The Pandavas and Kauravas are two branches of a dynasty that fight for control of Hastinapura during the Kurukshetra War in the ancient Indian historical epic, the Mahabharata. Numerous incidents are shortened, as well as philosophical discussions, are weaved throughout this narrative. How Pandavas were forced to involve in the war and how different people employ cunning tricks to sabotage a family is eye opening for readers. Reading Mahabharat invokes bravery, confidence and inspire people to march ahead in life defeating enemies.
It has over 3000 major characters however humans in Kaliyuga are born with weak third eye and under developed senses (including six sense) so usually Mahabharat in shortened versions are shared publicly with around 350 characters and places. To better understand Mahabharat, you must know about them. The glossary help immensely in comprehending several facets of Mahabharat before you start to read it completely.
Glossary of Mahabharat
| 1 | Abhimanyu: Uttara, the daughter of King Virata, was the spouse of Arjuna and Subhadra’s son, Abhimanyu. |
| 2 | Teacher or Guru: Acharya. |
| 3 | Achuta: Another name for Krishna. |
| 4 | Adhiratha is the foster father of Karna. |
| 5 | Agastya: A famous sage whose biography the Pandavas learned while visiting holy sites on pilgrimage The renowned sage Lopamudra was also in her own way. |
| 6 | Agnihotra: An offering made to Agni. |
| 7 | Indra’s elephant, Airavata. |
| 8 | An epithet of Yudhishthira, ajatasatru means “having no enemy, friend of all born creatures.” |
| 9 | The Sun God gave Yudhishthira the magnificent Akshayapatra, which contained an endless supply of food. |
| 10 | Alambasa: A Rakshasa companion of Duryodhana who joined his soldiers but was forced to escape the battle by Satyaki. |
| 11 | Amrit: Ambrosia, the divine nourishment that grants immortality to those who consume it. |
| 12 | Anga: Mlechchha rulers, a supporter of the Kauravas. |
| 13 | Arani: A higher and a lower piece of wood used to attritionally create fire. |
| 14 | One of the four main purposes of human life is Artha (wealth), along with Dharma (righteousness), Kama (fulfilment of appetites), and Moksha (spiritual salvation). |
| 15 | Vasishtha’s wife, Arundhati. |
| 16 | Ashtavakra: A brilliant student in his adolescent years. |
| 17 | Asita: A sage who believed that gambling was destructive and that all sensible people should abstain from it. |
| 18 | A Kaurava warrior named Asmaka assaulted Abhimanyu. |
| 19 | Astra: A deadly missile that is invoked by a Vedic mantra. |
| 20 | Aswamedha Yajna: Aswamedha Yajna is not horse sacrifice. Many powerful kings including Bhagwan Ram did this to avoid further wars when they won war against their core enemies. This is bloodless method of war to finish off any future enemies and make them allies. No animal or horse is killed in Ashwamedha Yagna. This sacrifice word is the result of mis-translation, populated by wrong and meaningless interpretation by English linguists. No horse is killed or thrown in fire ever. There is no consumption of blood or flesh when Yagna happens. Yagna is performed by the king while the horse is covering neighbouring territories. Yagna is done to seek blessings for peaceful completion of Ashwamedha process without bloodshed. Horse covers the distance when Havan is being performed by the king following strict vedic guidelines and process. Yagna like Devnagari term Mann has no proper translation word in primitive language English. |
| 21 | Aswathama, the final supreme leader of the Kaurava army, is Dronacharya’s son. Ashwatthama is alive to fulfil the curse. |
| 22 | Bahlika, Dasharna: States whose monarchs were Salva, Matsya, Panchala, Kalinga, and Magadha were sympathetic to the Pandavas. |
| 23 | Baladev: Balarama, Sri Krishna’s older brother. |
| 24 | Balarama is Sri Krishna’s older brother. |
| 25 | A manifestation of Adisesha, the thousand-headed snake on which Lord Mahavishnu is curled up in Vaikuntha, is Balarama. |
| 26 | To the immense satisfaction of the locals, Bhima slew Bakasura, a ravenous, vicious, and extraordinarily powerful Rakshasa or demon that resided in a cave close to the city of Ekachakrapura. |
| 27 | Bhagadatta: A Kaurava ally and the king of Pragjyotisha. |
| 28 | Gods and renowned rishis are addressed as Bhagawans, for instance Bhagawan Sri Krishna, Narada, and Vyasa. |
| 29 | Bharata was Rama’s stepbrother and the son of Kaikeyi and King Dashratha. He was incredibly dedicated to and in love with Rama. |
| 30 | Bharadwaja: A rishi and Yavakrida’s father. |
| 31 | Creator of the cosmos, Brahma. |
| 32 | Brahmastra: A celestial weapon bestowed by Lord Brahma himself that is unstoppable. |
| 33 | Brahmacharin: A devout, single and unmarried dharmic student who lives with his spiritual mentor and is committed to both study and service. |
| 34 | Celibacy and chastity are required throughout this period of Vedic study, which is known as the brahmacharya stage of life. |
| 35 | Brihadaswa, a famous sage who paid the Pandavas a visit in their hermitage in the forest and reminded them of King Nala of Nishadha, who had similarly lost his kingdom in a dice game and had left his wife Damayanti out of fear of a curse but had later won back both, |
| 36 | Brihadratha, who ruled over Magadha as the commander of three troops and rose to fame as a great warrior, wed the twin daughters of the Raja of Kasi. His two wives split a mango given to them by the sage Kausika, and they each had one-half of a kid. The two pieces were mistakenly combined to form a plump baby, which a Rakshasi presented to the monarch as his kid and who eventually came to be known as Jarasandha. She had found the two pieces in a dumpster where they had been discarded. |
| 37 | King Brihadyumna was a follower of the sage Raibhya. |
| 38 | Arjuna adopted the name Brihannala for his disguised eunuch form while residing in Virata’s palace. |
| 39 | Brihatbala: A gallant warrior snared by the net of the Kaurava army after charging at Abhimanyu. |
| 40 | Bhima: The second Pandava sibling, son of the wind deity, excelled in physical strength. |
| 41 | Rukmini and Rukma’s father, Bhishmaka, was the ruler of Vidarbha. |
| 42 | When the eldest Yudhishthira reached the age of sixteen, the rishis entrusted the five Pandavas to the care of their grandfather, Bhishma, in order to ensure their appropriate education, which included knowledge of the Vedas, Vedanta, and many skills, particularly those relating to the Kshatriyas. Later, he attempted to mediate, but without success, between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, who each reigned independently from Hastinapura and Indraprastha. He was King Santanu and Ganga’s ninth child. appointed as the Kaurava troops’ top commander. |
| 43 | Bhojas: A Yadava clan branch that is a member of Krishna’s vanshaj. |
| 44 | Prince Uttara, a son of Virata, went on to battle the Kaurava forces under the name Bhuminjaya, with Brihannala serving as his charioteer. |
| 45 | One of the Kauravas’ great rulers was named Burisrwas. |
| 46 | One of Arjuna’s names, Bibhatsu, means “hater of worthless conduct.” |
| 47 | Kaurava warrior, Chala. |
| 48 | Chandala: A member of a fourth Varna whose behaviour was deplorable and who caused filth. |
| 49 | Charachitra: A King Dhritarashtra’s son who died in battle. |
| 50 | Chavadi: The village’s main gathering place. It belongs to the entire neighbourhood. All official activity is conducted there, and it also functions as the village sabha, the police department’s headquarters, and a lodging facility for tourists. |
| 51 | Chekitana: The commander of a Pandava army division. |
| 52 | Chitra: A Dhritarashtra son who perished in battle. |
| 53 | Chitraksha: One of King Dhritarashtra’s several sons who perished in battle. |
| 54 | Chitrasena, the Gandharva king, forbade the Kauravas from setting up camp next to the pond where he had already set up camp. |
| 55 | A Kaurava prince who gave his life in battle was Chitrayudha. |
| 56 | Chitravarma: A Duryodhana brother who perished in battle |
| 57 | Chitrangada, the eldest son of Santanu and Matsyagandhi (Satyavati), ascended to the throne of Hastinapura after his father. |
| 58 | Chitrasena: A warrior of the Kaurava. |
| 59 | Daruka, the driver of Krishna’s chariot. |
| 60 | Rama’s father and Ayodhya’s king, Dasaratha. |
| 61 | In an effort to preserve Bhima, the king of one nation assaulted Bhagadatta’s elephant called Supratika. This strongest elephant rushed forward and crushed Bhima’s chariot into pieces, killing his charioteer and horses. |
| 62 | The name of Arjuna’s conch is Devadatta. |
| 63 | Devaki: Sri Krishna’s mother. |
| 64 | Devata: A sage who considered dice games to be bad forms of gambling and inappropriate forms of amusement for virtuous people since they frequently provided opportunities for fraud and dishonesty. |
| 65 | Devavrata: The eighth child of Santanu and Ganga, who eventually learnt the Vedas, Vedanta, and other disciplines known to Sukra, was anointed Yuvaraja (heir apparent), but afterwards committed to celibacy and was known as Bhishma. He also learned the skill of relinquishing weapons. |
| 66 | Devayani: The lovely daughter of Sukracharaya, the demons’ preceptor, who fell in love with Kacha, the devas’ preceptor Brihaspati’s son. |
| 67 | King of the Gods, Devendra (Indra). |
| 68 | Dharma: Morally upright behaviour. Natural duty of humans towards nature, creatures and Universal consciousness. |
| 69 | Dharmagranthi: At Virata’s court, I pretended to be Nakula. |
| 70 | Dharmananda is the name of Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma or Yama, and means “the pleased of Dharma.” |
| 71 | Dharmananda resided in the city of Mithila and was known as Dharmavyadha. He knew the secret to a prosperous existence. He traded in beef. |
| 72 | One of Arjuna’s names is Dhananjaya. |
| 73 | Dhanusaksha: A revered sage who was once insulted by Medhavi, the sage Baladhi’s son. He assumed the shape of a bull and charged the mountain, smashing it to pieces. Medhavi then collapsed dead. |
| 74 | Dhaumya: The Pandavas’ preceptor, who travelled with them during their exile to the Kurijangala jungle while chanting Sama songs to Yama, the Lord of Death. |
| 75 | Dhrishtadyumna is Draupadi’s older brother and the head of the Pandava army. |
| 76 | A relative of the Pandavas is Dhrishtaketu. |
| 77 | Dhritarashtra, the father of Duryodhana and the eldest son of Vichitravirya and Ambika, was born blind. |
| 78 | Dharmaputra: Yudhishthira’s nickname and the title “Son of Yama.” |
| 79 | Dhartarashtras: Dhritarashtra’s sons |
| 80 | Draupadi is the daughter of King Drupada of Panchala, who married all five Pandavas despite Arjuna having won her in the Swayamvara due to their shared commitment to equality. |
| 81 | Drona: Born to a Brahmana named Bharadwaja; married Kripa’s sister; had a son named Aswathama; and studied military strategy under Parasurama, the maser. Later on, he trained the princes of the Kaurava and Pandava clans in the use of weapons. |
| 82 | Drupada, the ruler of Panchala and the paternal grandfather of Draupadi, the Pandavas’ bride |
| 83 | Draupadi was carried to the assembly hall by her hair by Duryodhana’s brother, Duhsasana. |
| 84 | Durdhara: A son of Dhritarashtra who was killed in battle by Bhima. |
| 85 | Durjaya: A brother of Duryodhana who sacrificed his life while being dispatched to battle Bhima in an effort to rescue Karna’s. |
| 86 | Durmarsha was a Dhritarashtra son who was slain by Bhima. |
| 87 | A son of Dhritarashtra named Durmata was slain by Bhima. |
| 88 | A chariot-mounted warrior on the Kaurava was Durmukha. |
| 89 | Durvasa: A Rishi who visited the Kauravas and was infamous for his rage. Shiva sent his rage on Anasuya, the sage Atri’s wife, after realising the havoc it had wrought. A kid by the name of Durvasa was born from this Shiva’s rage that was sent inside Anasuya. Durvasa means one who is difficult to live with). He had an irascible disposition because he was created out of Shiva’s rage. |
| 90 | A warrior fighting for the Kauravas is Durvishaha. |
| 91 | Dushkarna, a warrior brother of the Kauravas. |
| 92 | Dussaha: Bhima murdered Dussaha, a son of Dhritarashtra. |
| 93 | Dwaitayana: A woodland used to keep and breed Kaurava cows. |
| 94 | Ganapati: Son of Bhagwan Shiv, who became an amanuensis of Vyasa and readily volunteered to record the Mahabharata as it was narrated by Vyasa who was recalling his family’s history. |
| 95 | Gandhari, the wife of Dhritarashtra and the Kauravas’ royal mother. |
| 96 | A group of celestial creatures known as Gandharvas are thought to be experts in music. They control musical sounds of the Universe. |
| 97 | Arjuna’s most lethal bow is the Gandiva. |
| 98 | Gangadwara: The location of the penances carried out by the sage Agastya and his wife. |
| 99 | Ghatotkacha is the demon Hidimba’s son from Bhima. |
| 100 | Govinda: This name for Sri Krishna and Vishnu, which means “cowkeeper,” alludes to Krishna’s work as a cowherd at the cowherd colony of Gokula. |
| 101 | Guru: A revered mentor or instructor. |
| 102 | Allies of King Jarasandha were Hamsa, Hidimbaka, and Kamsa; the last of them married the latter’s two daughters. Moreover, Krishna killed his step-uncle. |
| 103 | Balarama was called Halayudha, or “plough-weaponed,” because he used a plough as a weapon. |
| 104 | Hanuman: A wise and knowledgeable monkey devotee of Sri Rama who possessed great discernment and wisdom abilities who looked for and discovered Sita while she was imprisoned in Lanka. Anjana once angered a sage who cursed her to be born as a monkey. Hanuman is a monkey god born of the boon given to Anjana in exchange for her penances. The blessing was given to lessen the impact of the curse by making her mother of divine Hanuman. Hanuman took monkey form to fulfil curse of Narada. Vishnu was cursed by Narada, who was teased for having monkey-like face features, that he would similarly lose his beloved and go through the agony of separation. He said that he would need a monkey’s assistance to meet his wife. |
| 105 | The Kauravas’ capital is Hastinapura. |
| 106 | Krishna is Hrishikesha. |
| 107 | Ilvala: This demon and his brother Vatapi harboured a ferocious hatred towards Dharmic Hindus. |
| 108 | Ilvala would invite a tantra sadhak to a feast where the meat of the goat (Vatapi) that his brother had changed him into would be served. Then Ilvala would summon his brother (Vatapi) after sadhak had eaten from the feast, and the brother (Vatapi) would rip his way back to life by shredding the guest’s stomach. |
| 109 | King of the Gods is Indra. |
| 110 | Indrajit: Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, almost killed by Indrajit, the son of Ravana, King of Lanka, who had previously defeated Indra, the Lord of Gods. |
| 111 | One of the relatives of the Pandavas is Indrasena. |
| 112 | A mountain range that Arjuna travelled by on his journey were, the Himalayas, to perform penances in order to get strong new weapons from Lord Mahadeva. |
| 113 | Iravan, Arjuna’s son from a Naga wife, Ulupi (Uluchi or Ulupika), was killed on the eighth day of combat. |
| 114 | A famous Rajarishi and the king of Mithila, Janaka is also the father of Sita, Sri Rama’s bride. |
| 115 | Janamejaya: A monarch who carried forth a significant Sarpa Satra for the survival of the human race. Because of the serpent Takshak biting his father Parikshit to death, Janamejaya harboured a bitter animosity towards them and made the decision to eradicate serpents completely. He made an effort to do this by organising a big Yagna that would remove all serpents in existence from the Earth. |
| 116 | Krishna’s name is known as Janardana for his protection of humanity and love of humans towards him. One of Sri Krishna’s names is also Kesava. |
| 117 | All Kshatriyas were frightened of the might of the powerful Magadha ruler Jarasandha. killed by Bhima after a 13-day, non-stop physical battle that was seen by Arjuna and Sri Krishna. Every time Jarasandha was killed, according to the blessing he got, he would reanimate. He could only be killed by severing his body in half, just like he was born, and separating the parts from one another. |
| 118 | Jarita, Laputa: Female companions of a saranga bird, who in a past life was a rishi by the name of Mandapala and was denied entry to paradise because he was childless. |
| 119 | Jalasura: A demon that Bhima slain. |
| 120 | King Dhritarashtra’s son Jaya was slain by Bhima during the conflict. |
| 121 | A warrior who sided with the Kauravas named Jayadratha sealed the gap left by Abhimanyu in the Chakravyuha military structure followed by Dronacharya and imprisoned him within. |
| 122 | A relative of the Pandavas is Jayatsena. |
| 123 | Dhritarashtra’s sons Durjaya, Jaya, and Vijaya resisted Nila, the Kashi king, and Jayatsena on the twelfth day of the battle. The viewers’ emotions were stirred and cheered by the battle of these fighters, much like when a lion, tiger, and wolf faced off against a bear, a buffalo, and a bull. It was a stunning spectacle. |
| 124 | Jnana: Understanding of the everlasting and true |
| 125 | Kacha: A brahmachari who travelled to study under Sukracharya, Kacha is the grandson of the sage Angiras and the son of Brihaspati. The preceptor’s attractive daughter, Devayani, developed feelings for him. He was repeatedly killed by the Asuras (demons), who thought he was trying to steal the ability to bring the dead back to life and give this knowledge to Devas. But every time he was slain, her father would revive him because of Devayani’s love for him. The devas eventually discovered the secret and used it to their advantage to vanquish the asuras. |
| 126 | Kagola: A student of the revered sage and Vedanta teacher Uddalaka. |
| 127 | Kambojas: The opponents Karna had vanquished on behalf of the Kauravas |
| 128 | Kamsa: Sri Krishna’s maternal uncle, the son of Ugrasena, and the son-in-law of Jarasandha, whom Sri Krishna slew. |
| 129 | Kanika: Sakuni’s minister. |
| 130 | Kanka: At Virata’s court, he went by the name Yudhishthira. |
| 131 | A sage by the name of Kausikam who learned the secrets of Dharma—the practise of doing one’s duty—from Dharmavyadha. |
| 132 | Karna: He is a legendary warrior and the child of Kunti and the Sun deity. a follower of Parasurama. He was also the son of Radha, his foster mother, and was known as Radheya. |
| 133 | Kartavirya: A mighty warrior who overcame Ravana, King of Lanka. With his a thousand arms from both sides, Kartavirya Arjuna halted the power of the river while he and his wives had a bath in the Narmada River. Meanwhile Ravana was praising Bhagwan Shiva and praying to him at the same time, the young Dasagriva (Ravana) became distracted. Enraged, he challenged the former to a duel, which Ravana eventually lost and was humiliated for. |
| 134 | Kartikeya: In charge of the devas’ army. |
| 135 | Kekaya: A courageous Pandava warrior who Bhima managed to get inside during the battle on the sixth day. |
| 136 | Ketama: Drona severed the head of another chief of Pandavas. |
| 137 | The ancient capital of Khandavaprastha served as the seat of government for the Pandavas, Nahusha, and Yayati‘s forefathers. The city was restored by the Pandavas, who also built palaces and forts, and they gave it the new name of Indraprastha. |
| 138 | Kichaka: He was Sudeshna’s brother and the military leader of Virata, also lustfully approached Sairandhri (Draupadi in disguise). He was invited to see her in the women dancing hall at night, but when he arrived, Valala (Bhima), who was dressed as a woman, was waiting for him and murdered him (Kichaka). |
| 139 | Aswathama’s uncle, Kripacharya, argued for a joint assault on Arjuna during the fight, rejecting Karna’s assertion that he could defeat Arjuna by himself. |
| 140 | Sage Vyasa is Krishna-Dwaipayana. A position is called Ved Vyasa like Indra is a position for king of Gods. The foster mother of Bhishma, Satyavati, gave birth to Krishna Dwaipan, the Dwapar Yug’s Ved Vyas. As he reorganised and separated the Vedas and Purans into manageable sections for the human species, he earned the moniker “Ved Vyas.” |
| 141 | Krauncha: Curlew-heron bird. |
| 142 | Krauncha-Vyuha: A military formation designed to mimic a heron with wings spread and beak extended. Armies were arranged for combat in distinct patterns in ancient Indian tradition, and each configuration was given a name, such as Chakra, Kurma, Krauncha, or Makara, based on a real or extinct likeness. The second day of the conflict saw the Krauncha Vyuha formation of Pandavas attacking the Kuaravas. The Kauravas assaulted the Pandavas in this same configuration on the sixth day of the conflict. Brihaspati, the Guru of Devas, first devised the Krauncha Vyuha. Devas therefore used it for the first time in their conflict with Asuras followed by later warriors. |
| 143 | Kritavarma: a renowned Yadava warrior who fought alongside the Kaurava army. |
| 144 | Kshatradharma: An outstanding warrior who fought for the Pandavas. |
| 145 | On his trip to the court of Dhritarashtra, Krishna spent the night at the city of Kuchasthala. |
| 146 | Kumbhakarna: The King of Lanka and brother of Ravana, who was largely dormant due to Brahma’s curse. |
| 147 | Vidarbha’s capital was Kundinapura. |
| 148 | Kunti: She was known as Pritha and was Sura’s daughter. She was called Kunti after her adoptive father, childless king Kuntibhoja. She received a heavenly mantra from Sage Durvasa, whom she had served like a daughter while he was a guest at her father’s home, which, when chanted, would provide her a son from whatever deity she chose. |
| 149 | Kunti Surya Ayonija Janma: She repeated the Mantra to call the Sun god out of youthful curiosity, and gave birth to a boy who was born with divine armour and jewellery. Sage Durvasa’s mantra helped in unison of deity and manav energies to form a cloned baby. At a Swayamvara later on, Kunti choose Pandu to be her spouse. |
| 150 | Karna Tyag: Kunti left baby Karna out of humiliation. She made her newborn child, Karna, float on the river by placing it in a closed basket (box). The basket migrated from the Aswa to the Charmanwati, then from the Charmanwati to the Yamuna, then to the Ganges, before arriving at Champapuri, the Anga Kingdom’s capital. |
| 151 | Karna’s Parents: A childless charioteer, Adhiratha Nandana adopted the child found in the box, raised it as his own, and gave it the name Karna. Radha was wife of the charioteer. |
| 152 | Pandu’s Exile: In the wilderness, where Pandu spent many years as penance for killing mating deers (Sage Kindama and his wife) unintentionally. King Pandu’s queens Kunti and Madri gave birth to five sons through Ayonija cloning process they were known as the Pandavas. On Pandu’s instistence, Kunti used the boon granted to her by Sage Durvasa (which she had used to bear Karna) to bear three sons—Yudhishthira by Dharmaraja – god of Justice; Bhima by Vayu – god of wind, and Arjuna by Indra – the king of Svarga (Heaven). She shared the boon with Madri, who invoked the divine twins Ashwini Kumaras to beget Nakula and Sahadeva. |
| 153 | Sahadeva: The youngest of the Pandavas. Sahadeva is described to be skilled in swordsmanship and astrology. As a warrior, Sahadeva slew prominent warriors of the enemy side. The flag of Sahadeva’s chariot bore the image of a silver swan. He defeated 40 brothers of Duryodhana while fighting them simultaneously. |
| 154 | Kurma: The second of Vishnu’s 10 avatars is Kurma (Tortoise). Kurma, like previous avatars of Vishnu, manifests during a crisis to restore the cosmic balance. The Devas were cursed by Sage Durvasa to be mortal and perish. The gods made a deal with the Asuras to churn the cosmic ocean of milk in order to extract the nectar, and once it skimmed out, they would divide it. The nectar of immortality (Amrita) was what the gods needed to escape this curse. Kurma, the Vishnu avatar who can solve only problems divinely, takes the shape of a tortoise or turtle, to serve as the cosmos’ foundation for the cosmic churning rod (Mount Mandara). |
| 155 | Lakshmana: Rama’s younger stepbrother and the child of King Dasaratha and Sumitra. This name Lakshmana was also given to the brave young son of Duryodhana. |
| 156 | Lomasa: A brahmana sage named Lomasa counselled the Pandavas to pare down their entourage while retreating to the wilderness. The court of Dhritarashtra or Drupada, the monarch of Panchala, was open to anybody who could not handle the difficulties of exile. He travelled with Yudhishthira everywhere he went. |
| 157 | Lopamudra: She is also known as Kaushitaki and Varaprada. She was a philosopherWife and wife of Rishi Agastya and the daughter of the Vidarbha monarch. |
| 158 | Lord Narayana or Bhagwan Narayana: Mahavishnu, the refuge of mankind. The maintainer and contoller of the Universe. |
| 159 | Madhava: One of Krishna’s names is Madhava. It denotes the Lakshmipati form of Krishna. |
| 160 | Madhusudana: Another name for Krishna as he slew the demon Madhu. |
| 161 | Mahavishnu: The Supreme Being who adopted a human form in order to seize control of his empire from Emperor Bali and bring about the salvation of all people. In order to destroy Ravana, King of Lanka, Lord Vishnu also assumed the form of Rama, Dasaratha’s son. |
| 162 | Mahendra: King Mahendra, who had gained nirvana. |
| 163 | Maitreya: A wise man who came to Dhritarashtra’s palace and expressed sympathy for the Pandavas’ predicament gave Duryodhana some sound advice not to harm the Pandavas for his own welfare. |
| 164 | Mantra: A mantra is a powerful cosmic incantation. It is a divine word or phrase or spiritual sound repeated to invoke deity in meditation. Meditation became effective by manifolds after chanting of mantras. |
| 165 | Manasarovar: It is alive, cosmically connected to other dimensions and planets. It is a sacred lake in the Himalayas. It is very important for maintaining cosmic balance. |
| 166 | Mandavya: He was incorrectly impaled as the leader of robbers who had secretly buried their looted items in a nook of his hermitage while he was deeply contemplating, Mandavya was a sage who had been unfairly chastised by the monarch. He received this punishment from Lord Yama (Dharmaraja) as retribution for torturing birds and bees as a young child. In response, Mandavya cursed the Yama, as his punishment exceeded the sins committed as an ignorant child. Therefore, he cursed him to be born in the mortal world. He was born as Vidura, the wise, to the servant maid of Ambika (wife of King Vichitravirya), named Parishrami. |
| 167 | Maricha: Maricha is a Ramayana figure who served as Ravana’s uncle and changed into a golden deer at his command in order to charm Sita to be kept as a pet in Ayodhya for its beautiful glowing skin. |
| 168 | Markandeya: A wise man who related the tale of Kausika, a brahmana, to Yudhishthira. |
| 169 | Marutta: Samvarta did Yagna for Marutta, an Ikshwaku dynasty ruler, defying Indra and Brihaspati. As Indra raised his hand with the thunderbolt to kill Marutta, Samvarta paralysed him. Then Marutta invoked Indra and other gods to partake their respective portion of the offerings. |
| 170 | Matali: Indra’s charioteer who drove Arjuna to the realm of the gods. |
| 171 | Medhavi: The sage Baladhi wanted his son, Medhavi, to live as long as a certain mountain did. |
| 172 | Meru: Meru is a historic mountain. The Vindya started to grow extremely high, blocking the sun, moon, and planets out of jealousy for Meru. The Vindhya mountain, which respected Agastya, ordered it to halt expanding until he traversed it on his route to the south and back to the north. However, after settling in the south, Agastya made no attempt to return. |
| 173 | Nahusha: A powerful monarch named Nahusha was elevated to the position of Indra, ruler of the gods when Indra vanished as a result of his deceitful and sinful murder of Vritra. |
| 174 | Nakula : Fourth brother of the Pandavas. |
| 175 | Nala: The cursed king of Nishadha who abandoned his wife Damayanti after losing his kingdom in a dice game. |
| 176 | Nandini: Vasishtha’s breathtakingly divine and lovely cow. |
| 177 | Nara: Arjuna or Dhananjaya is also known as Nara in Mahabharat. |
| 178 | Narada: The sage who unexpectedly appeared in front of Dhritarashtra and Vidura while the latter was outlining the Pandavas’ journey into the forest, spoke a prophesy that the Kauravas would go extinct after fourteen years due to Duryodhana’s sins, and then departed as swiftly. |
| 179 | Narayana: Sri Krishna, often known as Krishna or Vishnu. |
| 180 | Narayanas: relatives of Krishna. |
| 181 | Narayanasrama: The Pandavas stopped at Narayanasrama, a magnificent forest, while they were travelling. |
| 182 | Nishadha: Indra, the Lord of the Gods, once dwelt in Nishadha in the form of a brahmana. |
| 183 | Nishada: An indigenous hunter or fisherman; generally speaking, a member of a fourth varna. |
| 184 | Panchajanya: Conch of Krishna. |
| 185 | Palasa: “flame of the forest,” or Butea frondosa. |
| 186 | Panchali: Draupadi, the queen of the Pandavas and the daughter of King Drupada, is also known as Panchali. |
| 187 | Panchalya: A King Drupada’s son who perished in battle. |
| 188 | Pandu: As his older brother Dhritarashtra was born blind, Pandu ascended to the kingdom of Hastinapura upon the death of his father. Pandu, the second son of Vichitravirya and Ambalika, was the father of the Pandavas. |
| 189 | Parashara: Father of Veda Vyasa was a famous sage. Shiva bestowed the blessing that Parashara’s kid will be a Vashistha-caliber Brahmarshi and be renowned for his wisdom. Parashara’s wife Satyavati, gave birth to Vyasa. |
| 190 | Paravasu: Son of Raibhva and elder brother of Arvavasu, whose wife was abused by Yavakrida before he was speared to death by a demon for his transgression. |
| 191 | Parikshit: Crowned king after the Kauravas and the Pandavas perished, he is the son of Abhimanyu and the grandson of the Pandavas. |
| 192 | Partha: Another name of Arjuna. |
| 193 | Parvati: Siva’s female consort. The energy source for Bhagwan Shiva. As Rukmini had her heart set on marrying Krishna, she begged her to protect her from the ruthless Sisupala ruler of Chedi. |
| 194 | Paurava: The Pandavas invited him for the Mahabharata battle. But he did not accept and joined sides with the Kauravas against them. |
| 195 | Phalguna: Another name of Arjuna. |
| 196 | Prabhasa: Prabhasa is the name of the Vasu who took Vasishtha’s sacred cow. |
| 197 | Pradyumna: the son of Sri Krishna. |
| 198 | Pratikhami: The charioteer of Duryodhana. |
| 199 | Pritha: Kunti before her marriage and mother of Karna. |
| 200 | Pundarikaksha: Krishna, the one with lotus eyes. |
| 201 | Purochana: An architect who created the stunning “Sivam” wax palace around Varanavata. |
| 202 | Purumitra: A brilliant son of Dhritarashtra, a Kaurava warrior. |
| 203 | Pitamaha, which roughly translates to “grandfather,” does not, however, suggest senility but rather the rank of the pater familias. |
| 204 | Ptirushottama: An epithet of Sri Krishna is ptirushottama. It is one of Vishnu’s names and refers to the Supreme Being. |
| 205 | Raibhya: A sage named Raibhya lived in a hermitage on the banks of the Ganges. During their travels, the Pandavas stopped by. This ghat was extremely sacred. Dasaratha’s son Bharata took a bath here. By taking a wash in this ghat, Indra was absolved of the sin of slaying Vritra unjustly. Sanatkumar joined God as one. Aditi, the mother of the gods, prayed here for a son’s blessing. |
| 206 | Radheya: Son of Radha, also known as Karna, who was raised as a son by Radha, the charioteer Adhiratha’s wife, after being found as an infant. |
| 207 | Rajasuya: A Yagna made by a king in order to be granted the title “Emperor.” |
| 208 | Sita Maa: The divine wife of Ramachandra, was kidnapped by the king of Lanka, Ravana. Before marriage she was known as Janaki and Vaidehi. |
| 209 | Rishabha: The second note of the Indian range is rishabha (Shadja, rishabha, gandhara, madhyama, panchama, daivata, nishada -sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni.) Rishyasringa, the son of the sage Vibhandaka, had never seen a human being before, apart from his father. In order to bring rain and plenty to Anga, which was suffering from a severe famine, the king invited him. |
| 210 | Romapada, king of Anga, the place once had a severe drought. |
| 211 | Rudra: One of Siva’s names is Rudra. |
| 212 | Rudra dance: Siva’s cosmic dance of destruction is the Rudra dance. |
| 213 | Rukma: Apparent heir to the Vidarbha kingdom. When he was vanquished by Balarama and Krishna, he founded and reigned over a new city called Bhojakata because he was too embarrassed to go back to Kundinapura, the capital of Vidarbha. |
| 214 | Sachidevi: King of the gods and wife of Indra, Sachidevi was the target of Nahusha’s vengeful gaze. |
| 215 | Indrani: Indrani was another name for wife of Indra, Sachidevi. |
| 216 | Rajasuya yagna: At the Rajasuya yagna, Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandava princes, gave Krishna the first honours.Large tributes came from different locations with Arjuna. Arjuna entered seven patalas as well, defeated demons and gods, and collected tribute from Bali Chakravarti. It began the Rajasuya yagna. Adhvaryu, Hota, and Udgata were portrayed by Yajnavalkya, Paila, Dhaumya, and Susama. |
| 217 | Saibya: A kind king of the Pandavas. |
| 218 | Sairandhri: Sairandhri was Draupadi during her incognito as a female attendant or maid who worked in royal ladies’ quarters. |
| 219 | Sakuni: He used a dice game to help the Kauravas beat the Pandavas employing cunning tricks. The latter were forced to spend thirteen years living in the wild as a result. The thirteenth and last year of exile had to be spent secretly, per the rules of the game. They were instructed to return to the forests for a similar term if they were detected by anyone. He was regarded as the malevolent genius who tricked Duryodhana into turning to bad deeds. |
| 220 | Salva: Sisupala’s friend, who attacked Sri Krishna’s kingdom in Dwaraka to exact revenge on the latter for killing Sisupala. |
| 221 | Salya: The ruler of Madradesa, Madri’s brother, and the Pandavas’ uncle who, after receiving hospitality from Duryodhana, switched sides. |
| 222 | Samsaptaka: One who has vowed to never give up and to conquer or perish. The Samsaptakas were suicide squads that had made a brave but desperate promise. |
| 223 | Samvarta: Brihaspati’s younger brother and a highly intelligent Rishi (scientist and acharya). |
| 224 | Samba: The Universal deity Krishna and his second wife Jambavati had a son named Samba. The Yadu dynasty came to an end as a result of his foolish deed. He was cursed by a Rishi Durvasa to become mother and give birth to a mace. |
| 225 | Sanga: He was Virata’s son. After losing his chariot, horses, and charioteer Sanjaya—the storyteller who updates the blind Dhritarashtra on the status of the fight every day—king Virata was forced to board Sanga’s chariot when he was wounded. He explained to the king that someone who experienced bad luck would first get perverted and lose their sense of good and evil. His rationale would be destroyed by time, leading to his own demise. |
| 226 | Sankula Yuddha: A scuffle, a disorganised clash, a soldier’s conflict as opposed to a hero’s conflict. |
| 227 | Shanta: Sage Rishyasringa’s wife. |
| 228 | Santanu: King of Hastinapura and Bhishma’s father is Santanu. |
| 229 | Sanyasin: A person who has abandoned the outside world and its issues. |
| 230 | Sarasana: A Kaurava brother who perished in battle. |
| 231 | Sarmishtha: Princes and the daughter of King Vrishaparva, who struck and shoved Devayani into a dry well out of rage. |
| 232 | Satanika: Drona cut the bead of Virata’s son, Satanika. |
| 233 | Satyajit: A Panchala prince who defended Yudhishthira from Drona’s capture while Arjuna was absent in response to the Samsaptakas’ challenge (the Trigartas). |
| 234 | Satyaki: Friend of Krishna and the Pandavas, Satyaki was a Yadava warrior who urged uniting their forces to take down the evil Duryodhana. |
| 235 | Satyavati: King Santanu fell in love with Satyavati, a fisherman’s daughter who had exceptional beauty and gave off a delightfully delicious aroma, wedded her, and made her his queen. |
| 236 | Satyavrata: A valiant warrior on the Kaurava side. |
| 237 | Saugandhika: Bhima went in search of Saugandhika, a plant that produced a stunning and fragrant bloom for Draupadi. |
| 238 | Savyasachin: An ambidexter is a person who can use both hands equally well and with ease. a title for Arjuna, who was equally adept at using his bow with both hands. |
| 239 | Sikhandin, the son of Drupada, was a woman who changed into a man and fought on the side of the Pandavas, bringing discipline to the dispersed, humbled warriors. |
| 240 | Simhanada: A powerful yell of victory or defiance that soldiers frequently used to frighten their adversaries and inspire confidence in their allies. |
| 241 | Saindhavas: They were also known as Jayadrathas, a warrior clan belonging to king Jayadratha. |
| 242 | Sini: One of the men vying for Devaki’s affections. a Kaurava’s relative. |
| 243 | Sisupala: The Chedi king. died during the time of Dharmaputra’s Rajasuya sacrifice at the hands of Krishna. |
| 244 | Somadutta: One of the men vying for Devaki’s hand is Somadutta. a Kaurava’s relative. |
| 245 | Subahu: King of Kulinda in the Himalayas named Subahu was a supporter of the Kauravas. |
| 246 | Subhadra is the mother of Abhimanyu, the sister of Sri Krishna, and the wife of Arjuna. |
| 247 | Sudakshina: A warrior on the Kaurava side is Sudakshina. |
| 248 | Sudarsana: A brave warrior in the Kaurava army is Sudarsana. |
| 249 | Sudeshna: Sairandhri (Draupadi in disguise)’s consort and the queen of King Virata. |
| 250 | Sugriva: The monkey king, Sri Rama’s companion, and the powerful Vali’s brother whom Sri Rama murdered. |
| 251 | Sujata was the wife of Kagola, a follower of the sage Uddalaka who possessed virtue and dedication but not much knowledge, and the mother of Ashtavakra. |
| 252 | Suka, a wise man and the son of Vyasa, explained the Srimad Bhagavata to King Parikshit, the Arjuna’s great-grandson. |
| 253 | Sumitra: The charioteer of Abhimanyu. |
| 254 | Supratika: The elephant’s name, owned by King Bhagadatta. |
| 255 | Susarma, the king of Trigarta and a follower of the Kauravas, agreed to support the plan to attack Virata’s nation of Matsya. |
| 256 | Suvarna: A Kaurava soldier. |
| 257 | Sri Rama: Rama, Raghava, Adipurusha and Ramachandra are other names for Sri Rama. Hanumana shares with Bhima his intense joy at coming into contact with Bhagwan Rama. After being exiled in the wilderness for fourteen years, this king of Ayodhya killed Ravana, king of Lanka, who had kidnapped his wife, Sita. |
| 258 | Srinjayas: Adherents of the Pandavas. |
| 259 | Srutayu and Astutayu: Two brothers fighting on the Kaurava side attacked Arjuna but were killed. |
| 260 | Samsaptaka : One who has taken a vow to conquer or die, and never to retreat. The Samsaptakas were suicide-squads, vowed to some desperate deed of daring. |
| 261 | Srutayudha: A Kaurava warrior who was struck by Krishna with a mace that violently rebounded, killing Srutayudha. Varuna had given that gift to her mother Parnasa, with the stipulation that it not be used against anybody who does not fight lest it kill the one who throws it. |
| 262 | Swarga: Indra’s heavenly realm, where mortals who pass away are rewarded for their good deeds on earth. |
| 263 | Sveta: A Virata king’s son who was killed by Bhishma’s arrow during combat. |
| 264 | Tantripala: At Virata’s court, he pretended to be Sahadeva. |
| 265 | Uddalaka: A revered sage and Vedanta instructor. |
| 266 | Umadevi: Bhagwan Siva’s wife Umadevi. |
| 267 | Unchhavritti: The meagre existence of a beggar. |
| 268 | Upachitra: One of King Dhritarashtra’s brave sons who died in battle was named Upachitra. |
| 269 | Upaplavya: After a thirteen-year exile, the Pandavas settled in the Matsya Kingdom at Upaplavya. |
| 270 | Urvasi: Arjuna turned down the advances of this apsara at Indra’s court. |
| 271 | The Vaisampayana was disclosed for the benefit of humanity by the chief student of the sage Vyasa. |
| 272 | Vaishnava: Duryodhana made a Yagna in the forest as a Vaishnava. It was also performed by Yayati, Mandhata, Bharata, and others. |
| 273 | Vaishnava mantra: An prayer that lends part of Vishnu’s unstoppable force to a rocket. |
| 274 | Vajrayudha: The tool used by Indra to murder Visvarupa, who was suspected of being a member of the daitya asura tribe. |
| 275 | Valala: When he was employed as a chef in Virata’s palace, he adopted the name Bhima. |
| 276 | Vali: Monkey-king Vali is Sugriva’s brother. |
| 277 | Vanaprastha: The third stage of a dvija’s existence, when he must transfer his worldly obligations to his successors and depart with his wife to live as an anchorite in the woods. |
| 278 | Vandi: After losing a discussion against Sage Ashtavakra, Mithila’s court poet Vandi drowned himself in the ocean and proceeded to Varuna’s home. |
| 279 | Varanavata: A woodland where the Pandavas were instructed to spend the night in a waxhouse that would be lit on fire at midnight to murder them as they slept. |
| 280 | Vasishtha: A sage who forbade the eight Vasus from being born as the sons of Ganga and Santanu in the realm of mortals. With a smile on her face, Ganga flung her seven kids into the water. |
| 281 | Vasudhana: Another warrior killed on the Twelfth Day in combat. |
| 282 | Vasudeva: An epithet for Krishna is Vasudeva. It refers to both the divine energy that permeates the cosmos and the son of Vasudeva. |
| 283 | Vedavyasa: Author of the Mahabharata, Veda Vyasa. |
| 284 | Vichitravirya: Younger son of Santanu, Vichitravirya replaced King Chitrangada as ruler of Hastinapura. Pandu and Dhritarashtra were his two sons. |
| 285 | Vikarna: A son of Dhritarashtra who ruled that Yudhishthira was a slave and had forfeited all of his rights, thus making the staking of Draupadi unlawful. |
| 286 | Virata: He was attacked by Vinda and Anuvinda, two brothers who were kings of Avanti and great warriors on the Kaurava side. However, they were defeated by Yudhamanyu Virata, the king of Matsya, the nation that Bhima had advised them to live in secrecy in during their thirteenth year of exile. |
| 287 | Visoka: Bhima’s charioteer was Visoka. |
| 288 | Visvarupa: After Brihaspati fled after being insulted by Indra, Twashta’s son took over as the gods’ preceptor. |
| 289 | Vivimsati: A Kaurava hero is Vivimsati who fought bravely. |
| 290 | Viswarupa: Form that encompasses all. The Bhagavad Gita chapter eleven give a description. |
| 291 | Vriddhakshatra: King of the Sindhus and the father of Jayadratha, Vriddhakshatra was responsible for causing his son Jayadratha’s head to fall into his lap after Arjuna had severed Jayadratha’s head. |
| 292 | Vrika: A Panchala prince named Vrika was killed in combat. |
| 293 | Vrisha: Achala and Vrisha are Sakuni’s brothers. |
| 294 | Vrishnis: Tribals who were faithful to the Pandavas, the Vrishnis and Kekayas, visited the exiled Pandavas with Sri Krishna. |
| 295 | Vrishasena: A brave warrior on the Kaurava side is Vrishasena. |
| 296 | Vritra: Twashta’s son who was vanquished by Vajrayudha, one of Indra’s weapons. He emerged from his father’s yagna flames as a child and grew up to be Indra’s worst foe. |
| 297 | Vrikodara: Bhima was called Vrikodara, or “wolf-bellied,” because of his narrow waist and ravenous appetite. |
| 298 | Vyasa: The Vedas’ compiler and Parasara’s son. |
| 299 | Vyuha: Different forms of battle arrays and shapes. The Mahabharata give details abput the following 18 battle formations or vyuhas: 1. Krauncha vyuha (Heron formation), 2. Makara vyuha (Crocodile formation), 3. Kurma vyuha (Tortoise or Turtle formation), 4. Trishula vyuha (Trident formation), 5. Chakra vyuha (Wheel or Discus formation), 6. Kamala vyuha or Padma vyuha (Lotus formation), 7. Garud vyuha (Eagle formation), 8. Oormi vyuha (Ocean formation), 9. Mandala vyuha (Galaxy formation), 10. Vajra vyuha (Diamond or Thunderbolt formation), 11. Shakata vyuha (Box or Cart formation), 12. Asura vyuha (Demon formation), 13. Deva vyuha (Divine formation), 14. Soochi vyuha (Needle formation), 15. Sringataka vyuha (Horned formation), 16. Chandrakala vyuha (Crescent or Curved Blade formation), 17. Mala vyuha (Garland formation) and 18. Sarvatobhadra Vyuha (Grand formation). |
| 300 | Vyuha Chakra: Chakra vyuha that got Abhimanyu killed. |
| 301 | Yama: God of death is Yama. Yudhishthira was the son of the god of dharma. He is the one whose queries Yudhishthira properly responded to, causing his dead siblings to reanimate on the edge of the magical pool. |
| 302 | Yagna: Offering given to a fire in Vedic ritual. |
| 303 | Yaksha: A class of demi-gods that serve the god of riches, Kubera. |
| 304 | Yavakrida: Son of the sage Bharadwaja, Yavakrida was dedicated to understanding the Vedas. |
| 305 | Yayati: The Bharata race’s emperor who saved Devayani from the well that Sarmishtha had thrown her into. Later, he wed Sarmishtha and Devayani. One of the Pandavas’ ancestors who, as a result of Sukracharya’s curse, aged too soon. |
| 306 | Yudhamanyu is a prince who stands up for the Pandavas. |
| 307 | Yuyudhana: Another name for Satyaki is Yuyudhana. |
| 308 | Yuyutsu: When Yudhishthira lost Draupadi, the noble son of Dhritarashtra, Yuyutsu, bowed his head in sadness and humiliation. Additionally, he disagreed with the unjust manner in which Abhimanyu was executed. |
Keep Mahabharat Book at Home and Read Daily – DO NOT FALL TO FAKE PROPAGANDA and Fulfil Agenda of Enemies
This historical epic Mahabharat is known as fifth Veda. It is a common misconception spread by mlecchas; muslims and christian missionaries, and secular Hindus that reading Mahabharat or keeping it at home will likely lead to arguments and fighting. All of this misinformation was spread by illiterate mlecchas and anti-Hindus, and it is completely incorrect. It is done to mentally weaken Hindus so that they avoid reading Mahabharat. Because Mahabharat invokes bravery, pride and sense of confidence in Hindus.
Keep a copy of Mahabharat at home and read it online at the HariBhakt website. Mahabharat is rightly called the fifth Veda for Kaliyuga people because it is a tool and guidance to invoke confidence and bravery in Sanatan Dharmi Hindus.
You can read complete Mahabharat by following links below.
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