Shantiparva

The Shanti Parva is the twelfth of eighteen books of

the Indian Epic Mahabharata .
It has three sub-books and 366 chapters.
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 book also provides what some have
described as a theory of caste 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.
 Structure and chapters

This Parva (book) has 3 sub-parvas (sub-books or little

books) and 366 adhyayas (sections, chapters).
The sub-parvas in this book are:
1. Rajadharma anusasana Parva.......This sub-book describes
the duties of kings and leaders, among other things.

2. Apaddharma anusasana Parva.....This sub-book describes

the rules of conduct when one faces adversity.

3. Moksha dharma Parva...........his sub-book 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.
He 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
 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.
 Shanti parva on caste

Chapters 188 and 189 of the parva begin by reciting

Bhrigu's theory of varna (color, caste), 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
 Shanti parva on governance
The parva dedicates over 100 chapters on duties of a king and rules of proper governance.
A prosperous kingdom must be guided by truth and justice.
Chapter 58 of Shanti parva suggests the duty of a ruler and his cabinet is to enable people to be
happy, pursue truth and act sincerely.
Chapter 88 recommends the king to tax without injuring the ability or capacity of those who create
wealth, just like bees harvest honey from flower, keepers of cow draw milk without starving the calf
or hurting the cow; those who cannot bear the burden of taxes, should not be taxed.
Chapter 267 suggests the judicial staff to reflect before sentencing, only sentence punishment that
is proportionate to the crime, avoid harsh and capital punishments, and never punish the innocent
relatives of a criminal for the crime.
Several chapters, such as 15 and 90, of the parva claim the proper function of a ruler is to rule
according to dharma; he should lead a simple life and he should not use his power to enjoy the
luxuries of life.]
Shanti parva defines dharma not in terms of rituals or any religious precepts, but in terms of that
which increases Satya (truth), Ahimsa (non-violence), Asteya (non-stealing of property created by
another), Shoucham (purity), and Dama (restraint).
Chapter 109 of Shanti parva asserts rulers have a dharma (duty, responsibility) to help the
upliftment of all living beings.
The best law, claims Shanti parva, is one that enhances the welfare of all living beings, without
injuring any specific group.[1][19]