‘In the Adi parva are contained Paushya, Pauloma, Astika, Adivansa
vatara, Samva, the burning of the house of lac, the slaying of Hidimba,
the destruction of the Asura Baka, Chitraratha, the Swayamvara of
Draupadi, her marriage after the over throw of rivals in war, the arrival
of Vidura, the restoration, Arjuna’s exile, the abduction of Subhadra,
the gift and receipt of the marriage dower, the burning of the Khandava
forest, and the meeting with (the Asura-architect) Maya. The Paushya
parva treats of the greatness of Utanka, and the Pauloma, of the sons
of Bhrigu. The Astika describes the birth of Garuda and of the Nagas
(snakes), the churning of the ocean, the incidents relating to the birth
of the celestial steed Uchchaihsrava, and finally, the dynasty of Bharata,
as described in the Snake-sacrifice of king Janamejaya. The Sambhava
parva narrates the birth of various kings and heroes, and that of the
sage, Krishna Dwaipayana :
the partial incarnations of deities, the
generation of Danavas and Yakshas of great prowess, and serpents, Gan
dharvas, birds, and of all creatures ;
and lastly, of the life and adven
tures of king Bharata the progenitor of the line that goes by his name
the son born of Sakuntala in the hermitage of the ascetic Kanwa.
This parva also describes the greatness of Bhagirathi, and the births of
the Vasus in the house of Santanu and their ascension to heaven. In
this parva is also narrated the birth of Bhishma uniting in himself por
tions of the energies of the other Vasus, his renunciation of royalty and
adoption of the Brahmacharya mode of life, his adherence to his vows,
his protection of Chitrangada, and after the death of Chitrangada, his
protection of his younger brother, Vichitravirya, and his placing the
latter on the throne ;
the birth of Dharma among men in consequence
of the curse of Animondavya ;
the births of Dhritarashtra and Pandu
through the potency of Vyasa’s blessings (?) and also the birth of the
Pandavas ;
the plottings of Duryodhana to send the sons of Pandu to
Varanavata, and the other dark counsels of the sons of Dhritarashtrain
regard to the Pandavas ;
then the advice administered to Yudhishthira
on his way by that well-wisher of the Pandavas Vidura in the
mlechchha language the digging of the hole, the burning of Purochana
and the sleeping woman of the fowler caste, with her five sons, in the
house of lac ;
the meeting of the Pandavas in the dreadful forest with
Hidimba, and the slaying of her brother Hidimba by Bhima of great
prowess. The birth of Ghatotkacha ;
the meeting of the Pandavas with
Vyasa and in accordance with his advice their stay in disguise in the
house of a Brahmana in the city of Ekachakra ;
the destruction of the
Asura Vaka, and the amazementof the populace at the sight ;
the extra
ordinary births of Krishna and Dhrishtadyumna ;
the departure of the
Pandavas for Panchala in obedience to the injunction of Vyasa, and
moved equally by the desire of winning the hand of Draupadi on
learning the tidings of the Swayamvara from the lips of a Brahmana ;
victory of Arjuna over a Gandharva, called Angaraparna, on the banks
of the Bhagirathi, his contraction of friendship with his adversary,
and his hearing from the Gandharva the history of Tapati, Vasishtha
and Aurva. This parva treats of the journey of the Pandavas towards
Panchala, the acquisition of Draupadi in the midst of all the Rajas, by
Arjuna, after having successfully pierced the mark; and in the ensuing
fight, the defeat of Salya, Kama, and all the other crowned heads at
the hands of Bhima and Arjuna of great prowess ;
the ascertainment
by Balarama and Krishna, at the sight of these matchless exploits, that
the heroes were the Pandavas, and the arrival of the brothers at the
house of the potter where the Pandavas were staying ;
the dejection
of Drupada on learning that Draupadi was to be wedded to five
the wonderful story of the five Indras related in conse
husbands ;
quence; the extraordinary and divinely-ordained wedding of Draupadi;
the sending of Vidura by the sons of Dhritarashtra as envoy to the
Pandavas ;
the arrival of Vidura and his sight of Krishna; the abode of
the Pandavas in Khandava-prastha, and then their rule over one half
of the kingdom ;
the fixing of turns by the sons of Pandu, in obedience
to the injunction of Narada, for connubial companionship with Krishna.
In like manner hath the history of Sunda and Upasunda been recited
in this. This parva then treats of the departure of Arjuna for the
forest according to the vow, he having seen Draupadi and Yudhishthira
sitting together as he entered the chamber to take out arms for deliver
ing the kine of a certain Brahmana. This parva then describes
(serpent) ;
Arjuna’s meeting on the way with Ulupi, the daughter of a Naga
it then relates his visits to several sacred spots ;
the birth
of Vabhruvahana ;
the deliverance by Arjuna of the five celestial damsels
who had been turned into alligators by the imprecation of a Brahmana,
the meeting of Madhava and Arjuna on the holy spot called Prabhasa ;
the carrying away of Subhadra by Arjuna, incited thereto by her
brother Krishna, in the wonderful car moving on land and water, and
children ;
through mid-air, according to the wish of the rider ;
the departure for
Indraprastha, with the dower ;
the conception in the womb of Subhadra
of that prodigy of prowess, Abhimanyu ;
Yajnaseni’s giving birth to
then follows the pleasure-trip of Krishna and Arjuna to the
banks of the Jamuna and the acquisition by them of the discus and the
celebrated bow Gandiva ;
the burning of the forest of Khandava ;
the
rescue of Maya by Arjuna, and the escape of the serpent, and the
begetting of a son by that best of Rishis, Mandapala, in the womb of
the bird Sarngi. This parva is divided by Vyasa into two hundred and
twenty-seven chapters. These two hundred and twenty-seven chapters
contain eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-four slokas.