KarnaKarna (Sanskrit: कर्णः, IAST: Karṇa), also known as Vasusena, Anga-Raja, Sutaputra and Radheya, is one of the major characters in the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. He is the son of Surya (the solar deity) and princess Kunti (later the Pandava mother). His birth occurred after Kunti invoked a divine boon to test its power in her youth; fearing societal stigma over her premarital motherhood, she is forced to abandon the infant in a basket on the Ganges.
HidimbiHiḍimbī, also known as Hiḍimbā (Sanskrit: हिडिम्बा), is a character in the Mahabharata, one of the two great Sanskrit epics of ancient India. She is introduced as a man-eating Rakshasi (demoness) and the sister of Hidimba, a powerful demon who ruled a forested region.
DuryodhanaDuryodhana (Sanskrit: दुर्योधन, IAST: Duryodhana), also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari of Kuru dynasty. Born through a miraculous manner, his birth is accompanied by ill-omens. Duryodhana grows up in Hastinapura and later becomes its crown prince.
BhimaBhima (Sanskrit: भीम, IAST: Bhīma), also known as Bhimasena (Sanskrit: भीमसेन, IAST: Bhīmasena), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the wind god, which bestowed upon him superhuman strength from birth.
PandavaThe Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a patronymic referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the ancient 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 cursed inability to naturally sire children.
AkshauhiniAn akshauhini (Sanskrit: अक्षौहिणीakṣauhiṇī) 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.
Kurukshetra WarBelligerentsTerritory-less Pandavas of KuruPanchala under DrupadaMatsya under VirataVrishni under SatyakiChedi under DhrishtaketuPandyasMagadha under JayatsenaKashiKuntiKrishna (noncombatant) Other alliesKauravas of Kuru kingdomAngaGandharaSindhuMadraKalingaKambojasBahlikasTrigartaPragjyotishaYadava Army (Narayani Sena of Krishna)Pundras Other alliesCommanders and leadersOverlordYudhishthiraCommander-in-chiefDhrishtadyumna (day 1-18) †Other-main warriorsArjunaBhimaDrupada†Virata†Chekitana†SatyakiShikhandi†:Abhimanyu†Ghatotkacha†5 Kekaya princes †Uttamaujas and Yudhamanyu†OverlordsDhritrashtraDuryodhana†Commanders-in-chiefBhishma (day 1-10) †Drona (day 11-15) †Karna (day 16-17) †Shalya (day 18) †Ashwatthama (night raid) Other commandersDushasana†Jayadratha†KripaKritavarmaBhurishravas†Bahlika†Bhagadatta†Sudakshina†Shakuni†Strength7 Akshauhinis153,090-100,300,000 chariots and chariot riders10,000–153,090 elephants and elephant riders459,270–1,000,000 horses and horse riders765,450–1,000,000,000 infantry (total 1,530,900 soldiers–1,003,830,900)11 Akshauhinis240,570 chariots and chariot riders240,570 elephants and elephant riders721,710 horses and horse riders – 100,000,000 horses (mentioned possibly as a hyperbole)1,202,850 infantry6,000,000 protecting elephants and chariots140,000,000 Pishachas280,000,000 Rakshasa420,000,000 Yaksha100,000,000 Narayani Sena(total 8,450,700 – 1,048,405,700 soldiers)Casualties and lossesAlmost total (1,530,892 soldiers)Only 8 known survivors: the Pandavas, Krishna, Satyaki, and YuyutsuAlmost total (2,405,697 soldiers)Only 3 known survivors - Ashwatthama, Kripa, and Kritavarma Yudhishthira gives a different number which is 1,660,020,000 dead and 24,165 missing.The Kurukshetra War (Sanskrit: कुरुक्षेत्रयुद्ध), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the Hindu epic poemMahabharata, arising from a dynastic struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura.
WayangWayang (from Javanese ꦮꦪꦁ, wayang (in the ngoko register), ꦫꦶꦁꦒꦶꦠ꧀ (in the krama register), Balinese: ᬯᬬᬂ, Sundanese: ᮝᮚᮀ, ultimately from Old Javanese wayaṅ) is a traditional Java-origin dramatic performance in which a story is represented (by puppets, by dancers) invented by the indigenous Javans (the Javanese and Sundanese) — the Native Indonesian ethnic groups.
RakshasaRakshasa (Sanskrit: राक्षस, pronounced [ɾɑːk.ʂɐ.s̪ɐ], romanized: rākṣasa; Pali: rakkhasa; lit. 'demon' or 'fiend') are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Indonesian folk Islam. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually use for evil acts such as disrupting Vedic sacrifices or eating humans.
MahabharataThe Mahābhārata ( mə-HAH-BAR-ə-tə, MAH-hə-; Sanskrit: महाभारतम्, IAST: Mahābhāratam, pronounced [mɐɦaːˈbʱaːrɐt̪ɐm], 'Great Bharata') is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India revered in Hinduism, the other being the Ramayana. Both are considered smṛti and itihasa texts.
Indian epic poetryIndian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya (IAST: Kāvyá). The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which were originally composed in Sanskrit and later translated into many other Indian languages, and the Five Great Epics of Tamil literature and Sangam literature are some of the oldest surviving epic poems ever written.
SanskritAncient Indo-Aryan language of South AsiaSanskrit (; stem form संस्कृत; nominal singular संस्कृतम्, saṃskṛtam,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late Bronze Age.
GhatamThe ghaṭam (Sanskrit: घट ghaṭ; Kannada: ಘಟ ghaṭa; Tamil: கடம் ghatam; Telugu: ఘటం ghataṃ; Malayalam: ഘടം ghataṃ) is a percussion instrument used in various repertoires across the Indian subcontinent, especially in Southern India . Its variant is played in Punjab and known as gharha as it is a part of Punjabi folk traditions. Its analogue in Rajasthan is known as the madga and pani mataqa ("water jug").*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.