The Harivansha ( , literally "the lineage of Hari") is an important work of Sanskrit literature, containing 16,374 shlokas, mostly in the "anustubh" metre. The text is also known as the "Harivansha Purana." This text is believed to be a "khila" (appendix or supplement) to the Mahabharata and is traditionally ascribed to Vyasa. The most celebrated commentary of the "Mahabharata" by Neelakantha Chaturdhara, the "Bharata Bhava Deepa" also covers the "Harivansha". According to a traditional version of the Mahabharata, the "Harivansha" is divided into two "parvas" (books) and 12,000 verses. These are included with the eighteen "parvas" of the "Mahabharata". The Critical Edition has three "parvas" and 5,965 verses.