In 1919, a remarkable scholarly endeavor commenced, spearheaded by the renowned Indian Sanskritist, V.S. Sukthankar. This ambitious project aimed to create a critical edition of the Mahabharata. To accomplish this monumental task, a dedicated team comprising numerous scholars was assembled. Their primary objective was to collect Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, penned in diverse scripts, from various regions across the country.

What is the literal meaning of Adi Parvan?

The first section

The Adi Parva/Parvan or The Book of the Beginning is the first of eighteen books of the Mahabharata. Literally, it means 'the first section'.