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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] |
Uluka
The ''Mahabharata'' is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, 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 (character), Gandhari and Kunti. Some pivotal additional characters include Balarama, Subhadra, Vidura, Abhimanyu, Kripacharya, Pandu, Satyavati, Ashwatthama, and Amba (Mahabharata), Amba. Deities who play a significant role in the epic include Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Ganga in Hinduism, Ganga, Indra, Surya and Yamraj, Yama. This list mentions notable characters and may also contain characters appearing in regional stories and folklores related to ''Mahabharata''. A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Subala
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 di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gandhara Kingdom
Gandhāra ( sa, गन्धार) was an Ancient Indian kingdom mentioned in the Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Gandhara prince Shakuni was the root of all the conspiracies of Duryodhana against the Pandavas, which finally resulted in the Kurukshetra War. Shakuni's sister was the wife of the Kuru king Dhritarashtra and was known as Gandhari after the area of Gandhāra (which is in modern Afghanistan and Pakistan). Puskalavati, ''Takshasila'' (Taxila) and ''Purushapura'' (Peshawar) were cities in this Gandhara kingdom. Takshasila was founded by Raghava Rama's brother Bharata. Bharata's descendants ruled this kingdom afterwards. During the epic's period, the kingdom was ruled by Shakuni's father ''Suvala'', Shakuni and Shakuni's son. Arjuna defeated Shakuni's son during his post-war military campaign for Yudhishthira's Aswamedha Yagna. Janamejaya, a Kuru king in Arjuna's line, conquered Takshasila, probably then ruled by the Naga Takshaka. He conducted a massacre ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duryodhana
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] |
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] |
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] |
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] |
Gandhari (Mahabharata)
Gandhari (, ) plays a prominent role in the Hindu epic the ''Mahabharata''. She was a princess of Gandhara and the wife of Dhritrashtra, the blind king of Hastinapura, and the mother of a hundred sons, the Kauravas, and a daughter.Ganguli, Kisari Mohan. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose by Kisari Mohan Ganguli. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. She is usually depicted with a blindfold, which she wore in order to live like her husband. She is also the sister in law of former king Pandu and his wife queen Kunti. Early life and marriage Gandhari was born to Subala, the ruler of Gandhara. As a maiden, Gandhari was noted for her piety and virtuous nature. Gandhari is regarded as an incarnation of the goddess Mati. She was the sister of Shakuni. During her maiden days, she is said to have impressed Lord Shiva through penance and received a boon to bear 100 children. However, the reason for her penance and her receiving such boon is unknown. In alterna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra ( sa, धृतराष्ट्र, ISO-15919: Dhr̥tarāṣṭra) was a Kuru king, and the father of the Kauravas in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the King of the Kuru Kingdom, with its capital at Hastinapura. He was born to Vichitravirya's first wife, Ambika. Dhritarashtra was born blind. He fathered one hundred sons and one daughter, Dushala, by his wife, Gandhari and a son, Yuyutsu, by his wife's maid. These children, including the eldest son Duryodhana, but not including Yuyutsu and Dushala, came to be known as the Kauravas. Etymology and historicity ''Dhṛtarāṣṭra'' means "He who supports/bears the nation" A historical Kuru King named Dhritarashtra Vaichitravirya is mentioned in the '' Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā'' of the Yajurveda ( 1200–900 BCE) as a descendant of the Rigvedic-era King Sudas of the Bharatas. His cattle was reportedly destroyed as a result of the conflict with the ''vrātya'' ascetics; however, this Vedic mention does ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dushasana
Dushasana ( sa, दुःशासन, , ), also spelled Duhshasana, Dussasana or Duhsasana, also known as Sushasana, is an antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was second eldest among the Kaurava princes and the younger brother of Duryodhana. Dushasan's jealousy and herd mentality were the two qualities said to have led to his downfall in the Mahabharata. Etymology His name derives from the Sanskrit words ''duḥ-'' "hard" and ''śāsana'' "rule"; thus ''duḥśāsana'' means "ne who ishard to rule." Birth and early life When Dhritarashtra's queen Gandhari's pregnancy continued for an unusually long time, she beat her womb in frustration and out of jealousy towards Kunti, the wife of Pandu, who had just given birth to Yudhishthira (the eldest of the five Pandava brothers). At this, a hardened mass of grey-coloured flesh emerged from her womb. Gandhari was devastated and called upon Vyasa, the great sage who had prophesied she would give birth to one hundred sons, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vikarna
In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Vikarna ( sa, विकर्ण) was the third Kaurava, a son of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, and a brother to the crown prince Duryodhana. Vikarna is also referred to as the third-most reputable of the Kauravas. Vikarna was the only Kaurava who opposed the humiliation of Draupadi, the wife of his cousins of the Pandavas after Yudhisthira lost her freedom in a game of dice to Duryodhana. Etymology The word ''Vikarna'' has two meanings. Basically it is made from two words. First word is ''vinā'' () or ''vishāla'' (), while second word is ''karna'' (. ''vinā'' means 'without' and ''vishāla'' means 'large'. And ''karna'' means 'ears'. So this name contains two meanings. Either it is 'the one who is earless' or 'large eared'. This could say something about his character. It is possible that the name Vikarna basically came from his character of either not listening to anyone(self-esteemed) or who listens and captures wisdom through his (large)e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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