Jatugriha Parva
Summary
This is the eighth of the 100 Upa Parvas (Sections), situated in Adi Parva, the first of the 18 Maha Parvas (Books) of the original Mahabharata composed in Sanskrit by Vyasa. As the name suggests, this Upa Parva deals with the house of lacquer, wherein the Pandavas were plotted to be burnt by Duryodhana. The main contents of Jatugriha Parva include: the exhibition of weapon skills of the Kauravas and the Pandavas; Karna, who challenges Arjuna, becoming a close friend of Duryodhana; and the defeat of Drupada by the Pandavas as Guru Dakshina, the jealousy of Duryodhana against the Pandavas because of the preference for the latter by the citizens of Hastinapur, plot to send the Pandavas to Varanavata, construction of lacker house in Varanavata, Vidura’s support to Pandavas to escape the plot, Pandavas setting the fire to the lacquer house and escaping through a tunnel which was built with the help of Vidura, the mourning of the Kurus over the Pandavas assumed to have died in the fire, and the anguish of Bhima over the troubles his mother and brothers had to go through.
The Upa Parva has a total of 373 Shlokas organized in 15 Chapters.