The Udyoga Parva, or the Book of Effort, is the fifth of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahābhārata. Udyoga Parva traditionally has 10 parts and 199 chapters. The critical edition of Sabha Parva has 12 parts and 197 chapters. Udyoga Parva describes the period immediately after the exile of Pandavas had ended. The Pandavas return, demand their half of the kingdom. The Kauravas refuse. The book includes the effort for peace that fails, followed by the effort to prepare for the great war—the Kurukshetra War. Vidura Niti, a theory of leadership as propounded by Vidura, is embedded in Udyoga Parva (Chapters 33–40). The Sanatsujatiya, a text commented upon by Adi Shankara, is contained within the Udyoga Parva (Chapters 41–46).

Structure and chapters

This Parva (book) traditionally has 10 sub-parvas (parts or little books) and 199 adhyayas (sections, chapters). The following are the sub-parvas:

English translations

Udyoga Parva was composed in Sanskrit. Several translations of the book in English are available. Two translations from 19th century, now in public domain, are those by Kisari Mohan Ganguli and Manmatha Nath Dutt. The translations vary with each translator's interpretations. Clay Sanskrit Library has published a 15 volume set of the Mahabharata which includes a translation of Udyoga Parva by Kathleen Garbutt. This translation is modern and uses an old manuscript of the Epic. The translation does not remove verses and chapters now widely believed to be spurious and smuggled into the Epic in 1st or 2nd millennium AD. According to the Parvasangraha chapter of Adi Parva of one version of the Mahabharata, Vyasa had composed 186 sections in Udyoga Parva, with 6,698 slokas. J. A. B. van Buitenen completed an annotated edition of Udyoga Parva, based on critically edited and least corrupted version of Mahabharata known in 1975. Debroy, in 2011, notes that updated critical edition of Udyoga Parva, with spurious and corrupted text removed, has 10 parts, 197 adhyayas (chapters) and 6,001 shlokas (verses). Debroy's translation of a critical edition of Udyoga Parva has been published in Volume 4 of his series. The entire parva has been "transcreated" and translated in verse by the poet Dr. Purushottama Lal published by Writers Workshop.

Salient features

Udyoga Parva has several embedded treatises, such as a theory of leadership (Vidura Niti), a theory of dūta (diplomats, envoys) and a theory of just war.

Vidura Niti

In Chapters 33 through 40 of Udyoga Parva, also called Prajagara sub-parva, sage Vidura outlines things wise people and leaders should do, and things they should not. These are known as Vidura Niti. Some examples of his recommendations for leaders: Vidura Niti also includes a few hundred verses with suggestions for personal development and the characteristics of a wise person. For example, in Chapter 33, Vidura suggests a wise person refrains from anger, exultation, pride, shame, stupefaction and vanity. He has reverence and faith, he is unhampered in his endeavors by either adversity or prosperity. He believes virtue and profit can go together, exerts and acts to the best of his ability, disregards nothing. He understands quickly, listens carefully, acts with purpose. He does not grieve for what is lost, and does not lose his sense during crisis. He is constantly learning, he seeks enlightenment from everything he experiences. He acts after deciding, and decides after thinking. He neither behaves with arrogance, nor with excessive humility. He never speaks ill of others, nor praises himself. He does not exult in honours to himself, nor grieves at insults; he is not agitated by what others do to him just like a calm lake near river Ganges.

Theory of envoys

J. A. B. van Buitenen, and others, have referred to parts of Udyoga Parva, along with Book 12 of Mahabharata and non-Epic works such as Arthashastra, as a treatise on diplomats and envoys (called dūta, Sanskrit: दूत) involved in negotiations between parties. Broadly, the Parva recognizes four types of envoys—Samdisțārtha are envoys who convey a message but do not have any discretion to negotiate; Parimițārtha are envoys who are granted a circumscribed purpose with some flexibility on wording; Nisrșțārtha are envoys with an overall goal and significant discretion to adapt the details of negotiations to the circumstances; finally, Dūtapranidhi, a full ambassador who has full confidence of the party he represents, understands the interests and Dharma (law, morals, duties) of both parties, and can decide the goal as well as style of negotiations (Krishna acts as such an ambassador in Bhagavat-yana sub-parva of Udyoga Parva). Udyoga Parva outlines the four methods of negotiations recommended for envoys who are dūtapranidhi: conciliation for the cause of peace and Dharma (sāman), praise your side while dividing the opposition by describing consequences of success and consequences of failure to reach a deal (bheda), bargain with gifts and concessions (dāna), bargain with threats of punishment (daņda). Beyond describing the types of diplomats, Udyoga Parva also lists how the envoy and messengers for negotiations should be selected, the safety and rights of envoys that must be respected by the receiving party regardless of how unpleasant or pleasant the message is. Envoys must be honest, truthful and direct without fear, that they serve not only the cause of king who sends them, but the cause of dharma (law), peace and truth.

Quotations and teachings

Sainyodyoga Parva, Chapter 3: "As the inner nature of a man is, so he speaks." Sanjayayana Parva, Chapter 25: "War causes destruction to all, it is sinful, it creates hell, it gives the same result in victory and defeat alike." Sanjayayana Parva, Chapter 27: "Wrath is a bitter remedy for evils, it causes malady in the head, destroys fame, and is a source of sinful acts. It ought to be controlled by a good man and those that do not control it are bad men." Sanjayayana Parva, Chapter 29: "One school says that it is by work that we obtain salvation, another school says that it is through knowledge. Yet a man, even knowing all the properties of good, will not be satisfied without eating. Knowledge bears fruit with action. Look at this world: one oppressed by thirst is satisfied by drinking water. The opinion that any thing other than work is good, is nothing but the uttering of a fool and of a weak man. In this world, the gods are resplendent through work. Wind blows through work. Sun works to cause day and night. Moon works. Rivers carry water through work. Indra works to shower rains. Shakra became chief, by means of work, observing truth, virtue, self control, forbearance, impartiality and amiability." Prajagara Parva, Chapter 33: "Wise men rejoice in virtuous deeds, and do those that tend to their prosperity, and look not with contempt on what is good. That man is said to be wise who is cognizant of the nature of all creatures, of causes and effects of all acts, and the means of human beings. A wise man regulates his studies by wisdom, his wisdom follows his studies, he is ever ready to respect those that are good. A wise man is he who, having acquired immense wealth, learning or power, conducts himself without any haughtiness." Prajagara Parva, Chapter 33: "Alone one should not taste a delicious dish, alone one should not think of profitable undertakings, alone one should not go on a journey, and alone one should not be awake amidst those that are asleep. Forgiveness is a great power. For the weak, as well as for the strong, forgiveness is an ornament. Forgiveness subdues every thing in the world. What is there that cannot be accomplished by forgiveness? What can a wicked man do to one who has the sword of pacification in his hand? Fire, falling on ground devoid of vegetation, is extinguished of itself. Virtue is the highest good, forgiveness the supreme peace, knowledge the deepest satisfaction, and benevolence the one cause of happiness." Prajagara Parva, Chapter 34: "The reasons of an act, and its result should be carefully considered before it is done. A wise man does or does not do an act after reflecting on the reasons of an act and its results if done. A fish out of greediness does not think about the result of an action and swallows up the iron hook concealed in a dainty morsel. He, who plucks unripe fruits from trees, does not get the juice out of it; and moreover he destroys the seeds. Having carefully considered what will befall me after doing an act or not doing it, a man should do things or not do them." Prajagara Parva, Chapter 34: "The body of a man is like the chariot; his soul, the driver; and his senses, the horses. Drawn by those excellent steeds when well trained, he that is wise and patient, performs life's journey in peace." Prajagara Parva, Chapter 34: "Arrows and darts can be extracted from the body, but the darts of words cannot be extracted from the depth of the heart. Arrows of words are shot from the mouth, wounded by which one grieves night and day; For they touch the innermost recesses of the hearts of others, therefore a wise man should not fling them on others." Sanat-Sujata Parva, Chapter 42: "Ignorance is death. Truthfulness, kindness, modesty, self-control and knowledge are antidotes of ignorance." "Truth is the solemn vow of the good." Sanat-Sujata Parva, Chapter 43: "As a twig obtained from a big tree is used in pointing out the new moon, so are the Vedas used in pointing out the truth and other attributes of the Supreme Soul. That man is not a devotee who observes the vow of silence, nor he who lives in the woods; but that one is said to be a true devotee who knows his own nature." Sanat-Sujata Parva, Chapter 44: "Dhritarashtra said: Of what form is the Supreme Soul? Sanat-Sujata said: It is the foundation of everything; it is nectar; it is the universe; it is vast, and delightful."