The Vana Parva, also known as the "Book of the Forest", is the third of eighteen parvas in the Indian epic Mahabharata.[1] Vana Parva traditionally has 21 parts and 324 chapters.[2][3] The critical edition of Vana Parva is the longest of the 18 books in the epic,[4] containing 16 parts and 299 chapters.[5][6]
The parva is a chronicle of the twelve-year journey of the Pandavas in a forest, where they learn life lessons and build character.[7]
Vana Parva contains discourses on virtues and ethics; myths of Arjuna, Yudhishthara, and Bhima; and the tales of "Nahusha the Snake and Yudhishthira" and "Ushinara and the Hawk". It also includes the love stories of "Nala and Damayanti" and "Savitri and Satyavan".[1][7]
- ^ a b van Buitenen, J.A.B. (1975) The Mahabharata: Book 2: The Book of the Assembly Hall; Book 3: The Book of the Forest. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press
- ^ Ganguli, K.M. (1883-1896) "Vana Parva" in The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (12 Volumes). Numerous editions
- ^ Dutt, M.N. (1896) The Mahabharata (Volume 3): Vana Parva. Calcutta: Elysium Press
- ^ Williams, M. (1868) Indian Epic Poetry. London: Williams & Norgate, p 103
- ^ van Buitenen, J.A.B. (1973) The Mahabharata: Book 1: The Book of the Beginning. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, p 476
- ^ Debroy, B. (2010) The Mahabharata, Volume 1. Gurgaon: Penguin Books India, pp xxiii - xxvi
- ^ a b Bibek Debroy (2011), The Mahābhārata, Volume 3, ISBN 978-0143100157, Penguin Books