Mahabharata

Vyasa

Mahabharata/Authors

The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches of a
family - the Pandavas and Kauravas - who, in the Kurukshetra War, battle for the throne of Hastinapura.
Interwoven into this narrative are several smaller stories about people dead or living, and philosophical
discourses. Krishna-Dwaipayan Vyasa, himself a character in the epic, composed it; as, according to
tradition, he dictated the verses and Ganesha wrote them down. At 100,000 verses, it is the longest epic
poem ever written, generally thought to have been composed in the 4th century BCE or earlier. The
events in the epic play out in the Indian subcontinent and surrounding areas. It was first narrated by a
student of Vyasa at a snake-sacrifice of the great-grandson of one of the major characters of the story.
Including within it the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata is one of the most important texts of ancient
Indian, indeed world, literature.

The prelude
Shantanu, the king of Hastinapur, was married to Ganga (personification of the Ganges) with whom he
had a son called Devavrat. Several years later, when Devavrat had grown up to be an accomplished
prince, Shantanu fell in love with Satyavati. Her father refused to let her marry the king unless the king
promised that Satyavati's son and descendants would inherit the throne. Unwilling to deny Devavrat his
rights, Shantanu declined to do so but the prince, on coming to know of the matter, rode over to
Satyavati's house, vowed to renounce the throne and to remain celibate throughout his life. The prince
then took Satyavati home to the palace so that the king, his father, could marry her. On account of the
terrible vow that he'd taken that day, Devavrat came to be known as Bheeshm. Shantanu was so
pleased with his son that he granted to Devavrat the boon of choosing the time of his own death.

In time, Shantanu and Satyavati had two sons. Soon thereafter, Shantanu died. Satyavati's sons still
being minors, the affairs of the kingdom were managed by Bheeshm and Satyavati. By the time these
sons reached adulthood, the elder one had died in a skirmish with some gandharvas (heavenly beings)
so the younger son, Vichitravirya, was enthroned. Bheeshm then abducted the three princesses of a
neighbouring kingdom and brought them over to Hastinapur to be wedded to Vichitravirya. The eldest
of these princesses declared that she was in love with someone else, so she was let go; the two other
princesses were married to Vichitravirya who died soon afterwards, childless.

DHRITARASHTRA WAS THE STRONGEST OF ALL PRINCES IN THE COUNTRY, PANDU WAS SKILLED
IN WARFARE & ARCHERY, & VIDUR KNEW ALL THE BRANCHES OF LEARNING, POLITICS, &
STATESMANSHIP.

Dhritarashtra, Pandu & Vidur

So that the family line did not die out, Satyavati summoned her son Vyasa to impregnate the two
queens. Vyasa had been born to Satyavati of a great sage named Parashar before her marriage to
Shantanu. According to the laws of the day, a child born to an unwed mother was taken to be a step-
child of the mother's husband; by that token, Vyasa could be considered Shantanu's son and could be
used to perpetuate the Kuru clan that ruled Hastinapur. Thus, by the Niyog custom, the two queens
each had a son of Vyasa: to the elder queen was born a blind son called Dhritarashtra, and to the
younger was born an otherwise healthy but extremely pale son called Pandu. To a maid of these queens
was born a son of Vyasa called Vidur. Bheeshm brought up these three boys with great care.
Dhritarashtra grew up to be the strongest of all princes in the country, Pandu was extremely skilled in
warfare and archery, and Vidur knew all the branches of learning, politics, and statesmanship.

With the boys grown, it was now time to fill up the empty throne of Hastinapur. Dhritarashtra, the
eldest, was bypassed because the laws barred a disabled person from being king. Pandu, instead, was
crowned. Bheeshm negotiated Dhritarashtra's marriage with Gandhari, and Pandu's with Kunti and
Madri. Pandu expanded the kingdom by conquering the sorrounding areas, and brought in considerable
war booty. With things running smoothly in the country, and with its coffers full, Pandu asked his elder
brother to look after the state affairs, and retired to the forests with his two wives for some time off.

Kauravas & PAndavas

A few years later, Kunti returned to Hastinapur. With her were five little boys, and the bodies of Pandu
and Madri. The five boys were the sons of Pandu, born to his two wives through the Niyog custom from
gods: the eldest was born of Dharma, the second of Vayu, the third of Indra, and the youngest - twins -
of the Ashvins. In the meanwhile, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari too had had children of their own: 100
sons and one daughter. The Kuru elders performed the last rites for Pandu and Madri, and Kunti and the
children were welcomed into the palace.

Pandavas

All of the 105 princes were subsequently entrusted to the care of a teacher: Kripa at first and,
additionally, Drona later. Drona's school at Hastinapur attracted several other boys; Karna, of the Suta
clan was one such boy. It was here that hostilities quickly developed between the sons of Dhritarashtra
(collectively called the Kauravas, patronymic of their ancestor Kuru) and the sons of Pandu (collectively
called the Pandavas, patronymic of their father).

Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava, tried - and failed - to poison Bheem, the second Pandava. Karna,
because of his rivalry in archery with the third Pandava, Arjuna, allied himself with Duryodhan. In time,
the princes learnt all they could from their teachers, and the Kuru elders decided to hold a public skills
exhibition of the princes. It was during this exhibition that the citizens became plainly aware of the
hostilities between the two branches of the royal family: Duryodhan and Bheem had a mace fight that
had to be stopped before things turned ugly, Karna - uninvited as he was not a Kuru prince - challenged
Arjuna, was insulted on account of his non-royal birth, and was crowned king of a vassal state on the
spot by Duryodhan. It was also around this time that questions began to be raised about Dhritarashtra
occupying the throne, since he was supposed to be holding it only in trust for Pandu, the crowned king.
To keep peace in the realm, Dhritarashtra declared the eldest Pandava, Yudhishthir, as the crown prince
and heir apparent.

The first exile

Yudhishthir's being the crown prince and his rising popularity with the citizens was extremely distasteful
to Duryodhan, who saw himself as the rightful heir since his father was the de facto king. He plotted to
get rid of the Pandavas. This he did by getting his father to send the Pandavas and Kunti off to a nearby
town on the pretext of a fair that was held there. The palace in which the Pandavas were to stay in that
town was built by an agent of Duryodhan; the palace was made entirely of inflammable materials since
the plan was to burn down the palace - together with the Pandavas and Kunti - once they'd settled in.
The Pandavas, however, were alerted to this fact by their other uncle, Vidur, and had a counter plan
ready; they dug an escape tunnel underneath their chambers. One night, the Pandavas gave out a huge
feast which all of the townsfolk came to. At that feast, a forest woman and her five sons found
themselves so well-fed and well-drunk that they could no longer walk straight; they passed out on the
floor of the hall. That very night, the Pandavas themselves set fire to the palace and escaped through
the tunnel. When the flames had died down, the townsfolk discovered the bones of the forest woman
and her boys, and mistook them for Kunti and the Pandavas. Duryodhan thought his plan had succeeded
and that the world was free of the Pandavas.

Arjuna & Draupadi

Meanwhile, the Pandavas and Kunti went into hiding, moving from one place to another and passing
themselves off as a poor brahmin family. They would seek shelter with some villager for a few weeks,
the princes would go out daily to beg for food, return in the evenings and hand over the day's earnings
to Kunti who would divide the food into two: one half was for the strongman Bheem and the other half
was shared by the others. During these wanderings, Bheem killed two demons, married a demoness,
and had a demon child called Ghatotkach. They then heard about a swayamvar (a ceremony to choose a
suitor) being organised for the princess of Panchal, and went at Panchal to see the festivities. According
to their practice, they left their mother home and set out for alms: they reached the swayamvar hall
where the king was giving away things most lavishly to alms seekers. The brothers sat themselves down
in the hall to watch the fun: the princess Draupadi, born of fire, was famed for her beauty and every
prince from every country for miles around had come to the swayamvar, hoping to win her hand. The
conditions of the swayamvar were difficult: a long pole on the ground had a circular contraption
spinning at its top. On this moving disc was attached a fish. At the bottom of the pole was a shallow urn
of water. A person had to look down into this water-mirror, use the bow and five arrows that were
provided, and pierce the fish spinning on top. Five attempts were allowed. It was evident that only an
extremely skilled archer, such as the now-presumed-dead Arjuna, could pass the test.

Arjuna at the Draupadi Swayamvar

by Charles Haynes (CC BY-SA)

One by one, the kings and princes tried to shoot the fish, and failed. Some could not even lift the bow;
some could not string it. The Kauravas and Karna were also present. Karna picked up the bow and strung
it in a moment, but was prevented from taking aim when Draupadi declared she would not marry
anyone from the Suta clan. After every one of the royals had failed, Arjuna, the third Pandava, stepped
up to the pole, picked up the bow, strung it, affixed all of the five arrows to it, looked down into the
water, aimed, shot, and pierced the fish's eye with all of the five arrows in a single attempt. Arjuna had
won Draupadi's hand.

The Pandava brothers, still in the guise of poor brahmins, took Draupadi back to the hut they were
staying at and shouted for Kunti, "Ma, Ma, come and see what we've brought back today." Kunti, saying,
"Whatever it is, share it among yourselves", came out of the hut, saw that it wasn't alms but the most
beautiful woman she had ever set her eyes on, and stood stock still as the import of her words sank in
on everybody present.

Meanwhile, Draupadi's twin Dhrishtadyumna, unhappy that his royal sister should be married off to a
poor commoner, had secretly followed the Pandavas back to their hut. Also following them secretly was
a dark prince and his fair brother - Krishna and Balaram of the Yadava clan - who had suspected that the
unknown archer could be none other than Arjuna, who had been presumed dead at the palace-burning
incident several months ago. These princes were related to the Pandavas - their father was Kunti's
brother - but they had never met before. By design or happenstance, Vyasa also arrived at the scene at
this point and the Pandava hut was alive for a while with happy cries of meetings and reunions. To keep
Kunti's words, it was decided that Draupadi would be the common wife of all of the five Pandavas. Her
brother, Dhrishtadyumna, and her father, the king Drupad, were reluctant with this unusual
arrangement but were talked around to it by Vyasa and Yudhishthir.

Indraprastha & the dice game

After the wedding ceremonies at Panchal were over, the Hastinapur palace invited the Pandavas and
their bride back. Dhritarashtra made a great show of happiness on discovering that the Pandavas were
alive after all, and he partitioned the kingdom, giving them a huge tract of barren land to settle in and
rule over. The Pandavas transformed this land into a paradise. Yudhishthir was crowned there, and he
performed a sacrifice that involved all of the kings of the land to accept - either voluntarily or by force -
his suzerainty. The new kingdom, Indraprastha, prospered.

Meanwhile, the Pandavas had entered into an agreement among themselves regarding Draupadi: she
was to be wife of each Pandava, by turn, for a year. If any Pandava was to enter the room where she
was present with her husband-of-that-year, that Pandava was to be exiled for 12 years. It so happened
that once Draupadi and Yudhishthir, her husband of that year, were present in the armoury when
Arjuna entered it to take his bow and arrows. Consequently, he went off in exile during which he toured
the entire country, down to its southernmost tip, and married three princesses he met along the way.
The prosperity of Indraprastha and the power of the Pandavas was not something that Duryodhan liked.
He invited Yudhisthir to a dice game and got his uncle, Shakuni, to play on his (Duryodhan's) behalf.
Shakuni was an accomplished player; Yudhishthir staked - and lost - step by step his entire wealth, his
kingdom, his brothers, himself, and Draupadi. Draupadi was dragged into the dice hall and insulted.
There was an attempt to disrobe her, and Bheem lost his temper and vowed to kill each and every one
of the Kauravas. Things came to such a boil that Dhritarashtra intervened unwillingly, gave the kingdom
and their freedom back to the Pandavas and Draupadi, and set them off back to Indraprastha. This
angered Duryodhan, who talked his father around, and invited Yudhishthir to another dice game. This
time, the condition was that the loser would go on a 12-year exile followed by a year of life incognito. If
they were to be discovered during this incognito period, the loser would have to repeat the 12+1 cycle.
The dice game was played. Yudhishthir lost again.

The second exile

For this exile, the Pandavas left their ageing mother Kunti behind at Hastinapur, in Vidur's place. They
lived in forests, hunted game, and visited holy spots. At around this time, Yudhishthir asked Arjuna to go
to the heavens in quest of celestial weapons because, by now, it was apparent that their kingdom would
not be returned to them peacefully after the exile and that they would have to fight for it. Arjuna did so,
and not only did he learn the techniques of several divine weapons from the gods, he also learnt how to
sing and dance from the gandharvas.

After 12 years, the Pandavas went incognito for a year. During this one-year period, they lived in the
Virat kingdom. Yudhishthir took up employment as a king's counsellor, Bheem worked in the royal
kitchens, Arjuna turned himself into a eunuch and taught the palace maidens how to sing and dance, the
twins worked at the royal stables, and Draupadi became a handmaiden to the queen. At the end of the
incognito period - during which they were not discovered despite Duryodhan's best efforts - the
Pandavas revealed themselves. The Virat king was overwhelmed; he offered his daughter in marriage to
Arjuna but he declined since he had been her dance teacher the past year and students were akin to
children. The princess was married, instead, to Arjuna's son Abhimanyu.

At this wedding ceremony, a large number of Pandava allies gathered to draw out a war strategy.
Meanwhile, emissaries had been sent to Hastinapur to demand Indraprastha back but the missions had
failed. Krishna himself went on a peace mission and failed. Duryodhan refused to give away as much
land as was covered by the point of a needle, let alone the five villages proposed by the peace missions.
The Kauravas also gathered their allies around them, and even broke away a key Pandava ally - the
maternal uncle of the Pandava twins - by trickery. War became inevitable.

The Kurukshetra war & aftermath

Just before the war bugle was sounded, Arjuna saw arrayed before him his relatives: his great-
grandfather Bheeshm who had practically brought him up, his teachers Kripa and Drona, his brothers
the Kauravas, and, for a moment, his resolution wavered. Krishna, the warrior par excellence, had given
up arms for this war and had elected to be Arjuna's charioteer. To him Arjuna said, "Take me back,
Krishna. I can't kill these people. They're my father, my brothers, my teachers, my uncles, my sons. What
good is a kingdom that's gained at the cost of their lives?" Then followed a philosophical discourse that
has today become a separate book on its own - the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna explained the
impermanence of life to Arjuna, and the importance of doing one's duty and of sticking to the right path.
Arjuna picked up his bow again.

सुखदुखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ। ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यप्ति।। If you
proceed to war treating equally joy and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat, you do not sin. [2.38]
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन । मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥ You have
a right only to work; you have no claim to the fruits thereof. Do not let an expected result dictate your
actions; do not sit idle either. [2.47]

The battle raged for 18 days. The army totalled 18 akshauhinis, 7 on the Panadava side and 11 on the
Kaurava (1 akshauhini = 21,870 chariots + 21,870 elephants + 65,610 horses + 109,350 soldiers on foot).
Casualties on both sides were high. When it all ended, the Pandavas had won the war but lost almost
everyone they held dear. Duryodhan and all of the Kauravas had died, as had all of the menfolk of
Draupadi's family, including all of her sons by the Pandavas. The now-dead Karna was revealed to be a
son of Kunti's from before her marriage to Pandu, and thus, the eldest Pandava and the rightful heir to
the throne. The grand old man, Bheeshm, lay dying; their teacher Drona was dead as were several
kinsfolk related to them either by blood or by marriage. In about 18 days, the entire country lost almost
three generations of its men. It was a war not seen on a scale before, it was the Great Indian war,
the Maha-bharat.

After the war, Yudhishthir became king of Hastinapur and Indraprastha. The Pandavas ruled for 36 years,
after which they abdicated in favour of Abhimanyu's son, Parikshit. The Pandavas and Draupadi
proceeded on foot to the Himalayas, intending to live out their last days climbing the slopes
heavenwards. One by one, they fell on this last journey and their spirits ascended to the heavens. Years
later, Parikshit's son succeeded his father as king. He held a big sacrifice, at which this entire story was
recited for the first time by a disciple of Vyasa called Vaishampayan.

legacy
Since that time, this story has been retold countless times, expanded upon, and retold again.
The Mahabharata remains popular to this day in India. It has been adapted and recast in contemporary
mode in several films and plays. Children continue to be named after the characters in the epic.
The Bhagvad Gita is one of the holiest of Hindu scriptures. Beyond India, the Mahabharata story is
popular in south-east Asia in cultures that were influenced by Hinduism such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

Summary
Mahabharata, (Sanskrit: “Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty”) one of the two Sanskrit epic poems of
ancient India (the other being the Ramayana). The Mahabharata is an important source of information
on the development of Hinduism between 400 BCE and 200 CE and is regarded by Hindus as both a text
about dharma (Hindu moral law) and a history (itihasa, literally “that’s what happened”). Appearing in
its present form about 400 CE, the Mahabharata consists of a mass of mythological
and didactic material arranged around a central heroic narrative that tells of the struggle
for sovereignty between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas (sons of Dhritarashtra, the descendant of
Kuru) and the Pandavas (sons of Pandu). The poem is made up of almost 100,000 couplets—about seven
times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined—divided into 18 parvans, or sections, plus a
supplement titled Harivamsha (“Genealogy of the God Hari”; i.e., of Vishnu). Although it is unlikely that
any single person wrote the poem, its authorship is traditionally ascribed to the sage Vyasa, who
appears in the work as the grandfather of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The date and even the
historical occurrence of the war that is the central event of the Mahabharata are much debated.

The story begins when the blindness of Dhritarashtra, the elder of two princes, causes him to be passed
over in favour of his brother Pandu as king on their father’s death. A curse prevents Pandu from
fathering children, however, and his wife Kunti asks the gods to father children in Pandu’s name. As a
result, the god Dharma fathers Yudhishtira, the Wind fathers Bhima, Indra fathers Arjuna, and the
Ashvins (twins) father Nakula and Sahadeva (also twins; born to Pandu’s second wife, Madri).
The enmity and jealousy that develops between the cousins forces the Pandavas to leave the kingdom
when their father dies. During their exile the five jointly marry Draupadi (who is born out of a sacrificial
fire and whom Arjuna wins by shooting an arrow through a row of targets) and meet their
cousin Krishna, who remains their friend and companion thereafter. Although the Pandavas return to
the kingdom, they are again exiled to the forest, this time for 12 years, when Yudhishthira loses
everything in a game of dice with Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas.

The feud culminates in a series of great battles on the field of Kurukshetra (north of Delhi,
in Haryana state). All the Kauravas are annihilated, and, on the victorious side, only the five Pandava
brothers and Krishna survive. Krishna dies when a hunter, who mistakes him for a deer, shoots him in his
one vulnerable spot—his foot—and the five brothers, along with Draupadi and a dog who joins them
(Dharma, Yudhisththira’s father, in disguise), set out for Indra’s heaven. One by one they fall on the way,
and Yudhisthira alone reaches the gate of heaven. After further tests of his faithfulness and constancy,
he is finally reunited with his brothers and Draupadi, as well as with his enemies, the Kauravas, to enjoy
perpetual bliss.

The central plot constitutes little more than one fifth of the total work. The remainder of the poem
addresses a wide range of myths and legends, including the romance of Damayanti and her husband
Nala (who gambles away his kingdom just as Yudhishthira gambles away his) and the legend of Savitri,
whose devotion to her dead husband persuades Yama, the god of death, to restore him to life. The
poem also contains descriptions of places of pilgrimages.

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Along with its basic plot and accounts of numerous myths, the Mahabharata reveals the evolution of
Hinduism and its relations with other religions during its composition. The period during which the epic
took shape was one of transition from Vedic sacrifice to sectarian Hinduism, as well as a time of
interaction—sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile—with Buddhism and Jainism. Different sections of
the poem express varying beliefs, often in creative tension. Some sections—such as the Narayaniya (a
part of book 13), the Bhagavadgita (book 6), the Anugita (book 14), and the Harivamsha—are important
sources of early Vaishnava theology, in which Krishna is an avatar of the god Vishnu. Above all,
the Mahabharata is an exposition of dharma (codes of conduct), including the proper conduct of a king,
of a warrior, of an individual living in times of calamity, and of a person seeking to
attain moksha (freedom from samsara, or rebirth). The poem repeatedly demonstrates that the
conflicting codes of dharma are so “subtle” that, in some situations, the hero cannot help but violate
them in some respect, no matter what choice he makes.

The Mahabharata story has been retold in written and oral Sanskrit and vernacular versions throughout
South and Southeast Asia. Its various incidents have been portrayed in stone, notably in sculptured
reliefs at Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom in Cambodia, and in Indian miniature paintings.

Angkor ThomGate at Angkor Thom, Cambodia, c. 1200.R. Manley/Shostal Associates

All Characters from the Epic of Mahabharata

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Mahabharata Characters list – Mahabharata is one of the two most famous
epics of Hindus. It is a representation of the struggle between 2 groups of
cousins in the Kurukshetra War. It discusses the fates of the Kauravas, the
Pandavas, and their successors as also teachings of Krishna that he shared with
Arjuna in the battle-field. Unlike Ramayana, Hindus generally avoid keeping a
printed copy of Mahabharata at home.

Here is a list of all the major Mahabharata Characters:

Krishna

Krishna was the son of Vasudeva and Devaki and was also known as Vasudeva
Krishna or Vasudeva. Krishna is the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu and is one of
the most popular Hindu gods with temples all over the world including the
famous ISKCON temples. In his avatar as Krishna, he killed his cruel uncle (his
mother’s brother) who had kept Devaki and her husband captive as prisoners.
Krishna played a very prominent role in the Mahabharata. His teachings to
Arjuna in the war-field of Kurukshetra are listed in the “Bhagwat Gita”, the holy
book of Hindus.
Draupadi

Draupadi is the most important female character in Mahabharata. Draupadi,

initially named as Krishnaa, was the daughter of King Drupad. She was the wife
of Pandavas who fought their cousins (the Kauravas) in the great Kurukshetra
War. Draupadi was married to all the five Pandavas. She had five sons, one each
from each Pandava, who were called the Upapandavas. Krishna treated her as
his sister and protected her when Kauravas tried to do her Cheer-Haran (pulling
off her clothes), which is considered one of the major factors of the battle
between Kauravas and Pandavas.
Must Read: Dashavatars of Vishnu
The Pandavas – Yudhishthir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul, and Sahadeva
Yudhishthira

Yudhishthira was the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti. He was the
king of Indraprastha (later Hastinapur/Kuru) and was the leader of the Pandava
side in the Kurukshetra War. He was blessed with the spiritual vision of future
sight by a celestial Rishi. He was known as Dharamraj Yudhishthira. He had 2
wives, Draupadi and Devika. Yudhishthira gave in to Shakuni’s challenge in
Pachisi (a dice game) and lost his kingdom, his brothers, and Draupadi. He then
played for the second time and lost the rest of his kingdom and was also thus
forced into exile for 13 years and 1 year in anonymity. From then on,
Yudhishthira proved his upright principles several times. After the completion of
the exile, Yudhishthira made several efforts to retrieve his kingdom peacefully
but it went in vain and eventually, Yudhishthira was convinced to wage a war by
Krishna. Later, knowing the fact that he had an elder brother, Karna, he cursed
all women to be never able to hide any secrets.
Bhima

Bhima was the second born of Pandu and was considered to have the physical
strength of 10,000 elephants. He was also responsible for slaying all hundred
Kaurav brothers in the Kurukshetra War. Bhima was trained by Kripa and Drona
in religion, administration, science, and martial arts. He had 3 wives, Hidimba,
Draupadi, and Valandhara. He also had a giant appetite and was known to
consume around half of the total food consumed by the Pandavas. It was
Duryodhana’s failures and fecklessness against Bhima which angered
Duryodhana to try to kill Bhima. It is believed that Duryodhana hatched a plot
to poison Bhima and drown him in River Ravi where Vasuki, the Naga king,
saved Bhima and also bestowed him with immense strength.
Arjuna
Arjuna is one of the central characters of Mahabharata. He was the spiritual son
of Indra and the third Pandava brother. He had 4 wives, Draupadi, Ulupi,
Chitrangada, and Subhadra. It was Arjuna who was able to accomplish the
established challenge on Draupadi’s Swayamvara. It was also because of Arjuna
that Draupadi had to marry all his brothers. Lord Krishna and Arjuna shared a
wonderful bond of friendship. He is also believed to be an incarnation of Lord
Nara, who was Lord Vishu’s best friend. In a battle to save Hastinapur’s name,
Arjuna under the guidance of his eldest brother killed 10 lakh Gandharvas.
Nakula
Nakul was the fourth Pandav brother. He was Sahadeva’s twin, born to Madri.
They were both called Ashvineya together. During the Kurukshetra War, Nakula
desired Drupada to become the general of the Pandava army, but it was
Yudhishthir and Arjun who opted for Dhristadyumna instead. As a warrior,
Nakula was the leader of one of the seven Akshahuni. After the War, Nakula
was appointed as the king of the Northern Madra kingdom.
Sahadeva
Sahadeva was the youngest of the 5 Pandav brothers. Nakul and Sahadeva were
twins whose parents, Pandu and Madri, invoked the Ashwini Kumaras to beget
children. He had 2 wives, Draupadi and Vijaya. His core skill was to lay in the
welding of sword and Astrology. Sahadeva desired Virata to be the general of
the Pandava army for the War, but Yudhishthir and Arjun opted for
Dhristadyumna instead. Sahadeva also took an oath to slay Shakuni, which he
accomplished on the 18th day of the Kurukshetra War. After the War, Sahadeva
was appointed as the king of Southern Madra kingdom (Matsya Kingdom),
because of his expertise with the sword.
Kauravs – 99 brothers and one sister
Duryodhana

Duryodhana, also known as Suyodhana was the eldest Kaurav brother. He was
the crown prince of the Kuru Kingdom along with his cousin Yudhishthira. He
used his greater skill in wielding the mace to defeat his opponents. He also
learned martial skills from Guru Dronacharya. Although he was loved by his
family, he along with his brothers was never seen equal to the Pandavas.
Duryodhana was mentored by Shakuni, who masterminded all the plots in
Duryodhana’s mind to humiliate and kill the Pandavas. At the time, when the
Pandavas returned from exile, Duryodhana rejected to return them their
kingdom and brought together an army which included some heavy-weights like
Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Kripa, Ashwatthama, Shrutyudha, and also all those
who were critical of him but were forced to fight for him due to their previous
commitments. He was eventually killed in the war and appointed Ashwatthama
as the army’s supreme commander.
Do Read: 108 Names of Lord Krishna with meaning
Find out more such Mahabharata characters below:
Dronacharya

Dronacharya was the royal guru to both the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He was
a ferocious warrior with tremendous combating skills. Guru Dronacharya
committed to protecting the realm of Hastinapur and supported the Kauravas.
He was a master of advanced military arts, including the divine weapons or
Astras and was tricked into believing that Ashwatthama (his son) was killed in
the war. It was then when Drona began mourning his son’s death when he was
beheaded by Drishtadyumna, during the War. Guru Dronacharya also believed
Arjuna to be the most dedicated, hard-working, and naturally talented out of all
Pandavas and Kauravas.
Bhishma
Bhishma, also called Bhishma Pitamah, was a fine illustration of ethics and
fairness. He was the oldest stalwart of the kingdom of Hastinapur. His personal
life was full of solitariness, while his peerless statesmanship and other faultless
characteristics still inspire his ardent followers across the world. Bhishma was
well known for his promise of celibacy. He was the eighth son of the Kuru King
Shantanu and river goddess, Ganga and was blessed with a boon to decide the
moment of his death. Bhishma Pitamah was related to both Pandavas and
Kauravas through his half-brother, Vichitravirya (Son of Satyavati). He was a
great archer and warrior. In the battle of Kurukshetra, Bhishma was the
supreme commander of the Kauravas. It was Bhishma who handed the Vishnu
Sahasranama to Yudhishthira while he was on his death bed after the
Kurukshetra War.
Ved Vyas

Ved Vyas was the one to write Mahabharata, which is the longest poem ever
written. The Mahabharata consists of over 1 lakh shlokas and over 2 lakh
individual verse lines. Ved Vyasa is also known as the one who classified the
Vedas. He was the son of Satyavati and Parashara.
Dhritarashtra

Dhritarashtra had very low self-esteem and believed that his blindness was a
curse. Dhritarashtra envied his brother Pandu and his perfect advice for the
betterment of the Kuru dynasty. It was Dhritarashtra’s emotional blindness and
materialistic look towards the throne which made his son Duryodhana a hot-
headed and egocentric human being. It was Vyasa who offered him with a
divine vision so that Dhritarashtra could see the war. Not willing to see his kin
slaughtered, Dhritarashtra asked Vyasa to give this boon to his charioteer,
Sanjaya. When Lord Krishna displayed his Vishvarupa to Arjuna on the
battlefield, Dhritarashtra regretted not possessing the divine vision. Eventually,
the result of the war devastated him and all his trueborn sons were killed.
Also Read: The legend of Parashurama Avatar of Lord Vishnu
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Karna
Karna was the son of Surya and Kunti, who was abandoned by an unmarried
Kunti, in a basket in the river. He was then adopted and raised by Radha and
Adhiratha Nandana, who found the basket floating on the Ganges. Karna
eventually became Duryodhana’s closest friend. It was his assistance that
helped Duryodhana perform the Vaishnava Yagna when the Pandavas were in
exile. He was an unsung hero of the Mahabharata, an invincible warrior, despite
being an ill-fated prince ever since his birth. He teaches us how one can present
himself better than their destiny and accomplish everything with determination.
He was also regarded as Arjuna’s equal by Duryodhana and was made the king
of Anga, after which he pledged his alliance with Duryodhana. He met his
biological mother very late in the epic and discovered that he was the older
half-brother of those against whom he was fighting. He is a symbol of someone
who is rejected but still becomes a man with exceptional abilities, who willingly
gives his love and life as a loyal friend. His character is developed to raise major
emotional, ethical, moral, and religious dilemmas.
Shakuni

Shakuni, also known as Saubala, was the prince of the Gandhar Kingdom and
became king after his father’s death. He is one of the main villains in
Mahabharata. He was the brother of Gandhari, the one to poison the mind of
his nephew, Duryodhana and also fueled up the destructive war of
Mahabharata, becoming the cause of the destruction of the Kauravas. Shakuni
is called the mastermind behind the Kurukshetra War. He worked by inciting
hatred between the Kauravas and the Pandavas but often failed in his tricks
against the Pandavas. He knew that it was only Krishna who had the power and
influence to foil his plan of revenge to destroy the lineage of Kuru. This plan of
his only came in the plot because he was angry with Bheeshma, who requested
his sister, Gandhari’s hand in marriage for the blind prince – Dhritarashtra. He
was killed by Sahadeva on the 18th day of the Mahabharata War.
Gandhari

Gandhari is another important character from Mahabharata. She is noted for

her piety and virtuous nature and is regarded as an incarnation of Mati, the
goddess of Wisdom. She was a princess of Gandhar and married Dhritrashtra
with whom she became the mother of Kauravas. She decided to blindfold
herself in order to be like her husband and was undisputedly known as the
wisest female character of the Mahabharata. Her brother, Shakuni was enraged
that Hastinapur offered a blind man for his sister, after having humiliated
Gandhar in a war of conquest where all of Shakuni’s brothers were killed.
Ashwatthama
Ashwatthama was Guru Dronacharya’s son. He was one of the few people to
survive the Kurukshetra war and was appointed as the final commander-in-chief
of the Kauravas in that war. On Duryodhana’s last breath, Ashwatthama gave
him the news of killing all of the 5 sons of Pandavas, whom he killed by planning
an attack in the middle of the night. On hearing about the death of their sons
Pandavas challenged him. Sage Vyasa interrupted to stop the war. Vyasa
convinced the Pandavas to step back whereas Ashwatthama didn’t and he
directed his weapon to the womb of pregnant Uttara so that the entire lineage
of Pandavas gets finished. As a punishment for the same, Vyasa asked
Ashwatthama to surrender the gem on his forehead. Krishna cursed him that he
will be alive till the end of Kalyug and his wound will never heal.

Why is Mahabharata important?

The Mahabharata is an important source of information on the development of Hinduism between 400
bce and 200 ce and is regarded by Hindus as both a text about dharma (Hindu moral law) and a history
(itihasa, literally “that's what happened”).

What is the moral of the story Mahabharata?

Stand by what's right; even fight for it

Arjuna was initially hesitant to wage war against his kin. But Krishna reminded him that one has to stand
by Dharma (duty), even it meant going against one's own family.

What is the main theme of the epic Mahabharata?

The main theme of the Mahabharata is the idea of sacred duty. Every character in the epic is
born into a particular social group, or caste, that must follow the duty prescribed to it by sacred
law. The characters who perform their sacred duty are rewarded, while those who do not are
punished.
7 life lessons we all can learn from the Mahabharata
Centuries later, Mahabharata still teaches us a lot of life-saving lessons.

Image for representational purposes only. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Arun Kumar

The epic narrative of Mahabharata had been written ages ago. Yet the legendary tale continues to find
prominence in every form of art, and continues to overwhelm us even today.

The fact that the epic is still revered is not only because of its poetic grandeur. The stories that almost all
of us have grown up with hold relevance even during present times. The deeply philosophical ideas that
perpetuate throughout the epic have a lot to teach us about the art of living.

7 important lessons that we can learn from the Mahabharata.

1. A revengeful instinct can only lead to one's doom

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Mahabharata may revolve around the war of duty. But we cannot escape the fact that the major reason
behind the destruction of all was revenge. The Kauravas lost everything to their blinded desire to ruin
the Pandavas. The war did not even spare the children, including Draupadi's five sons and Abhimanyu.

2. Stand by what's right; even fight for it

Picture courtesy: Facebook/Prashant Parikh

Arjuna was initially hesitant to wage war against his kin. But Krishna reminded him that one has to stand
by Dharma (duty), even it meant going against one's own family. Therefore, Arjuna had to fulfill his
responsibility as a great warrior of Dharma.

3. The eternal bond of friendship

The friendship between Krishna and Arjuna is something all of us look up to. It is perhaps because of
Krishna's unconditional support and motivation that the Pandavas managed to survive the war. None of
us can forget the epic dice scene where it was Krishna who came to Draupadi's rescue while her
husbands gambled her away to disgrace. The friendship between Karna and Duryodhan, on the other
hand, is no less inspiring.

4. Half knowledge can be dangerous

Arjuna's son Abhimanyu teaches us how half-knowledge can have an adverse impact. While Abhimanyu
knew how to enter the Chkaravyuh, he did not know the way out.

5. Don't be swayed by greed

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What did Yudhishthir win out of greed? On the contrary, he lost everything he possessed--from his
kingdom to his wealth. And to gamble away a woman in the pursuit of hubris! How can one possibly
justify that?

6. We cannot give up on life despite all hurdles

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Who can be a better example for this than Karana? Right from his birth, the 'suta-putra' battled his way
through life, fighting discrimination and disgrace at every stage. He almost became a puppet in the
hands of fate. But no obstacle could ever deter him from pursuing his goal. And his devotion towards his
mother knew no bounds, to the extent that he even gave up his kavajkundal (his life-saving power) on
her demand.

7. Being a woman does not make you a lesser individual

Picture courtesy: Facebook/Dharmesh R Patni

Yes, Draupadi was manoeuvred into taking five husbands, she was humiliated by the Kauravas for the
fault of her own husband. She was violated but she was bold enough to take a stand. She ensured she
got justice by vowing to wash her hair with the blood of Duryodhana and Dushanana--perhaps another
reason that led to the war. A woman like Draupadi will not be passive, she will be fiery, she will fight for
herself.