayamvara ( sa, स्वयंवर, svayaṃvara, translit-std=IAST), in ancient India, was a method of marriage in which a woman chose a man as her husband from a group of suitors. In this context, in Sanskrit means 'self' and means 'g ...

of Kunti, marriage of

Madri In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Madri is the princess of Madra Kingdom and the second wife of the king Pandu. She is the mother of the youngest Pandavas - the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva. The word ''Mādrī'' means 'woman of Madra'. ...

and marriage of

Vidura Vidura (Sanskrit: विदुर, lit. ''skilled'', ''intelligent'' or ''wise''), also known as Kshatri, plays a key role in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is described as the prime minister of the Kuru kingdom and is the paternal uncle ...

. Attempts to reconcile the conflict between

Kauravas ''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his w ...

and

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

. : 8. Jatugriha Parva Jatugriha-daha Parva (Chapters: 143–153) :: Kanika counsels

on how to rule a kingdom and on how deception is an effective tool for governance and war, against enemies and potential competition. Kanika narrates his symbolic tale about jackal, tiger, mouse, mongoose and deer and he advises that a weak ruler should ignore his own weaknesses and focus on other people's weakness and pretend to be friends while being cruel and destructive to others, particularly when the competition is good and stronger. Dhritarashtra schemes to build a home for Pandavas in the forest, from lacquer and other inflammable materials as a friendly gesture, but with plans to burn them alive on the darkest night. Kanika's theory is called wicked and evil by Vidura, a sage of true knowledge and the good, who is also the advisor and friend to Pandavas. Vidura and Pandavas plan escape by building a tunnel inside the inflammable house. The fire is lit and the Pandavas escape. Dhritarashtra falsely believes Pandavas are dead. Duryodhana is pleased and sets on ruling the kingdom. : 9. Hidimva-vadha Parva (Chapters: 154–158) :: The story of the wanderings of Pandava brothers after the escape from the fire. Story of Bhima and the Rakshashi Hidimba. She falls in love with Bhima and refuses to help her brother. The story of the battle between Bhima and Hidimba's demon brother, Hidimbasur, showing the enormous strength of the giant brother Bhima. Bhima and Hidimba have a son named Ghatotkacha. : 10. Vaka-vadha Parva Baka-vadha Parva (Chapters: 159–166) :: Bhima fighting with Bakasura color

The life of Pandavas brothers in Ekachakra. Story about Bhima slaying another demon

Bakasura Bakasura ( sa, बकासुर, ), also rendered Baka or kuaishwa, is a rakshasa featured in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The rakshasa lives in a forest near the town of Ekachakrapura. In exchange for protecting the kingdom from invaders, he ...

, who has been terrorizing people of Ekachakra. Heroine of Mahabharata, Draupadi, is born in holy fire. Word spreads that the Pandavas may be alive. : 11. Chaitraratha Parva (Chapters: 167–185) :: Pandavas set out for Panchala. Arjuna fights with a

Gandharva A gandharva () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Dharmic religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, whose males are divine performers such as musicians and singers, and the females are divine dancers. In Hinduism, they are ...

. Stories of Tapati and the conflict between

Vashistha Vasishtha ( sa, वसिष्ठ, IAST: ') is one of the oldest and most revered Vedic rishis or sages, and one of the Saptarishis (seven great Rishis). Vashistha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the ''Rigveda''. Vashishtha ...

and

Vishwamitra Vishvamitra ( sa, विश्वामित्र, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gayatri Ma ...

. Stories of

Kalmashapada In Hindu scriptures, Kalmashapada (Kalmasapada, कल्माषपाद), also known as Saudasa (), Mitrasaha (मित्रसह), Amitrasaha and Kalmashanghri (Kalmasanghri), was a king of the Ikshvaku dynasty (the Solar dynasty), who ...

, Parashara and

Aurva Aurva () is a fierce sage in Hinduism, a member of the Bhargava race. He was born during a bloody feud between the Kshatriyas and the descendants of Bhrigu. He was also the grandson of Vatsa, after whom the Srivatsa gotra is named. His son is Ruc ...

. Dehumanization and persecution of Bhargava race of men. : 12. Swayamvara Parva (Chapters: 186–194) :: The Swayamvara of Panchala's princess, Draupadi

The Pandavas arrive in Panchala. Draupadi's

swayamvara Svayamvara ( sa, स्वयंवर, svayaṃvara, translit-std=IAST), in ancient India, was a method of marriage in which a woman chose a man as her husband from a group of suitors. In this context, in Sanskrit means 'self' and means 'g ...

. The Pandavas arrive at the swayamvara in disguise of Brahmanas. Arjuna excels in the swayamvara and wins Draupadi's heart and hand. Krishna recognizes the individuals in disguise as the Pandava brothers. The suitors object the marriage of Draupadi and Arjuna, a fight ensues. Bhima and Arjuna defeat all the suitors and then takes Draupadi to their cottage. Kunti thinking Draupadi as alms commands her to be shared by the five brothers.

Dhrishtadyumna Dhrishtadyumna ( sa, धृष्टद्युम्न, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the courageous and splendid one) is the son of Drupada—the king of the Panchala kingdom—and the twin brother of Draupadi in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. Dhr ...

gets to know the true identity of Pandavas. : 13. Vaivahika Parva (Chapters: 195–201) :: Drupada is delighted at discovering that the Pandavas are alive. The Pandavas come to Drupada's palace. The story of Draupadi's previous lives and Indra punished by

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. The marriage of Draupadi with the Pandavas. : 14. Viduragamana Parva (Chapters: 202–209) :: Vidura's attempt to reconcile the evil Kaurava brothers and the good Pandava brothers. Various speeches by Karna, Bhishma, Drona and Vidura. Pandavas return to Hastinapur with the blessings of Krishna. The construction of the city Indraprastha. : 15. Rajya-labha Parva (Chapters: 210–214) :: Story of

Sunda and Upasunda Sunda (Sanskrit: सुन्द) and Upasunda (Sanskrit: उपसुन्‍द) are asura brothers featured in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. They are the sons of Nikumbha. They are the descendants of the powerful Hiranyakasipu. Legend The ...

and of Narada. : 16. Arjuna-vanavasa Parva (Chapters: 215–220) ::Arjuna violates dharma. He accepts voluntary exile. Arjuna marries Ulupi and Chitrangada, and rescues Apsaras. Story highlights his special powers and competence. Arjuna and Krishna become close friends. Arjuna goes to Dwarka, lives with Krishna. Ravi Varma-Arjuna and Subhadra

: 17. Subhadra-harana Parva (Chapters: 221–222) :: Arjuna falls in love with and takes away Subhadra, Krishna's sister. The upset Vrishnis prepare war with Arjuna, but finally desist. : 18. Harana-harana Parva Harana-harika Parva (Chapter: 223) :: Arjuna returns from exile, with Subhadra. They marry. Their son Abhimanyu is born. Story of the Upapandavas, the five sons of Draupadi. : 19. Khandava-Daha Parva (Chapters: 224–236) :: The reign of Yudhishthira. Krishna and Arjuna go to the banks of Yamuna, where they meet

Agni Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu ...

, disguised as a Brahmin, who demands to consume the

Khandava forest Khandava Forest or Khandava Vana (Sanskrit: खाण्डव वन, ) or Khandavprastha ( sa, खाण्डवप्रस्‍थ; ) was an ancient forest mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It lay to the west of Yamuna river, in modern-da ...

, to cure his digestive ailment. Stories of Swetaki, and Agni. Agni gives Arjuna the Gandiva bow and the ape-bannered chariot, while Krishna receives the discus. Agni starts consuming the forest when Indra and other deities obstruct. The fight of Krishna and Arjuna with celestials, their combined abilities, and their victory. Story of Aswasena (Son of

Takshaka Takshaka (Sanskrit: तक्षक, IAST: Takṣaka) is a Nagaraja in Hinduism and Buddhism. He is mentioned in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is described to be a king of the Nagas. He is one of the sons of Kadru. Takshaka also known i ...

), Mandapala and the his four bird sons.

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a popul ...

rescued by Arjuna.PC Roy Mahabharata Adi Parva, Khandava-daha Parva

English translations

Adi Parva and other books of ''Mahabharata'' are written in

. Several translations of the ''Adi Parva'' are available in English. To translations whose copyrights have expired and which are in public domain, include those by Kisari Mohan Ganguli and Manmatha Nath Dutt. The translations are not consistent in parts and vary with each translator's interpretations. For example: Translation by Manmatha Nath Dutt: Translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli: The total number of original verses depend on which Sanskrit source is used, and these do not equal the totalnumber of translated verses in each chapter, in both Ganguli and Dutt translations. ''Mahabharata'', like many ancient Sanskrit texts, was transmitted across generations verbally, a practice that was a source of corruption of its text, deletion of verses as well as the addition of extraneous verses over time. Some of these suspect verses have been identified by change in style and integrity of meter in the verses. The structure, prose, meter and style of translations vary within chapters between the translating authors. Debroy, in his 2011 overview of ''Mahabharata'', notes that updated critical edition of ''Adi Parva'', with spurious and corrupted text removed, has 19 parts, 225 adhyayas (chapters) and 7,205 shlokas (verses).

Quotations and teachings

Le barattage de la Mer de Lait (Angkor Vat) (6785807298)

Anukramanika Parva, Chapter 1: Sangraha Parva, Chapter 2: Paushya Parva, Chapter 3: Adivansabatarana Parva, Chapter 62: Raja Ravi Varma - Mahabharata - Shakuntala

Raja Ravi Varma - Mahabharata - Shakuntala

Sambhava Parva, Chapter 73: Sambhava Parva, Chapter 74: Sambhava Parva, Chapter 79: Sambhava Parva, Chapter 133: Viduragamana Parva, Chapter 206:

References

External links

Sanskrit classics including Mahabharata
Brown University Archives, with original, translations and commentaries by scholars * Adi Parva Mahabharata, Translated by Manmatha Nath Dutt (1894)
English Translation
by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Readable, with various research tools, Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, another archive
Adi Parva in Sanskrit
by Vyasadeva and commentary by Nilakantha (Editor: Kinjawadekar, 1929) * French translation of Le Mahabharata, Adi Parva, by H. Fauche (Paris, 1868)
A review of critical, less corrupted edition of Adi Parva
by Vishnu S. Sukthankar; Reviewed by

Franklin Edgerton Franklin Edgerton (July 24, 1885 – December 7, 1963) was an American linguistic scholar. He was Salisbury Professor of Sanskrit and Comparative Philology at Yale University (1926) and visiting professor at Benares Hindu University (1953–4 ...

, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 48, (1928), pages 186-190 {{Mahabharata Parvas in Mahabharata

Structure and chapters

English translations

Quotations and teachings

See also

References

External links