Ashramavasika Parva

Ashramavasika Parva

Ashramvasik Parva (Sanskrit: आश्रमवासिक पर्व), or the "Book of Hermitage", is the fifteenth of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It has 3 sub-books and 92 chapters.

Ashramvasik Parva describes 15 years of prosperous rule by Yudhishthira after the great war. The Pandavas and Kauravas have lived in peace, with Yudhishthira consulting with Dhritarashtra on matters of governance. Draupadi becomes friends with Gandhari, Vyasa and other sages visit the kingdom with their fables and wisdom. The parva recites the next two years when Dhritarashtraand Gandhari take Sannyasa and live a hermit's life in a forest.

Ashramvasik Parva (book) has 3 sub-parvas (sub-books or little books) and 92 adhyayas (sections, chapters). The sub-parvas are:

1. Asramavasa Parva: This sub-book describes the 15 years of prosperous rule by Yudhishthira, followed by the departure of Kunti, Dhritarashtraand Gandhari to Vyasa's hermitage for sannyasa.
2. Putradarsana Parva: This sub-book recites the visit of Pandavas to meet Kunti, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari at the hermitage. It also mentions Vidura and his death.
3. Naradagamana Parva: This sub-book describes the death of Kunti, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. Narada visits to console those in grief. Yudhishthira performs cremation rites for all of them.

The parva describes the 15 year rule by Pandavas with Yudhishthira as the king. After 15 years of peaceful co-existence, Dhritarashtra and his wife seek sannyasa (renunciation of domestic life for moksha). They leave the kingdom and head into the forest to Vyasa's hermitage. Yudhishthira attempts to dissuade them, but they insist on completing their fourth period of ashrama life. Kunti, Sanjaya and Vidura join them in the hermitage. Vidura was the first to die. After two years of hermit life, all three - Kunti, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari - too pass away, in a forest fire. The news of their death causes grief to Pandavas and citizens of the kingdom. Sage Narada appears and consoles them. Yudhishthira performs Shraddha rites for those who had died at the hermitage.

Let thy judicial officers, O Yudhishthira, inflict punishments on offenders, according to the law, after careful determination of the gravity of the offenses.

— Dhritarashtra, Ashramvasika Parva, Mahabharata Book xv.5

He who knows himself attains the highest understanding and becomes freed from error,
All creatures appear from an invisible state, and once more disappear into invisibleness.

He enjoys, or endures, the fruits of all his act, where he does them,
If the act be a mental one, its consequences are enjoyed, or endured, mentally;
If it is done with the body, its consequences are to be enjoyed, or endured, in the body.

— Vaishampayana, Ashramvasika Parva, Mahabharata Book xv.34

Ashramavasa Parva

This is the 90th of the 100 Upa Parvas of the Mahabharata, situated in the Ashramavasika Parva, the 11th Maha Parva. As the name suggests, this Parva describes Dhritarashtra's life in the forest. The Parva starts with a description of how Dhritarashtra and Gandhari were looked after during the first 15 years of Yudhishthira's rule after the war, and continues with Dhritarashtra's decision to go and live in the forest for the rest of his life. The Parva further describes the dramatic events that preceded the journey to the forest, the Pandavas' visit to the forest to meet their elders - Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti; and Vidura leaving his mortal body and entering Yudhishthira.

This Upa Parva has 737 Shlokas organized into 35 Chapters.  Click to See...

Putradarshana Parva

This is the 91st of the 100 Upa Parvas of the Mahabharata, situated in the Ashramavasika Parva, the 11th Maha Parva. As the name suggests, in this Parva, Vyasa, through his power from austerities, shows Dhritarashtra his children and other warriors died in the Kurukshetra war.

This Upa Parva has 234 Shlokas organized into 9 Chapters.  Click to See...

Naradagamana Parva

This is the 92nd of the 100 Upa Parvas of Mahabharata, situated in the Ashramavasika Parva, the 11th Maha Parva. as the title suggests, this Upa Parva deals with the arrival of Narada to Hastinapur to bring the news to Yudhishthira about the death of Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti.

This Upa Parva has a total of 91 Shlokas, organized into three Chapters.  Click to See...

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