Adi Parva

[3][4] Adi Parva describes how the epic came to be recited by Ugrasrava Sauti to the assembled rishis at the Naimisha Forest after first having been narrated at the sarpasatra of Janamejaya by Vaishampayana at Taxila.

The main part of the work covers the birth and early life of the princes of the Kuru Kingdom and the persecution of the Pandavas by Dhritarashtra.

To translations whose copyrights have expired and which are in public domain, include those by Kisari Mohan Ganguli and Manmatha Nath Dutt.

This work is a tree, the chapter of contents is its seed, the divisions Paulama and Astika are its roots, the Sambhava is its trunk, the books (Parva) Sava and Aranya are the roosting perches, Arani is the knitting knot.

Virata and Udyoga the pith, Bhishma the main branch, Drona the leaves, Karna its beautiful flowers, Sailya their fragrance, Stri and Aishika are its cooling shades, Shanti its great fruit.

Translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli: The wisdom of this work, like unto an instrument of applying collyrium, hath opened the eyes of the inquisitive world blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

As the sun dispelleth the darkness, so doth the Bharata by its discourses on religion, profit, pleasure and final release, dispel the ignorance of men.

Sauti continued, "I will now speak of the undying flowery and fruitful productions of this tree, possessed of pure and pleasant taste and not to be destroyed even by the immortals.

Debroy, in his 2011 overview of Mahabharata, notes that updated critical edition of Adi Parva, with spurious and corrupted text removed, has 19 parts, 225 adhyayas (chapters) and 7,205 shlokas (verses).

Paushya Parva, Chapter 3: You are the infinite, you are the course of Nature and intelligent soul that pervades all, I desire to obtain you through knowledge, derived from hearing and meditation.

Sambhava Parva, Chapter 79: He who subdues his anger, he who does not regard the bad word of others, he who is not angry even when there is a cause, certainly acquires the four objects for which we live(namely Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha).

Sambhava Parva, Chapter 133: Drupada said to Drona: Friendship never remains in the world in anyone's heart without being worn out, Time wears it out, anger destroys it.