Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts)

by Debroy, Bibek

  Section Two

  Parvasamgraha Parva

  This parva has 243 shlokas and one chapter. It too was clearly a later addition. It gives two listings of the Mahabharata in the eighteen-parva and the 100-parva classifications. There is also a very brief summary of the highlights of the story.

  2

  The sages said, ‘O son of a suta! We wish to hear from you all about the place Samantapanchaka,1 described as it really is.’

  Souti said, ‘O Brahmanas! As per your wishes, listen to the blessed words about Samantapanchaka as I tell them. For listening to these accounts, you are the best of men. At the juncture of treta and dvapara,2 angered at sins committed, the greatest of those who ever bore arms, Rama,3 repeatedly decimated the world of all Kshatriyas. Having destroyed all Kshatriyas through his own prowess, lustrous like fire, he created five lakes of blood in Samantapanchaka. We have heard that, beyond his senses with anger, he stood in the bloody waters of those lakes and rendered bloody offerings to his ancestors. Then Richika4 and his other ancestors appeared before this bull among Brahmanas and said, “Calm down, refrain, be pacified.” From that day, the region in the neighbourhood of those five bloody lakes has become famous as the holy land of Samantapanchaka. The wise men have said that every place should have a name that signifies something that made the place famous. At the end of dvapara and the beginning of kali, a great battle was fought between the armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas at this holy Samantapanchaka. In that holy land, free from any bad qualities of the earth, eighteen akshouhinis of soldiers eagerly assembled for battle. O Brahmanas! Thus it was that the name of the region came about. I have described to you that beautiful and holy place. O best of Brahmanas! I have told you everything about this place, a region famous in the three worlds.’

  The sages said, ‘O son of a suta! We wish to hear everything about the akshouhini that you mentioned to us. You know everything. Tell us exactly the size of an akshouhini, with foot soldiers, horses, chariots and elephants.’

  Souti said, ‘One chariot, one elephant, five foot soldiers and three horses make up a patti. Three pattis are known as a senamukha and three senamukhas make up a gulma. Three gulmas are named a gana and three ganas a vahini. The wise know that three vahinis collectively form a pritana. Three pritanas make a chamu, three chamus an anikini and the wise say that ten times an anikini is known as an akshouhini. O best of Brahmanas! Those who know arithmetic have calculated that there are 21,870 chariots in an akshouhini and the number of elephants is the same. Know that the number of foot soldiers is 109,350 and the number of horses is 65,610. O best of Brahmanas! I have described to you in detail that which those who are familiar with numbers call an akshouhini. O best of Brahmanas! The eighteen akshouhinis of the Kurus and the Pandavas were made up according to these numbers and the cause destroyed them all. Time brought them together in this region and making the Kouravas the cause, destroyed them all. Bhishma, skilled in the best weapons, fought for ten days. Drona defended the Kuru army for five days. Karna, the decimator of enemy soldiers, fought for two days, Shalya for half a day and the duel of the clubs for also that duration. At the end of that day, the son of Drona,5 Hardikya6 and Goutama7 killed Yudhishthira’s soldiers when they were sleeping unsuspectingly. I will tell you in detail the story that was narrated at the sacrifice of Shounaka, the Bharata story, beginning with the story of Poulama, which contains wonderful meanings, verses and accounts and is adorned in many ways. It is accepted by the wise the way men who desire final release accept renunciation, as the atman8 is among objects to be known and life among things that are dear. It is the chief among all histories and the best among all sacred texts. This supreme of histories incorporates the supreme of intelligence and vowels, consonants and words, vulgate and learned. Hear the outline of different parvas of Bharata history, with subtle meanings and wondrous lines.

  ‘The first is called Anukramanika (1);9 the second Parvasangraha (2); then come Poushya (3), Poulama (4), Astika (5) and the descent of the first generation (6); then come the parvas composed by the gods—Sambhava (7), Jatugriha Daha (8),10 Hidimba (9); then Baka Vadha11 (10) and then Chaitraratha (11); then the parva known as svayamvara of the divine Panchali (12);12 then, after defeating rivals in accordance with the dharma of Kshatriyas (13), Vaivahika (14),13 Viduragamana14 and Rajya-labha (15);15 then Arjuna Vanavasa (16),16 Subhadra Harana (17)17 and Harana Harika (18); then Khandava Daha (19),18 where Maya is met; after that, it is known as Sabha Parva (20)19 and after that, Mantra Parva (21);20 then Jarasandha Vadha (22)21 and Digvijaya (23)22 and after that comes the parva known as Rajasuya (24);23 then Arghabhirana (25),24 Shishupala Vadha (26)25 and then Dyuta (27);26 and then known as the Anudyuta (28);27 then the parva known as Aranyaka (29)28 and Kirmira Vadha (30);29 then the parva known as Kairata (31), which features the bout between Ishvara30 and Arjuna; then the parva known as Indraloka Abhigamana (32);31 then the wise king of Kuru’s pilgrimage in Tirthayatra (33); then Jatasura Vadha (34)32 and Yaksha Yuddha (35);33 and the one after that is known as Ajagara (36);34 then the parva known as Markandeya Samasya (37);35 and then the parva that has the dialogue between Droupadi and Satyabhama (38); then the parvas known as Ghoshayatra (39),36 Mrigasvapna (40)37and after that the story known as the measurement of rice (41); then Droupadi Harana (42)38 by Saindhava39 from the forest; then comes the parva known as Kundala Harana (43),40 then Araneya (44)41 and after that the parva known as Virata (45);42 then the parva known as Kichaka Vadha (46);43 then the parva known as Gograhana (47);44 then the parva that tells of the wedding between Abhimanyu and the daughter of the king of Virata (48); the next parva is known as Udyoga (49)45 and after that the parva is known as Sanjaya Yana (50);46 the next parva, concerning the worries of Dhritarashtra, is known as Prajagara (51);47 then Sanatsujata Parva (52) with secret spiritual philosophy; then Yanasandhi (53)48 and the arrival of Bhagavana (54);49 then it is known comes the quarrel of the great Karna (55) and Niryanan Parva (56),50 where the Kuru and Pandava armies march to battle; then comes the parva that describes the numbers of warriors and chariots (57), and the arrival of the intolerance-inspiring messenger Uluka (58); then the parva that tells the story of Amba (59); then the wonder-inspiring parva that tells of the anointment of Bhishma (60); then comes the parva that describes the creation of Jambu (61)51and Bhumi Parva (62), which gives an account of the expanse of the continents; then Bhagavad-gita Parva (63); then the parva describing the killing of Bhishma (64); then the anointment of Drona (65) and then the parva with the death of the sanshaptakas (66); then Abhimanyu Vadha (67)52 Parva; then Pratijna Parva (68);53 then Jayadratha Vadha Parva (69);54 then Ghatotkacha Vadha Parva (70);55 then the account of the slaying of Drona (71) that makes one’s hair stand up; after that the parva that is named after the release of the narayana weapon (72); then it is known as Karna Parva (73);56 after that it is known as Shalya Parva (74);57 then the parva that has the entering of the lake (75) and after that Gada Yuddha Parva (76);58 then the parva that describes the river Sarasvati and places of pilgrimage and dynasties (77) and then Souptika (78);59 then the dreadful Aishika Parva (79) 60 and then Jalapradana (80);61 then Stri Parva (81);62 then it is known as Shraddha Parva (82) 63 with funeral rites for the dead Kuru warriors; then the coronation of the wise Dharmaraja (83); then the subjugation of Charvaka (84) who was a demon who appeared in the garb of a Brahmana; then the parva that describes the dividing up of the houses (85); then Shanti Parva (86)64 where the duties of kings are described; then the parva where duties during contingencies are described (87); then that which describes the way to salvation (88); then Anushasana Parva (89) that describes disciplines and the parva that describes the wise Bhishma’s ascent to heaven (90); next is Ashvamedha Parva (91) that destroys all sins and Anugita Parva (92) that concerns spiritual attainment; next come dwelling in the hermitage (93), meeting the sons (94) and the arrival of Narada (95); then the terrible Moushala Parva (96),65 then Mahaprasthanika Parva (97),66 and then Svargarohanika Parva (98);67 then follows the Pu
rana known as Harivamsha (99)68 that is an appendix; and finally comes the great Bhavishya Parva (100), 69 which is also an appendix.

  ‘These one hundred parvas were recited in full by the great Vyasa. Later, in the Naimisha forest, Lomaharshana, the son of a suta, recited them exactly again, having classified them into eighteen parvas. The gist of Bharata is given there as a summary of this collection of parvas.

  ‘In Pousha Parva, the greatness of Utanka is described. In Poulama Parva, the extent of the lineage of Bhrigu is described; in Astika, the birth of all the snakes and Garuda, the churning of the ocean and the birth of Uchchaihshrava.70 Then is recounted the story of the great-souled Bharatas, as described at the snake-sacrifice of King Parikshit.71 In Sambhava Parva is described the birth of various kings, Brahmanas and the sage Dvaipayana, the partial incarnations of the gods are recounted, the births of the daityas, danavas72 and powerful yakshas, and of nagas,73 snakes, gandharvas and birds and all the other diverse living creatures; the births of the great Vasus from the Bhagirathi and in the house of Shantanu and their subsequent ascent to heaven and the birth of Bhishma from their energy is described, his renunciation of the kingdom, his adoption of brahmacharya, his adherence to the vow, his protection of Chitrangada and after Chitrangada’s death, his protection of his younger brother,74 and his subsequent placing of Vichitravirya on the throne. The birth of Dharma among men, as a result of Animandavya’s curse, and the births of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, thanks to Krishna Dvaipayana’s boon, and also that of the Pandavas, is described. The conspiracy of Duryodhana on the journey to Varanavata, the digging of a tunnel on Vidura’s advice and the meeting between the Pandavas and the terrible-looking Hidimba in the forest and the birth of Ghatotkacha are next described. Then follow the disguised existence of the Pandavas in the house of the Brahmana, the killing of Vaka and the amazement of the townspeople. Then, after defeating Angaraparna on the banks of the Ganga, Arjuna, together with his brothers, went to Panchala. Then follow the supreme accounts of Tapati, Vasishtha and Ourva, the wondrous story of the five Indras, Drupada’s sorrow that his daughter should have five husbands and the account of Droupadi’s divinely arranged marriage. Vidura’s arrival and meeting with Keshava, the life in Khandavaprastha and the rule over half the kingdom and Narada’s command to Droupadi to follow separate hours, where the story of Sunda and Upasunda is told and Partha’s75 departure to the forest and his meeting with Ulupi on the way are then described. Next there is the description of the birth of Babhruvahana, the visit to many sacred places of pilgrimage, Arjuna’s abduction of Subhadra with Vasudeva’s permission in the chariot that goes everywhere at the will of the rider and on the arrival of Krishna, the son of Devaki, the burning of Khandava forest and their receiving of the chakra and the bow. The birth in Subhadra’s womb of the supreme Abhimanyu, the saving of Maya’s life from the fire and the saving of the life of the serpent and the sage Mandapala’s giving birth to a son in the womb of a sharanga bird76—all this and other matters are found in the long Adi Parva, which is the first. Vyasa, of great energy, divided this into 218 chapters.77 The great one had 7984 shlokas in the text.

  ‘The second is known as Sabha Parva,78 with extensive accounts. It describes the building of the assembly hall by the Pandavas and their meeting with their servants, the description of the assembly halls of the guardians of the world by Narada who knows the celestial worlds, the beginning of the royal sacrifice, the killing of Jarasandha, the freeing by Krishna of the kings kept imprisoned in Girivraja,79 the killing of Shishupala at the royal sacrifice when there was a dispute about offerings, Duryodhana’s misery and jealousy at the magnificence of the sacrifice, Bhima’s taunting of Duryodhana in the assembly hall, as a consequence of which he plotted a game of dice in which the crafty Shakuni defeated the son of Dharma,80 Droupadi’s immersion and deliverance like a boat in the ocean of gambling, after which, witnessing the deliverance, King Duryodhana challenged the Pandavas to another game of dice. The sage named all this Sabha Parva, with seventy-two chapters and 2511 shlokas.

  ‘The great Aranyaka Parva,81 the third parva, follows. The wise son of Dharma is followed by the townspeople. All the Vrishnis and Panchalas arrive, the slaying of Soubha and Kirmira is described and Arjuna’s, whose energy was boundless, wanderings in search of weapons, his duel with Mahadeva who was in the form of a hunter, his ascent to heaven and his sighting of the guardians of the world. Also described is the grieving Yudhishthira, who was tormented over his vices, meeting with the great sage Brihadashva who had knowledge of the atman, the righteous but pitiful tale of Nala is there, the equanimity of Damayanti and Nala’s succumbing to vice, the bringing of the news of Arjuna being in heaven by Lomasha to the great-souled Pandavas who were then forest-dwellers. Then follows the pilgrimages of the great-souled Pandavas, the slaying of Jatasura, Bhimasena’s journey to Gandhamadana at Droupadi’s request, where he transgressed a lotus pond in search of a mandara flower82 and had a great fight with the rakshasas and yakshas led by Manimana. There is the story of Agastya and his swallowing of Vatapi and his sleeping with Lopamudra to beget a son, then the account of the hawk and the pigeon, where Indra, Agni and Dharma test King Shibi, the description of Rishyashringa who was celibate from boyhood and the description of Rama, son of Jamadagni, of unbounded energy, where the slaying of Kartyavirya and the Haihayas is told.83 There is the story of Sukanya, where sage Chyavana of the Bhargava clan allowed the Ashvins to drink soma84 at Sharyati’s sacrifice and obtained everlasting youth as a result. There is the account of Jantu, where King Somaka sacrificed his son to obtain more sons and obtained one hundred sons, the story of Ashtavakra, where the sage defeated Bandin in a debate and won back his father who had been immersed in the ocean. Having obtained divine weapons for his elder brother, Savyasachi85 battled the Nivatakavachas of Hiranyapura. Partha86 then returned to his brothers in Gandhamadana. In the cattle expedition, Kiriti87 fought a battle with the gandharvas. The Pandavas then returned to the lake named Dvaityavana, Droupadi was abducted from the hermitage by Jayadratha and Bhima, whose speed equalled that of the wind, pursued him. Then there is the meeting with Markandeya and several stories, Krishna’s meeting and conversation with Satya, the story of the measure of rice and that of Indradyumna and the accounts of Savitri, Ouddalaka and Vainya, the story of the Ramayana recounted at great length, the theft of Karna’s earrings by Purandara,88 the account of the wood kindlings where Dharma teaches his son and where the Pandavas, after obtaining a boon, leave for the west. This is known as Aranyaka Parva, the third parva, where the great sage had 269 chapters89 and 11,664 shlokas.

  ‘Then occurs the extensive Virata Parva. It describes how the Pandavas arrived at the city of Virata, saw a large shami tree90 in a cremation ground and hid their weapons in it. Then is described their entry into the city and their living there in disguise and the slaying of the evil Kichaka by Vrikodara.91 The Kouravas were defeated by Arjuna when the cattle were stolen and Virata’s bovine wealth was freed by the Pandavas. Virata gave his daughter Uttara to Kiriti92 for Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra and the slayer of enemies. I have described the contents of the fourth large Virata Parva. The great sage composed this parva in sixty-seven chapters and 2050 shlokas.

  ‘After that, listen to the contents of the fifth Udyoga Parva. When the Pandavas were dwelling in Upaplavya, both Duryodhana and Arjuna, desirous of battle, went to Vasudeva and sought his help. Then the extremely wise Krishna said, “O bulls among men! On one side, there is an akshouhini of my soldiers and, on the other, I as a non-combatant counsellor. Which shall I give you?” Not realizing his interests, the foolish Duryodhana asked for the soldiers and Arjuna asked for Krishna as a non-combatant counsellor. Then the mighty king Dhritarashtra sent Sanjaya as a messenger to the Pandavas to ask for peace. Hearing that the Pandavas had Vasudeva in front of them, Dhritarashtra suffered from insomnia and worry and Vidura’s many and diverse words of advice to the wise king Dhritarashtra are described and the supreme spiritual doctrine of Sanats
ujata told to the sorrowing and anguished king. Next morning, in front of the king, in court, Sanjaya spoke of the union between Vasudeva and Arjuna. It was then that the great Krishna, moved by pity and desirous of bringing peace, himself went to Hastinapura to find peace and Krishna’s proposal for peace was rebuffed by King Duryodhana, though this was in the interest of both parties. Then, hearing the evil counsel of Karna, Duryodhana and others, Krishna displayed to the kings his powers of yoga. Then, Krishna took Karna on his chariot and gave him good advice about options, but intoxicated with arrogance, Karna refused. Then follows the marching out of Hastinapura of chariots, horses, infantry and elephants and the recounting of their numbers. On the day before the great battle, the prince93 sent the cruel-tongued Uluka as a messenger to the Pandavas. Then is related the numbers of charioteers and great charioteers and the story of Amba. These are the many accounts in the fifth parva of Bharata, titled Udyoga Parva and with incidents of war and peace. The great sage Vyasa, of vast wisdom, composed this in 186 chapters94 and 6696 shlokas.