Sabha Parva

Sabha Parva, also called the "Book of the Assembly Hall", is the second of eighteen books of Mahabharata. Sabha Parva has 10 sub-books and 81 chapters. The critical edition of Sabha Parva has 9 sub-books and 72 chapters.

Sabha Parva starts with the description of the palace and assembly hall (sabha) built by Maya, at Indraprastha. Chapter 5 of the book outlines over a hundred principles of governance and administration necessary for a kingdom and its citizens to be prosperous, virtuous and happy. The middle sub-books describe life at the court, Yudhishthira's Rajasuya Yajna that leads to the expansion of the Pandava brothers' empire. The last two sub-books describe the one vice and addiction of the virtuous king Yudhishthira - gambling. Shakuni, encouraged by evil Dhritarashtra, mocks Yudhishthira and tempts him into a game of dice. Yudhishthira bets everything and loses the game, leading to the eventual exile of the Pandavas.

The book also details the principle of evil and crime against humanity, of why individuals who themselves have not been harmed must act regardless when society at large suffers systematic crime and injustice - this theory is outlined in the story of Magadha, Chapters 20 through 24, where the trio of Krishna, Arujna and Bheem slay Jarasandha.

Sabha Parva has 10 sub-parvas (sub-books, little books), and a total of 81 chapters (sections). The following are the sub-parvas:

Several translations of the Sanskrit book Sabha Parva 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 are not consistent in parts, and vary with each translator's interpretations. For example:

Chapter 5, Verses 2-9 from Sabha Parva in Sanskrit:

लॊकान अनुचरन सर्वान आगमत तां सभाम ऋषिः
नारदः सुमहातेजा ऋषिभिः सहितस तदा
पारिजातेन राजेन्द्र रैवतेन च धीमता
सुमुखेन च सौम्येन देवर्षिर अमितद्युतिः
सभास्थान पाण्डवान दरष्टुं परीयमाणॊ मनॊजवः
तम आगतम ऋषिं दृष्ट्वा नारदं सर्वधर्मवित
सहसा पाण्डवश्रेष्ठः परत्युत्थायानुजैः सह
अभ्यवादयत परीत्या विनयावनतस तदा
तद अर्हम आसनं तस्मै संप्रदाय यथाविधि
अर्चयाम आस रत्नैश च सर्वकामैश च धर्मवित
सॊ ऽरचितः पाण्डवैः सर्वैर महर्षिर वेदपारगः
धर्मकामार्थ संयुक्तं पप्रच्छेदं युधिष्ठिरम
[न] कच चिद अर्थाश च कल्पन्ते धर्मे च रमते मनः
सुखानि चानुभूयन्ते मनश च न विहन्यते
कच चिद आचरितां पूर्वैर नरदेव पिता महैः
वर्तसे वृत्तिम अक्षीणां धर्मार्थसहितां नृषु
कच चिद अर्थेन वा धर्मं धर्मेणार्थम अथापि वा
उभौ वा परीतिसारेण न कामेन परबाधसे

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