Drona Parva
The Drona Parva (Sanskrit: द्रोण पर्व), or the Book of Drona, is the seventh of eighteen books of the Indian Epic Mahabharata. Drona Parva has 8 sub-books and 204 chapters.[1][2]
Drona Parva describes the appointment of Drona as commander-in-chief of the Kaurava alliance, on the 11th day of the Kurukshetra War, the next four days of battles, and his death on the 15th day of the 18 day war.[1] The parva recites how the war became more brutal with each passing day, how agreed rules of a just war began to be ignored by both sides as loved ones on each side were slain, how the war extended into the night, and how millions of more soldiers and major characters of the story - Abhimanyu, Jayadratha, Satyajit, Ghatotkacha - died during the war.[3]
Structure and chapters
This Parva (book) has 8 sub-parvas (sub-books or little books) and 204 adhyayas (sections, chapters).[2][4] The following are the sub-parvas:[1]
- 1. Dronābhisheka parva (Chapters: 1-16)
- 2. Samsaptakabadha parva (Chapters: 17-32)
- 3. Abhimanyu-vadha parva (Chapters: 33-71)
- 4. Pratijna parva (Chapters: 72-84)
- 5. Jayadratha-vadha parva (Chapters: 85-152)
- 6. Ghatotkacha-vadha parva (Chapters: 153-184)
- 7. Drona-vadha parvha (Chapters: 185-193)
- 8. Narayanastra-mokshana parva (Chapters: 194-204)
English translations
Drona Parva was composed in Sanskrit. Several translations of the book in English are available. Two translations from 19th century, now in public domain, are those by Kisari Mohan Ganguli[2] and Manmatha Nath Dutt.[1] The translations vary with each translator's interpretations.
Debroy, in 2011, notes that updated critical edition of Drona Parva, after removing verses and chapters generally accepted so far as spurious and inserted with prejudice, has 8 sub-books, 173 adhyayas (chapters) and 8,069 shlokas (verses).[5]
Quotations and teachings
Dronābhisheka Parva, Chapter 4:
May you be the refuge of your friends, as the ocean is the refuge of the rivers, the sun of the planets, the pious of the truth, fertile soil of the seeds, and Parjannya of the created beings.
— Drona Parva, Mahabharata Book vii.4.2[6] , in x, x, Invitation to Karna to join the Kauravas side in the war
Dronābhisheka Parva, Chapter 4:
In this world, the relationship between the virtuous is more important than a relationship resulting from birth.
— Drona Parva, Mahabharata Book vii.4.13[7] , in x, x, Bhisma to Karna
Dronābhisheka Parva, Chapter 5:
Another can never see so well what should be done as he seeth it whose concern it is.
— Drona Parva, Mahabharata Book vii.5.3[8] , in x, x, Karna
Jayadratha-badha Parva, Chapter 148:
Men that are heroic, virtuous and most exalted, having defeated an enemy, neither boast of themselves with harsh words, nor indulge in abusive language.
— Drona Parva, Mahabharata Book vii.148.12[9] , in x, x, Sanjaya
Ghatotkacha-badha Parva, Chapter 154:
Millions of foot-soldiers and hundreds of millions of horses were pierced with shafts by Drona alone that night.
— Drona Parva, Mahabharata Book vii.154.41[10] , in x, x, Sanjaya
See also
Previous book of Mahabharata: Bhisma Parva
Next book of Mahabharata: Karna Parva
References
- ^ a b c d Drona Parva The Mahabharata, Translated by Manmatha Nath Dutt (1897)
- ^ a b c Drona Parva The Mahabharata, Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Published by P.C. Roy (1888)
- ^ Monier Williams (1868), Indian Epic Poetry, University of Oxford, Williams & Norgate - London, page 116-117
- ^ Drona Parva The Mahabharata, Translated by Manmatha Nath Dutt (1897)
- ^ Bibek Debroy, The Mahabharata : Volume 3, ISBN 978-0143100157, Penguin Books, page xxiii - xxiv of Introduction
- ^ Manmatha Nath Dutt (1897), Drona Parva, The Mahabharata, Elysium Press, page 6
- ^ Bibek Debroy (2012), The Mahabharata : Volume 5, ISBN 978-01-4310-017-1, Penguin Books
- ^ Drona Parva The Mahabharata, Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Published by P.C. Roy (1888), page 12
- ^ Manmatha Nath Dutt (1897), Drona Parva, The Mahabharata, Elysium Press, page 252
- ^ Manmatha Nath Dutt (1897), Drona Parva, The Mahabharata, Elysium Press, page 263
