Kathaa Index

Mahaabhaarat has 18 Parv (18 books).

 1. Aadi Parv
Aadi Parv starts from Page 1 of "1 Beginning" and ends at Page 17 of "3 Youth". Raajaa Bharat gives his kingdom to an ordinary man of his kingdom in the absence of kingly qualities in his nine sons; King Shantanu marries Gangaa; Has a son from her named Devavrat; After 16 years meets a fisherman's daughter Satyavatee; Devavrat vows for lifelong Brahmcharya; Satyavatee has two sons but they die childless; Vyaas produces two children from their widows and one child from their maid; Dhritraashtra and Paandu are married; Kuntee has a son Karn before marriage; Paandu is cursed and Kuntee gets five sons; Paandu dies and Kuntee returns to Hastinaapur;

Jealousy starts between Dhritraashtra's and Paandu's children; Drone is appointed their teacher; Drone and Drupad's story; Story of Eklavya and Raadheya; Parashuraam's curse to Raadheya; Drone's revenge from Drupad; Episode of Baaranaavat; Bheem's marriage to Hidimbaa and birth of Ghatotkach; Killing of Bakaasur in Ekchakraa Nagaree; Coming of Dhaumya Rishi; Arjun marries Draupadee; Partition of the kingdom; Arjun marries Subhadraa; and Burning of Khaandav Van

 2. Sabhaa Parv
Sabhaa Parv starts from Page 18 of "3 Youth" and ends at Page 27 of "3 Youth". Maya Daanav builds the royal court for Yudhishthir; Yudhishthir intends to do Raajsooya Yagya; Shishupaal Vadh; Draupadee laughs at Duryodhan; Dice game; Duryodhan asks Dushaasan to take off Draupadee's clothes in the game hall; Another dice game; and Banishment to Paandav for 13 years.

 3. Van Parv or Aranya parv
This Parv starts from Page 1 of "4 Van" and ends at the Page 19 of "4 Van". Paandav live in Kaamyak Van; Then they come to Dwait Van; Arjun collects Divine weapons; Bheem meets his elder brother Hanumaan; Duryodhan does Raajsooya Yagya; Jayadrath misbehaves with Draupadee; and Yudhishthir-Yaksh dialog.

 4. Viraat Parv
This Parv starts from Page 20 of "4 Van" to Page 33 of "4 Van". In this Parv Paandav plan for their 13th year of Agyaatvaas at Viraat's place; They go there; Karn's dream and he gives his Kavach and Kundal to Indra; Keechak Vadh; Duryodhan's doubt that Paandav are in Viraat Nagar so plans to expose them; Invasion on Viraat Nagr from two sides; Viraat goes to one side and Uttar, his son, goes to another side with Arjun; Arjun defends Viraat's cows and ins Kaurav army; Yudhishthir's blood; and Abhimanyu's marriage.

 5. Udyog Parv 
This Parv starts from the Page 1 of "5 Pre-War" to Page 18 Shikhandee-3 of "5 Pre-War" . It starts from the council hall of Viraat where Paandav and their other friend kings plan to send a peace messenger to Kaurav after their 13 years of exile are over, Abhimanyu is married to Viraat's daughter Uttaraa. Vidur tells Dhritraashtra about ethics. Paandav try their best to make peace with Kaurav but... Krishn and Kuntee try to bring Karn to Paandav's side but are unsuccessful; Both parties prepare for war.

 6. Bheeshm Parv
This Parv starts from the Page 1 of "6 War" as the war starts, and ends on Page 14 of "6 War" till Bheeshm falls and has a talk with Karn.

 7. Drone Parv
This Parv starts from the Page 15 of "6 War" after Karn has met Bheeshm on his bed of arrows and Drone has been appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of Kaurav army, and ends on the Page 28 of "6 War" when Ashwatthaamaa wants to take revenge with Paandav of his father's killing.

 8. Karn Parv
This Parv starts from the "Page 30 of "6 War" after Drone has fallen, and ends with Karn's death on the "Page 35 of "6 War". Karn comes in command on 16th day; Shalya the Charioteer of Karn; Death of Dushaasan; The death of Karn; With his grandfather.

 9. Shalya Parv
This Parv starts from "Page 36 of "6 War" after Karn has fallen, and ends with his death on the "Page 39 of "6 War". Kripaa and Duryodhan; Death of Shalya and Shakuni; Dwaipaayan Lake; Samantpanchak; Fall of Duryodhan and Balraam's wrath; Pandav send Krishn to Hastinaapur to comfort Dhritraashtra and Gaandhaaree.

10. Sauptikaa Parv
This Parv starts from "Page 40 of "6 War" after Duryodhan has fallen and he has appointed Ashwatthaamaa as his Commander-in-Chief; and ends with   ---  Kripaa, Ashwatthaamaa and KKritvarmaa come to the lake to see Duryodhan; Ashwatthaamaa asks him for his last wish; he said he wanted that all Paandav should be killed; Ashwatthaamaa kills all Paanchaal, Draupadee's all sons in sleep; tells this news to Duryodhan and Duryodhan dies; Arjun, Bheem, Krishn and Yudhishthir follows him; Ashwatthaamaa and Arjun release Brahmaastra; Vyaas and Naarad intervene; Arjun calls off his own but Ashwatthaamaa redirects it to wombs of Paandav's women; Uttaraa is pregnant, Krishn assures to revive it; Yudhishthir's doubts about the killing of so many brave people by Ashwatthaamaa; Krishn explains it.

11. Stree Parv
This is a short Parv, of only 27 chapters, in which men and women weep for their dears and nears and perform their last rites. This Parv starts from "Page 1 of "7 Post-War" after everything is over in battlefield, and ends with  "Page 3 of "7 Post-War".

12. Shaanti Parv
This parv is all about knowledge (Gyaan) Yudhishthir takes from Bheeshm before he leaves this world. It starts from "Page 4 of 7 Post-War" and continues. (It is unfinished)

13. Anushaasan Parv

14. Ashwamedh Parv
It contains 92 chapters and describes Upanishadic material, called as Anugeetaa. This is the repetition of Geetaa from Krishn to Yudhishthir. Story of Uttank, a disciple of Krishn; The story of Ashwamedh Yagya performed by Yudhishthir; At the end of the Yagya a mongoose pops out of the ground saying that the Daan of a handful of barley in the famine time is superior than this Ashwamedh Yagya.

15. Aashramvaasik Parv
It contains 39 chapters.

16. Mausal Parv
It contains 8 chapters. This Parv starts from "Page   of "7 Post-War" and ends on "Page    of 7 Post-War". Yaadav princes mock with Rishi; Rishi give them Shaap; Yaadav fight among themselves and die; Krishn saves remaining people in Dwaarakaa; Krishn and Blaraam leave this world.

17. Mahaaprasthaanik Parv
It contains 3 chapters. This Parv starts on "Page 49 of "7 Post-War" and ends on "Page   of "7 Post-War". This is about after Yudhishthir had heard the news of Krishn's leaving the world, Paandav also leave this world.

18. Swargaarohanik Parv
It contains 6 chapters. They start on "Page 50 of "7 Post-war" and ends on "Page   of "7 Post-War". This is about after Yudhishthir has ascended to Swarg; and ends with concluding remarks, such as what are the fruits to a reader and a listener?; What should be given to Braahman during recitation? etc.

Mahaabhaarat, the epic, is divided in 18 Parv (chapters), but here for the ease of reading and remembering it conveniently, it has been divided in six sections:

1. The Beginning - This section describes all the events up till the birth of Kaurav and Paandav brothers. (Covers a part of Aadi Parv).

2. Childhood - This section describes all the events of their childhood up till their education is over. Includes Krishn's birth and His childhood's events also given in a separate part. (Covers a part of Aadi Parv).

3. Youth - This section describes all the events of their youth up till Yudhishthir plays the dice game with Duryodhan twice and then is ready to go to exile. (Covers Sabhaa Parv).

4. Van (Forest) - This section describes all the events since the time Paandav leave for Van (forest) after losing the dice game for 13 years. (Covers Van, and Viraat Parv)

5. Pre-War - This section describes the events since the end of their exile in Viraat Nagar till the actual war starts. 

6. War - This section describes the events from tthe time the actual war starts (Bheeshm Parv) till Ashwatthaamaa kills Draupadee's five children and uses Brahmaastra at Uttaraa's womb. (Covers Bheeshm, Drone, Karn, Shalya, and Sauptikaa Parv)

7. Post War - This section describes the events from the time Paandav return to Hastinaapur up till they leave Hastinaapur for their heavenly journey. (Covers Stree, Ashwamedh, Asramaavasik, Mausal, Mahaaprashthaanik, and Swargaarohanik Parv. 

Shaanti Parv and Anushaasan Parv have been left out for the time being.

Krishn is the center of the whole book, He is the Super Hero of the whole Mahaabhaarat, but where is the place for His childhood events in this story? So I have described His childhood events in a separate section under the section "Childhood - Krishn", because otherwise there is no relationship between the childhood events of Krishn and Kaurav and Paandav princes.