The Harivamsa

A Supplement to the Mahabharata

Abstract

This article, "A Supplement to the Mahabharata" by André Couture, explores the Harivamsa (HV), a substantial text traditionally appended to the Mahabharata (MBh). Though sometimes called the MBh's nineteenth book, the HV is more accurately a "khila," a term whose ambiguity Couture seeks to clarify. The HV, even in its critically edited, shorter form (around 6,000 stanzas), functions as a Purana, detailing Vishnu's manifestations, cosmic myths, lineages, and extensive narratives of Krishna's life, from his childhood in Mathura to the founding of Dvaravati.

   

Couture challenges the common Western scholarly dismissal of the HV as mere "appendix" or "superfluous" material, which has led to its "curious neglect." He argues that the term "khila" should be understood not as simply "extra" or "late addition," but as a supplement that "completes" an otherwise incomplete work, as described in traditional Indian literary thought. By emphasizing the HV's role in filling conceptual gaps—particularly in elaborating on Krishna's divine deeds and Vishnu's cosmic manifestations—Couture advocates for a more positive and integral understanding of the Harivamsa's significance within the broader Mahabharata tradition, asserting that it functions as a mahākāvya, a purāṇa, and a khila simultaneously.