Mausala Parva

Yadavas killing themselves, with Krishna (blue figure) and his brother Balarama depicted at right. Painting by M. V. Dhurandhar

The Mausala Parva (lit. Episode of Flails)[1][2] is the sixteenth of the eighteen episodes of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. It traditionally has nine chapters.[3][4] The critical edition has eight chapters.[5][6] One of the 3 shortest episodes within the epic, the Mausala Parva describes the demise of Krishna in the 36th year after the Kurukshetra War had ended, the submersion of Dvaraka under the sea, the death of Balarama by drowning in the sea, Vasudeva's death, and a civil war fought among the Yadava clan that killed many of them.[7][8] The story of infighting of the Yadavas[8][9][10] becomes the reason why the Pandava brothers renounce their kingdom and begin their walk towards heaven, events recited in the last two books of the Mahabharata.[4][11]

The Mausala Parva is significant for serving as a basis of archaeological studies for the Mahabharata, as well as being one of the eight Parvas found in Hindu culture of Java and Bali, Indonesia.

  1. ^ https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/parva#:~:text=Parva%20means%20'episode'.,ceremonies%2C%20various%20arts%20and%20sciences.
  2. ^ https://sanskritdictionary.com/?q=musala
  3. ^ Ganguli, K.M. (1883-1896) "Mausala Parva" in The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (12 Volumes). Calcutta
  4. ^ a b Dutt, M.N. (1905) The Mahabharata (Volume 16): Mausala Parva. Calcutta: Elysium Press
  5. ^ van Buitenen, J.A.B. (1973) The Mahabharata: Book 1: The Book of the Beginning. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, p 478
  6. ^ Debroy, B. (2010) The Mahabharata, Volume 1. Gurgaon: Penguin Books India, pp xxiii - xxvi
  7. ^ Doniger, Wendy (1980-10-13). The Origins of Evil in Hindu Mythology. University of California. p. 263. ISBN 9780520040984. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  8. ^ a b Menon, Ramesh (2005). The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering, Volume 2. Iuniverse USA. p. 526. ISBN 978-0-595-40188-8. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  9. ^ Doniger, Wendy (2010). Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata. Penguin Books. p. 332. ISBN 9780143104254. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  10. ^ Singh, Sarva Daman (1965). Ancient Indian Warfare: With Special Reference to the Vedic Period. University of Lucknow. p. 163. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  11. ^ John Murdoch (1898), The Mahabharata - An English Abridgment, Christian Literature Society for India, London, pages 132-137