Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A Summary
Sharath Komarraju
Contents
Prelude
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14 – Day
Day 14 – Night
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18 – Day
Day 18 – Night
Aftermath
How many soldiers died in the Mahabharata war?
What is the age of Krishna during Mahabharata war?
Why was the Mahabharata War fought?
Who was Karna's charioteer in the Mahabharata War?
How many days did the Mahabharata War last?
Who survived the Mahabharata war?
Who is responsible for the Mahabharata War?
What was the final event of the Mahabharata War?
13 Important Events of the Mahabharata War
Who won the Mahabharata War?
What happened after the Mahabharata War?
21 Battle Formations used in the Mahabharata War
Introduction
The Mahabharata war, also called the Kurukshetra war, is the climactic
event of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. It is fought between two sets of cousins in
the Kuru dynasty, the Pandavas (sons of Pandu) and the Kauravas (sons of
Dhritarashtra).
Kingdoms like Panchala and Matsya side with the Pandavas. Krishna, the
regent of Dwaraka, drives the chariot of Arjuna, the third Pandava, and signals
his support for their cause.
The war is fought over eighteen days on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It is
won by the Pandavas at the end, but only after unfathomable destruction to lives
and wealth on both sides.
In this book, you will get a quick and complete guide to the Mahabharata
war.
---------
Did you know that The Mahabharata War is just one of the 52 books that make
up the Mammoth Mahabharata Book Set?
You can now give yourself a complete cultural education in less than 15 minutes a
day, with a deep study of India’s greatest epic.
As the Pandavas and Kauravas begin their preparations for the war, they
assemble at Kurukshetra.
The Pandavas set up their camp on the western side of Kurukshetra, so they
will face east when they fight. The Kauravas camp on the eastern side.
Both parties agree to a set of rules or guidelines that will govern their
behaviour on the battlefield.
Two of the most important rules of ‘just war’ (or Dharma Yuddha) are:
Do not attack an enemy when he is unarmed or when he has relinquished
his weapons.
Do not attack an enemy when he is sleeping.
There are other rules too that codify who must fight with whom, how one
must conduct oneself against an enemy, and so on.
But the two rules above are the absolute cardinals.
As we will see, the first rule is broken multiple times during the war. And on
the eighteenth day, Ashwatthama trespasses the sacred boundary and kills all of
his enemies when they’re sleeping.
On the first day of the war, just before the armies clash, Arjuna has an
attack of listlessness. Krishna gives his friend a long lecture about what his duties
are and how he should approach them.
This discourse is given the name, The Bhagavad Gita.
Day 1
---------
Did you know that The Mahabharata War is just one of the 52 books that make
up the Mammoth Mahabharata Book Set?
You can now give yourself a complete cultural education in less than 15 minutes a
day, with a deep study of India’s greatest epic.
Here are a few important events that happen on the night of Day 14.
Entry of the Rakshasas. The two sides decide that the battle will
continue past sundown. Drona wants to recapture the initiative that he has lost
with the deaths of Jayadratha and Bhurishrava.
Ghatotkacha brings a large division of Rakshasas to fight on the Pandavas’
behalf. The biggest rivalry that epitomizes this night-time phase is the way in
which Ghatotkacha clashes with Alambusha.
Ashwatthama shines. Of all the Kaurava warriors, it is Ashwatthama
who faces Ghatotkacha with calm and precision. With everyone else losing their
heads around him because of Ghatotkacha’s magic, Ashwatthama stands firm
and engages with him in a long battle.
Sahadeva is spared by Karna in a one-to-one battle. This duel begins
with good signs for the son of Madri, but Karna slowly dominates his younger
brother and eventually spares his life out of respect for the vow he had given
Kunti.
Karna and Drona join forces to push the Pandava forces back toward
the edge of the battlefield, and it seems for a while that Yudhishthir may get
captured.
Yudhishthir wonders why Arjuna is not challenging Karna. But Krishna
knows that Karna still has the Vasava Astra with him, which means that is
dangerous for Arjuna to face him right now.
So he gives Ghatotkacha a mission to defeat Karna while Arjuna takes up
the challenge of fighting against Drona.
Ghatotkacha challenges Karna to a duel. For a long time the two
warriors clash with no clear winner emerging. Ghatotkacha, however, is able to
use magic to demoralize all the common Kaurava soldiers.
They wail and cry out to Karna that he should use his powerful weapon
against Ghatotkacha. Karna is momentarily thrown into a dilemma, but he then
decides to use the Vasava dart on Ghatotkacha.
Ghatotkacha dies when the Vasava dart hits him. But as the missile flies
in his direction, knowing that his time is up, he swells up to the size of a giant so
that he can crush a whole akshauhini of troops underneath his body when he
falls.
At the death of Ghatotkacha, Krishna rejoices and proclaims that Karna is
no longer a threat to Arjuna’s life. Yudhishthir and Bhimasena grieve the death of
the Rakshasa who had done so much in the past to help them.
Soon after, Arjuna proposes that they should all rest. The offer is gladly
accepted, and everyone sleeps on the battlefield until sunrise.
Day 15
---------
Did you know that The Mahabharata War is just one of the 52 books that make
up the Mammoth Mahabharata Book Set?
You can now give yourself a complete cultural education in less than 15 minutes a
day, with a deep study of India’s greatest epic.
Here are a few important events that happen on the night of Day 18.
Ashwatthama, Kripa and Kritavarma make their way to the Pandava camp.
On their way, watching an owl peck the life out of a group of fledgling birds in a
nest gives Ashwatthama the idea to raid the Panchalas while they’re sleeping.
Kripacharya is at first against this ploy. But Ashwatthama states that his
mind is made up regardless of who supports him or not.
Outside the camp, Ashwatthama sees the waiting figure of Shiva, who
blesses him with all his energy. Using Shiva’s favour, Ashwatthama massacres the
sleeping people in their tents.
Shikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna, the Upapandavas… they all succumb to
Ashwatthama’s rage.
After the deed is done, Ashwatthama returns to Duryodhana and gives him
the good news. Duryodhana is overjoyed. He dies with a smile on his lips.
Aftermath
In the morning, on the bank of the river Oghavati, Yudhishthir receives the
shocking news that the Panchalas and Somakas have all been killed by
Ashwatthama.
When they arrive at the camp, Draupadi is already there, mourning the
deaths of her brothers and sons. She tells Yudhishthir that the war is not finished
until this final act is avenged.
The Pandavas and Krishna follow Ashwatthama’s chariot-trail, and find him
hiding in the hermitage of Vyasa. Here, Arjuna challenges him and they begin to
fight.
Ashwatthama uses the Brahmastra at Arjuna, and when Vyasa asks him to
retract it, he claims that it is beyond his capability to do so. He directs the weapon
at the wombs of the Pandava women, instantly rendering them all sterile.
The foetus growing inside Uttara’s womb also dies because of this, but
Krishna promises to bring him back to life.
Krishna places a curse on Ashwatthama at this moment, telling him that he
will never die and that he will roam the Earth without friends or well-wishers.
Yudhishthir finally becomes king of Indraprastha, but he has to now rebuild
the empire after the horrific losses of war.
For thirty six years the Pandavas rule the Earth, and then, after the sinking
of Dwaraka and death of Krishna, they set out on their own final journey.
---------
Did you know that The Mahabharata War is just one of the 52 books that make
up the Mammoth Mahabharata Book Set?
You can now give yourself a complete cultural education in less than 15 minutes a
day, with a deep study of India’s greatest epic.
We may assume that an elephant may carry three people on it (the warrior,
a mahout and a bodyguard). From descriptions of chariot-warriors, each chariot
seems to have four people on it (the warrior, two rearguards, and a charioteer).
A horse typically will carry only one person.
So the total number of individual men who fought in the war comes to:
5,904,900. Let’s round that up to 6 million.
In an answer to Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthir says that around 240,000
people survived the war.
Therefore, the total number of people who died during the war is 5.76
million (6 million minus 240,000).
What is the age of Krishna during
Mahabharata war?
Krishna is fifty years old at the time of the Mahabharata war, assuming he
left Vrindavan as a fifteen-year-old boy. He is thirty four at the time of
Subhadra’s wedding, thirty six at the beginning of the Pandavas’ exile, and forty
nine when they return. He dies at the age of eighty six.
In order to arrive at a reasonable estimate for Krishna’s age during the war,
we have to make some assumptions about various incidents of his life.
For instance, we assume:
He is fifteen years old when he kills Kamsa.
At the time of Mathura’s migration westward to flee from Jarasandha, he
is seventeen years old.
It takes him four years to unify the Vrishnis, set up Dwaraka, and bring
Anarta to a stable state.
At Draupadi’s swayamvara, therefore, he is twenty one.
At the time of Subhadra’s marriage to Arjuna, he is thirty four. This is
because of Arjuna’s twelve-year exile.
At the time of the dice game, Krishna is thirty six years old.
The Pandavas return after thirteen years, so by then Krishna is forty nine.
Assuming war preparations take a year, Krishna is fifty years old by the
time the war begins.
Krishna’s death occurs thirty six years after the end of the Kurukshetra war.
In response to Gandhari’s curse, Anarta perishes in a shockingly violent civil
war – in which Krishna and Balarama participate.
Krishna is eighty six years old at the time of his death.
Why was the Mahabharata War fought?
The main reasons why the Mahabharata war was fought are: (1) Bhishma
vow of celibacy, (2) Bhishma’s favouritism toward Pandu and his sons, (3)
Dhritarashtra’s love for Duryodhana, (4) Drupada’s revenge against Drona, (5)
Yudhishthir’s promise to be non-confrontational, (6) Duryodhana’s ruthlessness,
and (7) The need for good to triumph over evil.
There are many reasons for the Mahabharata war. But the seven main ones
are:
Bhishma’s vow. Bhishma takes a vow of celibacy in order to clear the path
for Shantanu to wed Satyavati. Satyavati’s children thus become kings of the
Kuru dynasty instead of Bhishma’s.
If Bhishma had become king after Shantanu, there would have been no
conflict for the throne.
Bhishma’s favouritism. After the births of Pandu and Dhritarashtra,
Bhishma displays partiality toward the former even though he is the younger
prince.
Bhishma displays plenty of partiality toward the Pandavas as well – a fact
that Duryodhana laments over often. If Bhishma had been fairer in his affections,
the Mahabharata war could have been averted.
Dhritarashtra’s love. This is often considered one of the most important
reasons for the Mahabharata war: the inability of Dhritarashtra to rein in the
passions of his eldest son, Duryodhana.
Whether Dhritarashtra is motivated by love for his son or anger toward
Bhishma, we do not know.
But his refusal to confront Duryodhana ends up emboldening him, and
finally causes the Mahabharata war.
Drupada’s revenge. The relationship between Drona and Drupada has a
significant impact on the political ties between Kuru and Panchala.
Drona enlists the help of the Kauravas and Pandavas soon after their
graduations to invade Panchala, and to imprison its king Drupada. This incident
angers Drupada, and he performs a sacrifice in which he is gifted with Draupadi
and Dhrishtadyumna.
The former is destined to destroy the Kuru dynasty, the latter to kill Drona.
Yudhishthir’s promise. Early on during his reign as emperor,
Yudhishthir hears a prophecy from Vyasa that the Kuru dynasty is going to
destroy itself by infighting.
Yudhishthir then takes a vow that for the next fourteen years, he will not
disobey any instruction or command given him by any of the Kuru elders.
This leads directly to his passive acceptance of everything that occurs during
the dice game.
Duryodhana’s ruthlessness. When Krishna comes to offer peace to
Hastinapur toward the end, just before the war, he says that the Pandavas will be
content with just five villages.
If Duryodhana agrees to this offer, the war will not take place. Dhritarashtra
will continue to be king, and the Pandavas will serve the old man as his kinsmen.
But Duryodhana says no. It has to be either war or nothing.
Good versus Evil. Throughout the Mahabharata story, there is a sense of
inevitability about the war. We’re told right at the beginning that a great war will
happen between the forces of good and evil.
The Pandavas – the eventual victors – represent ‘good’. The Kauravas – the
eventual losers – represent ‘bad’.
In this frame of reference, the Mahabharata war is a necessary cleansing of
all that is bad in the world.
Who was Karna's charioteer in the
Mahabharata War?
On the seventeenth day of the war, Karna asks Duryodhana to make Shalya
his charioteer, thinking that having a good charioteer will make him as powerful
as Arjuna. Shalya thus agrees to drive Karna’s vehicle, but sabotages his master’s
efforts at every turn, becoming one of the main reasons for his death.
Shalya is the brother of Madri and the king of the Madra kingdom. He is
therefore the maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva.
Before the war, Yudhishthir gives Shalya very specific instructions regarding
Karna.
‘There will be a battle to the death between Arjuna and Karna during this
battle, O King,’ says Yudhishthir. ‘On this occasion, contrive to become the
charioteer of Karna, and do all that you can to weaken him.’
On the eve of the seventeenth day, Karna proposes that he will fight Arjuna
the next day. In order to elevate his power to equal that of Arjuna, he asks
Duryodhana to give him the services of Shalya as charioteer.
‘Arjuna and I are comparable in skill and weapons, O King,’ he tells
Duryodhana. ‘But he is invincible only because his charioteer – Krishna – is
much better than mine. If you can give me the king of Madra as charioteer
tomorrow, I will defeat Arjuna.’
This is exactly the scenario that Yudhishthir has predicted before the war
began.
Shalya finds himself in the perfect place from which to sabotage Karna’s
efforts during the battle with Arjuna.
During the course of the entire day, therefore, Shalya engages Karna in
several pointless arguments. Instead of supporting Karna, he confronts him on
various points – and even sings the praises of Arjuna and Krishna.
Thus, he becomes one of the main reasons for Karna’s death.
---------
Did you know that The Mahabharata War is just one of the 52 books that make
up the Mammoth Mahabharata Book Set?
You can now give yourself a complete cultural education in less than 15 minutes a
day, with a deep study of India’s greatest epic.
The Mahabharata war is fought over eighteen days. It is broken down into
five phases: (1) Bhishma Parva, from Day 1 to Day 10, (2) Drona Parva, from Day
11 to Day 15, (3) Karna Parva, on Days 16 and 17, (4) Shalya Parva, on Day 18, and
(5) Sauptika Parva, on the eighteenth night when Ashwatthama raids the
Panchala camp.
The Mahabharata war is fought over eighteen days and five phases.
The first is the Bhishma Parva, that lasts from the first day till the end of
the tenth day. During this time, Bhishma fights as the commander of the Kaurava
army.
This period of the war is characterized by Arjuna’s growing hesitation at
fighting his grandfather. Krishna gets frustrated at this, and on the tenth day,
masterminds a tactic by which Bhishma is removed from the battlefield.
Then comes the Drona Parva, which begins at the start of Day 11 and ends
on the evening of Day 15. During this time, Drona leads Duryodhana’s army.
This is easily the most violent phase of the battle. Drona oversees the killing
of Abhimanyu. He also decrees that the war should continue into the night of Day
14.
The Pandavas use a lie to force Drona to relinquish his weapons.
Dhrishtadyumna then beheads Drona when he is meditating.
As soon as Drona dies, Duryodhana appoints Karna the commander of his
army. This begins the Karna Parva, on the morning of the sixteenth day.
It ends with the death of Karna at the end of Day 17. Karna dies at the hands
of Arjuna after an intense battle.
Day 18 begins the Shalya Parva, with Shalya taking over from Karna. He
burns brightly during the morning, but loses his life to Yudhishthir in the
afternoon.
Bhima and Duryodhana have a climactic mace-fight. During this, Bhima
cheats and crushes Duryodhana’s thighs with his weapon.
This brings the war to an official close. The Shalya Parva ends.
Ashwatthama then takes matters into his own hands and conducts a night-
time attack on the Panchala camp. He massacres everyone in sight. These events
are recorded in the Sauptika Parva.
Who survived the Mahabharata war?
The eleven warriors that survive the Mahabharata war are: (1) The five
Pandavas, (2) Krishna, (3) Yuyutsu the half-brother of the hundred Kaurava
brothers, (4) Satyaki the Vrishni chief who fights alongside Arjuna, (5)
Kritavarma the Vrishni chief who fights for Duryodhana, (6) Ashwatthama the
son of Drona, and (7) Kripa.
For a war that logs so many casualties, it is indeed noteworthy that all five
Pandavas escape from it with their lives intact.
However, they have their share of close shaves. Yudhishthir, Bhimasena,
Nakula and Sahadeva all find themselves at the mercy of Karna at various points
in the war.
But Karna chooses not to kill them.
Krishna also ends up alive by the end of the war. On a few occasions –
notably during Arjuna’s battles with Bhishma, Drona and Bhagadatta – Krishna
gets injured. But he always shrugs these wounds off.
Yuyutsu is a son of Dhritarashtra but his mother is not Gandhari. He is
often considered one of the Kauravas but strictly speaking, he is not.
At the start of the war, Yuyutsu chooses to fight on Yudhishthir’s side.
On the last day, with numbers thinning and the result foregone, Yuyutsu
sets out to the royal palace of Hastinapur to break the news to Gandhari and
Dhritarashtra.
This is why he does not spend the night at the Panchala camp. Therefore he
escapes death by Ashwatthama’s hand.
Satyaki, the Vrishni king, chooses to fight on the side of the Pandavas. He
brings an akshauhini of troops with him.
He is often cited as the most skilful archer on the Panchala side after
Arjuna. He has a close encounter with Bhurishrava, an uncle of the Pandavas.
The two of them participate in a violent fight, and at the end, Satyaki is
about to be killed but he is rescued by Arjuna – at Krishna’s bidding.
Kritavarma is the other chieftain among the Vrishnis who chooses to fight
the Kurukshetra war. He brings an akshauhini of troops to help Duryodhana’s
bid.
Kritavarma also helps Ashwatthama secure revenge on the eighteenth night.
He stands guard at the entrance of the Panchala camp and kills all men who try to
escape Ashwatthama’s onslaught.
As the son of Drona, Ashwatthama fights under his father’s shadow until
the old man’s death. The manner of Drona’s killing infuriates him to the point of
taking a vow that he will kill Dhrishtadyumna by any means necessary.
After he plunders the Panchala camp on the night of the eighteenth day, he
flees as the Pandavas chase him.
During this battle, Krishna curses him that he will roam the earth for
centuries with a wound in his forehead that will never heal.
Kripa is the brother of Kripi, wife of Drona. He is therefore Ashwatthama’s
maternal uncle.
In the Mahabharata war, he fights on Duryodhana’s side – naturally – but
does not exert himself in any noteworthy battles. At the end, he tries to talk
Ashwatthama out of the night-time massacre of the Panchalas.
Like Kritavarma, Kripa also stands guard while Ashwatthama is killing
thousands of men on the night of Day 18.
Kripa continues to live at the Kuru palace during Yudhishthir’s reign.
Who is responsible for the Mahabharata
War?
The Mahabharata war ends with a three-part climax: (1) Bhima defeats
Duryodhana, after which Krishna declares the war ended; (2) Ashwatthama kills
the Upapandavas and Panchalas at night, against the rules of war; (3) The
Pandavas defeat Ashwatthama, and Krishna curses him with immortality.
On the evening of the eighteenth day of the war, the Pandavas ferret out a
hiding Duryodhana from the bottom of a lake outside Kurukshetra. A mace-fight
is set up between him and Bhima.
Despite being evenly matched, Bhima falls behind in this battle. Eventually,
prodded by Krishna, Arjuna signals to Bhima to employ an unfair move.
Bhima catches the sign, and crushes Duryodhana’s thighs with his mace.
This brings the war to a close – officially.
But Ashwatthama has other ideas. He tells Duryodhana to make him
commander of the army – though the ‘army’ contains only three people at this
point.
He then goes to the Panchala camp at night and unleashes a torrent of
violence upon his sleeping enemies. In this project, he is aided by Lord Shiva.
As far as Ashwatthama is concerned, the war has ended with his act.
But Draupadi has other ideas. When it comes to light that the Panchala
camp has been razed to the ground, Draupadi mourns the death of her brothers
and sons.
As her grief gives way to anger, she addresses Yudhishthir and says, ‘The
war cannot be finished until Ashwatthama is punished!’
The Pandavas give chase, find Ashwatthama, and fight him. Arjuna wins a
battle with him, and they bring back his gemstone as proof that he has been
defeated.
This soothes Draupadi.
Meanwhile, Krishna curses Ashwatthama that he will become a
wretched immortal. The war ends properly on this note.
---------
Did you know that The Mahabharata War is just one of the 52 books that make
up the Mammoth Mahabharata Book Set?
You can now give yourself a complete cultural education in less than 15 minutes a
day, with a deep study of India’s greatest epic.
The thirteen most important events of the war are: (1) Krishna almost
fights; (2) Bhurishrava kills Satyaki’s sons; (3) Arjuna removes Bhishma; (4)
Drona promises Duryodhana; (5) Abhimanyu dies; (6) Arjuna kills Jayadratha;
(7) Satyaki kills Bhurishrava, (8) Karna kills Ghatotkacha; (9) Drona dies; (10)
Arjuna kills Karna; (11) Bhima defeats Duryodhana; (12) Ashwatthama rages, and
(13) Krishna curses Ashwatthama.
Though this list is by no means exhaustive, it gives a good summary of all
the important ‘beats’ of the Mahabharata war.
During the first ten days, Krishna almost fights against Bhishma on two
occasions. The second of these occasions spurs a discussion between the
Pandavas, and leads directly to the tactic that they ultimately use to defeat
Bhishma.
On Day 5, Bhurishrava, the son of Somadatta and the grandson of Bahlika
(Shantanu’s elder brother), kills ten of Satyaki’s sons.
They reprise this rivalry on Day 14, when Satyaki beheads Bhurishrava after
the latter had relinquished his weapons. This becomes a kernel of the quarrel
between Satyaki and Kritavarma many years later, which leads to the fall of
Dwaraka.
On Day 10, Arjuna removes Bhishma from the battlefield, and paves the
way for a more ruthless phase of fighting.
As the eleventh day dawns, Drona gives Duryodhana a promise that
he will do his utmost to capture Yudhishthir alive and bring him back as prisoner
to the Kaurava camp.
This gives rise to the Samshaptakas, who will play an important role in
Abhimanyu’s death later.
On Day 13, Abhimanyu dies deep within Drona’s Chakra Vyuha. This is
by far the most important event of the war because it unshackles Arjuna from his
reluctance to fight.
On Day 14, Arjuna fulfils his oath and kills Jayadratha just as the sun is
about to set. Drona then decrees that the fighting should continue into the night.
Also on Day 14, Satyaki takes his revenge on Bhurishrava. But the
manner in which he beheads his opponent when he is meditating draws plenty of
criticism. Later, Satyaki and Kritavarma come to blows on this point.
During the night-time battle of Day 14, Karna kills Ghatotkacha with
the Vasava dart. Thus, he becomes vulnerable to Arjuna – much to Krishna’s
delight.
On the late afternoon of Day 15, Drona dies after surrendering his
weapons to Yudhishthir’s lie.
As evening approaches on Day 17, Arjuna finally kills Karna, even as the
sun of Surya appeals for mercy.
Toward the end of Day 18, Bhima defeats Duryodhana by crushing his
thighs with the mace. Krishna declares this to be the end of the war.
But Ashwatthama rages into the night and kills the remainder of the
Panchala army singlehandedly. He is helped in this dark quest by none other
than Lord Shiva himself.
As retribution, Krishna curses Ashwatthama that he will become a
wretched wanderer for the rest of eternity.
Who won the Mahabharata War?
The official winners of the Mahabharata war are the Pandavas. But other
characters, kingdoms and concepts have been nominated for the title. Among
these, the prominent ones are Duryodhana, Draupadi, Anarta, and Dharma.
The official winners of the Mahabharata war are the Pandavas.
Specifically, it is Yudhishthir who wins back from Duryodhana the kingdom he
had lost fourteen years before.
The Pandavas are declared winners of the war by Krishna after Bhima
defeats Duryodhana and crushes his thigh with the mace.
But Duryodhana, after he is beaten by Bhima, rises from his wounded
state to deliver one chilling message of warning to Yudhishthir.
He says, ‘You may think you have won the war, Yudhishthir, but look
around you. You inherit nothing but a wasteland. You have widowed thousands
of women. For years from now, the funeral pyres will continue to burn.’
He declares himself as the victor of the war.
Another possible ‘true victor’ of the Mahabharata war is Draupadi.
Draupadi is born to Drupada, but she is not his biological daughter. Drupada
performs a sacrifice to seek vengeance upon Drona and the Kuru dynasty.
He receives Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi as gifts. Dhrishtadyumna’s
destiny is to kill Drona. Draupadi’s is to bring about the destruction of the Kuru
race.
The war, therefore, can be seen as a simple fulfilment of Draupadi’s life’s
purpose.
Meanwhile, Anarta, the kingdom of Balarama and Krishna, gains a lot of
power because of the Mahabharata war – just by the simple fact that it does not
fight in it.
Lastly, the Mahabharata war is characterized by Krishna as being a fight
between good and evil.
In his opinion, the Pandavas are on the side of Dharma, and the Kauravas
on the side of Adharma. In this model, everyone fighting for the Pandavas is
automatically on the side of Dharma, and everyone fighting for the Kauravas is on
the side of Adharma.
Seen from this point of view, the true victor of the Mahabharata war is
Dharma itself.
What happened after the Mahabharata
War?
After the Mahabharata war, the following events occur: (1) Gandhari curses
Krishna; (2) Yudhishthir becomes king; (3) Gandhari, Kunti, Vidura and
Dhritarashtra die; (4) Thirty six years later, the Vrishnis die in a civil war; (5)
Krishna and Balarama die; (6) The Pandavas fail to reach heaven, with the
exception of Yudhishthir.
After the Sauptika Parva (the last of the war books), there are eight more
books in the Mahabharata.
What actually happens in them? Here’s a quick summary:
The widows and orphaned women of Hastinapur and other kingdoms
assemble at Kurukshetra to mourn their men.
Yudhishthir is crowned king, and Bhishma instructs the new king on
matters such as politics and economics.
Bhishma dies.
Yudhishthir performs the Ashwamedha Sacrifice. Portents appear that the
end of Dwapara is approaching.
Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti retire into the forest with Vidura. The
four of them die in a fire.
The Yadavas are destroyed by in-fighting. Krishna and Balarama die.
The Pandavas and Draupadi give up their kingdom and attempt to reach
heaven in their mortal bodies. All but Yudhishthir fall to their deaths while
climbing up Mount Meru.
Yudhishthir passes one final test to gain entry to Amaravati in his human
form.
In all, thirty six years pass between the war and the final end of the
Mahabharata.
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Did you know that The Mahabharata War is just one of the 52 books that make
up the Mammoth Mahabharata Book Set?
You can now give yourself a complete cultural education in less than 15 minutes a
day, with a deep study of India’s greatest epic.