7 h 8 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 7 h 8 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if staying hidden means holding back when someone you love is wronged?
In Virata Parva, the Sanskrit epic traditionally attributed to Vyasa turns to disguise and quiet suspense. After twelve years in the forest, the five Pandava brothers and Draupadi must pass one year unrecognised. King Virata’s court offers shelter and humble work. Discovery means another twelve years of exile, so every encounter puts their fragile safety at risk.
Yudhishthira becomes the dice player Kanka, Bhima serves as a cook, and Arjuna teaches dance as Brihannala. Draupadi serves the queen, but the army commander Kichaka refuses to respect her refusal. As danger grows inside the palace and Matsya faces attack, patience becomes a painful test. What does dharma—right conduct—demand when justice and safety pull apart?
What you’ll discover
- Princes in humble roles Meet warriors whose borrowed names and daily work put pride under pressure.
- Draupadi demands justice Follow a queen serving as a maid who refuses to accept the wrongs against her.
- Strength held in check Feel Bhima’s struggle to remain quiet while Draupadi faces danger within the palace.
- A boast meets danger Watch Prince Uttara face an army with the disguised Arjuna beside him.
- The cost of patience Explore how courage, fairness and restraint clash when the safest choice may not be right.
Who will love it
This book will delight readers who love tales of disguise, epic duels and clever heroes, and anyone curious about Indian epic tradition, loyal brothers and the bold Draupadi.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A careful plan and a tree full of weapons
- Five brothers win places in the king's court
- Draupadi and Bhima prove their worth
- Kichaka's desire puts Draupadi in danger
- Bhima answers Kichaka in the dark
- Spies, plots and a raid on the cattle
- A boastful prince finds a charioteer
- The Kauravas quarrel as Arjuna attacks
- Duty, honor and the cost of a vow
- How the story is told and what it uses
Who’s who
- YudhishthiraThe eldest Pandava, who plays a gambler named Kanka and keeps his brothers calm so that the vow of hiding is not broken.
- BhimaThe strongest brother, who works as the cook Vallava and burns to protect Draupadi but must hide his power.
- ArjunaThe great archer who lives as Vrihannala, a dance teacher in women's dress, and waits for the day he can draw the Gandiva.
- DraupadiThe wife of the five brothers, who serves Queen Sudeshna as a hairdresser and defends her honor with bold words.
- VirataThe kindly king of the Matsyas, who hires the hidden brothers and keeps saying their work is beneath them.
- KichakaThe proud commander of Virata's army, who is brother to the queen and sets his heart on Draupadi.
- UttaraThe young prince of Matsya, who boasts of his courage and needs a charioteer to face the Kuru army.
- DuryodhanaThe Kuru prince who sends spies to find the Pandavas, hoping to send them back to the forest.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
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Le Mahâbhârata de Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa : Parva de Virata
by Vyasa
Five exiled brothers and one queen hide in plain sight as a cook, a gambler, a dancer and servants for a year.
Challenging5–10 hours to readfrançais
Excellent
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In short
What would you do if you had to vanish for a year, knowing that one slip would cost you twelve more years in the forest? Five brothers face that choice at the start of the Virata Parva.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A careful plan and a tree full of weapons
The thirteenth year begins with a council of five brothers. Yudhishthira picks the kingdom of Matsya, whose old king, Virata, is friendly to the Pandavas.
Each brother chooses a false life. Yudhishthira will be Kanka, a dice player. Bhima will be Vallava, a cook and wrestler. Nakula will keep the horses and Sahadeva the cattle. Arjuna chooses the boldest cover. Scars of the bowstring mark his arms, so he will wear bangles and a braid and teach song and dance to the palace women. Draupadi will pose as a hairdresser and say that five Gandharva husbands guard her.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- Language
- français
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Vyasa. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Virata Parva. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-mahabharata-of-krishna-dwaipayana-vyasa-virata-parva.
Vyasa. (2026). The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Virata Parva. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-mahabharata-of-krishna-dwaipayana-vyasa-virata-parva
Vyasa. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Virata Parva. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-mahabharata-of-krishna-dwaipayana-vyasa-virata-parva.
@book{vyasa2026mahabharata,
author = {Vyasa},
title = {The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa: Virata Parva},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-mahabharata-of-krishna-dwaipayana-vyasa-virata-parva}
}
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What is the Virata Parva about?
It tells how the five Pandava brothers and Draupadi spend the thirteenth year of their exile in disguise at King Virata's court, where a threatening commander and a cattle raid test their patience and skill.
Who are the Pandavas and why do they hide?
The Pandavas are Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. They lost their kingdom at dice and must spend twelve years in the forest and a thirteenth unrecognized, or begin the exile again.
Who is Vrihannala?
Vrihannala is the false name Arjuna takes. He lives as a dance and music teacher to the princesses, wears bangles and a braid, and hides the scars of his bowstring.
The author
Vyasa
Legendary Sanskrit sage and poet
Vyasa is the sage of ancient India traditionally honored as the composer of the Mahabharata, the vast Sanskrit epic of the Kurukshetra war, and revered in Hindu tradition as the arranger of the Vedas.
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