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Akshauhini
An ''akshauhini'' ( sa, अक्षौहिणी ''akṣauhiṇī'') is described in the Mahabharata (Adi Parva 2.15-23) as a battle formation consisting of 21,870 chariots (Sanskrit ''ratha''); 21,870 elephants (Sanskrit ''gaja''); 65,610 horses (Sanskrit ''turaga'') and 109,350 infantry (Sanskrit ''pada sainyam''). Thus one akshauhini consisted of 218,700 warriors (not including the charioteers, who didn't fight). The ratio is 1 chariot : 1 elephant : 3 cavalry : 5 infantry soldiers. In each of these large number groups (65,610, etc.), the digits add up to 18. It is mentioned in the ''Mahabharata'' that in the Kurukshetra War the Pandava army consisted of seven ''akshauhinis'' (1,530,900 warriors), and the Kaurava army had eleven ''akshauhinis'' (2,405,700 warriors). Composition :Patti (company) : 1 Elephant (Gaja) + 1 Chariot (Ratha) + 3 Horse (Ashwa) + 5 Foot Soldiers (Padati)=10 Warriors :Senamukha = (3 x Patti) : 3 Elephant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kurukshetra War
The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura. The war laid the foundation for the ''Bhagavad Gita''. The historicity of the war remains the subject of scholarly discussion. The Battle of the Ten Kings, mentioned in the ''Rigveda'', may have formed the core of the Kurukshetra war's story. The war was greatly expanded and modified in the ''Mahabharata'''s account, which makes it dubious. Attempts have been made to assign a historical date to the Kurukshetra war, with research suggesting BCE. However, popular tradition claims that the war marks the transition to the ''Kali Yuga,'' dating it to BCE. The war took place in Kurukshetra. Despite only spanning eighteen days, the war takes more than ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kurukshetra War
The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura. The war laid the foundation for the ''Bhagavad Gita''. The historicity of the war remains the subject of scholarly discussion. The Battle of the Ten Kings, mentioned in the ''Rigveda'', may have formed the core of the Kurukshetra war's story. The war was greatly expanded and modified in the ''Mahabharata'''s account, which makes it dubious. Attempts have been made to assign a historical date to the Kurukshetra war, with research suggesting BCE. However, popular tradition claims that the war marks the transition to the ''Kali Yuga,'' dating it to BCE. The war took place in Kurukshetra. Despite only spanning eighteen days, the war takes more than ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samsaptakas
The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura. The war laid the foundation for the '' Bhagavad Gita''. The historicity of the war remains the subject of scholarly discussion. The Battle of the Ten Kings, mentioned in the ''Rigveda'', may have formed the core of the Kurukshetra war's story. The war was greatly expanded and modified in the ''Mahabharata'''s account, which makes it dubious. Attempts have been made to assign a historical date to the Kurukshetra war, with research suggesting BCE. However, popular tradition claims that the war marks the transition to the '' Kali Yuga,'' dating it to BCE. The war took place in Kurukshetra. Despite only spanning eighteen days, the war takes more th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kritavarma
Kritavarma ( sa, कृतवर्मा, translit=Kṛtavarmā) is a Yadava warrior in Hinduism. He appears as a minor character in the Mahabharata, fighting in the Kurukshetra war for the Kauravas. According to F.E. Pargiter, he was the son of Hṛidika, born in the Andhaka clan of the Yadu dynasty.Pargiter, F.E. (1972). ''Ancient Indian Historical Tradition'', Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p.105. Legend Syamantaka theft Kritavarma is said to have encouraged, or in some accounts, participated in the theft of the legendary Syamantaka jewel from King Satrajit. Along with his friend Akrura, he is said to have caused Shatadhanva to murder Satrajit, and steal the jewel for himself. Shatadhanva was subsequently slain by Krishna, though he no longer had the jewel, having given it to Akrura and Kritavarma for safekeeping. When a famine broke out in Dvaraka, or in other accounts, due to the discovery of Akrura's possession of the Syamantaka, both Kritavarma and he were summoned to t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sudakshina
Sudakshina ( sa, सुदक्षिण) was a king of the Kambojas and is featured in the Indian epic the Mahabharata. On the 14th day of battle, Arjuna, with his charioteer Krishna, attempts to reach Jayadratha. Dronacharya and Duryodhana arrange warriors in Arjuna's path, trying to impede his progress until sunset. Sudakhina rallies a fleeing Kaurava akshauhini, challenging Arjuna. He throws a spear at Arjuna; the spear connects and Arjuna swoons in his seat, dripping blood. The Kaurava army begins to cheer, thinking Arjuna is dead. However, Arjuna quickly recovers and angrily invokes the Indrastra, which multiplies into many arrows and decimates the Kaurava forces. Sudakshina falls to one of these arrows. It is later remarked that while Sudakshina was a just and good monarch, he felt obligated to fight for Duryodhana. In the years preceding the war, Karna had conquered the Kamboja army and Sudakshina had bent the knee to Hastinapur. Despite knowing that the Pandavas had dhar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karna
Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the Pandavas), and thus a demigod of royal birth. Kunti was granted the boon to bear a child with desired divine qualities from the gods and without much knowledge, Kunti invoked the sun god to confirm it if it was true indeed. Karna was secretly born to an unmarried Kunti in her teenage years, fearing outrage and backlash from society over her premarital pregnancy, Kunti had no choice but to abandon the newly born Karna adrift in a basket on the Ganges, in the hope that he finds foster parents. The basket discovered and Karna is adopted and raised by foster ''Sūta'' parents named Radha and Adhiratha Nandana of the charioteer and poet profession working for king Dhritarashtra. Karna grows up to be an accomplished warrior of extraordinary abil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jayadratha
Jayadratha () is the king of the Sindhu kingdom featured in the Mahabharata. He was married to Dushala, the only sister of the hundred Kaurava brothers. The son of the king Vriddhakshatra, he is killed by Arjuna. He has a son named Suratha. Etymology The word ''Jayadratha'' is derived from two Sanskrit words, ''jayat'' meaning 'victorious' and '' ratha'' meaning 'law or dharma'. Thus the word ''Jayadratha'' means, 'victorious because of dharma’. His other names are * Sindhuraja (सिन्धुराज) - King of Sindhu Rivers * Saindhava (सैन्धव) - Chief of Sindhus / (king) of Sindhu Kingdom Legend Abduction of Draupadi One day, during the time the Pandavas were in exile, the Pandavas went hunting to gather food. They left Draupadi alone at the ashram and requested Sage Trunabindu and Dhaumya to watch over her. On that day, Jayadratha saw Draupadi and sent his minister Kotikasya to inquire as to who she was. Kotikasya went over to her and after lear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sindhu Kingdom
Sindhu Kingdom or simply Sindhu was an ancient kingdom on the Indian subcontinent. It stretched the banks of river Sindhu (Indus). It was mentioned in the epic ''Mahabharata'' and in the ''Harivamsa Purana,'' often alongside the Sauvira Kingdom. It is believed that Sindhu kingdom was founded by Vrishadarbha, one of sons of Sivi. According to the ''Glimpses of Ancient Sindh'', authored by Mirchandani, its capital was known as Vrsadarbhpura, and Tulsianis, later known as Sindhu, was located at or near the location of the present town of Mithankot (in southern Punjab). The inhabitants of the kingdoms were called Sindhus or Saindhavas. "Sindhu" literally means "river" and "sea". According to the epic ''Mahabharata'', Jayadratha (the husband of Duryodhana's sister) was the king of Sindhus, Sauviras and Sivis. Probably Sauvira and Sivi were two kingdoms close to the Sindhu kingdom and Jayadratha conquered them, holding them for some period of time. Sindhu and Sauvira seem to have bee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kambojas
Kamboja ( sa, कम्बोज) was a kingdom of Iron Age India that spanned parts of South and Central Asia, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. Eponymous with the kingdom name, the Kambojas were an Indo-Iranian people of the Kshatriya caste inhabiting the Kamboja Mahajanapada region, forming one of the sixteen nations that made up ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE during the second urbanisation period. Earlier, during the late Vedic age, the Kambojas had emerged as an important part of the Indo Aryan Vedic people with a prominent place among the Kshatriya tribes of the Mahabharata. While historical boundaries of the Kambojas are varied, scholarly accounts altogether place the northern and western borders in present-day Tajikistan and eastern Uzbekistan, with eastern borders in present-day Jammu and Kashmir, and southern borders in present-day Iran and southern Afghanistan. Etymology The name ''Kamboja'' may derive from ''Kam' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes and their successors. It also contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or ''puruṣārtha'' (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the ''Mahābhārata'' are the '' Bhagavad Gita'', the story of Damayanti, the story of Shakuntala, the story of Pururava and Urvashi, the story of Savitri and Satyavan, the story of Kacha and Devayani, the story of Rishyasringa and an abbreviated version of the ''Rāmāyaṇa'', often considered as works in their own right. Traditionally, the authorship of the ''Mahābhārata'' is attributed to Vyāsa. There have been many attempts to unravel its historical growth and c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anga
Anga (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas. Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya, Aṅga also finds mention in the Jain Vyakhyaprajnapti's list of ancient janapadas. Location Aṅga proper was located between the Chandan River, Champā river to the west and the Rajmahal hills to the east. However, at times, its territories did extend to the sea in the south, or included Magadha in the west. The capital of Aṅga, named Campā, was located at the confluence of the Campā and Ganges, Gaṅgā rivers, and corresponds to the modern-day villages of Champapuri, Campāpurī and Champanagar in the eastern part of the Indian state of Bihar, Bihār. According to the Jataka tales, s, Campā was also called Kāla-Campā, while Puranas, Puranic texts claim its ancient name was Mālinī. The other importa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yadava
The Yadava (literally, descended from Yadu) were an ancient Indian people who believed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni, and Satvatas, who all worshipped Krishna. They are listed in ancient Indian literature as the segments of the lineage of Yadu (''Yaduvamsha'').Thapar, Romila (1978, reprint 1996). ''Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations'', New Delhi: Orient Longman, , p.223 At various times there have been a number of communities and royal dynasties of the Indian subcontinent that have claimed descent from the ancient Yadava clans and legendary Yadava personalities, thus describing themselves as the Yadavas. The sociologist M. S. A. Rao and historians such as P. M. Chandorkar and T. Padmaja say that epigraphical and historical evidence exists for equating the Ahirs with the ancient Yadava clan. The Yadavas of the Mahabharata period were known to be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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