The Mahabharata tells the story of the Kauravan and Pandauran princes and the struggle

for the throne of Hastinapura. The eldest Kaurava prince, Duryodhana is younger than the eldest
Pandauran prince, Youdishthira. Both branches lay claim to the throne under the impression that
the Kaurava branch is older therefore Duryodhana is the rightful heir, whereas the Pandaura
believe that Youdishthira, as the oldest of all of them, is the rightful heir. Through various
attempts to remove the claim of the Kaurava branch, the Kurukshetra war is ignited. While the
Pandauras win the war, they are so dishonored by the tactics they adopted during the war that
they surrender everything, including the throne.
This text is considered a great Indian epic, not just because of its length which is often
described in multiples of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. It should be considered a great
Indian epic because of the themes portrayed throughout the play. The main themes are duty and
honor.
Both families see it as their duty and right to secure the throne of Hastinapura, so they
will go to any means to achieve their goal and do their duty to their family and who they
perceive are their subjects. It is this clash of the concept of duty that leads to the main conflict in
the play. One branch attempted to mass murder the other in order to secure their right to the
throne, in order to achieve what they believed was their destiny and duty. It is this drive to go to
any means necessary to achieve their goals that brings the play to its next theme: Honor.
Both families saw the throne as the ultimate honor, and strove to achieve that honor. Even
though the Pandaura branch won the war, they felt that their actions were so dishonorable and
unforgivable that they renounced all material goods and possessions along with the throne.