The Last Five Parvas of the Mahabharata
Quick answer: The last five books of the Mahabharata are the Ashvamedhika, Ashramavasika, Mausala, Mahaprasthanika and Svargarohana Parvas. Yudhishthira performs a horse sacrifice; Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti retire to the forest and die there; the Yadavas destroy one another and Krishna dies;
Quick answer: The last five books of the Mahabharata are the Ashvamedhika, Ashramavasika, Mausala, Mahaprasthanika and Svargarohana Parvas. Yudhishthira performs a horse sacrifice; Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti retire to the forest and die there; the Yadavas destroy one another and Krishna dies; the Pandavas and Draupadi set out on their last journey; and in heaven Yudhishthira finds his brothers and enemies alike.
In the critical edition of the Mahabharata (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune), these five books together have 160 chapters. References below are book.chapter.verse in that edition.
| Book | Name and meaning | Chapters (critical edition) | Main events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Ashvamedhika, "the horse sacrifice" | 96 | The Anugita; Parikshit revived; Arjuna follows the horse; the golden mongoose |
| 15 | Ashramavasika, "the hermitage" | 47 | The elders retire to the forest; Vidura's end; the night of the dead; the forest fire |
| 16 | Mausala, "the clubs" | 9 | The Yadavas destroy one another; Krishna's death; Dvaraka swallowed by the sea |
| 17 | Mahaprasthanika, "the great departure" | 3 | The Pandavas' last journey; the falls on the mountain; the dog |
| 18 | Svargarohana, "the ascent to heaven" | 5 | Yudhishthira in heaven and hell; the end of the epic |
Ashvamedhika Parva: the horse sacrifice
Yudhishthira's grief returns, and Vyasa advises him to perform the ashvamedha, the horse sacrifice, as atonement and as a king's rite. To pay for it, the Pandavas bring back a treasure of gold left long ago in the Himalaya by King Marutta (14.3 to 14.10, 14.62).
The Anugita. Arjuna admits to Krishna that he has forgotten what Krishna taught him before the battle. Krishna says he cannot repeat it as it was, and teaches him again through older dialogues: this is the Anugita (14.16 onward). See the Bhagavad Gita guide.
Parikshit revived. Abhimanyu's son is born dead, struck by Ashvatthama's weapon. At the pleading of Kunti, Subhadra and Uttara, Krishna brings him to life, as he had promised (14.65 to 14.69). He is named Parikshit and will be the next king.
Arjuna and the horse. The sacrificial horse wanders for a year, with Arjuna following it and fighting the kings who stop it. In Manipura, his own son Babhruvahana, by Chitrangada, fights him at the urging of the naga princess Ulupi, and kills him. Ulupi revives Arjuna with a life-giving jewel, the sanjivana mani (14.78 to 14.82).
The golden mongoose. After the great sacrifice, a mongoose with one side of its body gold appears and declares that the sacrifice was not equal to a poor brahmin family's gift of a handful of barley flour to a hungry guest; the family's gift had turned half of it gold, and it had searched in vain ever since for a gift that could turn the other half (14.92 to 14.96).
Ashramavasika Parva: the elders in the forest
For fifteen years Dhritarashtra lived honoured in Yudhishthira's palace, though Bhima's taunts hurt him (15.1 to 15.4). Then he decided to retire to the forest with Gandhari. Kunti went with them, though her sons begged her to stay, and so did Vidura and Sanjaya.
When the Pandavas visited them, Vidura, wasted by austerity, fixed his gaze on Yudhishthira and by the power of yoga entered his body (15.33.25 to 26). Vyasa then granted the bereaved one night with the dead: the warriors of both sides rose from the Ganga, free of enmity, and spent the night with their families before returning (15.39 to 15.41). Some time later, a forest fire caught Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti as they sat in meditation, and they died in it (15.45). See Kunti in the Mahabharata.
Mausala Parva: the end of the Yadavas
Thirty-six years after the war, as Gandhari had cursed, the Yadavas brought ruin on themselves. Some young men dressed Krishna's son Samba as a pregnant woman to mock visiting sages, who cursed that he would give birth to an iron club that would destroy the clan (16.2). The club was ground to powder and thrown in the sea, but it grew into reeds on the shore. In a drunken quarrel at Prabhasa, the Vrishnis and Andhakas fell on one another with those reeds, which turned into clubs, until almost none were left (16.4).
Balarama left his body in yoga. Krishna, lying in meditation in the forest, was struck in the foot by the hunter Jara and departed to his own abode (16.5.19 to 23). Arjuna came to Dvaraka, performed the last rites, and led the survivors away; behind them the sea flooded the city (16.8.40). On the way, herdsmen attacked them and carried off many women; Arjuna could barely string the Gandiva, and his weapons failed him (16.8). Vyasa told him that his time had passed (16.9). See Krishna in the Mahabharata.
Mahaprasthanika Parva: the last journey
Hearing of Krishna's death, the Pandavas crowned Parikshit, gave away their wealth, and set out with Draupadi on a final journey, followed by a dog (17.1.23). They walked around the earth and climbed into the Himalaya. One by one they fell, and Yudhishthira, asked by Bhima why each had fallen, gave the reason (17.2):
| Who fell | Reason Yudhishthira gave |
|---|---|
| Draupadi | She loved Arjuna more than the others (17.2.6) |
| Sahadeva | He thought no one as wise as himself (17.2.10) |
| Nakula | He thought no one as handsome as himself (17.2.14 to 16) |
| Arjuna | He boasted he would destroy his enemies in a day, and did not; he looked down on other archers (17.2.21 to 22) |
| Bhima | He ate too much and boasted of his strength (17.2.25) |
Yudhishthira walked on without looking back, with only the dog. Indra came in his chariot to take him to heaven, but Yudhishthira would not leave the dog, which had been devoted to him. The dog was Dharma, testing him, as he had at the lake in the forest (17.3.7 to 19). See Yudhishthira in the Mahabharata.
Svargarohana Parva: heaven and hell
In heaven Yudhishthira found Duryodhana seated in glory, and refused to stay where Duryodhana was (18.1.4 to 7). Asking for his brothers, he was led down a dark, foul path, and heard the voices of Karna, Bhima, Arjuna, the twins and Draupadi crying out in torment. He chose to stay with them. Then the scene vanished: Indra told him that every king must see hell, and that he had been shown it by a trick, as he had once deceived Drona by a trick about his son (18.3.11 to 15). He bathed in the heavenly Ganga, left his human body, and joined his brothers, Draupadi, Karna and the others in their divine forms (18.3 to 18.5). The epic closes with the frame story ending and praise of the merit of hearing the Mahabharata.
Frequently asked questions
What are the last five parvas of the Mahabharata?
Ashvamedhika, Ashramavasika, Mausala, Mahaprasthanika and Svargarohana (books 14 to 18).
Who was the first to fall on the last journey?
Draupadi. Yudhishthira said it was because she loved Arjuna more than the others (17.2.6).
Who was the dog that followed Yudhishthira?
Dharma, Yudhishthira's divine father, testing him (17.3).
Why did Yudhishthira see hell?
Indra told him every king must, and that it was shown to him by a trick because he had deceived Drona (18.3.11 to 15).
What is the Anugita?
Krishna's second teaching to Arjuna, in the Ashvamedhika Parva, given after Arjuna says he has forgotten the Gita.
How did Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti die?
In a forest fire while they sat in meditation (15.45).
Related reading
- Mahabharata: The Complete Guide
- Shanti and Anushasana Parva summary
- Mahabharata story summary
- Arjuna in the Mahabharata
- Draupadi in the Mahabharata
- Mahabharata FAQ
Sources
- The Mahabharata, critical edition (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, 1933 to 1966); electronic text BORI 1999, via Indology: indology.info/bombay/mahabharata. References are book.chapter.verse in this edition.
Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.
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