ALL events of Mahabharata 3
| Part 1: Begining | Part 2: The War | Part 3: Aftermath |
11. Stri Parva
Story of grief of Gandhari and other for wartime losses
(4 Sub pervas, 27 chapters)
11 Stri Parva 81–85 Gandhari and the women (stri) of the Kauravas and Pandavas lament the dead and Gandhari cursing Krishna for the massive destruction and the extermination of the Kaurava.
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12. Shanti Parva
Story of crowning of Yudhishthira as king of Hastinapura
(3 Sub pervas, 353-365 chapters depending on the edition) Longest
12 Shanti Parva 86–88 The crowning of Yudhishthira as king of Hastinapura, and instructions from Bhishma for the newly anointed king on society, economics, and politics. This is the longest book of the Mahabharata.
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13. Anushasana Parva
Story of rule of law and kings duty, Bhisma's death
(2 Sub pervas, 154-168 chapters depending on the edition)
13 Anushasana Parva 89–90 The final instructions (anushasana) from Bhishma. This Parba contains the last day of Bhishma and his advice and wisdom to the upcoming emperor Yudhishthira.
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14. Ashvemedhika Parva
Story of treasury collection and Ashvemedhika yagna, anu geeta
(1-2 Sub pervas, 92-96 chapters depending on the edition)
14 Ashvamedhika Parva 91–92 The royal ceremony of the Ashvamedha (Horse sacrifice) conducted by Yudhishthira. The world conquest by Arjuna. Anugita is told by Krishna to Arjuna.
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15. Ashramavasika Parva
Story of great Yudhisthir's rule,
Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, and Kunti retire to forest and death
(3 Sub pervas, 39-47 chapters depending on the edition)
15 Ashramavasika Parv 93–95 The eventual deaths of Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, and Kunti in a forest fire when they are living in a hermitage in the Himalayas. Vidura predeceases them and Sanjaya on Dhritarashtra's bidding goes to live in the higher Himalayas.
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16. Mausala Parva
Story of Yadavas infight and destruction, Krishna's death
(no upa parva, 8-9 chapters depending on the edition) Short
*36 years after the Kurukshetra war, the Davarika kingdom is so peaceful and prosperous, that the youth started to lose purpose on lives and spend time in bodily pleasures. Krishna's son Samba dresses up as a woman and his friends meet Rishis who were visiting Dvaraka to meet Krishna. He pretends as pregnant and asks the rishis to predict the gender of the baby. One rishi gets mad and curses that Samba will give birth to an iron bolt that will destroy his entire clan. Samba informs Krishna, who was already aware of the impending destruction of the Yadava clan and didn't wish to prevent it.
*Multiple negative incidents occur: Disappearance of the Sudarshana Chakra, the Panchajanya (Krishna's conch), Krishna's chariot and the plough weapon of Balarama. Pests multiply. Sinful acts multiply, yet no one feels any shame. Wives deceive their husbands, and husbands deceive their wives. Everyone has the same terrifying dreams. People insult and humiliate their seniors and teachers. Krishna asks everyone to go on a pilgrimage to the sacred waters of the Prabhasa sea. They do. When they arrive, the Yadavas revel in merrymaking, dance and drink much alcohol.
*Drunk Satyaki and Kritavarma for begin to argue about who did more wrong during the Kurukshetra War. Satyaki decapitates Kritavarma with his sword, then begins striking down others present there. Krishna intervenes. Drunken fight erupts and everyone attacks everyone. Everyone who is battling is dead, except for Vabhru, Daruka (Krishna's charioteer) and Krishna. Balarama survives because he withdrew from that spot before the fight.
*Krishna asks Daruka to go to the Pandavas, tell them what had happened and to ask Arjuna to come with help. While Daruka was gone, Krishna sends Vabhru to protect the ladies of his kingdom from robbers tempted by wealth. However, as soon as he proceeds to a distance, an iron bolt flies and impales Vabhru, killing him. Krishna goes to Dvaraka and consoles his father Vasudeva, before returning to his brother Balarama in the forest. He sees him departing from this world, giving up his life through yoga.
*Krishna who had the foresight of everything that had happened, concludes that the hour of his departure from this world has come. Restraining his senses, he sits in high yoga. Some of the powder cast into the Prabhasa sea had been swallowed by a fish. Inside the fish, the powder had become a metal piece. Jara, a hunter, catches that fish and finds the metal. He sharpens it to make an arrow and goes for hunting, during which, seeing red marks on Krishna's left foot, and mistaking it for a deer's eye, shoots the arrow at it. On approaching the supposed prey to capture it, he beheld Krishna rapt in yoga, and touches his feet for being an offender. Krishna comforts him and then ascends upwards to the heavens, filling the entire sky with splendor.
*Daruka reaches to Pandavas and tells them the whole incident. Arjuna sets out for seeing them. He met there Vasudeva and 500,000 people who killed each other lying there. He tells them to prepare for their leave within a week. Vasudeva dies the next day while he is meditating, while his wives join him in a funeral pyre. Then Arjuna made rites who died there, according to their order of seniority. With Yadava old men, women and children who are the only survivors, including the 16,000 devotees (women who were saved by Krishna, from Narakasura and made into his queens) of Krishna, together set off for Indraprastha. As they are leaving, waters rise, Dvaraka sinks into the sea.
*Arjun takes Vrishni women by slow marches. Bandits attack on the way; Arjun somehow manages to defeat them and reach Kurukshetra.
*Arjuna becomes depressed and approaches Sage Vyasa. Vyasa explains that Pandavas have served the purpose of their lives, now they are facing the common destiny of all warriors, which even Krishna could not escape. Vyasa suggests them to retire.
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17. Mahaprasthanika Parva
Story of Pandava's retirement to Himalayas
(no Sub pervas, 3 chapters) Short
*Parikshit as the king of Hastinapur and Yadava prince Vajra crowned as the king of Indraprastha.
*Pandavas start their journey towards the Himalayas via various parts of India along with a dog who befriends with them. They reach east where Arjun gives up his Gandiva, then to south to the sea, then to west to Draraka where they see it being submerged under water and feel depressed. And then they go to north, stop at Rishikesh.
*Then cross the Himalayas and Draupadi (Yajnaseni) dies. Yudhishthira says she had partiality towards Arjuna despite all five being her husbands, therefore she could not reach to heaven. *After that, Sahadeva dies on the way. Yudhishthira say, Sahadeva was virtuous like his other brothers but he had vice of pride and vanity for his wisdom. *Then Nakula dies on the way to Mount Meru. Yudhishthira says that Nakula also suffered from the vice of pride and vanity for his handsome look. *After that, Arjuna dies on the way. Yudhishthira says Arjuna too suffered from the vice of pride and vanity for his skills, and being most powerful hero. *As Bhima falls, he asks why he cant make it. Yudhishthira explains that his vice of gluttony (over consumpiton of food and drink without thinking about the hunger of others) and his boast of his strength caused it. (Mahaprasthanika Parva chapter 2)
*Dog and Yudhishthira continue their walk up Mount Meru. Indra appeasrs in his chariot and offers lift to heaven, he also mentions that his brothers and wife went to heaven after they died, but Yudhishthira refuses as Indra doesn't let the dog come with them. Dog turns out to be God Dharma and praises Yudhishthira for his virtues. On the way the meet Narada who praises Yudhishthira for being first person in human body going to heaven. Yudhishthira enters heaven on Indra's chariot. (Mahaprasthanika Parva chapter 3)
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18. Svargarohana Parva
Story of Yudhisthirs's test and accent to heaven
(no Sub parvas, 5-6 chapters depending on the edition) Short
*In heaven, Yudhishthira also finds people who sinned on earth. He visits hell and also finds people who he thinks were good. He opposed this being unfair. It was his final test. Yudhishthira's father Dharma congratulates Yudhishthira for standing up for dharma and sends him to Vaikuntha for eternal bliss.
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ADDITIONAL: Harivamsa Parva AKA Harivamsa Purana
Story of Lord Krishna
(2-3 Sub parvas depending on the edition)
*Harivamsa Parva is an addendum to the 18 books of Mahabharata and covers those parts of the life of Krishna which is not covered in the 18 parvas.
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