The Shanti Parva (; IAST: Śānti parva) ("Book of Peace") is the twelfth of the eighteen parvas (books) of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It traditionally has three parts and 365 chapters.Ganguli, K.M. (1883–1896) "Shanti Parva" in The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (12 Volumes). Calcutta.Dutt, M. N. (1903). The Mahabharata (Volume 12): Shanti Parva. Calcutta: Elysium Press The critical edition has three parts and 353 chapters.van Buitenen, J. A. B. (1973). The Mahabharata: Book 1: The Book of the Beginning. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 477–478.Debroy, B. (2010). The Mahabharata, Volume 1. Gurgaon: Penguin Books India, pp. xxiii–xxvi. It is the longest book among the eighteen books of the epic.
The book is set after the war is over— the two sides have accepted peace and Yudhishthira starts his rule of the Pandava kingdom. The Shanti parva recites the duties of the ruler, dharma and good governance, as counseled by the dying Bhishma and various Rishis. The parva includes many fables such as that of "the fowler and pigeons". The book also provides what some have described as a "theory of varna" as well as a comparative discussion between a rule of truth versus a rule of rituals, declaring truth to be far superior over rituals. Shanti parva has been widely studied for its treatises on jurisprudence, prosperity and success.Sivakumar & Rao (2010), An integrated framework for values-based management – Eternal guidelines from Indian ethos, International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 3(5), pages 503-524Harrop Freeman (1959), An Introduction to Hindu Jurisprudence, The American Journal of Comparative Law, 8(1), pages 29-43
Scholars have questioned whether parts or all of the parva was inserted or interpolated at a later age.V.V. Iyer (1922), Notes on a study of the preliminary chapters of The Mahabharata - An attempt to separate genuine from spurious matter, Ramaswami Sastrulu & Sons, Madras, pages 270-282, also see pages 1-19
Structure and chapters The Shanti Parva traditionally has 3 upa-parvas (parts, little books) and 365 adhyayas (chapters). The following are the sub-parvas:
Rajadharma-anusasana Parva – describes the duties of kings and leaders, among other things Apaddharma-anusasana Parva – describes the rules of conduct when one faces adversity Moksha-dharma Parva – describes behavior and rules to achieve moksha (emancipation, release, freedom)
Shanti parva begins with sorrowful Yudhishthira lamenting the loss of human lives during the war. The great Rishis came to see that monarch, among them Vyasa, Narada, Devala, Devasthana and Kanwa. Yudhishthira grieves for loss of his kinsmen and especially for his elder brother, Karna. He says that for gaining kingdom, unwittingly, he caused his brother to be slain. He says that if he had both Karna and Arjuna aiding him, he could have vanquished the gods himself. He asks Narada who was acquainted with everything of world, why the car wheel stuck and his brother was cursed.
Narada says that nothing could resist Karna and Arjuna in battle. And what he is about to tell him is unknown to the very gods. He tell him how Kunti conceived that child and latter he had status of Suta, how when refused by Drona for Brahma weapon, he met with Parshurama, how he obtained celestial weapons by serving Parshurama, how he was cursed by a Brahmin for killing his cow unwitting, by Parshurama for lying, and by goddess earth, how he came to be friends with Duryodhana, how when Duryodhana abducted the maiden of Kalingas with force, Karna defended him from the other kings, how when king Jarasandha challenged him to a single combat he fought with him, how when he was about to sever his antagonist body into two pieces, spared him from desire of friendship. From friendship he gave unto Karna the town Malini & Champa, and made him famous for his valour.
When for their good, the Lord of the celestials begged Karna for his natural coat of mail and ear-rings, stupefied he gave away those precious possessions. Deprived of his armor and ear-rings, in consequence of Brahmana's curse as also of the illustrious Parshurama, of the boon granted to Kunti, of illusion practised on him by Indra, of his depreciation by Bhishma as only half a car-warrior, of destruction of his energy caused by Shalya keen speeches, of Vasudeva's policy, and lastly of the celestial weapons given to Arjuna of Rudra, Indra, Yama, Varuna, Kuvera, Drona and Kripa, with these the wielder of Gandiva succeeded in slaying, that tiger among men, Vikartana's son Karna, of effulgence like that of sun. Having said these words, the celestial Rishi Narada became silent. Yudhishthira griefs, shedding copious tears and Kunti consoles him.
Yudhishthira announces his desire to renounce the kingdom, move into a forest as a mendicant and live in silence. He receives counsel from his family and then sages Narada and Vyasa, as well as Devala, Devasthana and Kanwa.John Murdoch (1898), The Mahabharata - An English Abridgment, Christian Literature Society for India, London, pages 108-115 The parva includes the story of king Janaka and the queen of the Videhas, presenting the theory of true mendicant as one who does not crave for material wealth, not one who abandons material wealth for an outward show. Arjuna argues it is more virtuous to create and maintain virtuous wealth and do good with it, than to neither create nor have any. Yudhishthira challenges Arjuna how would he know. Sage Vyasa then intervenes and offers arguments from Vedas that support Arjuna's comments, and the story of Sankha and Likhita. Krishna concurs with Arjuna and Vyasa, and adds his own arguments. Vasudeva then tells him to approach Bhishma who was in his bed of arrows and question him about knowledge of life and duties of the four orders, before he disappears. They all go and meet with Bhishma, where Krishna relieves Bhishma from pain using his power and Bhishma gives them lecture about duties of a king, further days.
Shanti parva recites a theory of governance and duties of a leader. This theory is outlined by dying Bhishma to Yudhishthira and his brothers (shown), as well as words from sage Vidura.
Shanti parva is a treatise on duties of a king and his government, dharma (laws and rules), proper governance, rights, justice and describes how these create prosperity. Yudhishthira becomes the king of a prosperous and peaceful kingdom, Bhima his heir apparent, sage Vidura the prime minister, Sanjaya the finance minister, Arjuna the defense and justice minister, and Dhaumya is appointed one responsible to service priests and counsels to the king. This books also includes a treatise on yoga as recited by Krishna.
English translations Shanti 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 and Manmatha Nath Dutt. The translations vary with each translator's interpretations.
Clay Sanskrit Library has published a 15 volume set of the Mahabharata which includes a translation of Shanti Parva by Alex Wynne.Alex Wynne, Book XII - Volume 3, The Clay Sanskrit Library, Mahabharata: 15-volume Set, , New York University Press, Bilingual Edition
Debroy, in 2011, notesBibek Debroy, The Mahabharata : Volume 3, , Penguin Books, page xxiii - xxiv of Introduction that updated critical edition of Shanti Parva, after removing verses and chapters generally accepted so far as spurious and inserted into the original, has 3 parts, 353 adhyayas (chapters) and 13,006 shlokas (verses).
The entire parva has been "transcreated" and translated in 2 volumes by the poet Dr. Purushottama Lal (Rajadharma-anusasana and Apaddharma-anusasana parvas) and his student, Dr. Pradeep Bhattachaarya (Moksha-dharma parva) in verse, published in 2015 by Writers Workshop.
James L. Fitzgerald published his translation of the Shantiparvan, with University of Chicago Press, in two volumes, in 2003 and 2026, respectively.
Salient features Shanti parva - the longest book and most number of verses - has a number of treatises and fables embedded in it. Examples include a theory on caste,John Murdoch, a theory on governance,S. Garg, Political Ideas of Shanti Parva, The Indian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 65, No. 1 (Jan.-March, 2004), pages 77-86 and the fable of the wicked fowler and compassionate pigeons.
View on caste Chapters 188 and 189 of the parva begin by reciting Bhrigu's theory of varna, according to whom Brahmins were white, Kshatriyas red, Vaishyas yellow, and Shudras black. Rishi Bharadwaja asks how can castes be discriminated when in truth all colors are observed in every class of people, when in truth people of all groups experience the same desire, same anger, same fear, same grief, same fatigue, same hunger, same love and other emotions? Everyone is born the same way, carries blood and bile, and dies the same way, asserts Bharadwaja. Why do castes exist, asks Bharadwaja? Bhrigu replies there is no difference among castes. It arose because of differentiation of work. Duty and rites of passage are not forbidden to any of them. According to John Muir, Shanti Parva and its companion book Anushasana Parva claim neither birth, nor initiation, nor descent, nor bookish knowledge determines a person's merit; only their actual conduct, expressed qualities and virtues determine one's merit.John Muir, Metrical Translations from Sanskrit Writers, Oxford University, Trubner & Co., London, pages 260-264 There is no superior caste, claims Shanti parva.Alain Daniélou (1993), Virtue, Success, Pleasure, and Liberation: The Four Aims of Life in the Tradition of Ancient India, , Page 26
Shanti parva on governance