Book 12 of 18 · The Mahabharata

Shanti Parva

शान्ति पर्व

Śānti Parva

The Book of Peace

What is the Shanti Parva?

The Shanti Parva (शान्ति पर्व) is the twelfth of the eighteen books of the Mahabharata. Its name means “Book of Peace”, and this site tells 150 stories drawn from it.

Shanti Parva Summary

The longest book in the Mahabharata, and the one furthest from battle. Yudhishthira, sick with guilt, wants to renounce the throne he has just won, and is argued back into kingship by his brothers, by Draupadi, by Vyasa and by Krishna. He is then taken to Bhishma, still lying on his bed of arrows, who spends his last weeks teaching the duties of a king, the conduct proper to times of distress, and finally the long discourse on liberation. Fables, kings, sages and animals crowd its chapters, from the cat and the mouse to Prithu, Shuka and the Narayaniya, making it the epic's great compendium of ethics and philosophy.

What This Book Is About

  • kingship
  • rajadharma
  • liberation
  • ethics
  • instruction

Sub-Books (Upaparvas) of the Shanti Parva

The Mahabharata divides itself into one hundred upaparvas; 3 of them belong to this book.

  1. Rajadharmanushasana ParvaTeaching on the duties of kingsSub-book 86 of 100
  2. Apaddharmanushasana ParvaTeaching on duty in times of distressSub-book 87 of 100
  3. Mokshadharma ParvaThe dharma of liberationSub-book 88 of 100

Stories from the Shanti Parva

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

  1. The Sixteen KingsThe Consolation of Yudhishthira
  2. Charvaka the False BrahminThe Curse at the Coronation 5 min
  3. Bhishma on the Bed of ArrowsFifty-Eight Days of Teaching, and a King Crowned at His Feet 24 min
  4. The Dharma of KingsRajadharma - Bhishma on the Art of Rule
  5. The Sage and the Dog's HaunchApaddharma - Law in the Time of Ruin
  6. The Song of MankiThe Rope of Desire
  7. Pingala's NightThe Courtesan Who Found Peace
  8. The Python's WayThe Vow of What Comes Unsought
  9. Bhrigu and BharadvajaThe Sage's Questions About Everything
  10. The Song of VritraThe Serenity of the Defeated
  11. Bali and IndraThe Emperor in the Empty House
  12. Namuchi in ChainsThe Prisoner Who Slept at Ease
  13. Panchashikha and the KingLiberation Without Leaving the Throne
  14. The ReciterThe Brahmin Who Refused Heaven
  15. The Song of AshmanJanaka's Question About Grief
  16. The Song of SampakaThe Freedom of the Poor Brahmin
  17. The Song of HaritaThe Discipline of the Renunciate
  18. The Song of VichakhnuThe King Who Pitied the Sacrifice
  19. The Cloud's GiftKundadhara and the Poor Man
  20. Muchukunda and the Lord of TreasureThe King Who Refused a Borrowed Victory
  21. Indra Questions ShambaraHow the Enemy Prospered
  22. Ushanas the BrightHow Shukra Became the Teacher of the Asuras
  23. The Jackal and the SageThe Worth of a Human Birth
  24. The Golden SwanWhat the Sadhyas Learned From a Bird
  25. Kapila and the CowThe Debate of the Two Roads
  26. Karna at RajapuraA bride carried off, a hundred kings unhorsed, and the city a rival gave away 15 min
  27. The Victory Nobody WantedFive brothers, a wife and a sage argue a king back onto his throne 21 min
  28. The Bird That Sent the Boys HomeIndra in golden feathers argues young renouncers back to their fathers 15 min
  29. The Queen's Answer to the Beggar KingJanaka shaves his head, and his wife takes his renunciation apart 16 min
  30. The Crowning of YudhishthiraA king anointed by the man he could not save 20 min
  31. The Princes the Earth HidWhat was left of the Kshatriyas after the axe 17 min
  32. The Age Before KingsHow men who protected one another stopped, and what had to be written 18 min
  33. Mandhatri Asks to See GodThe emperor got an answer instead of a vision 17 min
  34. The Weapon Not Made of SteelKrishna tells Narada what his own kinsmen do to him 18 min
  35. The Day the Rod VanishedWhat happened to the world when Chastisement disappeared 20 min
  36. What the Brothers Wanted MostAn evening argument about virtue, wealth and desire 19 min
  37. The Two Who Argued Over a DebtDesire and Wrath come to court in rags 21 min
  38. Prahlada in ChainsIndra asks a bound enemy why he does not grieve 16 min
  39. Bali in the Nooses of VarunaThe prisoner who would not be mocked, and the god who let him be 19 min
  40. Fortune Changes SidesWhy Sri deserted the asuras, told on a bank of the Ganga 17 min
  41. The Deer Who Asked to Be KilledA poor brahmana's sacrifice and the neighbour who begged for the knife 17 min
  42. The Four Shares of a SinWho agreed to carry a quarter of Indra's guilt, and what it cost them 17 min
  43. The Sweat That Became FeverA drop from Shiva's forehead, and the disease scattered through the world 16 min
  44. The Sage Inside the GodHow Usanas robbed Kuvera and came out as Shukra 17 min
  45. The Yajus Taken From the SunA goddess entering a man's mouth, and the fee split in two 17 min
  46. The Son Struck From the Fire SticksA hundred years of penance, a parrot on a branch, and a child born of friction 18 min
  47. Three Doors and Fifty WomenThe son of Vyasa is made to walk, and then made to wait 19 min
  48. The Guest Nobody Could SeeBrihaspati throws down the ladle at a sacrifice where no animal was killed 19 min
  49. Three Balls of MudThe Boar invents the rite for the dead, and has no one above him to offer it to 16 min
  50. The Horse-Headed Voice in the DeepHow the Vedas were sung back out of the hands of thieves 17 min
  51. The Rishi Born From a WordVyasa tells his disciples who he was before he was Vyasa 16 min
  52. The Sins That Need ExpiationVyasa reads Yudhishthira the whole catalogue of acts that make a man liable, and then the exceptions 15 min
  53. The Night Janaka Opened the SkyBefore the battle with Pratardana, the king of Mithila shows his army heaven and hell 14 min
  54. What Is Owed to Mother, Father and TeacherAsked which duty matters most of all, Bhishma names three people and calls them the three sacred fires 13 min
  55. The Root of All AccomplishmentBhishma teaches that the world, the Vedas and the rank of the gods were all bought with penance 12 min
  56. The Rules of an Ordinary DayBhishma sets out the whole practice of good conduct, from the morning ablution to the last word spoken to an elder 17 min
  57. The Vow of BrahmacharyaBhishma on the rules of abstention, and the duct called Manovaha 12 min
  58. The Cheerful AsceticNarada asks Samanga why he is never sorry, and gets an answer about acts and their fruits 16 min
  59. Arishtanemi and King SagaraA sage tells a reigning king when to let go of his house, and the king keeps his throne 15 min
  60. The Road of WorksBrahman and the first Rishis stand a thousand years on the shore, and sacrifice is founded 22 min
  61. Krishna's Gift to the Dying GrandsireThe Boon That Took Away Pain, Hunger and Thirst So Bhishma Could Speak 19 min
  62. The Fowler's CryBrihaspati teaches Indra how to subdue an enemy without fighting him 16 min
  63. The King Who Was Left AloneVyasa tells Yudhishthira of Hayagriva, who fought robbers after his army was gone and won heaven at his post 16 min
  64. The Gods and the SalavrikasVyasa answers Yudhishthira's guilt with the war heaven fought for thirty-two thousand years 16 min
  65. The Sudra Who Gave a Hundred ThousandBhishma sets out the duties of the four orders, and names the servant whose sacrifice is still remembered 19 min
  66. The Oath to Conquer or DieBhishma on marching, arraying and swearing in an army, and the men a soldier may never strike 16 min
  67. The Practices That Overcome DifficultyBhishma on when a truthful man may lie, and the long list of habits that carry a person through 22 min
  68. Kamandaka and the Sinning KingA king who repents asks a rishi by what acts a sin is destroyed 16 min
  69. The Debt Penance Could Not PayYama climbs the Paripatra hills, and Gotama asks him what is owed to a mother and a father 9 min
  70. The Legs of the SnakeBhishma on how to live through a lawless season, and why slander must never be heard 15 min
  71. The Marks of a True FriendBhishma lists the men a king may bind himself to, and the men he must keep at a distance 15 min
  72. The Tribes Beyond the PaleBhishma names the peoples of the borders and dates them to the ending of the first age 18 min
  73. On Dreams and SleepBhishma explains where dreams come from and who stays awake in dreamless sleep 15 min
  74. Narada as Krishna Praised HimUgrasena asks why everyone speaks well of one sage, and Krishna answers him item by item 16 min
  75. The Road to EmancipationBhishma names, one by one, the tool that lifts each weight 12 min
  76. The Eighth Portion of VishnuSanatkumara tells the defeated Vritra what holds up the universe, and Bhishma tells Yudhishthira who Krishna is 23 min
  77. Galava Asks What Is BeneficialNarada answers a student who cannot tell which scripture to obey 18 min
  78. Does Consciousness SurviveYudhishthira asks whether anyone is left awake in the emancipate state, and Bhishma answers out of the Sankhya of Kapila 22 min
  79. The Signs of Approaching DeathYajnavalkya tells the king of Mithila which door the soul leaves by, and how a man learns that his year has begun 20 min
  80. The Seven WindsVyasa halts a recitation on the Himavat and names the winds that move the worlds 21 min
  81. The Curses of the RishisKrishna names the marks that Brahmanas left on gods, seas and mountains 19 min
  82. The Gold Mountain in the Ocean of MilkBrahma tells Rudra of the one Purusha whom neither of them can see 17 min
  83. The Thousand Doors to HeavenA guest who cannot answer counts the ways men have got in, then names one serpent worth asking 14 min
  84. The Wife Who Cooled a Naga's AngerPadmanabha would not go out to a waiting guest, until his wife named the ends of Ravana and Kartavirya 13 min
  85. The Boy Who Would Not BowPrahlada and the Man-Lion 10 min
  86. The Three StepsVamana and the Generosity of Bali 11 min
  87. The Honest MerchantTuladhara and the Proud Ascetic 11 min
  88. The King Who Became a DeerJada Bharata and the Snare of Attachment 11 min
  89. The King Who Fed the WorldRantideva's Last Water 10 min
  90. The First KingVena, Prithu, and the Milking of the Earth 11 min
  91. The Devotee and the Sage's WrathAmbarisha and the Discus of the Lord 11 min
  92. The Sacrifice of SatiDaksha's Pride and the Wrath of Shiva 10 min
  93. The Procession of IndrasIndra's Pride and the Vastness of Time 11 min
  94. The Boar Who Lifted the EarthVaraha and the Rescue of the Drowned Earth 8 min
  95. The Son Who DelayedChirakari and the Wisdom of Not Acting in Haste 10 min
  96. The Dove and the HunterThe Pigeon Who Honored Its Enemy 9 min
  97. The Gatekeepers Who Became DemonsThe Curse of the Kumaras and the Three Births 8 min
  98. The Twin SagesNara, Narayana, and the Eternal Companionship 9 min
  99. The Demons Born of SleepMadhusudana and the Dawn of Creation 9 min
  100. The King Who Chose HellVipashchit and the Compassion That Emptied a Hell 9 min
  101. The Sage of Twenty-Four TeachersDattatreya and the Wisdom of the World 11 min
  102. The Son Who Flew to FreedomShuka, Vyasa, and the Inward Renunciation 9 min
  103. The Woman Who Out-Argued a KingSulabha, Janaka, and the Inward Freedom 10 min
  104. That Thou ArtUddalaka teaches his proud son the one Self 9 min
  105. The Boy Who Told the TruthSatyakama Jabala, of no known family, wins wisdom by honesty 9 min
  106. The Sage Who Knew the SelfYajnavalkya, Gargi, and Maitreyi at Mithila 9 min
  107. The Brothers and the Stolen FruitStrict justice and willing acceptance between two sage brothers 9 min
  108. The Ungrateful GuestThe noble crane and the benefactor's murderer 9 min
  109. The Sinner Who Called the NameA fallen brahmin saved at death by the holy name 10 min
  110. The King Who Lost His SonGrief turned to the knowledge of the deathless soul 10 min
  111. The Bird and the KingHow a single vengeance ended a long friendship 9 min
  112. The Cat and the MouseTwo enemies who saved one another, and the wisdom of the weak 10 min
  113. The Sage Who Forgot HimselfNarada lives a whole life in an instant of illusion 10 min
  114. The Son Who Taught His MotherKapila, an avatar born as a son, teaches Devahuti liberation 10 min
  115. The King Who Had One HourLiberation won in a single hour of life 10 min
  116. The City of Nine GatesNarada's allegory of the soul in the body 11 min
  117. The King Who Lived in the EyesA quarrel of king and priest, and the origin of blinking 9 min
  118. The King Consoled in GriefA brahmana lifts a grieving king with the truth 10 min
  119. The Camel Who Would Not MoveA boon of ease that fed sloth to ruin 10 min
  120. The Vulture and the JackalTwo voices over a dead child: hope and acceptance 10 min
  121. The Tree That Defied the WindA proud silk-cotton tree humbled by its own fear 10 min
  122. The Yogi of Many WorldsThe true goal of yoga is peace, not powers 10 min
  123. The Sage Who Tested the GodsBhrigu finds the greatest is greatest in forbearance 10 min
  124. The King Who Declared War on HimselfAlarka finds the only enemy worth conquering
  125. The Song of BodhyaSix teachers and no preceptor
  126. Manu Answers the Teacher of the GodsA dialogue on what the senses can and cannot reach
  127. The Song of ParasharaVyasa's father on birth, work and the fruit of acts
  128. What Left PrahladaIndra begs the one thing worth taking
  129. The Birth of the SwordNakula asks which weapon came first
  130. The Parrot and the Poisoned TreeA bird that would not leave a dying host
  131. The White IslandNarada and three sages at the edge of the world
  132. The Word That Meant Two ThingsKing Vasu judges what aja means, and falls out of the sky
  133. Utathya Instructs the EmperorThe brahmana who told Mandhata what a crown is for
  134. Vamadeva and the King of KosalaThe counsel a young king asked for and got
  135. Vasishtha and Karala JanakaThe count of what a person is made of
  136. The Robber Who Kept the RulesKayavya, the Nishada who plundered by law
  137. The Sage Who Carried a CrowKalakavrikshiya, and counsel for a king with nothing left
  138. The Prince Who Argued Against the RodSatyavan and his father on whether men should be killed
  139. The Sage Who Grew ThinTanu, King Viradyumna, and the body that hope wears down
  140. The Son Who Would Not WaitMedhavin tells his father the days are being eaten
  141. The Ocean and the ReedWhy the rivers bring down the great trees and spare the slender one
  142. The Tiger's Honest MinisterHow a court disposes of the one man it needs
  143. The Worm That Ran From the CartVyasa asks what such a life has to lose
  144. Ambarisha and His GeneralA tale of sacrifice remade, told to ease a king's war-grief
  145. The King Who AtonedJanamejaya, Indrota Shaunaka, and the Long Road Back
  146. The Sage with the Ape's FaceNarada, Parvata, and a Vow Between Friends
  147. The Naga Who Pulls the SunA seeker's wait by the Gomati, and what he learned from it
  148. The Hermit and the DogBhishma on royal appointments, and the creature a kind man made out of his own pity
  149. The King the Demon Could Not EatA rajadharma parable Bhishma tells Yudhishthira
  150. The Three FishesBhishma on the pond that shrank, and the only kind of failure a king is never forgiven

Where This Book Sits

The Shanti Parva is book 12 of the eighteen parvas. It follows the Stri Parva, the book of the women. The Anushasana Parva, the book of the instructions, comes next.

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