Home > Indian History > Indian Puranas > Stri-parva
Stri-parva
The book Stri-parva details the keening of women of the Mahabharata as they see their dead husbands and sons.

Share this Article:

Among the extensive 18 Parvas of Mahabharat, the Book of the Women is the eleventh book. The book Stri-parva has eighty-one to eighty- five sub parvas. In this parva, it has been widely explained how the women of Mahabharata including Gandhari, Kunti and the other women or stri of the Kurus and Pandavas lament the dead of their kith and kin in the battle at Kurukshetra. Gandhari is a vital woman character in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharat. In the epic, she was the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara,. She was married to Dhritarashtra, the blind king of Hastinapur and successor of the Kuru Clan. Gandhari voluntarily blindfolded herself throughout her married life. She was the mother to hundred sons and one daughter.

gandhari of Mahabharat According to the book, Stri Parva, a detailed account of the pain and lament for the death has been given. When the evil characters of the great epic, Duryodhana ad Dushana lost their battle and they became the prey to their foe. Although Gandhari`s sons were portrayed as villains, the Mahabharata attributes high moral standards to Gandhari. It is being put forth in the Stri Parva that she repeatedly exhorted her sons to follow dharma and make peace with the Pandavas. Moreover, Gandhari especially had closer ties with Kunti who respected each other.

In the Stri Parva it is depicted that Gandhari made a single exception to her blindfolded state, when she removed her blindfold to see her son Duryodhana rendering his entire body except his side invulnerable to any foe. Apart from the mournful act, Gandhari was anguished in the loss of her hundred sons resulted in her cursing Lord Krishna. This parva also provides in sequence the wrath and power of Gandhari on his sons` death.

The Stri Parva also gives the information about Kunti, who was another sufferer after the battle of Kurukshetra. She was the mother of the eldest three Pandava brothers in the Indian epic Mahabharata. It has been rightly described in the Stri Parva that the men of Mahabharata played dice and waged wars in but it is the women who wieled power and influence. Moreover, it is explained that most of the decisions were taken by women and decided the fate of men. In the striparva it is insisted that the women are the true leaders of the Epic. The battle of Kurukshetra is termed as Dharma Yuddha. It is observed that at the end of the war very few warriors were alive and thus the women mourned the loss. Indeed, the theme of The Book of Women is the grief of the women left by warriors slain in battle. The book details the keening of palace ladies as they see their dead husbands and sons. In the Book of Women or Stri Parva the portrayal of the women`s grief leads into a crisis of conscience.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Indian Puranas


Concept of Naraka in Vishnu Purana
Concept of Naraka has been discussed in the Vishnu Purana in an elaborate manner. It has been said that a person reaches hell if he commits an evil deed and the hell into which he reaches is determined by his actions.
Characters of Markandeya Purana
Markandeya Purana will give an idea about the mythological characters like Markandeya, Demon Mahisha, Dama, King Khaninetra and Khanitra.
Concept of Varna in Narada Purana
Concept of Varna in Narada Purana describes four basic varnas which include Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. Varna has been classified as per deeds performed by them.
Characters of Padma Purana
Some of the Characters of Padma Purana are Vishnu, Rama, Sita and Shiva.
Characters of Brahma Purana
Brahma Purana will give an idea about the mythological characters like Surya, Vishnu, Shiva, Rama and Parvati.
Characters of Shiva Purana
Shiva Purana will give an idea about the mythological characters like Shiva, Parvati, Vishnu, Brahma and Krishna.
Adhyayas in Agni Purana
Adhyayas in Agni Purana are all encompassing. The chapters have dealt with a variety of subjects related to human lives. A large number of chapters have been dedicated to religious aspects of human life.
Ramayana in Agni Purana
Ramayana in Agni Purana has been described by Lord Agni in a vivid manner.
Puranic Deities of India
Puranic Deities in India are worshipped by the Hindus, they are of immense supremacy and are considered to be almighty.
Indian Puranic Tribes
The existence of Indian Puranic tribes is often mixed with mythology and fiction that depict them as superhuman or sub.
Puranic Texts
Puranic Texts are vital according to Hindu, Jain or Buddhist religion; they describe the history of the Universe.
Puranic Shaivism
Puranic Shaivism established during the Gupta Dynasty. This puranic religion developed and expanded, and was accompanied by the development of Brahmanical forms of worship. The stories of the Puranas spread rapidly through the singers and narrators.
Puranic Sources of ancient Indian history
In defining the ancient Indian history Puranic sources are indeed important.