Anukramanika Parva

Anukramanika Parva

This is the first of the 100 Upa Parvas (Sections), contained in Adi Parva - the first of the 18 Maha Parvas (Books) of Vyasa Mahabharata. As per the Critical Edition, this Upa Parva has a total of 210 Shlokas (150 in Anushtubh and 60 in Trishtubh Chandas). However, according to the Nilakantha's Bombay Edition, this Upa Parva has 275 Shlokas and as per the Kumbhakonam Edition, it has 310 Shlokas.

This Upa Parva opens with the re-telling of Mahabharata by Suta Ugrashrava to the Rishis assembled at Naimisharanya, as he had heard the narration by Rishi Vaishampayana to king Janamejaya, at the great Snake Sacrifice. The Chapter also provides a brief summary of the events in the epic, in the form of a post-war dialogue between Dhritarashtra and Sanjaya.

A brief summary of the Upa Parva is provided below:

Shlokas 1-25: Suta Ugrashrava arrives at the Naimisha Forest where the seers ask him to recite the Mahabharata. He agrees and glorifies the text and its author.
Shlokas 25-45: The beginning of Srishti (Creation) till the rise of the epic lineages.
Shlokas 45-60: Contents and origin of Mahabharata
Shlokas 65-100: Summary of Mahabharata up to the gambling match
Shlokas 100-160: Second summary of events in the Mahabharata by Dhritarashtra up to the killing by Ashvatthama of Parikshit in the womb.
Shlokas 160-190:  Sanjaya admonishes the mourning Dhritarashtra.
Shlokas 190-210: Glorification of the Mahabharata and the reward of reading the Anukramanika Parva

Sage Shaunaka had been performing in the Naimisa forest a sacrifice of the type Satra that would run for 12 years. All the ascetics had gathered there. At that time there arrived the pauranic (epic-teller) Ugrasravas, the son of sage Lomaharshana. After the usual enquiry of good health was over, the sages expressed their desire to listen to the story of the Mahabharata. Having saluted the Supreme Lord, Ugrasravas started to recount the story of the Mahabharata as narrated by sage Vyasa.

Sage Vyasa who was deep in contemplation had visualized the whole Mahabharata as if it occurred before his eyes. He saw the creation, the Vedas, the four Purusharthas (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha) and the code of conduct of mankind. Vyasa related everything concisely and also comprehensively. Then he thought of imparting to his disciples the epic Mahabharata which he had seen by the power of his austerities. Just then the creator, who cared for the welfare of the worlds, appeared before him. Having saluted him, Vyasa described to him the features of the epic and also his intention of teaching it to his disciples. Brahmaadvised him to mentally request Ganesha for taking the dictation, and left for his abode. Later, Vyasa had mentally invited Ganesha, and the latter appeared before him. Vyasa requested him again mentally, to act as the scribe for the epic he was going to write. Then Ganesha put a condition that Vyasa should dictate in such a way that not even for a moment would his quill pause. Vyasa also put a clause that Ganesha should write only if he understood what was being dictated. Ganesha agreed to it and became Vyasa’s scribe. For this reason Vyasa recited now and then some verses whose meaning was incomprehensible. Around 8800 verses of that type (famous by name GRANTHA GRANTHIS) are found. This section is also called Sangrahadhyaya, which is excluded in the Critical Edition.

Not only was Vyasa the author of the Mahabharata but he was the protector of the clan of the Bharatas also. At the command of his mother Satyavati and in accordance with the desire of Bhishma, Vyasa begot two sons Dhritarashtra and Pandu by the wives of Vichitravirya and another son Vidura by the servant maid of Victravirya’s wives. Later he retired to his hermitage. After the death of all his three sons, Vyasa told the story of the Mahabharata. At the request of Janamejeya, Vyasa directed his disciple Vaisampayana to recount the Mahabharata.

King Pandu, who conquered the whole world, was living with the sages in the forest because of his love for hunting. One day he killed ascetic couple who were engaged in amorous acts in the guise of deer, and was cursed. From then onwards he continued to live in the forest. There he had five sons by the grace of Yama, Vayu, Indra and the Aswini twins. However, he died because of the sage’s curse while he indulged in intercourse with his wife Madri. The latter entered the funeral pyre following her husband. The ascetics conducted Kunti and the Pandavas to Hastinapura and handed over their responsibility to Bhishma. The Pandavas grew up there, became experts in using weapons, and married Draupadi. Afterwards Dharmaraja performed the Rajasuya sacrifice. Duryodhana became jealous of the prosperity of the Pandavas. Defeated in the game of dice, the Pandavas went to the forest, and later lived in disguise. Even at the completion of their incognito stay, Duryodhana refused to part with their kingdom. For this reason, a war broke out between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Upon the annihilation of the Kauravas in that war, the deeply anguished Dhritarashtrashared his grief with Sanjaya. This part is called the Yadasraushaparva which contains 70 verses as per the Nilakantha Edition and 55 verses as per the Critical Edition.

In order to appease him Sanjaya recounted the tales of the ancestral kings, and told him that it was by the power of the Kala on which everything happened. Vidura consoled Dhritarashtra, who was distraught having lost all his sons. Based on this history, Vyasa narrated the meritorious Mahabharata, which was like an Upanishad. If any one reads even one foot of a stanza of this epic with devotion, his sins are removed. It is the best among the itihasas. It’s said that if any one recites it for the Brahmins partaking Shraddha meals, his forefathers will get inexhaustible food and water. In ancient times the gods put the four Vedas in one pan of the balance and the Mahabharata in the other. The Mahabharata outweighed the Vedas. From then onwards because of greatness and weight, the epic is called Mahabharata.

Click on the image to the left or the following link to browse/download my Kannada translation of Anukramanika Parva along with the Sanskrit Shlokas.  Click to See...

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