Book 1 of 18 · The Mahabharata

Adi Parva

आदि पर्व

Ādi Parva

The Book of the Beginning

What is the Adi Parva?

The Adi Parva (आदि पर्व) is the first of the eighteen books of the Mahabharata. Its name means “Book of the Beginning”, and this site tells 139 stories drawn from it.

Adi Parva Summary

The first book opens the epic with the frame stories of its own telling: Ugrashrava recites the Mahabharata to the sages of the Naimisha forest, and Vyasa dictates it to Ganesha. It gathers the great origin legends - the churning of the ocean, Garuda and the nectar, the snake sacrifice of Janamejaya - before turning to the ancestors of the Kuru line, from Dushyanta and Shakuntala to Yayati and Shantanu. Here Devavrata takes the terrible vow that makes him Bhishma, the princes are born to Kunti and Madri, and Pandavas and Kauravas grow up together under Drona and Kripa. It ends with the burning of the house of lac, the winning of Draupadi at her swayamvara, the founding of Indraprastha, and the fire that consumes the Khandava forest.

What This Book Is About

  • origins
  • dynasty
  • vows
  • birth
  • rivalry

Sub-Books (Upaparvas) of the Adi Parva

The Mahabharata divides itself into one hundred upaparvas; 19 of them belong to this book.

  1. Anukramanika ParvaThe Book of the Table of ContentsSub-book 1 of 100
  2. Parvasangraha ParvaThe Book of the Summary of BooksSub-book 2 of 100
  3. Paushya ParvaThe Book of PaushyaSub-book 3 of 100
  4. Pauloma ParvaThe Book of PulomanSub-book 4 of 100
  5. Astika ParvaThe Book of AstikaSub-book 5 of 100
  6. Adivamshavatarana ParvaThe Book of the Descent of the First GenerationsSub-book 6 of 100
  7. Sambhava ParvaThe Book of OriginsSub-book 7 of 100
  8. Jatugriha ParvaThe Book of the House of LacSub-book 8 of 100
  9. Hidimba-vadha ParvaThe Book of the Slaying of HidimbaSub-book 9 of 100
  10. Baka-vadha ParvaThe Book of the Slaying of BakaSub-book 10 of 100
  11. Chaitraratha ParvaThe Book of ChitrarathaSub-book 11 of 100
  12. Draupadi-svayamvara ParvaThe Book of the Bride Choice of DraupadiSub-book 12 of 100
  13. Vaivahika ParvaThe Book of the WeddingSub-book 13 of 100
  14. Viduragamana ParvaThe Book of the Coming of ViduraSub-book 14 of 100
  15. Rajya-labha ParvaThe Book of the Acquisition of the KingdomSub-book 15 of 100
  16. Arjuna-vanavasa ParvaThe Book of the Forest Exile of ArjunaSub-book 16 of 100
  17. Subhadra-harana ParvaThe Book of the Carrying Off of SubhadraSub-book 17 of 100
  18. Harana-harika ParvaThe Book of the Bringing of the Bridal GiftsSub-book 18 of 100
  19. Khandava-daha ParvaThe Book of the Burning of the Khandava ForestSub-book 19 of 100

Stories from the Adi Parva

139 stories on this site are told inside this book, in canonical reading order.

  1. Ancient BeginningsThe Earth's Plea, the Descent of the Gods, and the Sages Who Began the Telling 22 min
  2. The Epic ComposedVyasa at Badarikashrama, Astika at the Snake Sacrifice, and the Story First Told 23 min
  3. Utanka and the EarringsThe Origin of the Snake Sacrifice 20 min
  4. The Disciple in the FieldAruni dams a breach with his own body for his teacher 10 min
  5. UpamanyuThe Student in the Well 6 min
  6. Astika Saves the SnakesThe End of the Sarpa Satra 20 min
  7. Samudra ManthanThe Churning of the Ocean 18 min
  8. Garuda and the AmritaThe Great Bird's Quest 19 min
  9. The Serpent Who Bears the WorldShesha leaves his wicked kin and upholds the earth 10 min
  10. Half a Life for LoveRuru, Pramadvara, and the Snake 11 min
  11. The King and the Hermit GirlDushyanta and Shakuntala 19 min
  12. The King and the ApsaraPururavas and Urvashi 9 min
  13. The Moon and the Stolen BrideChandra, Tara, and the Lunar Dynasty 9 min
  14. The King Who Was BothChanged from man to woman, ancestor of a great line 10 min
  15. The Ancestors of the EpicsYayati, Devayani, and Sharmishtha 17 min
  16. The Secret of Reviving the DeadKacha, Devayani, and the Sanjivani 11 min
  17. The King Who Became a SageVishvamitra's Long Ascent 10 min
  18. The King Who Became a DemonKalmashapada and the Forbearance of Vasishtha 10 min
  19. Tapati and SamvaranaThe Daughter of the Sun 6 min
  20. Chitraratha at the GangaThe Gandharva at the Night Ford 7 min
  21. The River and the IslandBirths of Satyavati and Vyasa 17 min
  22. Shantanu and the River GoddessThe Marriage That Began the Kuru Dynasty 24 min
  23. The Terrible VowTrue love is not possession but sacrifice. 20 min
  24. The Terrible VowThe Sacrifice of Devavrata 23 min
  25. Bhishma's VowThe Terrible Oath of Devavrata 17 min
  26. The Abduction at KashiThe Svayamvara and the Tragedy of Amba 14 min
  27. The Niyoga of VyasaThe Birth of the Kurus 21 min
  28. The Sage on the StakeAni-Mandavya and the Birth of Vidura 11 min
  29. The Birth of the PrincesChildren of the Gods and the Iron Womb 16 min
  30. The Curse of the DeerPandu's Fatal Hunt and the End of a King 21 min
  31. The Curse That Killed a KingPandu's Arrow, Kindama's Curse, and the Birth of the Pandavas 23 min
  32. How Ganesha Got His HeadThe Birth of the Lord of Beginnings 10 min
  33. The Demon Who Burned HimselfBhasmasura and the Dance of Mohini 9 min
  34. The Divine ChildThe Divine descends whenever dharma declines and adharma rises. 21 min
  35. The Divine ChildKrishna's life is the Mahabharata's answer to the question: What does God look like when God walks among us? 28 min
  36. The Boy God of VrindavanKrishna's Childhood Among the Cowherds 24 min
  37. The Demons of VrindavanThe Hunt That Failed 7 min
  38. Brahma Steals the CalvesThe Creator's Test 5 min
  39. The Sea God and the Wives at the FireTwo Small Mercies of Vrindavan 5 min
  40. The Vision in the RiverA devotee granted the sight of Krishna's divinity 10 min
  41. The Slaying of KamsaThe Prophecy Fulfilled 7 min
  42. Krishna at Sandipani's AshramThe Fee Paid to Death 6 min
  43. The Bride From Another AgeA princess of a former yuga wed across the ages 10 min
  44. Karna's Birth & CurseThe Tragic Backstory of the Sun's Son 21 min
  45. A Royal Childhood at HastinapuraPandavas, Kauravas, and the Lessons of Drona 21 min
  46. Drona and DrupadaThe Broken Friendship 7 min
  47. The Bird's Eye and the CrocodileDrona's Tests of Arjuna 6 min
  48. The Price of ExcellenceEklavya's story is deeply troubling - it reveals how caste discrimination denied a brilliant student his potential. 20 min
  49. The Tournament of ChampionsThe Rise of Arjuna and the Arrival of Karna 17 min
  50. Escape from the FlamesThe lac house episode teaches that evil, no matter how carefully planned, cannot triumph over righteousness. 18 min
  51. The House of Lac and the DemonsThe Pandavas' First Exile 17 min
  52. Bhima and HidimbiThe Birth of Ghatotkacha 8 min
  53. Bakasura of EkachakraThe Debt of Bread 7 min
  54. The Fire-Born and the Woman Who Became a ManDrupada's Children, Drona's Old Feud, and Amba's Vow Across Lives 29 min
  55. Draupadi's SwayamvaraThe Choosing of Her Husband 19 min
  56. The Impossible ChallengeDestiny works in mysterious ways. 21 min
  57. The Brothers and the ApsaraSunda, Upasunda, and the Making of Tilottama 11 min
  58. Arjuna's Wandering YearThree Wives in Three Kingdoms 21 min
  59. Ulupi, the Serpent QueenArjuna's Bride Beneath the Ganga
  60. Chitrangada of ManipuraThe Bride Whose Son Stayed Home
  61. When Gods Made WarSometimes destruction is necessary for creation. 18 min
  62. The Sage and the Birds in the FireMandapala, Jarita, and the Khandava Blaze 9 min
  63. The Elephant and the TortoiseTwo brothers who could not divide a house 16 min
  64. The Pole Raised for a FriendA king who came down from his penance, and the festival he left behind 16 min
  65. The Age After the AxeHow the warrior caste came back, and how it was spoiled again 16 min
  66. The Apsara Sent to Break a SageMenaka's fear, and the child left on the Malini 16 min
  67. The Ascetics at the GateThe morning five orphans were handed to Hastinapura 16 min
  68. The Twins in the HeathIndra's dancer, a sage's dropped bow, and the children a king carried home 17 min
  69. The Heir ApparentA crown promised, a second fee demanded, and the conquests that frightened a blind king 16 min
  70. The Watch Under the BanianOne brother awake while the rest of the Kurus sleep on bare ground 16 min
  71. The Widow at the FireA curse spoken before the flames took her, and the heir it forced 17 min
  72. The Cattle and the Closed DoorA rule kept by breaking it, and a pardon refused 17 min
  73. The King Who Made Fire SickTwelve years of butter and the appetite it ruined 18 min
  74. The Bow Out of the WaterWhat Varuna kept until two men needed it 16 min
  75. Garuda's Pact and the Forked TonguesHow the snakes lost the nectar and got their split tongues 13 min
  76. Kunti's SwayamvaraThe princess no king asked for chooses Pandu in a hall of monarchs 13 min
  77. Kunti Knows Her SonThe mother who recognised Karna in the arena and stayed silent 14 min
  78. The Priest of DrupadaThe envoy, the guarded answer, and the weapons laid out to catch a king's sons 17 min
  79. Vidura's Embassy to PanchalaThe envoy sent to bring the Pandavas home from Drupada's court 12 min
  80. The Boons After the BurningIndra comes down onto the ashes of Khandava and offers Arjuna and Krishna each a boon no man can obtain 12 min
  81. The Weighing of the BharataThe gods put the epic in a balance against the four Vedas, and Sauti recites the eighteen books 24 min
  82. The Lineages of Gods and DemonsVaishampayana recites the descent of every creature from Brahma and the daughters of Daksha 22 min
  83. The Four Ways to Spend a LifeYayati, falling out of heaven, answers Ashtaka on the asramas and the road to Brahma 19 min
  84. Kunti's BlessingA mother-in-law names seven wives, a throne nobody owns yet, and a son not yet born 12 min
  85. The King Who Only BreathedKarna answers Drona with the tale of a minister who took everything but the throne 13 min
  86. Ganga Beyond the RiverThe mother who shaped Bhishma
  87. Kanva of the MaliniThe sage who raised Shakuntala
  88. The Fisher Queen's BurdenSatyavati's regency and renunciation
  89. Bharata, the All-TamerThe emperor who chose worth over blood
  90. The King Who Fought His NameChitrangada and the gandharva's duel
  91. The Curse of the Eight VasusHeaven's theft, earth's long sentence
  92. The Hanging FathersJaratkaru's debt to the dead
  93. Hastinapura, City of the ElephantThe capital that held the whole epic
  94. Kurukshetra Before the WarWhy the field was already holy
  95. Pandu's ConquestThe pale king who filled the treasury
  96. The Fire in the SeaRevenge the dead never asked for
  97. The Branch That LeftThe Kurus who moved away and died in the war anyway
  98. The Curse on FireWhy the flame eats everything it touches
  99. The Brother Who Should Have Been KingA lawful crown the rain refused to bless
  100. The Blind Sage on the RiverHow five eastern kingdoms got their names
  101. The Teacher Who Came Too LateFlour stirred in water, and a mountain walked to
  102. The Arm on the Bird's ShoulderThe strongest flier in the worlds, taught his size
  103. The Wager Over the Horse's TailHow the serpents and the birds became enemies
  104. The Sacrifice That Was StoppedA son's fire, put out by the men it was lit for
  105. The Snake Who Was a SageA widower's war on an entire species
  106. The Thumb-Sized SagesA god's idle joke and the bird it created
  107. The Council of the SerpentsA doomed people debating how to survive
  108. The Teacher Who RememberedThe third disciple and what he refused to pass on
  109. Ganga, River of the KurusThe goddess who carries the dynasty
  110. Kashi, the City of Light in the EpicThree princesses and a long revenge
  111. Nagaloka, the Serpent Realm BelowThe jeweled underworld of the nagas
  112. Mahabhisha's GlanceOne unguarded look in Brahma's court sets a dynasty moving
  113. The Sons of the Dead KingKunti answers Pandu's plea for niyoga with the tale of a widow's unbroken faith
  114. The Charioteer's SonAdhiratha, the father Karna chose
  115. Hidimbi, Queen of the ForestThe wife left behind who kept faith
  116. Madri, the Second QueenThe overshadowed wife who chose the fire
  117. Pritha, the Given DaughterThe girlhood that forged Kunti
  118. The Poisoned PrinceBhima at Pramanakoti and the naga realm
  119. The Birth of DuryodhanaA doom announced and ignored
  120. The Hundred PardonsThe birth and boon of Shishupala
  121. The Moon's SonThe sixteen-year loan of Abhimanyu
  122. The Boy Who Invented MarriageThe argument Pandu made on the mountain
  123. The Stranger at the WellHow the Kuru princes got their teacher
  124. The Blindfold of GandhariA vow read as devotion and as protest
  125. Kanika's CounselThe advisor a frightened king wanted
  126. The Five IndrasThe hidden design behind one bride, five husbands
  127. The Five Fords of the ApsarasAbandoned pools and what was waiting in them
  128. Half a KingdomOne sitting of the Kuru court decides everything
  129. The Chariot at RaivatakaAn abduction the bride drove herself
  130. Panchala, Kingdom of the Fire-BornThe divided realm that married the Pandavas
  131. Anga, the Kingdom Karna Was GivenA crown thrown like a challenge
  132. Gandhara, Land Beyond the IndusThe kingdom that sent a queen and a gambler
  133. Madra, Kingdom of Shalya and MadriThe uncle's land between two loyalties
  134. The Five Who Burned InsteadThe bodies the searchers were meant to find
  135. The Seven Days of ParikshitA good king's lapse and a good death
  136. The Physician Who Turned BackThe man who could have saved the king
  137. The Dog at the SacrificeThe curse that began a dynasty's last chapter
  138. Naimisha, the Forest Where the Epic Is ToldThe audience hall of the Mahabharata
  139. Takshashila, City of the Serpent SacrificeWhere the epic was first heard

Where This Book Sits

The Adi Parva is book 1 of the eighteen parvas. It opens the epic. The Sabha Parva, the book of the assembly hall, comes next.

See all eighteen parvas of the MahabharataFollow the epic as a timeline