Sahadeva
Sahadeva (Sanskrit: सहदेव) was the youngest of the Pandava brothers, the five principal protagonists of the epic ''Mahabharata''. He and his twin brother, Nakula, were blessed to King Pandu and Queen Madri by invoking the twin gods Ashvins. Sahadeva is described to be skilled in swordsmanship and astrology. During the Kurukshetra War, he slew many warriors including Shakuni. Etymology The word sahadeva is derived from two Sanskrit words ''saha'' (सह) and ''deva'' (देव). ''Saha'' means ''with'' and ''deva'' is a Hindu term used for ''deity''. So literally, Sahadeva means ''with Gods''. Another meaning is ''thousand Gods''. Sahadeva and his brother Nakula, are both called as ''Ashvineya'' (आश्विनेय), as they were born from Ashvins. Birth and early years Due to Pandu's inability to bear children (because of the curse of Rishi Kindama), Madri had to use the boon given to Kunti Devi by Sage Durvasa to give birth, who invoked the Ashwini Kumaras t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Vijaya (Mahabharat)
The ''Mahabharata'' is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India; it was composed by the sage Vyasa. The most important characters of ''Mahabharata'' can be said to include: Krishna; the Pandavas Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, along with their wife Draupadi; and the Kauravas (who were a hundred brothers), led by the eldest brother, Duryodhana. The most important other characters include Bhishma, Karna, Dronacharya, Shakuni, Dhritrashtra, Gandhari and Kunti. Some pivotal additional characters include Balarama, Subhadra, Vidura, Abhimanyu, Kripacharya, Pandu, Satyavati, Ashwatthama, and Amba. Deities who play a significant role in the epic include Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Ganga, Indra, Surya and Yama. This list mentions notable characters and may also contain characters appearing in regional stories and folklores related to ''Mahabharata''. A Abhimanyu Abhimanyu was the son of third Pandava prince Arjuna and Yadava princess Subhadra. He was a d ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Characters In The Mahabharata
The ''Mahabharata'' is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India; it was composed by the sage Vyasa. The most important characters of ''Mahabharata'' can be said to include: Krishna; the Pandavas Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, along with their wife Draupadi; and the Kauravas (who were a hundred brothers), led by the eldest brother, Duryodhana. The most important other characters include Bhishma, Karna, Dronacharya, Shakuni, Dhritrashtra, Gandhari and Kunti. Some pivotal additional characters include Balarama, Subhadra, Vidura, Abhimanyu, Kripacharya, Pandu, Satyavati, Ashwatthama, and Amba. Deities who play a significant role in the epic include Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Ganga, Indra, Surya and Yama. This list mentions notable characters and may also contain characters appearing in regional stories and folklores related to ''Mahabharata''. A Abhimanyu Abhimanyu was the son of third Pandava prince Arjuna and Yadava princess S ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pandavas
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledged as the sons of Pandu, the King of Kuru, but were fathered by different ''Devas'' (gods) due to Pandu's inability to naturally conceive children. In the epic, the Pandavas married Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, and founded the city of Indraprastha after the Kuru Kingdom was split to avoid succession disputes. After their paternal cousins the Kauravas—led by Duryodhana—tricked them into surrendering their kingdom and refused to return it, the Pandavas waged a civil war against their extended family, and this conflict was known as the Kurukshetra War. With the help of the god Krishna, the Pandavas eventually won the war with the death of the Kauravas, albeit at great cost. Etymology The word ''Pandava'' ( sa, पाण्ड ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledged as the sons of Pandu, the King of Kuru, but were fathered by different ''Devas'' (gods) due to Pandu's inability to naturally conceive children. In the epic, the Pandavas married Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, and founded the city of Indraprastha after the Kuru Kingdom was split to avoid succession disputes. After their paternal cousins the Kauravas—led by Duryodhana—tricked them into surrendering their kingdom and refused to return it, the Pandavas waged a civil war against their extended family, and this conflict was known as the Kurukshetra War. With the help of the god Krishna, the Pandavas eventually won the war with the death of the Kauravas, albeit at great cost. Etymology The word ''Pandava'' ( sa, पाण्डव ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Shakuni
Shakuni ( sa, शकुनि, , ) plays a key role in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is one of the main antagonists of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the prince of the kingdom of Gandhara when introduced, later becoming its king after the death of his father, Subala. He was the brother of Gandhari (Mahabharata), Gandhari and the maternal uncle of the Kauravas. Portrayed as intelligent, crafty and devious, Shakuni supported his nephews, particularly the eldest, Duryodhana, in plotting against their cousinsthe Pandavas. It was Shakuni who played the game of dice against Yudhishthira, one of the seminal events in the epic. He was a master of manipulating the game using loaded dice, which caused the exile of the Pandavas and the consolidation of the power of the Kauravas. During the Kurukshetra War, Shakuni was killed by the youngest Pandava, Sahadeva. Etymology and epithets The Sanskrit word "Shakuni" means 'a large bird'. In the epic, Shakuni has been referred to by ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Draupadi
Draupadi ( sa, द्रौपदी, draupadī, Daughter of Drupada), also referred to as Krishnaa, Panchali, and Yagyaseni, is the main female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata,'' and the common consort of the five Pandava brothers—Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva. She is noted for her beauty, courage, and a rare Polyandry, polyandrous marriage. In Mahabharata, Draupadi and her brother, Dhrishtadyumna, were born from a ''yajna'' (fire sacrifice) organized by King Drupada of Panchala. Arjuna won her hand in marriage, but she had to marry the five brothers because of her Kunti, mother-in-law's misunderstanding. Later, she became an empress, as Yudhishthira performed the Rajasuya ritual and achieved the status of the emperor. She had five sons, one from each Pandava, who were collectively addressed as the Upapandavas. The most notable incident in Draupadi's life is the game of dice at Hastinapur, Hastinapura where Yudhishthira loses his possessio ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nakula
In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, ''Nakula'' (Sanskrit: नकुल) was fourth of the five Pandava brothers. Nakula and Sahadeva were twins blessed to Madri, by Ashwini Kumaras, the divine physicians. Their parents Pandu and Madri - died early, so the twins were adopted by their step-mother, Kunti and were trained by Drona in Hastinapura. Skilled in ''Ayurveda'', sword fighting, and horse keeping, Apart from Nakula, Lord Krishna (Bhuvan Sundar) is regarded as the most handsome man in the Mahabharata. Nakul had two wives - Draupadi, the common wife of the five brothers, and Karenumati, daughter of the Chedi king Shishupala. For Yudhishthira's Rajasuya, he conquered the Sivis, the Rohitakas and other dynasties. After the game of dice, the Pandavas and Draupadi were sent into exile for 13 years with the last year being incognito. During the incognito, Nakula disguised himself as a horse trainer named Granthika. In the Kurukshetra War, Nakula killed many warriors, including Vrikas ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Yudhishthira
''Yudhishthira'' (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his first wife, Kunti. Yudhishthira is later crowned the king of Indraprastha with his capital at Hastinapura. From his childhood, Yudhishthira was greatly influenced by his uncle Vidura and his great uncle Bhishma, and believed in the virtues of ''dharma''. He was trained by two warrior-sages, Kripacharya and Dronacharya. Yudhisthira was appointed as the crown prince of Hastinapura, but was later replaced by Duryodhana. Because of Kunti's misunderstanding, Yudhishthira and his siblings had a polyamorous marriage with Draupadi, the princess of Panchala. Dhritarashtra, on Bhishma's request, divided his kingdom to end the succession dispute between Yudhishthira and Duryodhana. The eldest son of Pandu was given a barren land to rule, which he subse ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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]   |
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Kunti
Kunti ( sa, कुन्ती, ), named at birth as Pritha ( sa, पृथा, ), is one of the prominent characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. She is best known as the mother of the Pandavas and Karna, the main protagonists of the epic. She is described to be beautiful, intelligent, and shrewd. Born to the Yadava chief Shurasena, Pritha was adopted by her childless uncle, Kuntibhoja, and was renamed Kunti. During her teenage years, she impressed sage Durvasa and was blessed with the knowledge of a divine ''mantra''. Out of curiosity, she used the mantra to invoke the sun god Surya, and was blessed with a son named Karna. As he had been born out of wedlock, Kunti had to abandon him to save herself from dishonor. After reaching adulthood, she chose Pandu, the king of Kuru, as her husband, but her married life was disturbed when Madri, princess of Madra, became Pandu's second wife. One day, Pandu was cursed that he would perish instantly if he tried to touch any of his ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ashwini Kumaras
The Ashvins ( sa, अश्विन्, Aśvin, horse possessors), also known as Ashwini Kumara and Asvinau,, §1.42. are Hindu twin gods associated with medicine, health, dawn and sciences. In the ''Rigveda'', they are described as youthful divine twin horsemen, travelling in a chariot drawn by horses that are never weary, and portrayed as guardian deities that safeguard and rescue people by aiding them in various situations. There are varying accounts, but Ashvins are generally mentioned as the sons of the sun god Surya and his wife Sanjna. In the epic ''Mahabharata,'' the Pandava twins Nakula and Sahadeva were the children of the Ashvins. Etymology and epithets The Sanskrit name ' (अश्विन्) derives from the Indo-Iranian stem ''*Haćwa-'' (cf. Avestan ''aspā''), itself from the Indo-European word for the horse, ''*H1éḱwos'', from which also descends the Lithuanian name ''Ašvieniai''. Lubotsky, Alexander. "Indo-Aryan Inherited Lexicon". ''Indo-European Et ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Madri
In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Madri is the princess of Madra Kingdom and the second wife of the king Pandu. She is the mother of the youngest Pandavas - the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva. The word ''Mādrī'' means 'woman of Madra'. Marriage In the epic ''Mahabharata'', Madri is the sister of Shalya, the king of the Madra Kingdom. Hastinapura's Kuru king Pandu once encountered the army of Shalya. Very soon, Pandu and Shalya become friends. The Adi Parva of the ''Mahabharata'' states that Bhishma travelled to Madra and asked for the hand of Madri for Pandu. Shalya assented, but according to their family custom, he was unable to 'bestow' his sister to the Kurus. So, Bhishma presented him with wealth, gold, elephants, and horses, and takes Madri with him to Hastinapura. Pandu's curse While hunting in a forest, Pandu sees a couple of deer in the process of coitus, and shoots arrows at them; only to find out that it was a sage named Kindama and his wife who were making ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |