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A02. Introduction: The Mahabharata's Content Classification.

Title Thumbnail & Hero Image: Hindu God, developed on Jun.16, 2024.
A02. Introduction: The Mahābhārata's Contents Classification
First revision: Jun.8, 2024
Last change: Oct.13, 2025
Searched, Gathered, Rearranged, Translated, and Compiled by Apirak Kanchanakongkha.
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       The Mahābhārata has its contents divided into verses (श्लोक - śloka). Many such ślokas form a chapter or adhyāya (अध्याय). Many adhyāyas together form an episode (पर्व - Parva). People generally understand that the Mahābhārata has 18 parvas, which is correct. However, there is a detailed classification of another 100 parvas as specified in the table shown on the following pages. The table is based on the critical edition of the Bhandarkar of Oriental Research Institute - BORI. There are 98 pavas (in the table, the column or column is specified as 100-parva classification, which is the column's name only).

Arjuna and Draupadī -  Arjuna shooting at the eye of a fish to obtain Draupadī in marriage, Painting, in opaque watercolor on paper, ca.1885, place of origin: Kolkata, Bhārat, source: collection.vam.ac.uk, access date: Aug.28, 2022.
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 Eighteen-parva classification  100-Parva classification  Number of Adhyāya  Number of śloka
 (1) Ādi (आदि )  1)  Anukramaṇikā (अनुक्रमणिका ) 1 210
   2)  Parvasaṃgraha (पर्वसंग्रह) 1 243
   3)  Pauṣya (पौष्य) 1 195
   4)  Pulomā (पुलोमा) 9 153
   5)  Āstīka (आस्तिक) 41 1,025
   6)  Adi-vamśvatarana (आदि-वंशावतारणम्) 5 257
   7)  Sambhavā (सम्भवा) 65 2,394
   8)  Jatugṛha-dāha (जतुगृह-दहा) 15 373
   9)  Hiḍimba-vadha (हिडिम्बवध) 6 169
   10)  Baka-vadha (बकवध) 8 206
   11)  Caitraratha or Citraratha (चैत्ररथ) 21 557
   12)  Draupadī-svayaṃvara (द्रौपदी-स्वयंवर) 12 263
   13)  Vaivāhika (वैवाहिक) 6 155
   14)  Vidūragamana (विदूरगमन) 7 174
   15)  Rājya-lābha (राज्य-लाभ) 1 50
   16)  Arjuna-vanavāsa (अर्जुन - वनवास) 11 298
   17)  Subhadrāharaṇa (सुभद्रा-हरणा) 2 57
   18)  Haraṇaharika (हरणहारिक) 1 82
   19)  Khāṇḍavadāha (खण्डव-दहा) 12 344
 Total 225  7,205 

Duḥśāsana drags Draupadī to court, Mackenzie, Donald Alexander, "The Ordeal of Queen Draupadī" January 1, 1913, source: en.wikipedia.org, access date: Sep.25, 2022.
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 Eighteen-parva classification  100-Parva classification  Number of Adhyāya  Number of śloka
 (2) Saba (सभा)  20)  Saba (सभा) 11 429
   21)  Mantra (मन्त्र) 6 222
   22)  Jarāsandha-vadha (जरासन्ध -वधा) - The Slaying of Jarāsandha 5 195
   23)  Digvijaya (दिग्विजय) - Conquest of the quarters 7 191
   24)  Rājasūya (राजसूय) 3 97
   25)  Arghābhiharaṇa (अर्घाभिहरण) 4 99
   26)  Śiśupālavadha (शिशुपालवध) - The Slaying of Śiśupāla 6 191
   27)  Dyūta (द्यूत) 23 734
   28)  Anudyūta (अनुद्यूत) 7 232
 Total 72  2,387 
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 Eighteen-parva classification  100-Parva classification  Number of Adhyāya  Number of śloka
 (3) Āraṇyaka (आरण्यक)  29)  Āraṇyaka (आरण्यक) 11 327
   30)  Kirmiravadha (किर्मीरवधाम्) 1 75
   31)  Kairāta (कैरात) 30 1,158
   32)  Indralokābhigamana (इन्द्रलोकाभिगमनपर्व) 37 1,175
   33)  Tīrthayātrā (तीर्थयात्रा) 74 2,293
   34)  Jaṭāsuravadhaḥ (जटासुरवध) 1 61
   35)  Yakṣayuddha (यक्षयुद्ध) 18 727
   36)  Ājagara (आजगर) 6 201
   37)  Mārkaṇḍeya-samasyā (मार्कण्डेय-समस्या) 43 1,694
   38)  Draupadī-Satyabhāmā-Saṃvāda (द्रौपदी-सत्यभामा-संवाद) 3 88
   39)  Ghoṣayātrā (घोषयात्रा) 19 519
   40)  Mṛga-svapna-bhaya (मृगस्वप्नभय) 1 16
   41)  Vrīhi-droṇikā (व्रीहि-द्रोणिका) 3 117
   42)  Draupadīharaṇa (द्रौपदीहरण) 36 1,247
   43)  Kuṇḍalahāraṇa (कुण्डलहारणम्) 11 294
   44)  Āraṇeya (आरणेय) 5 191
 Total 299  10,239 
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 Eighteen-parva classification  100-Parva classification  Number of Adhyāya  Number of śloka
 (4) virāṭa (विराट)  45)  Vairāṭa (वैराट) 12 282
   46)  Kīcakavadha (कीचकवध) 11 353
   47)  Go-Grahaṇa (गो-ग्रहण) 39 1,009
   48)  Vaivāhika (वैवाहिक) 5 179
 Total 67  1,736 
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 Eighteen-parva classification  100-Parva classification  Number of Adhyāya  Number of śloka
 (5) udyōga (उद्योग)  49)  udyōga (उद्योग) or Sainyodyoga 21 575
   50)  Sanjaya-yāna (संजय-यना) - The arrival of Sanjaya 11 311
   51)  Prajāgara (प्रजागर) 9 541
   52)  Sanatsujāta (सनत्सुजात) 4 121
   53)  Yan-sandhi (यण संधि) 24 726
   54)  Bhagavat-yāna (भागवत-यना) 65 2,055
   55)  Karṇa-up nivada (कर्ण-उप निवाद) 14 351
   56)  Abhiniryāna (अभिनिर्याण) 4 169
   57)  Bhīṣma-abhiṣecana (भीष्म-अभिषेचन) 4 122
   58)  Ulūka-yāna (उलूक-यना) 4 101
   59)  Ratha-atiratha-Saṃkhyā (रथ-अतिरथ-संख्य) 9 231
   60)  Ambā-upakhyana or Ambopakhyana (मृगस्वप्नभय or अम्बोपाख्यान) 28 755
 Total 197  6,001 
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Sandstone carving of Bhīṣma (an old warrior lay worshiping God in a non-ground form because there is an arrow on it. Bhīṣma lived 58 more days from this event until the Kurukṣetra (कुरुक्षेत्र) war had ended and gave his sons a "manure" and then died) on the wall along the crooked balcony South West Wing of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia, taken on October 20, 2018.
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 Eighteen-parva classification  100-Parva classification  Number of Adhyāya  Number of śloka
 (6)  Bhīṣma  (भीष्म)  61)  Jambūkhaṇḍavinirmāṇa (जम्बूखण्डविनिर्माण) 11 378
   62)  Bhūmi (भूमि) 2 87
   63)  Bhagavad Gītā (भगवद् गीता) 27 994
   64)  Bhīṣma-vadha (भीष्म-वधा) 77 3,947
 Total 117  5,381 
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  Eighteen-parva classification 100-Parva classification Number of Adhyāya Number of śloka
  (7)  Droṇa (द्रोण) 65)  Droṇābhiṣeka (द्रोणाभिषेक) 15 634
      66)  Saṃśaptaka-vadha or vadhe (संशप्तक-वधे) 16 717
      67)  Abhimanyu-vadha (अभिमन्यु-वध) 20 643
      68)  Pratijñā (प्रतिज्ञा) 9 365
      69)  Jayadratha-vadha (जयद्रथ-वध) 61 2,914
      70)  Ghaṭotkaca-vadha (घटोत्कच-वध) 33 1,642
      71)  Droṇa-vadha (द्रोण-वध) 11 692
      72)  Nārāyaṇāstra-Mokṣa (नारायणस्त्र-मोक्ष) 8 538
        Total 173 8,069
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  Eighteen-parva classification 100-Parva classification Number of Adhyāya Number of śloka
  (8)  Karṇa (कर्ण) 73)  Karṇa-vadha (कर्ण-वध) 69 3,870
  (9)  Śalya (शाल्य) 74)  Śalya-vadha (शाल्य-वध) 16 844
      75)  Hrada praveśa (ह्रदा प्रवेश) 12 664
      76)  Tirtha yātrā (तीर्थयात्रा) 9 365
      77)  Gadā yuddha (गदायुद्ध) 11 546
         Total 64 3,315
  (10)  Sauptika or Souptika (सौप्तिक) 78)  Sauptika or Souptika (सौप्तिक) 9 515
    79)  Aiṣika (ऐषीक) 9 257
        Total 18 771
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   Eighteen-parva classification 100-Parva classification Number of Adhyāya Number of śloka
  (11)  Stri (स्ट्री ) 80)  Viśoka (विशोक) 8 194
    81)  Stri (स्ट्री ) 17 468
      82)  Śrāddha (श्राद्ध) 1 44
      83)  Jala-pradanika (जलप्रदानिका) 1 24
        Total 27 713
  (12)  Śānti (शान्ति) 84)  Rāja-dharma (राजधर्म) 128 4,509
    85)  Āpad-dharma (आपद्धर्म) 39 1,560
      86)  Mokṣa Dharma (मोक्षधर्म) 186 6,935
        Total 353 13,006
  (13)  Anuśāsana (अनुशासन) 87)  Dāna Dharma (दान धर्म) 152 6,450
    88)  Bhīṣma-Svargārohaṇa (भीष्म-स्वर्गारोहण) 2 84
        Total 154 6,493
  (14)  Āśvamedhika (आश्वमेधिक) 89)  Āśvamedhika (आश्वमेधिक) 96 2,743
  (15)  Āśramavāsika (आश्रमवासिक) 90)  Āśramavāsa (आश्रमवास) 35 737
    91)  Putra darśana (पुत्र दर्शनम्) 9 234
    92)  Nāradāgamana (नारदागमन) 3 91
        Total 47 1,061
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  Eighteen-parva classification 100-Parva classification Number of Adhyāya Number of śloka
  16)  Mousala or Mausala (मौसल) 93)  Mousala or Mausala (मौसल) 9 273
  17)  Mahāprasthānika (महाप्रस्थानिक) 94)  Mahāprasthānika (महाप्रस्थानिक) 3 106
  18)  Svargārohaṇa (स्वर्गारोहण) 95)  Svargārohaṇa (स्वर्गारोहण) 5 194
     Harivamśa (हरिवंश) 96)  Harivamśa (हरिवंश) 45 2,442
    97)  Viṣṇu (विष्णु) 68 3,426
    98)  Bhaviṣya (भविष्य) 5 205
        Total 118 6,073
        Grand Total  2,113 79,860
          (1,995+118) (73,787+6,073)
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References:
01. from. THE MAHABHARATA 1, translated ฺBibek Debroy, Penguin Random House, ISBN 9780143425144, printed in Haryana, Bhārat, 2015.
02. from. "The Mahābhārata," An abridged translation by JOHN D. SMITH, ISBN: 978-0-140-44681-4, Penguin Books, 2009, United States, www.penguin.com.
03. from. www.wisdomlib.org.








 


 
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