111-454: Overlord Yudhishthira Commander-in-chief Dhrishtadyumna (day 1-18) † Other-Commanders Bhima Drupada † Virata † Chekitana † Satyaki . Shikhandi † The Kurukshetra War ( Sanskrit : कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War , is a war described in
222-568: A polyandrous marriage with Draupadi , the princess of Panchala , who became the empress of the Indraprastha. After Yudhishthira performed the Rajasuya Yagna , he was invited to play a game of dice by his jealous cousin, Duryodhana and his uncle, Shakuni . Shakuni, a master at the game, represented Duryodhana against Yudhishthira and manipulated him into gambling his kingdom, wealth, the freedom of his brothers, Draupadi, and even himself. After
333-443: A Brahmin rishi, Kindama and his wife were enjoying nature in the forest when Yudhishthira's father Pandu accidentally shot at them, mistaking them for deer. Before dying, Kindama cursed the king to die when he engages in intercourse with any woman. Due to this curse, Pandu was unable to become a father. As an additional penance for the murder, Pandu abdicated the throne of Hastinapura , and his blind brother Dhritarashtra took over
444-525: A copper plate, the Akshaya Patra , to Yudhishthira, saying that any food cooked in that vessel would be inexhaustible, until Draupadi finished her daily meal. He also blessed Yudhishthira that the latter would regain his kingdom fourteen years later. Sage Vyasa imparts the Pratismriti to Yudhishthira and tells him to pass it down to Arjuna. On Vyasa's advice, Yudhishthira permits Arjuna to perform penance in
555-595: A decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, the arrangement of Vedic hymns into collections, and the development of the orthodox srauta ritual, transforming the Kuru realm into the dominant political and cultural center of northern Iron Age India . He also appears as a figure in later legends and traditions. According to the legendary accounts in Mahabharata and the Puranas , he succeeded his grand uncle Yudhishthira to
666-545: A duel with no clear winner. Drupada and his son Shikhandi go to help Bhima, but they are stopped by Vikarna , one of Duryodhana's brothers, who attacks and injures them badly. Drona kills many Pandava soldiers and both armies' formations are broken. Bhima penetrates the Kaurava formation and attacks Duryodhana, who is defeated but rescued. The Upapandavas (sons of Draupadi ) fight against Ashwatthama and destroy his chariot. Drona kills Shanka, one of Virata's son. Yuyutsu
777-490: A fierce battle over hours. Drona and Dhrishtadyumna similarly engage in a duel, and Drona defeats Dhrishtadyumna, who is saved by Bhima . Duryodhana sends the troops of Kalinga to attack Bhima and most of them, including the King of Kalinga, are killed. Bhishma comes to relieve the battered Kalinga forces. Satyaki , who was assisting Bhima, shoots at Bhishma's charioteer and kills him. Bhishma's horses bolt and carry Bhishma away from
888-408: A fierce duel where Yudhishthira was ultimately defeated by Drona. Yudhishthira would later assist his nephew Ghatotkacha in slaying the asura Alambusha. Yudhishthira would later defeat Duryodhana twice and the latter had to be rescued by Drona. Drona and Yudhishthira would engage in an archery duel which would end up as a stalemate. Yudhishthira would later be defeated by Kritavarma . On
999-677: A historical date to the Kurukshetra war, with research suggesting c. 1000 BCE. However, popular tradition claims that the war marks the transition to the Kali Yuga , dating it to c. 3102 BCE. Although the Kurukshetra War is not mentioned in Vedic literature, its prominence in later literature led British Indologist A. L. Basham to conclude that there was a great battle at Kurukshetra which, "magnified to titanic proportions, formed
1110-498: A horse was released to wander for a year, and Yudhishthira's brother Arjuna led the Pandava army, following the horse. The kings of all the countries where the horse wandered were asked to submit to Yudhishthira's rule or face war. All paid tribute, once again establishing Yudhishthira as the undisputed Emperor of Bharatavarsha. During his reign, Yudhisthira duly consulted with and reported to Dhritarashtra on governances. After 15 years,
1221-537: A one-legged bull with a rod, and kicking a cow. He became angry at this sight and arrested the man. Parikshit was about to kill him when the man revealed his true identity as Kali . Kali begged forgiveness from Parikshit, who forgave him but ordered him to leave the kingdom. Kali obeyed this order and left Parikshit's kingdom. Satisfied, the cow revealed herself as the Prithvi , who was grief-stricken for Krishna had returned to his abode ( Vaikuntha ) and had left earth. The bull
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#17328554761251332-639: A physical form. Upon his arrival, Yudhishthira finds Duryodhana and his Kaurava cousins in heaven but not his brothers and Draupadi. Furious, Yudhishthira demands that Narada take him to where he might find his family. Narada brings Yudhishthira to Hell where he encounters Karna, his brothers, Draupadi, Dhrishtadyumna, and the Upapandavas. Yudhishthira, enraged, decides that he would rather live in Hell with his family than in Heaven with his cousins. Indra then appears and lifts
1443-524: A quarter of the Mahabharata . These chapters are considered among the oldest in the Mahabharata . 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
1554-486: A report that his nemesis went into hiding in a nearby swamp. The Pandavas brothers and Krishna thus went to the swamp, and taunted Duryodhana off his refuge. Yudhishthira proposed a final challenge to Duryodhana, to a battle against any of the Pandavas under any weapon of Duryodhana's desire. Yudhishthira also promised Duryodhana that should he win, he would reign as the next King of Hastinapura. With Duryodhana choosing Bhima,
1665-509: A revenge against the Pandavas for killing his relatives and friends (in particular his father Drona and friend Duryodhan ) in the Kurukshetra war. Uttarā was terrified by the powerful rays of the weapon and worried about her child. Her mother-in-law Subhadra prayed to Krishna , who was also her brother, for help to save their heir. Krishna pacified her and protected the child in the womb from
1776-562: A son named Shringi (not to be confused with Shringi in Ramayana ), who heard this incident from another sage's son named Krisa. He became furious as he didn't know the deceit played by Kali Purush. He cursed Parikshit to die of a snakebite in seven days, for disrespecting his father, Rishi Shamika. When Shamika learned of the curse his son had given, he was dissatisfied. Shamika ordered his disciple Gaurmukha to go to Parikshit and tell him everything about his death. When Parikshit heard about
1887-463: A war that took place between two rival families belonging to this clan. Kurukshetra (literally " Region of the Kurus"), also known as Dharmakshetra (the "Region of Dharma "), was the battleground on which the Kurukshetra War was fought. The first Mahābhārata says that this site was chosen because a sin committed on land was forgiven because of the land's sanctity. The events of the war make up more than
1998-480: A week. He starts the Sarpasatra, a yagna, which forced each and every snake in the universe to fall in the havan kund . However, Indra tries to save Takshaka from getting pulled in sacrifice. The sages who perform sacrifice start chanting "Indraay swaahaa, Takshakaay cha swaahaa". Due to this, even Indra starts getting pulled in the sacrifice. Later, this yagna/sacrifice was stopped from doing so by Astika Muni (who
2109-494: A woman. Shikhandi's arrows fell on Bhishma without hindrance. Arjuna positions himself behind Shikhandi, protecting himself from Bhishma's attack and aimed his arrows at the weak points in Bhishma's armor and defeats him. The Kauravas and Pandavas gathered around Bhishma and at his request, Arjuna places three arrows under Bhishma's head to support it. Bhishma had promised his father, King Shantanu , that he would live until Hastinapura
2220-481: Is also recorded by another episode when the Pandavas conquered Khandavaprastha (now known as Indraprastha). Takshaka is the head of snakes, who was residing in Nagaloka without any human disturbance. When the Pandavas arrived, Takshaka felt his freedom is seized, with pure anger, he ordered his troops to attack the Pandavas and their subjects. The widespread attack resulted in the death of many people, or everyone except
2331-479: Is born on earth in each eon when evil raises its head. Before the battle begins, Yudhishthira drops his weapons, takes off his armor, and walks towards the Kaurava Army with folded hands in prayer. He falls on Bhishma's feet to seek his blessing for success in battle, and he is blessed. Yudhishthira returned to his chariot and the battle was ready to commence. The Pandavas suffered heavy losses and are defeated at
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#17328554761252442-458: Is composed of the words, yudhi (masculine locative singular) meaning "in battle"—from yudh (युध्) meaning 'battle, fighting'—and sthira (स्थिर) meaning 'steady'. His other names are: According to Buddhist sources, by the late and post-Vedic periods, Kuru had become a minor state ruled by a chieftain called Koravya and belonging to the Yuddhiṭṭhila ( Yudhiṣṭhira ) gotta . Once
2553-456: Is debarred from fighting. Karna joins the war later when Bhishma is severely wounded by Arjuna. The Kingdom of Vidarbha , Vidura , and Balarama are the neutral parties in this war. Rukmi , King of Vidarbha, wanted to join the war, but Arjuna refuses because he had lost to Krishna during Rukmini's svayamvara and he boasted about his war strength and army, and Duryodhana does not want Arjuna's reject. Vidura does not want to see bloodshed and
2664-487: Is injured by Kripa in a sword fight. Nakula and Sahadeva fight Duryodhana's brothers but are overwhelmed by the number of them. Bhima kills 17 of Dhritarashtra 's sons. Iravan , the son of Arjuna, kills five of Shakuni 's brothers. Duryodhana deploys the Rakshasa warrior Alambusha , who kills Iravan. Bhishma destroys Pandava armies. Arjuna heads to Bhishma but fights him half-heartedly. Krishna, overwhelmed by anger at
2775-573: Is insulted by Duryodhana. The Mahābhārata states that in the year in which the war took place, three solar eclipses took place within a thirty-day period; eclipses are considered ill omens in Hindu astrology . On the first day of the war, as would be on all the following days, the Kaurava Army stood facing west and the Pandava Army east. The Pandava Army was organised by Yudhishthira and Arjuna in
2886-430: Is often cited as an example of Yudhishthira's upright principles. The Yaksha later identified himself as Yudhishthira's father, Dharma, and pointed them to the kingdom of Matsya to spend their last year of exile in anoymity. Along with his brothers, Yudhishthira spent his last year of exile in the kingdom of Matsya. He disguised himself as a Brahmin named Kanka (among themselves Pandavas codenamed him Jaya) and advised
2997-461: Is possible that there was a small-scale conflict, transformed into a gigantic epic war by bards and poets. Some historians and archaeologists have argued that this conflict may have occurred in about 1000 BCE. According to Finnish Sindhologist Asko Parpola , the war may have taken place during the later phase of the Painted Grey Ware , c/ 750–350 BCE. Popular tradition holds that the war marks
3108-574: Is present. He orders the Samsaptakas (the Trigarta warriors headed by Susharma , who had vowed to either conquer or die) to keep Arjuna busy in a remote part of the battlefield, an order which they readily obey on account of their old hostilities with the Pandava scion. Arjuna defeats them before the afternoon, then faces Bhagadatta , who had been creating havoc among the Pandava troops, and defeated Bhima, Abhimanyu and Satyaki. Arjuna and Bhagadatta fight and
3219-486: Is right and what is wrong, Arjuna turns to Krishna for divine advice and teachings. Krishna, who Arjuna chose as his charioteer, advised him of his duty. Krishna instructs Arjuna not to yield to degrading impotence and to fight his kin. He also reminds him that it is a war between righteousness and unrighteousness ( dharma and adharma ), and it is Arjuna's duty to slay anyone who supported the cause of unrighteousness, or sin. Krishna reveals his divine form and explains that he
3330-582: The Shatapatha Brahmana (XIII.5.4), Parikshita had four sons, Janamejaya, Bhimasena, Ugrasena and Śrutasena. All of them performed the Asvamedha Yajna . His bodily existence ended due to the curse of the sage Shringi , who used the Naga king , Takshaka , the ruler of Taxila as the instrument of death. Parikshit was the husband of Queen Madravati and was succeeded by his son Janamejaya . According to
3441-532: The Kurukshetra War and defeated many venerable warriors such as Shalya . He then ruled the Kuru Kingdom for 36 years until announcing his retirement. At the end of the epic, he was the only one among his brothers to ascend to heaven while retaining his mortal body. The word Yudhiṣṭhira is an aluk compound (meaning it preserves the case ending of its first part). It means "one who is steady in battle". It
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3552-400: The Kurukshetra War , an ancestor to the Pandavas , and one who lived later as a descendant of the Pandavas . Historian H. C. Raychaudhuri believes that the second Parikshit's description better corresponds to the Vedic king, whereas the information available about the first is scanty and inconsistent, but Raychaudhuri questions whether there were actually two distinct kings. He suggests that
3663-449: The Mahabharata , he ruled for 60 years and died. Parikshit is believed to be a reincarnation of Satya Yuga , the personified first yuga in Hindu scriptures. The Bhagavata Purana (1.8.9) states that the son of Drona , Ashwatthama had prepared a Brahmastra (a powerful weapon summoned to Brahma ) to kill the Pandavas heir (King Parikshit), while he was in his mother's ( Uttarā ) womb, as
3774-539: The raja vishvajanina (universal king). According to the Mahabharata, Parikshit married princess Madravati of the Madra Kingdom , reigned for 60 years, and died. It is believed that his son, Janamejaya , succeeded the throne. Only one Parikshit is mentioned in Vedic literature; however, post-Vedic literature (Mahabharata and Puranas) seems to indicate the existence of two kings by this name –– one who lived before
3885-424: The "divine" ambassador of the Pandavas. Duryodhana is insulted that Krishna turns down his invitation to accommodate himself in the royal palace. Duryodhana plots to arrest Krishna and insult, humiliate, and defame him in front of the entire royal court of Hastinapura as a challenge to the prestige of the Pandavas and declaration of an act of open war. At the formal presentation of the peace proposal by Krishna in
3996-409: The 15th day, Yudhishthira was approached by Drona , in the latter' inquiry on the death of his son Ashwatthama whom he heard to have died at Bhima's hand. Torn between his duty to cripple Drona and upholding his morals, Yudhishthira opted to half truth where he confirmed the death of Ashwatthama the elephant, but omitted the contextual part that it was an elephant and not his son. This was effective in
4107-582: The Bharata battle, which would imply improbably long reigns on average for the kings listed in the genealogies. There are also analyses of parallel genealogies in the Puranas between the times of Adhisimakrishna (Parikshit's great-grandson) and Mahapadma Nanda. Pargiter estimated 26 generations by averaging 10 different dynastic lists and assuming 18 years for the average duration of a reign, arrived at an estimate of 850 BCE for Adhisimakrishna and approximately 950 BCE for
4218-501: The Bharata battle. Despite the inconclusiveness of the data, attempts have been made to assign a historical date to the Kurukshetra War. The existing text of the Mahābhārata went through many revisions, and mostly belongs to the period between c. 500 BCE and 400 CE. Within the frame story of the Mahābhārata , the kings Parikshit and Janamejaya are featured significantly as scions of the Kuru clan, and Michael Witzel concludes that
4329-562: The Brahmana literature itself to show that it cannot have been much earlier". Puranic literature presents genealogical lists associated with the Mahābhārata narrative. There are two pieces of evidence of the Puranas: there is the direct statement that there were 1,015 (or 1,050) years between the birth of Parikshit (Arjun's grandson) and the accession of Mahapadma Nanda , commonly dated to 382 BCE, which would yield an estimate of about 1400 BCE for
4440-456: The Himalayas and obtain celestial weapons from the gods. During Arjuna's absence, Sage Brihadashva consoles Yudhishthira by narrating the story of Nala and Damayanti . Brihadashva advises Yudhishthira not give in to misery despite the wretched conditions he lives in. At the end of the story, Yudhishthira received a mantra from the sage, which makes him a master of gambling. One day, while Bhima
4551-555: The Hindu epic poem Mahabharata , arising from a dynastic struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas , for the throne of Hastinapura . The war is used as the context for the dialogues of the Bhagavad Gita . The Mahābhārata is an account of the life and deeds of several generations of a ruling dynasty called the Kuru clan. Central to the epic is an account of
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4662-461: The Kaurava Army. Bhishma accepts on the condition that, while he would fight the battle sincerely, he would not harm the five Pandava brothers. He also says that Karna would rather not fight under him, but serve as Duryodhana's bodyguard as long as he was in the battlefield. Having little choice, Duryodhana agrees to Bhishma's conditions and makes him the Major General of the Kaurava Army, while Karna
4773-537: The Kuru Mahasabha at the court of Hastinapura, Krishna asks Duryodhana to return Indraprastha to the Pandavas and restore the status quo, or at least give five villages, one for each of the Pandavas; Duryodhana refuses. Krishna's peace proposals are ignored and dismissed, and Duryodhana publicly orders his soldiers to arrest Krishna despite warnings from the elders. Krishna laughs and displays his divine form, radiating intense light. He curses Duryodhana that his downfall
4884-428: The Major General of the Kaurava forces according to Karna's advice. Duryodhana wants to capture Yudhishthira alive; killing Yudhishthira in battle would only enrage the Pandavas more, while holding him as a hostage would be strategically useful. Drona cuts down Yudhishthira's bow, and Arjuna stops Drona from capturing Yudhishthira. Drona tells Duryodhana that it would be difficult to capture Yudhishthira as long as Arjuna
4995-649: The Pandava follow to protect him from any potential danger. As soon as Abhimanyu enters the formation, Jayadratha stops them with help from a boon obtained from Shiva , and defeats Bhima and Satyaki . Inside the chakra/kamala formation, Abhimanyu kills many warriors, including Vrihadvala (the king of Kosala ); the king of Asmaka , Martikavata (the son of Kritavarma ); Rukmaratha (the son of Shalya ); and Shalya's younger brother, Lakshmana (the son of Duryodhana) and Dushasana's second son, Dushmanara. Yudhishthira Traditional Yudhishthira ( Sanskrit : युधिष्ठिर, IAST : Yudhiṣṭhira ) also known as Dharmaraja ,
5106-522: The Pandavas and their wife Draupadi . After this incident, Arjuna , the third Pandava, lifted his bow and set fire to the Nagaloka. Takshaka grew even more furious and vowed to kill one of the lineages of the Pandavas. The vow of Takshaka and the curse of Rishi Shamika's son Sringin gave the ultimate destiny of Parikshit that he will be killed by a snakebite. On hearing of his father's death by Takshaka, Parikshit's son Janamejaya vowed to kill Takshaka within
5217-454: The Pandavas, accompanied by a dog, made their final journey of pilgrimage to the Himalayas . During their pilgrimage, each one starting with Draupadi, fell down dead upon the mountains. Yudhishthira cites Draupadi's partiality for Arjuna, Sahadeva's pride in his wisdom, Nakula's vanity in his beauty, Arjuna's boastfulness of his archery, and Bhima's negligence of the needs of others while eating as
5328-528: The Pārikṣita Dynasty to c. 1200–1100 BC (the late Rig-Vedic period). In contrast, H.C. Raychaudhuri had dated him to ninth century BC. Witzel deems Parikṣhit (along with other kings of the dynasty) to be primarily responsible for the collation of diverse strands of material into singular "national" collections — Rig Veda Samhita , Samveda Samhitas , and Khilani . Parikshit is the son of Abhimanyu and Uttara , and grandson of Arjuna . According to
5439-409: The Samsaptakas led by Susharma challenge Arjuna and keep him busy at a remote part of the battlefield the whole day. On the other side of the battlefield, the remaining four Pandavas and their allies find it impossible to break Drona's chakra formation. Yudhishthira instructed Abhimanyu to break the chakra/padma formation. Abhimanyu knows how to enter the chakra formation, but not know how to exit, so
5550-515: The ancient Indian subcontinent ( Bharata Varsha ). He also explains the military formations adopted by each side on each day, the death of each hero and the details of each war-racing. As a last attempt at peace is called for in Rajadharma, Krishna travels to the Kingdom of Hastinapura to persuade the Kauravas to see reason, avoid bloodshed of their kin, and to embark upon a peaceful path with him as
5661-403: The apparent inability of Arjuna to kill Bhishma, rushes towards the Kaurava commander. Ghatotkacha kills the rakshasa Alambusha. Realising that the war could not be won as long as Bhishma was standing, Krishna suggests placing a transgender in the field to face him. The Pandavas put Shikhandi , who had been a woman in a prior life, in front of Bhishma, as Bhishma has taken a vow not to attack
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#17328554761255772-460: The basis of the story of the greatest of India's epics, the Mahābhārata ". Acknowledging that later "generations looked upon it as marking an end of an epoch", he suggested that rather than being a civil war it might have been "a muddled recollection of the conquest of the Kurus by a tribe of Mongol type from the hills". He saw it as useless to the historian and dates the war to the ninth century BCE based on archaeological evidence and "some evidence in
5883-512: The battlefield to search for him, only to find him taking refuge in camp. Furious at Arjuna for not killing Karna yet, Yudhishthira insults him by suggesting Arjuna should hand over the Gandiva to another warrior if he does not think he is able to slay Karna. Arjuna, enraged from Yudhishthira's insult, attempted to kill him with his sword but was stopped from doing so due to Krishna's intervention. Filled with regret, Arjuna attempted to commit suicide but
5994-412: The battlefield, and Duryodhana's forces scatter. Bhishma restores order and Duryodhana returns to lead the army. He is angry at Bhishma for what he saw as leniency towards the five Pandava brothers, and spoke harshly of him. Bhishma, stung by this unfair charge, returns to the battlefield. Arjuna attacks Bhishma to restore order. Arjuna and Bhishma duel again. Bhishma commands the Kaurava Army to move on
6105-445: The battlefield, the brothers proved valiance, defending King Virata before finally defeating King Susharma. While Yudhishthira and King Virata were away battling Susharma, the city was marched upon by the host from Hastinapur. Prince Uttar and Brihannala ( Arjuna ), who were left in defense of the city, rallied to defend the kingdom, where Arjuna revealed his identity and fended off the invasion. When King Virata returned from his battle,
6216-443: The battlefield. The Kauravas concentrate their attack on Arjuna, whose chariot becomes covered with arrows and javelins. Arjuna builds a fortification around his chariot with an unending stream of arrows from his bow. Abhimanyu and Satyaki join forces to defeat Shakuni 's Gandhara forces. Bhima and Ghatotkacha attack Duryodhana in the rear. Bhima's arrows hit Duryodhana, who collapses in his chariot. His charioteer drives him off
6327-473: The characteristics of the Yugas, the story of King Shibi , and the story of Savitri and Satyavan . He also narrated the story of Rama to Yudhishthira, and discoursed on spiritual philosophy. During their exile, the four other Pandavas happened upon a lake, which was haunted by a Yaksha . The Yaksha challenged the brothers to answer his moral questions before drinking the water; the four Pandavas laughed and drank
6438-778: The country. Yudhishthira asks his brothers to organize their army. The Pandavas have seven akshauhinis with the help of their allies. After consulting his commanders, the Pandavas appoint Dhrishtadyumna as the Major General of the Pandava Army. The Kaurava Army is made up of 11 akshauhinis . This includes the Narayani Sena of Krishna, which originally included seven maharathi s (Krishna, Balarama , Samba , Ahuka, Charudeshna, Chakradeva, and Satyaki ) and seven athirathi s ( Kritavarma , Anadhrishti, Samika, Samitinjaya, Kanka, Sanku, and Kunti). Duryodhana asks Bhishma to command
6549-417: The curse he accepted his fate, but the ministers created a mansion that would stand on a solitary column and remain well guarded. Kashyapa , a sage who knew how to cure snakebites was coming for the king. But Takshaka changed the mind of the sage by offering him more wealth. Takshaka came to the king in form of a worm in fruits and bit Parikshit, which instantly led to his death. The death of Parikshit
6660-408: The deadly weapon and thus saved his life. Parikshit was thus born to Uttara. He was named Vişņurāta, because Lord Vishnu had given him to the Pandavas when their race was about to become extinct. Later he was crowned heir to the Pandavas at Hastinapura . After his coronation, he performed three sacrifices. While performing the sacrifices he traveled throughout the country. Once he saw a man beating
6771-534: The diamond ( vajra ) formation. Ten akshauhinis of the Kaurava Army were arranged in a phalanx . The eleventh was put under the immediate command of Bhishma, partly to protect him. The safety of the supreme commander Bhishma was central to Duryodhana's strategy, as he had placed all his hope on the great warrior's abilities. When the war is declared and the two armies face each other, Arjuna realises that he would have to kill his dear granduncle Bhishma and his respected teacher Drona. Despondent and confused about what
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#17328554761256882-488: The doubling was eventually "invented by genealogists to account for anachronisms" in the later parts of the Mahabharata, as "a bardic duplication of the same original individual regarding whose exact place in the Kuru genealogy no unanimous tradition had survived," and therefore there "is an intrusion into the genealogical texts" of the late, post-Vedic tradition, which also has two of Parikshit's son Janamejaya. Michael Witzel notes Parikṣhit to be an early Kuru king; he dates
6993-474: The end of the first day. Virata's sons, Uttara and Sweta, are slain by Shalya and Bhishma. Krishna consoles Yudhishthira saying that eventually, victory would be his. Arjuna, realizing that something needs to be done quickly to reverse the Pandava losses, decides to kill Bhishma. Krishna locates Bhishma's chariot and steers Arjuna toward him. Arjuna tries to engage Bhishma in a duel, but the Kaurava soldiers protect him and attack Arjuna. Arjuna and Bhishma fight
7104-642: The epic. John Keay confirmed it and also dated the battle to have taken place in 950 BCE. According to Parpola, the war may have taken place during the later phase of the Painted Grey Ware culture, c. 750-350 BCE. He noted that the Pandava heroes are not being mentioned in the Vedic literature from before the Grhyasutras . Parpola suggests that the Pandavas were Iranic migrants, who came to South Asia around 800 BCE. Excavations in Sinauli unearthed burials with
7215-653: The finds as ox-pulled carts, indicating support for his proposal for a first wave of Indo-Aryan migrations into the Indian subcontinent at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE, prior to the migration of the Rig Vedic people. In the beginning, Sanjaya gives a description of the various continents of the Earth , the other planets , and focuses on the Indian subcontinent, then gives an elaborate list of kingdoms, tribes, provinces, cities, towns, villages, rivers, mountains, and forests of
7326-685: The first right to make his request. Krishna tells Arjuna and Duryodhana that he would give the Narayani Sena consisting of gopas to one side and himself as a non-combatant to the other. Since Arjuna is given the first opportunity to choose, Duryodhana worries that Arjuna would choose the mighty army of Krishna. When given the choice of either Krishna's army or Krishna himself on their side, Arjuna chooses Krishna. Arjuna asks Krishna to be his charioteer, who agrees. Both Duryodhana and Arjuna returned satisfied. The Pandavas gather their armies while camping at Upaplavya in Virata 's territory. Contingents arrive from across
7437-486: The former king, his consort Gandhari , Queen Mother Kunti , and Prime Minister Vidura decided to retire to the forest, where they pass away years later. These events greatly saddened Yudhishthira and the Pandavas brothers. Upon the onset of the Kali Yuga and the departure of Krishna, Yudhishthira and his brothers retired, leaving the throne to their only descendant to survive the war of Kurukshetra, Arjuna's grandson, Parikshit . Giving up all their belongings and ties,
7548-553: The former purpose of crippling Drona, but also caused his own chariot to finally fall down to the ground, instead of slightly levitating as it had been before this incident. Yudhishthira was one of 5 individuals who witnessed Drona's spirit leaving his body. On the 17th day, he injured Duryodhana badly and was about to kill him but decided to spare him on Bhima's advice who reminded him of his vow to kill Duryodhana. Yudhishthira would be defeated by both Karna and Ashwatthama . Worried for Yudhishthira's safety, Arjuna retreats from
7659-497: The game again and was forced into exile for 13 years, which included one year in anonymity. Some time after going to the forests, Yudhishthira became troubled upon realising that he was unable to feed the Brahmanas who followed him to the forests. On the advice of his priest, Sage Dhaumya, Yudhishthira stood in river and appeased Surya , the Sun god, by reciting his 108 names. The god gifted
7770-487: The game of dice to the king. Following the death of Kichaka by Bhima, Matsya was invaded by King Susharma of Trigarta , in retaliation to the raidings his kingdom had suffered by Kichaka, and in cooperation with Duryodhana of Hastinapur. When Susharma's army closed the kingdom, Kanka volunteered to follow King Virata to face the invader, and took along his three brothers, Vallabha ( Bhima ), Granthika ( Nakula ), and Tantripala ( Sahadeva ), with him and while disguised. On
7881-449: The game, the Pandavas and Draupadi were sent into exile for thirteen years, with the last year requiring them to go incognito. During his exile, Yudhisthira was tested by his divine father Yama. For the last year of the exile known as Agyaata Vaasa , Yudhishthira disguised himself as Kanka and served the King of Matsya Kingdom . Yudhishthira was the leader of the successful Pandava faction in
7992-508: The general setting of the epic has a historical precedent in the Vedic period , where the Kuru kingdom was the center of political power during roughly 1200 to 800 BCE. According to Professor Alf Hiltebeitel , the Mahābhārata is essentially mythological. Indian historian Upinder Singh wrote: Whether a bitter war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas ever happened cannot be proved or disproved. It
8103-442: The identities of all Pandavas were revealed, and Yudhishthira congratulated the marriage between Princess Uttarā and Abhimanyu , as Arjuna has suggested. When the period of exile was completed, Duryodhana refused to return Yudhishthira's kingdom. Yudhishthira made numerous diplomatic efforts to retrieve his kingdom peacefully but in vain. Left with no other option, Yudhishthira wages war. The flag of Yudhishthira's chariot bore
8214-514: The illusion, informing Yudhishthira of his deception. Indra reveals that Yudhishthira has been shown a glimpse of Hell due to deceiving Drona with his white lie. Yama congratulates his son on passing his third and final test, the first being the Yaksha Prashna, and the second being his refusal to abandon the dog. Yudhishthira would then bathe in the Heavenly Ganga, casting off his mortal form and
8325-496: The image of a golden moon with planets around it. Two large and beautiful kettle-drums, called Nanda and Upananda, were tied to it. Before the war started, Yudhishthira stepped down from his chariot to take blessings from his grandsire Bhishma , teachers Drona and Kripa and uncle Shalya , who all were in his opposite side in the war showing his respect towards his elders. He also asked the willing Kauravas to join his side. On his request one of Dhritarashtra sons, Yuyutsu joined
8436-560: The kingdom to Pandavas to rule. However the land was under the control of Takshaka . Pandavas defeated Takshaka and with the help of Mayasura , they built a magnificent city named Indraprastha . Some years after his coronation at Indraprastha, Yudhishthira set out to perform the Rajasuya yagna. Arjuna , Bhima , Nakula , and Sahadeva led armies across the four corners of the world to obtain tributes from all kingdoms for Yudhishthira's sacrifice. The non-compliant Magadha king, Jarasandha
8547-412: The latter is killed. Drona continues his attempts to capture Yudhishthira, however his attacks were repelled by Prativindhya that day. The Pandavas, however, fought hard and delivered severe blows to the Kaurava Army, frustrating Drona's plans. Drona's goal remains to capture Yudhishthira. Among the Pandavas, only Arjuna and Krishna knew how to penetrate this formation, and to prevent them from doing so,
8658-522: The offensive. When the Kauravas form a chakravyuha , Abhimanyu enters it but is surrounded and attacked by Kaurava princes. Arjuna joins to help him. Bhima appears and attacks the Kauravas. Duryodhana sends a huge force of war elephants at Bhima, who leaves his chariot and attacks them singlehandedly with his iron mace . The elephants scatter and stampede into the Kaurava forces. Duryodhana orders an all-out attack on Bhima, who kills eight of Duryodhana's brothers before being struck by an arrow from Dushasana,
8769-446: The other Pandavas brothers, Krishna and Balarama witnessed the mace duel between the mace fighters. When Bhima finally defeated Duryodhana and started insulting his nemesis, Yudhishthira became sufficiently displeased with his brother's disrespect and ordered Bhima off the battleground. Ultimately, Yudhishthira heard out Duryodhana's final conversation and lamentation, before leaving the fallen Kauravas' overlord on his deathbed. After he
8880-509: The princes and their mother survived. They were heartbroken and decided to hide from Hastinapura. Later, Arjuna attended Draupadi's swayamvar and won her hand in marriage. But due to Kunti's misunderstanding, Draupadi became the common wife of all the Pandavas. Later at Indraprastha , Draupadi bore Yudhishthira a son, Prativindhya and a daughter, Suthanu. Suthanu was later married to Asvabhanu, Krishna and Satyabhama's eldest son. Although Yudhishthira had another wife named Devika , Draupadi
8991-465: The reasons for their fall. Finally, it was Yudhishthira who was able to reach the top, with the dog accompanying him. On reaching the top, Indra congratulates him and promises Yudhishthira immortality and godhood upon his ascent to Heaven. However, Indra asks him to abandon the dog before entering Heaven. But Yudhishthira refused to do so, citing the dog's unflinching devotion as a reason. Indra retorts that he has abandoned his brothers and wife to reach
9102-411: The reins of the kingdom. After knowing the curse of Pandu, Kunti told him that he could be the father of the child and told her boon of sage Durvasa. Then Pandu requested Kunti to apply her boon and suggested to call Dharma to get a truthful, knowledgeable and justice knowing son who can rule Hastinapur. On the full moon of May (Sanskrit: Jyeshth masa) first and the eldest of the Pandavas, Yudhishthira
9213-588: The remains of carts belonging to the Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (OCP). Several authors proposed to relate the Rig Vedic culture and the war to the OCP, instead of the PGW. While the carts are dated to 1800–1500 BCE (±150), Gupta and Mani state that "in the present state of archaeological evidence OCP seems to be a stronger contender for the Mahābhārata association", dating the war to the 4th millennium BCE. Parpola sees
9324-502: The royal families visited Bhishma , who had been lying on the bed of arrows since his defeat. Bhishma bestowed the new king with Anushasana , teaching the new king in series of dharma and royal conducts, before the elder guardian surrendered his life by his own will. Yudhishthira then cremated the former protector of Hastinapur in a great ceremony. Later, he performed the Ashvamedha on Krishna and Vyasa 's insistence. In this sacrifice,
9435-543: The second-eldest Kaurava, in the chest and sits down in his chariot dazed. At the end of the fourth day, Duryodhana goes to Bhisma and asks him how could the Pandavas, facing a superior force against them, have the upper hand. Bhishma says that the Pandavas have justice on their side and advises Duryodhana to seek peace. The Pandava Army suffers from Bhishma's attacks. Satyaki is being beaten by Drona , but Bhima drives by and rescues him. Arjuna kills thousands of soldiers sent by Duryodhana to attack him. Bhima engages Bhishma in
9546-469: The side of dharma. However, as he is being helped by Duryodhana, Karna says to Krishna that he would battle against the Pandavas as he had a debt to pay. Duryodhana and Arjuna go to Krishna at Dvaraka to ask for his and his army's help. Duryodhana arrives first and finds Krishna asleep. Duryodhana chooses a seat at Krishna's head and waits for him to awaken, while Arjuna sits and waits at Krishna's feet. When Krishna woke up, he saw Arjuna first and gave him
9657-416: The throne of Hastinapur . "Listen to the good praise of the King belonging to all people, who, (like) a god, is above men, (listen to the praise) of Parikṣit! - 'Parikṣit has just now made us peaceful dwelling; darkness has just now run to its dwelling.' The Kuru householder, preparing (grains) for milling, speaks (thus) with his wife. — 'What shall I bring you, sour milk, the mantha [a barley/milk drink?'
9768-472: The time. He closed his eyes and came out of the gambling hall even when he lost everything. Otherwise the entire Kuru court and all the one who were present would be burnt into ashes. Parikshit Parīkṣit ( Sanskrit : परीक्षित् , IAST : Parīkṣit ) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period (12th–10th centuries BCE). Along with his son and successor, Janamejaya , he played
9879-409: The top of the Himalayas, but Yudhishthira said he could not prevent their deaths, but to abandon a poor creature was a great sin. It turns out that the dog was his father Yama in disguise. Yama congratulates his son and commends him on his unwavering principles. Yudhishthira proceeds to Heaven upon a celestial vehicle with Narada as his guide, who informs him that he is the first mortal to enter Heaven in
9990-412: The transition to Kali Yuga and dates it to 3102 BCE . A number of other proposals have been put forward: Indian archeologist B. B. Lal used the same approach with a more conservative assumption of the average reign to estimate a date of 836 BCE and correlated it with archaeological evidence from Painted Grey Ware (PGW) sites, the association being strong between PGW artifacts and places mentioned in
10101-487: The war on the side of Pandavas. Yudhishthira was described to be an excellent car-warrior and a master at spear-fighting. Yudhishthira defeated many warriors in the war, like Duryodhana. Yudhishthira’s spear originally belonged to Ishana which he would use to kill Shalya during the war. On the 14th day of the war, while Arjuna was busy searching for Jayadratha , Drona attempted to capture Yudhishthira but Arjuna would foil Drona's plans. Yudhishthira and Drona engaged in
10212-539: The water anyway. As a result, they choked on the water and died. Yudhishthira went in last, answered many questions put forth to him by the Yaksha. After the Yaksha was satisfied with the answers, he offered Yudhishthira the choice to bring back one of his brother, and Yudhishthira chose Nakula. When the Yaksha questioned him on his reasoning, Yudhishthira replied that he is still alive as Kunti's lineage, but there are no one alive as Madri 's lineage, so he chose Nakula. The Yaksha
10323-511: The wife keeps asking in the Realm of King Pariksit. — By itself, the ripe barley bends heavily ( iva ) over the deep track of the path. The dynasty thrives auspiciously in the Realm of King Parikṣit.” Parikshit is eulogised in a hymn of the Atharvaveda (XX.127.7-10) as a great Kuru king ( Kauravya ), whose realm flowed with milk and honey and people lived happily in his kingdom. He is mentioned as
10434-536: Was Dharma whose other three legs were mutilated and he now only stood one leg in the Kali Yuga. Once while hunting, King Parikshit encountered Kali Purush who asked him for a new shelter other than his places of gambling, prostitution, vice and immoral relationship. King Parikshit allowed him to reside in gold. Though he asked him to reside in illicitly obtained gold, the crown of King happened to be of illicitly obtained gold (the crown originally belonged to Jarasandha,
10545-433: Was born to this couple. When the Pandavas returned to Hastinapura after hiding, there was conflict between Yudhishthira and Duryodhana regarding as the crown prince of Hastinapura. Yudhishthira was originally made the crown prince of Hastinapura, but after the event of Lakshagriha, people thought that he was dead, and Duryodhana was made the new crown prince of Hastinapura. On Bhishma 's advice, Dhritarashtra gave half of
10656-415: Was born. Yudhishthira's four younger brothers were Bhima (born by invoking Vayu ); Arjuna (born by invoking Indra ); and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva (born by invoking Aśvins ). Yudhishthira was trained in religion, science, administration and military arts by the Kuru preceptors, Kripa and Drona . Specifically, he became a master in using the spear and war chariot. It is said that his spear
10767-415: Was certain at the hands of the one who was sworn to tear off his thigh. His peace mission utterly insulted by Duryodhana, Krishna returns to the Pandava camp at Upaplavya to inform the Pandavas that the only course left to uphold the principles of virtue and righteousness is war. During his return, Krishna meets Karna , Kunti 's firstborn (before Yudhishthira), and asks him to help his brothers and fight on
10878-514: Was chosen to be the crown prince of Kuru. But after the Lakshagriha incident, he was presumed to be dead and his cousin Duryodhana was appointed as the new heir. The kingdom was split in half due to a succession dispute between Yudhishthira and Duryodhana. Yudhishthira received the barren half, which he later transformed into the magnificent city of Indraprastha . Yudhishthira and his brothers had
10989-487: Was defeated by Bhima and Krishna. At his sacrifice, Yudhishthira chose Krishna as his honored guest. At the yajna, many kings were present there, including Duryodhana and Shishupala . Shishupala was beheaded by Krishna for his evil deeds. An annoyed and jealous Duryodhana returned to Hastinapura. Yudhishthira was challenged to play a game of dice in Hastinapura by his cousin, Duryodhana. Duryodhana invited him because he
11100-443: Was dissuaded from doing so by Krishna . The brothers would reconcile their differences and embrace each other. On the last day of the war, Yudhishthira was highly energetic for the day, and engaged in a fierce duel against the Kauravas' final supreme commander, Shalya . With Bhima's assistance, Yudhishthira managed to slay his uncle. With the battlefield cleared of the Kauravas but no sight of Duryodhana, Yudhishthira received
11211-421: Was his chief consort as well as the empress. Yudhishthira was married to Devika in a self-choice marriage ceremony, arranged by her father Govasena, who was the king of Sivi Kingdom . They had a son, Yaudheya. According to Puranas, Yaudheya was also the name of the son of Prativindhya. The Bhagavata Purana , as well as Vishnu Purana , also mention Pauravi as one of the wives of Yudhishthira. A son named Devaka
11322-687: Was impressed again, and revived all of the Pandavas siblings. The Yaksha asked for any other wish as he was impressed and told him he could ask for wealth, strength, power, anything he wished. Yudhishthira said he already got the strength, wealth and power when all his four brothers were revived and said he could not ask for any other wish. Yudhishthira replied, "It is enough that I have beheld thee with my senses, eternal God of gods as thou art! O father, whatever boon thou wilt confer on me I shall surely accept gladly! May I, O lord, always conquer covetousness and folly and anger, and may my mind be ever devoted to charity, truth, and ascetic austerities!" This story
11433-522: Was jealous of Yudhishthira's wealth and power that he witnessed at the Rajasuya. Shakuni used the dice made from the bones of his father, which always ensured that he got the number he wanted and Yudhisthira was allowed to bet whatever he had he was proud of and had right over. After losing his brothers and his empire, he bet himself and also his wife which lead to the Vastraharan. Later, he lost his kingdom in
11544-454: Was made aware that Karna was his elder brother, Yudhishthira cursed all women with not being able to hide any secrets. Had Yudhishthira's mother Kunti not kept that fact a secret, the war might have been averted, with millions spared. After getting victory in the war, Yudhishthira was crowned as the Emperor of Hastinapura and reigned for 36 years. Fifty days after the war, Yudhishthira and
11655-589: Was reunited with his family in Svarga . Yudhishthira was master in spear-fighting and chariot racing. Yudhishthira was a polyglot, knowing unusual languages. After being exiled by Duryodhana, Yudhishthira became adept at controlling the dice after learning a mantra from Sage Brihadashwa. He was a hero known for his honesty, justice, sagacity, tolerance, good behavior and discernment. Yudhishthira could burn down anyone into ashes when he sees someone with his wrath and anger. That's why he used to be calm and composed most of
11766-421: Was roaming the forests, he was captured by a giant serpent, who suppressed the Pandava's might with his gaze. Meanwhile, a worried Yudhishthira searched for Bhima and found him at the mercy of the snake. To Yudhishthira's shock, the snake introduces itself to be the ancient King Nahusha , the father of Yayati , and the legendary ancestor of the Pandavas. Nahusha posed questions on spirituality to Yudhishthira and
11877-730: Was satisfied with his answers. In turn, he also clarified Yudhishthira's doubts on some spiritual topics. Nahusha then narrated his story to Yudhishthira, on how he used to rule Svarga in the days of yore, how he became intoxicated with hubris, and how he turned into a snake due to the curse of the sages, Bhrigu and Agastya . Nahusha used his own story to warn Yudhishthira about the consequences of being arrogant. Agastya and Bhrigu had prophesized that Yudhishthira would rescue Nahusha from his curse. After conversing with Yudhishthira, Nahusha regained his original form and returned to Svarga. The ever-youthful sage, Markandeya , once visited Yudhishthira. He narrated many stories to Yudhishthira, including
11988-425: Was secured from all directions. To keep this promise, Bhishma used the boon of Ichcha Mrityu (self-wished death) given to him by his father. After the war ended, when Hastinapura had become safe from all sides and after giving lessons on politics and Vishnu Sahasranama to the Pandavas, Bhishma dies on the first day of Uttarayana . With Bhishma unable to continue, Karna joins the battlefield. Duryodhana makes Drona
12099-483: Was so strong that it could penetrate a stone wall as though it were a piece of paper. His chariot always flew at a 4 finger distance above the ground due to his piety. After Yudhishthira and his brothers completed their studies, they returned to Hastinapur . Duryodhana along with Shakuni planned to kill them and sent Yudhishthira, his siblings, and his mother to a palace made of wax called Lakshagriha . One night, Shakuni's man, Purochana , set it on fire. However,
12210-431: Was taken by Bhima after killing him and wasn't returned to Jarasandha's successors), eventually Kali Purush entered King's mind. As the king crossed paths he saw sage Shamika meditating and asked him the whereabouts of a deer which he was hunting. But the sage did not respond as he was meditating. Angry at this, Parikshit tossed a dead snake around the sage's neck due to the ill effects of Kali Purush in his mind. The sage had
12321-403: Was the king of Indraprastha and later the King of Kuru Kingdom in the epic Mahabharata . He is the eldest among the five Pandavas , and is also one of the central characters of the epic. Yudhishthira was the son of Kunti , the first wife of King Pandu , fathered by the god Yama due to Pandu's inability to have children. Yudhishthira held a belief in dharma (morals and virtues) and
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