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Drona Parva
The Drona Parva ( sa, द्रोण पर्व), or ''the Book of Drona,'' is the seventh of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. Drona Parva traditionally has 8 parts and 204 chapters.Ganguli, K.M. (1883-1896)Drona Parva in ''The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa'' (12 Volumes). CalcuttaDutt, M.N. (1897) ''The Mahabharata (Volume 7): Drona Parva''. Calcutta: Elysium Press The critical edition of Drona Parva has 8 parts and 173 chapters. Drona Parva describes the appointment of Drona as commander-in-chief of the Kaurava alliance, on the 11th day of the Kurukshetra War, the next four days of battles, and his death on the 15th day of the 18-day war. The parva recites how the war became more brutal with each passing day, how agreed rules of a just war began to be ignored by both sides as loved ones on each side were slain, how the war extended into the night, and how millions of more soldiers and major characters of the story - Abhimanyu, Jayadratha, Drona, Ghatotk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duryodhana Choose Dronacharya As Commander In Chief
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being the first-born son of the blind king, he was the crown prince of the Kuru Kingdom and its capital of Hastinapura, often forced into ceding the title to his cousin Yudhishthira, who was older than him. Karna was the prince's closest friend. Notably, Duryodhana, with significant assistance from Karna, performs the Vaishnava Yagna when the Pandavas are in exile. Duryodhana used his greater skill in wielding the mace to defeat his opponents. He was also an extremely courageous warrior and was said to be a good ruler. Duryodhana's greed and arrogance were the two qualities said to have led to his downfall in the Mahabharata. Etymology The Sanskrit word, ''Duryodhana'' means "invincible" in battle. Birth When Gandhari's pregnancy continue ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chakravyuha
The Padmavyūha ( sa, पद्मव्यूह) or Chakravyūha ( sa, चक्रव्यूह) is a military formation used to surround enemies, depicted in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. It resembles a labyrinth of multiple defensive walls. Background The Padmavyūha is a multi-tiered defensive formation that looks like a blooming lotus ( ) or disc ( ) when viewed from above. The warriors at each interleaving position would be in an increasingly tough position to fight against. The formation was used in the battle of Kurukshetra by Dronacharya, who became commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army after the fall of Bhishma Pitamaha. The various vyūhas (military formations) were studied by the Kauravas and Pandavas alike. Most of them can be beaten using a counter-measure targeted specifically against that formation. In the form of battle described in the ''Mahabharata'', it was important to place powerful fighters in positions where they could inflict maximum damage ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Kisari Mohan Ganguli (also K. M. Ganguli) was an Indian translator known for being the first to provide a complete translation of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata in English. His translation was published as ''The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose'' between 1883 and 1896, by Pratap Chandra Roy (1842–1895), a Calcutta bookseller who owned a printing press and raised funds for the project. Publication of the translation The "Translator's Preface" in Book 1: Adi Parva, Ganguli mentions the sequence of events that led to the publication. Sometime in the early 1870s, Pratapa Chandra Roy, with Babu Durga Charan Banerjee, visited Ganguli at his home in Shibpur in Howrah, Bengal, requesting him to take up the translation project, which he took up after initial reluctance and a second meeting, when extensive plans were drawn, and the copy of a translation by Max Müller was left behind, made some thirty years ago, which on study Ganguli found to be lite ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karna Parva
The Karna Parva ( sa, कर्ण पर्व), or ''the Book of Karna,'' is the eighth of eighteen books of the Indian Epic Mahabharata. Karna Parva traditionally has 96 chapters.Ganguli, K.M. (1883-1896)Karna Parva in ''The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa'' (12 Volumes). CalcuttaDutt, M.N. (1901) ''The Mahabharata (Volume 8): Karna Parva''. Calcutta: Elysium Press The critical edition of Karna Parv has 69 chapters Karna Parva describes the appointment of Karna as the third commander-in-chief of the Kaurava alliance. The Parva recites how war begins to tire and frustrate everyone. This book describes how brutal war leads to horrifying behavior over the 16th and 17th day of the 18-day Kurukshetra War. This parva describes deaths of Dushasana, Banasena, Vrishasena, Susharma and finally Karna. At the end of the parva, Karna is killed in a fierce battle with Arjuna. Karna Parva includes a treatise by Aswatthama which focuses on the motive of the deeds of human life. The cr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhishma Parva
The Bhishma Parva ( sa, भीष्म पर्व), or ''the Book of Bhishma,'' is the sixth of eighteen books of the Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. It is the only Parva in Mahabharata where the main hero is not Karna but is rather Bhishma and Krishna. For the first time, Krishna's character has been given deep importance by Vyasa in this Parva, and the first time in Mahabharata where his character is revealed when he shows his divine form. Vyasa's Mahabharata is centered around the journey of Karna, he is the central protagonist of the epic but the story doesn't belong to him alone, several other characters like Bhishma and Krishna have important role in the journey of Karna and his brothers. It traditionally has 4 parts and 122 chapters.Ganguli, K.M. (1883-1896)Bishma Parva in ''The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa'' (12 Volumes). Calcutta It is the only Parva in Mahabharata where the main hero is not Karna but is rather Bhishma and Krishna. For the first time, Krishna's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dhrishtadyumna
Dhrishtadyumna ( sa, धृष्टद्युम्न, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the courageous and splendid one) is the son of Drupada—the king of the Panchala kingdom—and the twin brother of Draupadi in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. Dhrishtadyumna is born from a ''yajna'' (fire-sacrifice) organised by Drupada, who wanted a son capable of killing his enemy, Drona. When the Pandava prince Arjuna—disguised as a ''Brahmin''—won the hand of Draupadi in marriage, Dhrishtadyumna realises his identity. In the Kurukshetra War, Dhrishtadyumna joins the Pandavas, and becomes the supreme commander-in-chief of the Pandava forces. On the fifteenth day of the war, he beheads Drona, fulfilling the mission of his birth. Legend Birth left, A Mughal painting by Bilal Habsi depicting the birth of Dhrishtadyumna. A folio of ''Razmnama'', the Persian translation of the epic Dhishtadyumna, along with Draupadi, is described as an "''ayonija''", one not born from a woman's womb. His birt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashwatthama
In the Hinduism, Hindu epic the ''Mahabharata'', Ashwatthama ( sa, अश्वत्थामा, Aśvatthāmā) or Drauni was the son of guru Drona and Kripi (sister of Kripa, Kripacharya). He was the grandson of the sage Bharadwaja. Ashwatthama ruled the northern region of Panchala, being subordinate to the rulers of Hastinapura. He was a Maharathi (warrior), Maharathi who fought on the Kaurava side against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. He became a Chiranjivi (immortal) due to a curse given to him by Lord Krishna, Krishna. The deceptive plot of Ashwatthama's supposed death led to murder of his grieving father Drona, who was decapitated while meditating for his son's Ātman (Hinduism), soul. He was appointed as the final commander-in-chief of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. Overcome with grief and rage, he slaughtered most of the Pandava camp in a single Night combat, night offensive. He was among the most prominent warriors of the Mahabharata epic, breaching mu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Brihadbala
Brihadbala () is a king featured in Hindu mythology. He is a character in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is described to be the last king of the Kosala Kingdom. In the Kurukshetra War, Brihadbala fights for the Kauravas and is killed by Abhimanyu. Legend According to the ''Vishnu Purana'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana'', Brihadbala is a descendant of Rama on Kusha's side, and belongs to the Suryavamsha (Solar dynasty). Makhan Jha, in his ''Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective'' claims that Brihadbala is the fifteenth king after Rama. Brihadbala is considered to be the last king of the line of Ikshvaku; the dynasty spanned 31-32 generations between Rama and him. The ''Mahabharata'' describes Brihadbala as the ruler of Kingdom of Kosala. He was subjugated by Bhima during the Rajasuya sacrifice, and a subsequent conquest by Karna during the latter's Digvijaya Yatra caused him to side with the Kauravas during the Kurukshetra War. On ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shalya
In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', King Shalya ( sa, शल्य, lit. ''pointed weapon'') was the brother of Madri (mother of Nakula and Sahadeva), and the ruler of the Madra kingdom. Skilled with the mace and a formidable warrior, he was tricked by Duryodhana to fight the war on the side of the Kauravas. He was encouraged to serve as the charioteer of Karna by Yudhisthira to dissuade the former from combat. Shalya was an incredibly calm and deliberate fighter, his level-headedness and prowess in warfare making him a great warrior in spite of his slight build. Becoming Pandu's brother-in-law On his way to Hastinapura, King Pandu encountered Shalya's army. At parlay, Shalya and his general met with Pandu; Pandu was very impressed by Shalya's slight general and became friends. Bhishma, head of Pandu's family, learned of Shalya's beautiful sister, Mādrī and decided to arrange Pandu's second marriage with Madri. Shalya agreed and was gifted with gold and jewels from Hastinapura ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laxman Kumara
In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Lakshmana Kumara (also spelled Laxman(a)) was the son of Duryodhana and Bhanumati and grandson of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. He had a twin sister called Lakshmanaa who was kidnapped by Samba (Krishna's son). Only few mentions of Lakshmana are there the ''Mahabharata''. He was the one who killed Kshatradeva, Shikhandi's son, on the twelfth day of the Kurukshetra War, while himself being slain on the 13th day of the war by Abhimanyu who decapitated him using the ''nagashirastra''. In folklore In Telugu folklore, not present in ''Mahabharata'', Vatsala (Sashirekha), the daughter of Balarama, is betrothed to the Pandava prince Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu is the son of Krishna's sister Subhadra and (Krishna's close friend) the Pandava prince Arjuna. So initially the marriage of Vatsala is to be performed with Abhimanyu but when Abhimanyu's father Arjuna goes into exile Balarama's wife Revati says that Arjuna has no kingdom left and a prince without a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pradyumna
Pradyumna ( sa, प्रद्युम्न) is the eldest son of the Hindu deities Krishna and his chief consort, Rukmini. He is considered to be one of the four vyuha avatars of Vishnu. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Pradyumna was the rebirth of Kamadeva, the god of love. The Mahabharata states that Pradyumna was a portion of Sanat Kumara. The Harivamsa describes the chatur-vyuha, consisisting of the Vrishni heroes Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, that would later be the basis for the Vaishnava concept of primary quadrupled expansion, or avatara. Pradyumna is also a name of the Hindu god Vishnu, mentioned to be one of the 24 Keshava Namas (names). Birth and early life Pradyumna was the son of Krishna and the sixty-first grandson of Adinarayana. His mother was Rukmini, whom Krishna had eloped with from Vidarbha during her swayamvara on her request. Pradyumna was born in Dvaraka. He was the reincarnation of the demigod Kamadeva, the deity having pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
