KEY CHARACTERS
The Mahabharata has a vast array of characters.
Many are warriors, such as Arjuna, the great archer,
and his son, Abhimanyu; Bhishma, the leader of
the Kaurava army; and Drona, a master archer
who taught both the Pandavas and the
Kauravas. Some are renowned for
their strength, like Bhima,
Yudhishthira’s second brother,
and Duryodhana. Yudhishthira
himself is famed for his wisdom
and love for truthfulness. Foremost
among the female characters is
Draupadi, the spirited daughter
of King Drupada, who was won
by Arjuna, but became the wife
of all the five Pandavas. She is
rightfully outraged at being
used as a pawn in the dice
game. After winning her,
Duryodhana makes his brother
disrobe her publicly. Draupadi’s
humiliation in this manner is
partly responsible for the war.
THE BATTLE OF KURUKSHETRA
A vast plain near modern-day Delhi, Kurukshetra is believed to be the
site of the epic conflict of the Mahabharata. The battle lasted for 18
days, and the poem narrates how huge armies came from places far and
near to ally with either side. The epic describes the great war in detail:
complex strategies were employed, and while common soldiers fought
en masse, renowned warriors on either side sought to challenge each
other in single combat, using weapons ranging from bows and maces
to spears and swords. Veterans like Bhishma and Drona were forced to
confront their own pupils, the Pandavas, because they were duty-bound
to fight for the Kaurava side, although their sympathy lay with the
wronged Pandavas. Countless warriors from both sides were killed.THE MAHABHARATAAbhimanyu trapped in battle
Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu, knew how to break into a spiral battle formation
used by the Kauravas, but did not know the way out. He bravely led the
way in and fought single-handed, but was finally outnumbered and killed.The game of dice
Yudhishthira was challenged to
a game of dice by Duryodhana,
but lost everything at stake,
including his wife, because
his opponent cheated.Draupadi’s disrobing
After winning Draupadi,
Duryodhana ordered her
disrobing. She appealed to
Krishna, who miraculously
increased the length of
her sari indefinitely.THE BHAGAVAD GITA
When Arjuna saw his kinsmen arrayed on the opposing side
before the war began, he was horrified at the idea of fighting
them. He told Krishna he would not participate in the war.
In the ensuing conversation that came to be known as the
Bhagavad Gita, Krishna
explained the concept of
dharma, the correct moral
path set down for each
individual, helping Arjuna
understand that as a warrior,
he had to perform his duty
without regard to reward
or consequences. Krishna’s
explanation of dharma has
become a classic text of
Hindu philosophy.Verses from the Bhagavad Gita
Arjuna
Arjuna was a skilled archer. He won
Draupadi in a contest held by her father,
by shooting a fish hung from a revolving
wheel just by seeing its reflection.105