Mahabharata
Sign in to saveThe Mahābhārata ( ; , , ) is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas, the other being the Ramayana. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, a war of succession between two groups of princely cousins, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. It contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or puruṣārtha (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the Mahābhārata are the Bhagavad Gita, the story of Damayanti, Shakuntala, Pururava and
AI overview
The Mahābhārata is an ancient Sanskrit epic from India that tells the story of a great war of succession between two groups of royal cousins, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas, along with its aftermath. It is one of the two most important epics in Hinduism and includes philosophical and devotional material, most notably the Bhagavad Gita, making it significant for both its narrative and spiritual teachings.
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Key facts
- Religious text.name
- Mahabharata
- Religious text.image
- Kurukshetra.jpg
- Religious text.alt
- Mahabharata
- Religious text.caption
- Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra
- Religious text.author
- Vyasa
- Religious text.period
- circa 8th century BCE – 3rd century BCE Principally compiled in 3rd century BCE – 4th century CE
- Religious text.religion
- Hinduism
- Religious text.language
Article
33 sectionsContents
- Textual history and structure
- Accretion and [[Redaction (editorial synthesis)|redaction]]
- Historical references
- The 18 parvas or books
- Historical context
- Synopsis
- The older generations
- The Pandava and Kaurava princes
- Lakshagraha (the house of lac)
- Marriage to Draupadi
- Indraprastha
- The dice game
- Exile and return
- The battle at Kurukshetra
- The end of the Pandavas
- The reunion
- Themes
- Just war
- Translations, versions and derivative works
- Translations
- ''Critical Edition''
- Regional versions
- Derivative literature
- In film and television
- Other adaptations
- In folk culture
- Jain version
- Kuru family tree
- Cultural influence
- Explanatory notes
- Citations
- General sources
- External links
The Mahābhārata ( ; , , ) is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas, the other being the Ramayana. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, a war of succession between two groups of princely cousins, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. It contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or puruṣārtha (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the Mahābhārata are the Bhagavad Gita, the story of Damayanti, Shakuntala, Pururava and Urvashi, Savitri and Satyavan, Kacha and Devayani, Rishyasringa and an abbreviated version of the Rāmāyaṇa.
thumb|right|upright=1.1|Krishna and [[Arjuna at Kurukshetra, 18th–19th-century painting]] Traditionally, the authorship of the Mahābhārata is attributed to Vyāsa. There have been many attempts to unravel its historical growth and compositional layers. The bulk of the Mahābhārata was probably compiled between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE, with the oldest preserved parts not much older than around 400 BCE. The text probably reached its final form by the early Gupta period ().