Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s3.t6.7

v2.c10.s3.t6.7

Mahabharata is divided into 18 parts: The Book of the Beginning, The Book of the Assembly Hall, The Book of the Forest, The Book of Virata, The Book of the Effort, The Book of Bhishma, The Book of Drona, The Book of Karna, The Book of the Sleeping Warriors, The Book of the Women, The Book of Peace, The Book of the Instructions, The Book of the Horse Sacrifice, The Book of the Hermitage, The Book of the Clubs, The Book of the Great Journey and The Book of the Ascent to Heaven. The preface tells the legend of Bharata's ancestors and birth of Bhishma. The second half of the first book and the second book are the main body of the epic, and they tell the tortuous war declared by Kauravas and Pandavas in their struggle for the throne. The story ends with 12 years of exile of five sons of Pandavas. The third book details the life of exile of five sons of Pandavas with a large number of episodes. The fourth and fifth books elaborate the political struggle. The sixth to eleventh books are the core of the epic, telling the war. Pandavas and Kauravas gather in Kuruksetra, with Kauravas's commanders being killed one after the other. Facing the internecine warfare, Arjuna expresses his sympathy, and hesitates to move forward. Krishna gives him advice and a book having this relevant content forms a separate book, called Bhagavadgita. The 12ᵗʰ and 13ᵗʰ books talk about the aspects of dharma, especially the method of governing the country. The 14ᵗʰ to 18ᵗʰ books tell the consequences of the war.