Written by London swaminathan
Date: 26 March 2017
Time uploaded in London:- 16-00
Post No. 3758
Pictures are taken from various sources; thanks.
contact; swami_48@yahoo.com
Most of us including me, find it difficult to read all the 100,000 couplets, 200,000 lines, one million words in the world’s longest epic, Mahabharata. They say about this epic,
“What is found in this epic may be elsewhere;
What is not in this epic is nowhere else”.
It is an ever inspiring, never tiring and most interesting Hindu encyclopaedia. From Time travel to Test Tube Babies, from Siamese Twins surgery to Sex Change Operation – everything is here (Please look at the bottom for my research articles on these topics). Vyasa, the author of the epic, was the most prolific writer. He had compiled the voluminous Vedas as well.
Mahabharata has 18 chapters (Parva);
Following are the names of the 18 Parvas:
1.Adi Parva
2.Sabha Parva
3.Vana Parva
4.Virata Parva
5.Udhyoga Parva
6.Bhishma Parva
7.Drona Parva
8.Karna Parva
9.Shalya Parva
10.Sauptika Parva
11.Stri Parva
12.Shanti Parva
13.Anusasana Parva
14.Asvamedha Parva
15.Ashramavasika Parva
16.Mausala Parva
17.Mahaprastanika Parva
18.Swaraga Arohana Parva
IMPORTANT PARVAS
a).Longest Parva
Shanti Parva with over 14,000 slokas
b).Shortest Parva
Maha Prastanika Parva
c).Where is Bhagavad Gita in this epic?
In the Bhishma Parva
d).Where is Vishnu Sahsranama (1000 names of Lord Vishnu) in this epic?
In the Anusasana Parva
e).What is the name of the first Parva?
Adi Parva
f).What is the name of the last Parva?
Swarga Arohana Parva
BULLET POINTS
1.Adi Parva
The Book of the Beginning is the name of the chapter.
Beginning of the Lunar Dynasty
Birth of Pandavas and Kauravas (Kuru Dynasty)
Separate rule of 5 Pandavas and 100 Kauravas from two capitals
2.Sabha Parva
The Book of the Assembly Hall.
Construction of a beautiful Palace for Pandavas which kindled the jealousy of Duryodana (Kaurava Chief). Yudhisthra did a Rajasuya Yajna.
He called Pandavas for a Gambling and defeated them with the help of his uncle Sakuni.
As per the rules of the games Pandavas lost everything and banished for 12+1 year (13th year incognito)
3.Vana Parva (Aranya Parva)
The Book of the Forest
Pandavas spend their 12 years with Draupadi in the forest.
They learnt a lot from seers like Markandeya.
Arjuna did a penance and received Pasupata Astra from Lord Shiva;
Arjuna did a space jouney and spent some time in the heaven.
4.Virata Parva
The Book of the Virata.
Pandavas with their wife Draupadi were hiding in the country of Virata. They were in different disguise, doing different jobs.
Keesaka, who tried to molest Draupadi was killed by Bhima.
Duryodana tried very hard to identify the Pandavas, but failed
5.Udhyoga Parva
The Book of the Effort.
When the Pandavas came back and asked for their share of the kingdom, Duryodana refused to give them.
Several messengers were sent to avoid war.
Krishna also went as a messenger, but in vain.
6.Bhishma Parva
The Book of Bhisma
When Arjuna said that he did not want to fight for the land, Krishna gave him some lessons – which are in compiled as the Bhagavd Gita
War began; Bhisma took the command of Karava army.
He was knocked down on the 10th day of the 18 day war.
He was lying on the Bed of Arrows.
7.Drona Parva
The Book of Drona
Drona took over as the commander in chief following Bhisma’s fall;
he was killed on the 13th day of the war, when he heard a lie from the mouth of Yudhisthra (Pandava’s chief); Asvattama is the name of an elephant as well as son of Drona. When Drona heard Asvattama killed (uttered by Yudhisthra), he thought that hi son was killed and lost control and got killed.
8.Karna Parva
The Book of Karna
Karna took over the post of commander in chief of Kaurava Army;
He was killed on the 17th day;
Yudhisthra felt very sad when he knew Karna was the eldest of the Pandava brothers.
9.Shalya Parva
The Book of Shalya
Shalya served as the commander following Karna’s death.
On the 18th day Shalya was killed;
then Duryodhana and Bhima wanted to have a mace fight; Duryodhan was killed when Bhima stuck him on the thigh against the rules.
Duyodhanawas killed and the war came to an end.
10.Sauptika Parva
The Book of the Sleeping Warriors
After the rout of the Kaurava army, asvattama, son of Drona, wanted to take a revenge on the Pandavas.
He watched an owl killing the crows at the dead of night in tree and decided to kill the Pandavas the sameway.
Lord Krishna knew it by premonition and hid them at a diiferent place; only Pandavas’ children were killed; but Pandavas escaped unharmed.
11.Stri Parva
The Book of the Women
All the women who lost their husbands cried.
Pandavas did the water oblations for the departed souls on both sides.
12.Shanti Parva
The Book of Peace
Dharma alias Yudhisthra lost mental peace even after crowned as the Emperor.
Bhishma gave him lot of examples from the scriptures, lying on the Bed of Arrows
13.Anusasana Parva
The Book of Instructions
Bhishma gave him more instructions
14.Asvamedha Parva
The Book of Asvamedha Yaga
Yudhisthra did an Asvmedha Yajna (Horse sacrifice);
Lord Krishna gave Arjuna another dose of lessons in the name of Anu Gita.
15.Ashramavasika Parva
The Book of Hermitage
Dhritarashtra and his wife Gandhari went to forest with Kunti;
they were doing meditation at the fag end of their lives; forest fire burnt them alive. Before that they listened to Vidura who consoled them
16.Mausala Parva
The Book of the mace fight.
Following the curse of a seer, Yadavas fought among themselves and killed each other; musal means mace; each of the normal grass they pulled for fighting became a mace andkilled them.
Lord Krishna was killed by a hunter while he was sitting on the tree.
17.Mahaprastanika Parva
The Book of the Great Journey.
Hearing that Krishna died and the Kali Yuga began, Pandava brothers along with Draupadi did a ritual walk towards North to reach the Meru mountains. A dog followed them. Pandava brothers, fell one by one and lost their lives. Yudhisthra and the dog continued their journey.
18.Swaraga Arohana Parva
The Book of the Ascent to Heaven
When Yudhisthra died, he was taken along the route of Hell for saying one lie in the war. At the end, he reached the heaven and saw all his relatives there; he felt immensely happy; the dog that followed them was nothing but the God of Dharma.
–subham–
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Old Articles on Mahabharata from my blogs:–
Following articles are written by London swaminathan
1.Stars are Gods! We are Stars!!
Post No 1241; Dated 18th August 2014.
2.Medical Science solves Ten Mysteries in the Mahabharata !
Post No. 933 Date 26th March 2014
3.PANDU- TIGER AMONG MEN! (Post No.3697) Date: 6 March 2017
4.Sex Secrets! Satyabhama boldly asks Draupadi in Mahabharata!!
Post No.2220; Date: 6 October 2015
5.Draupadi and Tamil Heroines;17 May 2012
6.Four Wings of Hindu Army: Blow to Aryan- Dravidian Theory!;Post No.1230 ; Dated 13th August 2014.
7.Strange Bird Stories in Mahabharata!
Research Article no. 1711; dated 12 March 2015
8.One Minute Mahabharata! One Minute Bhagavatha!! 27 March 2015
9.Yellow clad Krishna and Blue Clad Balarama! 2 October 2014
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Following articles are written by S Nagarajan
1.MEMORY QUEEN DRAUPADI; Written by S Nagarajan
Research Article No. 1689; Dated 4 March 2015.
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Please read also my articles on CONCEPT OF TIME:
1.TIME TRAVEL by TWO TAMIL SAINTS, posted on 14-2-2012
2.Do Hindus believe in ETs and Alien Worlds?, posted on 28-1-2012
3.Is Brahmastra a Nuclear Weapon?, posted on 5 June 2011
4.Hindus Future Predictions Part 1 (posted 20 May 2012)
5.Hindus Future Predictions Part 2 (Posted on 20 May 2012)
6.Five Beautiful Stories on Hindu Concept of Time; Article No.1869; Dated 16 May 2015.
7.Einstein’s Hindu Connection!; Article No.2017; Date : 25 July 2014
–Subham–
Tamil and Vedas 