The Mahabharata has been written in eighteen books, called parvas.

The eighteen parvas are:

1. Adi Parva
2. Sabha Parva
3. Vana Parva
4. Virata Parva
5. Udyoga Parva
6. Bhishma Parva
7. Drona Parva
8. Karna Parva
9. Shalya Parva
10. Sauptika Parva
11. Stri Parva
12. Shanti Parva
13. Anushasana Parva
14. Ashvamedika Parva
15. Ashramavasika Parva
16. Mausala Parva
17. Mahaprasthanika Parva
18. Svargarohana Parva

18 Parvas of Mahabharata

Adi Parva
Adi Parva, the ‘book of beginning’ is the first of the eighteen parvas of the great epic of
Mahabharata. It lays the basic story startup, narrated by Sauti, summoned by the rishis at
Naimisharanya. The Adi Parva narrates the history of the Bharata race in detail, also tracing the
history of the Bhrigu race. The early life of the Pandava and Kaurava prince families is also depicted
in this parva. This parva is divided into 19 sub parvas and about 236 chapters. The death of the
rakshasa Vaka and the marriage of Draupadi were some of the major events of the Adi Parva.

Sabha Parva
Sabha Parva, also known as the book of the Assembly Hall, contains the popular story of Game of
Dice, the event that was the turning point in the lives of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. This Parva
accounts the details Maya Danava and his efforts to construct the palace and court, Indrapastha. The
parva ends with the game of dice ending with the exile of the Pandavas. The Rajasuya Yajna,
performed by Yudhisthira is also one of the major highlights of this Parva.

Vana Parva or Aranya Parva

The Vana Parva or the Aranya Parva, the third book of Mahabharata, is also popularly known as the
Book of the Forest. This is one of the longest Parvas of the Mahabharata, and contains detailed
accounts of the life of the Pandavas during their exile in the forest, for the period of twelve years. It
contains all the descriptions of their discussions and the lessons that they learn in forest. Their tales
in the forests, are still popular stories, told by Grandmothers to their grandchildren. It also contains
the preparation of war by the Pandavas.

Virata Parva
The Virata Parva, the fourth book of Mahabharata, largely deals with the thirteenth year of exiled
life lived in incognito in the Kingdom of Virat. The five brothers stayed there in disguise, and
Draupadi too stayed in the kingdom for a year, in disguise. All of them were disguised in accordance
with their skill and quality. Another major episode in this parva is the death of the general of Virat’s
army, Kichika, who was also the brother of Virat’s wife, Sudeshna.

Udyoga Parva
Udyoga Parva, the fifth of the eighteen book, is also known as the Book Of Effort, which consists of
10 sub-parvas and about 198 chapters. Udyoga Parva deals with the period immediately following
the end of the exile of the Pandavas. This book describes the effort to keep peace after their half of
the kingdom had been denied to the Pandavas. After the failed attempts to maintain peace, the
preparation for the Great War, Kurukshetra War, began.

Bhishma Parva
The Bhishma Parva, or the book of Bhishma, deals with the first ten days of the eighteen days of the
Kurukshetra War. This parva is named after the commander in chief of the Kaurava army, Bhishma.
This parva is centered around the life story Bhishma, the son of Santanu. This parva also contains the
story of Santanu’s marriage to Satyavati, a fisher-maid. This book is also widely studied in The
Bhagvad Gita, one of the most popular books based on the Hindu religion. The book ends with
Bhishma seriously injured and unable to lead the army.

Drona Parva
The seventh book of the Mahabharata, the Drona Parva, is based on the Drona, who takes over as
the commander in chief of the Kaurava armies. He was appointed on the 11th day, and he died on the
15thday of the eighteen day war. This parva also denotes how the great war became brutal with each
passing day. Drona had to fight for the Kaurava army, though he knew that the Pandavas were right.
This was because he was indebted to the kingdom of Hastinapur for all the assistance that they
provided. Hence, he was bound to fight for the king Dhritrashtra.

Karna Parva
The Karna Parva, the eighth book of the Mahabharata, consists of only one sub-parva, having 96
chapters. This parva revolves entirely around the life story of Karna, starting with his birth, till his
death in the great war in the hands of Arjuna. It describes Karna’s appointment as the third
commander in chief of the Kaurava army. The war also describes the exhaustion of all the people
involved in the war. The epic confrontation of Karna and Arjuna is contained in this parva.

Shalya Parva
The Shalya Parva, the ninth book of the Mahabharata, consists of 4 sub parvas and 64 chapters. This
Parva shows the take-over of the Kaurava army by Shalya, after the death of Karna, in the hands of
Arjuna. This Parva also has details of the last day of the great Kurukshetra war. One of the major
episodes in this parva is the death of Shakuni in the hands of Sahadeva. This Parva also recites
Shalya’s death, by Yudhishthira. Out of the entire Kaurava army, only three survive by the end of the
battle.

Sauptika Parva
The tenth book of Mahabharata, the Sauptika Parva, or the book of the sleeping, consists of 2 sub
parvas and 18 chapters. Sauptika Parva deals with revenge taken by Aswatthama, Kripa and
Kritavarman, the three out of four survivors of the kuru army. They take their revenge on the night
after the 18th day, when they go to the Pandavas army camp and killed all those who were sleeping.
However, the Pandava brothers, Krishna and Satyaki survived as they weren’t sleeping.

Stri Parva
The eleventh book, Stri Parva, or the book of the women, consists of 4 sub-parvas and 27 chapters.
This book dealt with impact of the war on the women, whose husbands and sons and fathers dies in
the battlefield of the great Kurukshetra War.

Shanti Parva
The Shanti Parva, the book of peace, is the twelfth book of the 18 books of Mahabharata, and is also
one of the longest parvas after the end of the war. It deals with aftermath of the great battle, and
the crowning of Yudhishthira as the king of Hastinapur, and the instructons given by Bhishma to the
new king, Yudhishthira. This parva also deals with the attempt to restore peace in the kingdom.

Anushasana Parva
The thirteenth book of the Mahabharata, the Anushasana Parva, the book of instructions, deals with
Bhishma giving the final instructions to Yudhidhthira, in continuation with what he started in the
Shanti Parva. Bhishma discusses with him and the sages, the duties of a ruler, and also gives him
instruction on Dharma.
Ashvamedhika Parva
The Ashvamedhika Parva, is fourteenth parva, meaning the book of the horse sacrifice. This has
accounts of the royal ceremony of Ashvameda or horse sacrifice conducted by Yudhishthira, on the
instructions of Krishna. This parva consists of 2 sub parvas and 92 chapters. It also has accounts of
Krishna advising Yudhishthira to conduct mining in Himavat to restore the wealth in the kingdom,
which had been evacuated due to the great War.

Ashramavasika Parva
The Ashramavasika Parva, the fifteenth parva of the Mahabharata, comprises of 3 sub-parvas and 92
chapters. This Parva describes the period of prosperous and golden rule under the kingship of
Yudhishthira after the Kurukshetra war. The popular meeting of Yudhishthira with Narada is narrated
in this Parva.

Mausala Parva
The eighteenth book of the Mahabharata, the Mausala Parva, consists of only sub-parva. It means
the book of clubs. It has nine chapters and is one of the shortest parvas of the Mahabharata. It has
accounts of the death of Krishna 36 years after the Kurukshetra war. It also contains sorrowful
incidents of Lord Krishna’s tribesmen.

Mahaprasthanika Parva
The seventeenth parva of the 18 parvas of the Mahabharata, Mahaprasthanika parva, means the
Book of the Great Journey. It consists of three chapters making it the shortest Parva of the
Mahabharata. It recites the journey of Pandavas across the Indian Territory and finally their ascent
to the Himalayas.

Svargarohana Parva
The last Parva of the Mahabharata, consists of five chapters, making it the second shortest Parva. It
means the Book of the Ascent to Heaven. It describes Yudhishthira’s arrival to heaven and how he
deals with the people in heaven and hell.