The Sabha Parva ("Book of the Assembly Hall") is the second of the eighteen ''parvas'' (books) of the Indian epic '' Mahabharata''.van Buitenen, J. A. B. (1978) ''The Mahabharata: Book 2: The Book of the Assembly Hall; Book 3: The Book of the Forest''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press Sabha Parva traditionally has 10 parts and 81 chapters. The critical edition of Sabha Parva has 9 parts and 72 chapters. Sabha Parva starts with the description of the palace and assembly hall (''sabha'') built by Maya, at Indraprastha. Chapter 5 of the book outlines over a hundred principles of governance and administration necessary for a kingdom and its citizens to be prosperous, virtuous and happy. The middle parts describe life at the court, Yudhishthira's Rajasuya Yajna that leads to the expansion of the Pandava brothers' empire. The last two parts describe the one vice and addiction of the virtuous king Yudhishthira – gambling. Shakuni, encouraged by Duryodhana, mocks Yudhishthira and tempts him into a game of dice. Yudhishthira bets everything and loses the game, leading to the eventual exile of the Pandavas. The book also details the principle of evil and crime against humanity, of why individuals who themselves have not been harmed must act regardless when society at large suffers systematic crime and injustice – this theory is outlined in the story of Magadha, Chapters 20 through 24, where the trio of Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima slay Jarasandha.

Structure and chapters

The Sabha Parva has 10 ''upa-parvas'' (parts, little books), and a total of 81 ''adhyayas'' (chapters).

Sabhakriya Parva

The first parva of second book describes the construction of palace for Yudhishthira and his brothers, then the finished palace. Sages and kings are invited to celebrate the completion of palace.

Lokapala Sabhakhayana Parva Paul Wilmot (Translator, 2006), Mahabharata Book Two: The Great Hall, , New York University Press

Sage

Narada Narada (, ), or Narada Muni, is a sage-divinity, famous in Hinduism, Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He is one of the Manasputra, mind-created children of Brahma, the creator ...

arrives at the palace for celebrations. The sage rhetorically explains the theory of state craft for kings, how to find the most able people and make them ministers, how to train and take care of military, watch over enemies, rules of espionage, rules of war, support families of veterans who die or get injured at war, the support of farmers and merchants, care for poor and distressed in their empire, policies on tax, create incentive for Artha and prosperity, free trade, reward merit, pursue and punish criminal activities, deliver justice equally and without favor. Narada proclaims it is the duty of the king to serve the cause of Dharma, Artha and Kama in his kingdom. This theory of administration and governance of a kingdom in Sabha Parva, summarizes the detailed discussions in the Indian classic

Arthashastra ''Kautilya's Arthashastra'' (, ; ) is an Ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, politics, economic policy and military strategy. The text is likely the work of several authors over centuries, starting as a compilation of ''Arthashas ...

, claim scholars. The other Indian epic, ''

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

'', has a similar ''kaccid'' summary chapter on fair administration and the rule of law. Yudhishthira promises to follow Narada's advice. Narada describes the design, architecture and assembly halls of Yama, Varuna, Indra, Kubera and Brahma. Narada asks Yudhishthira to perform Rajasuya.

Rajasuyarambha Parva

Krishna explains why Jarasandha – the king of Magadha – should be killed, why human sacrifices by Jarasandha must be stopped, Jarasandha's prisoners freed. This would also help complete Rajasuya, he counsels Yudhishthira. Krishna is asked why Jarasandha is powerful as well as evil. He explains with the story of Vrihatratha (lord of the earth) and demoness Jara, how Jarasandha was named after the demoness.

Jarasandha-vadha Parva

Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima arrive at Magadha, a prosperous kingdom inherited and ruled by Jarasandha. Krishna describes how King Goutama married Ushinara – a Sudra woman – and they had famous sons. They visit Jarasandha, who demands to know why he is being considered an enemy of Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima, when he has done nothing wrong to any of them personally. Krishna explains that persecution of men is cruelty to virtuous life, and human sacrifice is a crime against humanity. Such a crime is sin that touches every one, including Bhima, Arjuna and him. Jarasandha's sin is injustice that must be challenged. They invite him to either release all the prisoners scheduled for human sacrifice or accept a battle to death. Jarasandha chooses war, picks

Bhima Bhima (, ), also known as Bhimasena (, ), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the ...

as the adversary. Krishna counsels Bhima on principles of

just war theory The just war theory () is a doctrine, also referred to as a tradition, of military ethics that aims to ensure that a war is morally justifiable through a series of #Criteria, criteria, all of which must be met for a war to be considered just. I ...

, a theory that appears in more detail in other books of Mahabharata. Bhima kills Jarasandha. The prisoners targeted for human sacrifices are freed.

Digvijaya Parva

Pandava brothers expand their empire. Arjuna conquers the north, Bhima the east, Sahadeva the south, and Nakula wins the west. Yudhishthira is declared Dharmaraja. Digvijaya Parva describes the geography, tribes and various kingdoms as these brothers go in different directions to expand their empire. For example, Arjuna encounters the kingdom of Hataka, a land inhabited by guhyakas, while Bhima arrives in Tamralipta.

Rajasuyika Parva

Krishna visits Yudhishthira with presents. The Pandava brothers prepare for Rajasuya ceremony.

Arghyaharana Parva

Kings, sages and visitors from around the world arrive for Rajasuya ceremony. Sahadeva offers ''Arghya'' – an offering with worship – to Krishna.

Shishupala Shishupala (, ; sometimes spelt Sisupala) was the king of the Chedi kingdom, and an antagonist in the Mahabharata. He was the son of King Damaghosha and Srutashrava, the sister of Kunti, as well as the cousin of Nanda (Hinduism), Nanda. He was s ...

objects. Kings take sides. Hostilities begin. Shishupala leaves with some kings following him. Yudhishthira attempts reconciliation and peace talks.

Shishupala-vadha Parva

The sub-parva describes how and why Krishna first refuses to fight

, but finally kills him in the assembly hall during the Rajasuya yagna. Krishna leaves.

Dyuta Parva

Shakuni Shakuni (, , ) is one of the antagonists of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the prince of the kingdom of Gandhara when introduced, later becoming its king after the death of his father, Subala. He was the brother of Gandhari (Mahabharata), ...

, the maternal uncle of Duryodhana, advises him that Pandava brothers cannot be defeated in a battle or by virtuous means; the only way to vanquish them is to exploit the weakness of Yudhishthira, his fondness for gambling. Duryodhana asks Dhritarashtra to exploit Yudhishthira's weakness over the game of dice. They ask Shakuni to tempt and defeat Yudhishthira. Shakuni provokes Yudhishthira for the game of dice. Yudhishthira shows reluctance to gambling. Shakuni mocks him. Yudhishthira accepts the provocation, bets his kingdom, his brothers, himself, and finally his wife in the 20th round of the game of dice; Shakuni wins everything. Draupadi is humiliated in the Assembly Hall by disrobing; her virtue leads gods to protect her in a skirt. Upset

Draupadi Draupadi (), also referred to as Krishnā, Panchali and Yajnaseni, is the central heroine of the Indian epic poetry, ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. In the epic, she is the princess of Panchala Kingdom, who later becomes the empress of K ...

questions the game, argues that she is not owned by Yudhishthira, the 20th round was flawed because it wrongfully treated her as property. Everyone in the Assembly Hall, including Yudhishthira and Dhritarashtra agree. The entire gambling game is declared invalid, Yudhishthira recovers everything he had lost.

Anudyuta Parva

Yudhishthira is invited back again for the game of dice, Yudhishthira succumbs, and they play for one stake. Dhritarashtra bets kingdom of Hastinapur and Yudhishthira bets kingdom of Indraprastha. They agree that the loser will go into exile for 12 years and the 13th year, unrecognized in some inhabited place, and if they are recognized in the 13th year they are found then they would go into exile for another 12 years. Yudhishthira loses the game of dice again. The Pandava brothers move into exile. Dhritarashtra comes to power. Sages counsel him to make peace with Pandavas, seek a solution that unites the two sides. Dhritarashtra refuses. Scholars have questioned why Yudhishthira the Dharmaraja, who had it all, and was praised for enabling an empire infused with Dharma, Artha and Kama, who was so consistently ethical and moral until the last two Parvas, succumbs so suddenly to gambling.

English translations

Several translations of the Sanskrit book Sabha Parva in English are available. Two translations from 19th century, now in public domain, are those by Kisari Mohan GanguliSabha Parva
Mahabharata, Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Published by P.C. Roy (1884) and Manmatha Nath Dutt.Dutt, M.N. (1895) ''The Mahabharata (Volume 2): Sabha Parva''. Calcutta: Elysium Press The translations are not consistent in parts, and vary with each translator's interpretations. For example: Chapter 5, Verses 2–9 from Sabha Parva in Sanskrit: Narad - Vintage Print

Translation by Manmatha Nath Dutt: Translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli: The total number of original verses depend on which Sanskrit source is used, and these do not equal the total number of translated verses in each chapter, in both Ganguli and Dutt translations. Mahabharata, like many ancient Sanskrit texts, was transmitted across generations verbally, a practice that was a source of corruption of its text, deletion of verses, as well as the addition of extraneous verses over time. The structure, prose, meter and style of translations vary within chapters between the translating authors. Clay Sanskrit Library has published a 15 volume set of the Mahabharata which includes a translation of Sabha Parva by Paul Wilmot. This translation is modern and uses an old manuscript of the Epic. The translation does not remove verses and chapters now widely believed to be spurious and smuggled into the Epic in 1st or 2nd millennium AD. J. A. B. van Buitenen published an annotated edition of Sabha Parva, reflecting the verses common in multiple versions of the Mahabharata. Buitenen suggests Sabha Parva had less corruption, deletion and addition of extraneous verses over time than Adi Parva. Debroy, in his 2011 overview of Mahabharata, notes that updated critical edition of Sabha Parva, with spurious and corrupted text removed, has 9 parts, 72 adhyayas {{nobold, (chapters) and 2,387 shlokas (verses).Debroy, B. (2010) ''The Mahabharata, Volume 1''. Gurgaon: Penguin Books India, pp. xxiii–xxvi Debroy's translation of the critical edition of Sabha Parva appears in Volume 2 of his series. Sabha Parva is considered one of pivotable books among the eighteen books, the gambling and exile episode is often dramatized in modern productions of the Mahabharata. The entire parva has been "transcreated" and translated in verse by the poet Dr. Purushottama Lal published by Writers Workshop.

Quotations and teachings

{{Copy to Wikiquote, section=yes Lokapala Sabhakhyana Parva, Chapter 5: {{quote,

said: Is the wealth you are earning spent in proper objects? Does your mind take pleasure in virtue? Are you enjoying the pleasures of life? Does not your mind sink under their weight? O chief of men, do you continue in the noble conduct consistent with Dharma and Artha, with respect to the three classes (good, bad and indifferent) of your subjects as practised by your ancestors? Do you injure religion (Dharma) for the sake of profit (Artha), or profit for the sake of religion, or both religion and profit for the sake of pleasure which easily tempts men ? , Lokapala Sabhakhyana Parva, Sabha Parva, Mahabharata Book ii.5 Rajshuyarambha Parva, Chapter 15: {{quote, Men of immature understanding begin an act without having an eye to what may happen in future. , sign=Rajshuyarambha Parva, source=Sabha Parva, Mahabharata Book ii.15 Jarasandhabadha Parva, Chapter 22: {{quote, Whatever actions are performed by a man under whatever circumstances, he gets the fruits of those actions under whatever circumstances they may be performed. We are desirous of helping all distressed people. , sign=Krishna, Jarasandhabadha Parva, source=Sabha Parva, Mahabharata Book ii.22 Rajsuyika Parva, Chapter 33: {{quote, Protected by Dharmaraja and supported by Truth, all their enemies kept in check, all subjects of the Pandava king were always engaged in their respective businesses. In consequence of equitable taxation and the virtuous and just rule of the king, the clouds poured as much rain as desired, and the country became prosperous. , Rajsuyika Parva, Sabha Parva, Mahabharata Book ii.33Sabha Parva
Mahabharata, Translated by Manmatha Nath Dutt (1894), page 46

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

Sabha Parva
Translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Sabha Parva
Translation by Manmatha Nath Dutt
Le Mahabharata
Translation in French, by H. Fauche (Paris, 1868)
மஹாபாரதம் தமிழில்

by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Another archive * {{cite book, last=Ganguli, first=Kisari Mohan, title=The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 Books 1, 2 and 3, date=Mar 26, 2005, publisher=Public domain in the USA, url=http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15474
Sabha Parva in Sanskrit
by Vyasadeva and commentary by Nilakantha (Editor: Kinjawadekar, 1929)
A critical, less corrupted edition of Sabha Parva, Mahabharata in Sanskrit
Vishnu S. Sukthankar;
review
of this critical edition by T. Burrow {{Mahabharata Parvas in the Mahabharata