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TheMahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India composed byVeda Vyasa. At its heart lies the epic struggle between thePandavas and theKauravas. The central characters include the five Pandava brothers—Yudhishthira,Bhima,Arjuna,Nakula, andSahadeva—along with their wifeDraupadi. On the opposing side, the hundredKaurava brothers are led by the elder brother,Duryodhana. However, theMahabharata is richly populated with other notable figures includingKrishna,Bhishma,Drona,Karna,Kunti,Dushasana,Kripa,Dhritrashtra,Gandhari,Shakuni,Ashwatthama,Balarama,Subhadra,Vyasa,Abhimanyu,Pandu,Satyavati andAmba.
TheMahabharata manuscripts exist in numerous versions, wherein the specifics and details of major characters and episodes vary, often significantly. Except for the sections containing theBhagavad Gita which is remarkably consistent between the numerous manuscripts, the rest of the epic exists in many versions.[1] The differences between the Northern and Southern recensions are particularly significant, with the Southern manuscripts more profuse and longer.[2] The manuscripts found in theNorth andSouth India have "great divergence" in details, though the thematic essence is similar.[3] Scholars have attempted to construct acritical edition, relying mostly on a study of the Bombay edition, the Poona edition, the Calcutta edition and the south Indian editions of theMahabharata manuscripts. The most accepted version is one prepared by scholars led by Vishnu Sukthankar at theBhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, preserved at theKyoto University, theCambridge University and various Indian universities.[4][5]
This list follows theCritical Edition of the Mahabharata, but may have characters exclusive to a particular recension.[note 1]
Abhimanyu was the son of third Pandava princeArjuna and Yadava princessSubhadra. He was a disciple of his maternal unclesKrishna andBalarama. He was killed unfairly on the 13th day ofKurukshetra War.[6]
Adhiratha was the foster-father of Karna. According to theBhagavata Purana, Adhiratha was descended fromYayati and therefore was related toKrishna. He was also the descendant ofRomapada,[7] the king ofAnga and brother-in-law ofDasharatha's descendant Shighra, king ofAyodhya. His wife was Radha and their biological sons were Shona and Shatrunjaya/Chitrasena.
Adrika was anapsara, who was cursed to become a fish and only to be liberated when she gives birth to a human. Adrika, as a fish, lived in the riverYamuna. Once she came in contact with the semen ofUparichara and impregnated herself. After 10 months, somefishermen caught her, cut open her womb and found two children—Matsyagandha andMatsya. After the incident, Adrika was liberated from her curse and returned to heaven.[8][page needed]
Agni is the Hindu god of fire. In the Vana Parva, sage Markandeya told the story of Agni's marriage.In the Khandava-daha Parva, Agni in disguise approachesKrishna andArjuna seeking sufficient food for gratification of his hunger and expressed his desire to consume the forest of Khandava protected by Indra for the sake ofTakshaka, the chief of theNagas. Aided by Krishna and Arjuna, Agni consumes theKhandava Forest. Later, as a boon, Arjuna got all his weapons from Indra and also the bow,Gandiva, fromVaruna.[9]
Alambusha was aRakshasa. In theKurukshetra War, he fought from the Kaurava side. During the war, he defeatedIravan, son of Pandava princeArjuna. Later on the 14th day of Kurukshetra war, Alambusha was killed by Bhima's son,Ghatotkacha.[10]
He was a demon and friend of another demon named Alambusha. He and Alambusha were killed byBhima's demon sonGhatotkacha during the Night war on the fourteenth day of the war.
Amba was the eldest daughter of Kashya, the king ofKashi and the sister of Ambika and Ambalika. Amba was abducted byKuru princeBhishma and holds him responsible for her misfortune. Her sole goal in life becomes his destruction, to fulfill which she is reborn asShikhandini/Shikhandi.[11]
Ambalika is the daughter of Kashya, the King ofKashi, and wife ofVichitravirya, the King ofHastinapur. She was also the mother ofPandu, stepmother ofDhritarashtra and grandmother ofPandavas.[12]
Ambika is the daughter of Kashya, the King ofKashi, and wife ofVichitravirya, the king ofHastinapura.[13] She was also the mother ofDhritarashtra and stepmother ofPandu and grandmother to theKauravas.[14]
The chief maid ofAmbika named parishrami or maryada was sent by Ambika and Ambalika to MaharishiVyasa. From their union,Vidura was born.
Amitaujas is the mighty warrior ofPanchala Kingdom. He was the maharatha on the side of Pandavas.[15]
He was the son ofGhatotkacha andMourvi. His grandparents wereBhima andHidimbā. He was killed byAshwatthama in theKurukshetra War.
Arjuna was the third of thePandava brothers and was son of the godIndra. He was known for his archery skills and killed great warriors like Bhishma, Jayadratha and Karna by following the godKrishna.[16][17]
In theMahabharata, Aruni appeared in theAdi Parva. Aruni was a disciple of sage named Dhaumya. Once a flood took place in the fields of the ashram (school). A breach was formed in the embankment. Dhaumya sent Aruni to stop the water from entering the embankment. After a long time, Aruni had not returned. So, Dhaumya went out to find Aruni. The latter lying in the breach of the embankment to prevent the water from entering it. Because of his loyalty, Aruni is also known as Gurubhakta Aruni.
The Ashvins or the Ashvini a pair of twin demigods. Their father is Surya and his mother is Saranyu. They are the demigods of medicine and health. In the epic, Kunti felt bad for Madri as she did not have any children due to a curse and shared her secret mantra with her. Madri, using the mantra, invoked the Ashvins and had one pair of twins,Nakula andSahadeva.[18]
Ashwatthama was the son ofguruDrona and fought on theKaurava side against thePandavas in theKurukshetra War.Ashwatthama had various divine weapons like Narayanastra, Brahmastra and Bhramshira astra. He had a divine gem on his forehead which granted him powers above Humans,Danavas, Rakshas, Nagas, Gandharvas, Pisach .Ashvatthama was appointed as the finalcommander-in-chief of the Kauravas, after which he slaughters most of thePandava camp in a singlenight offensive. Ashwatthama is believed to be alive even today.
Astika was arishi, and he was a son ofJaratkaru by the serpent goddessManasa – a sister of the great serpent kingVasuki. He saved the life of a serpentTakshaka, the king of snakes, when the kingJanamejaya organized a snake sacrifice known asSarpa Satra, where he made great sacrifices of serpents, to avenge for the death of his fatherParikshit.
She was the wife ofShalya and the mother of Madranjaya, Rukmanagada, Rukmanaratha,Sabidha,Tejasree and Senajiti. She was the princess of Avanti.
Ayu or Ayus was an ancestor of Shantanu. He was a sonPururavas and his apsara wife,Urvashi. He married Prabha, an asura princess (daughter of Swarbhanu). He was succeeded by his sonNahusha.[19]
Ayodhaumya/ Dhaumya was a sage of Avanti. He had three disciples namelyAruni of Panchal,Upamanyu and Veda. He even accompanied the Pandavas into the forest of Kurujangala during their exile. He sang songs ofSama Veda referring toYama.
Babruvahana was one of the sons ofArjuna, begotten throughChitrangada, the princess ofManipur. During theAshvamedha yagna, he killed his father Arjuna without knowing his identity. But Arjuna's other wifeUlupi brought back his life with the help of Nagamani.
Bahlika, also spelled as Vahlika, was the king of Bahlika kingdom and the elder brother of Shantanu, who was a king of Hastinapur. Along with his son, Somadatta, and grandson, Bhurishravas, he fought on the side of the Kaurava army in the Kurukshetra War and was slain by Bhima on the 14th day of the war when it continued after sunset.
Bakasura was a demon who was killed byBhima near the city ofEkacakrā.
Balarama is the elder brother ofKrishna.[20] He taught both Duryodhana of the Kauravas and Bhima of the Pandavas the art of fighting with a mace. He did not participate in theKurukshetra War.
He was a son ofKarna by his wife chandravali. He was an excellent Mace-wielder. On the 16th day of the war, Banasena was fighting withBhima and later killed.[21]
Bhadra and Madira were 3rd and 4th wives ofVasudeva. They were the daughters of Giribhanu/Sumukha and Padmavati/Pataladevi,and elder sisters ofYashoda. Bhadra's sons were Upanidhi, Gada and Keshi. Madira's sons were Nanda, Upananda, Kritaka and Shura. They cremated themselves with Vasudeva.
Bhadrakali is the fierce form of Devi. To destroy Daksha yajna, She appeared with Veerabhadra. She also mentioned in Shalya Parva, when she was the one of followers ofKartikeya.[22][23]
Bhagadatta was the son ofNaraka, king of thePragjyotisha Kingdom and second in a line of kings ofNaraka dynasty. He sided withKaurava in the Mahabharata war as he was an enemy of Krishna and father in law of Duryodhan. He was killed by Arjuna on the 12th day of battle.
Bharadvaja was a sage with divine powers. He was one of the sons of godBrihaspati and the father ofDrona and Shrutavati. Bharadvaja trained his son and his other disciple,Drupada.
Bharata is an ancestor of thePandavas and theKauravas. According to the epic, Bharata was the son of Dushyanta and was aChakravartin.
Bhima is the second born of thePandavas and son ofVayu. Bhima was considered one of the strongest warriors and slayed prominent figures like demonsBakasura, Hidimbasura, Kirmira, Jatasura; warriors likeJarasandha andKichaka. InKurukshetra war, Bhima alone killed 100Kaurava brothers.
In the Vana Parva of the epic, sageMarkandeya narrated the story ofNala andDamayanti. Bhima was the king of Vidarbha and the father ofDamayanti.
Originally named 'Devavrata', he was the eighth son of theKuru KingShantanu and the river goddessGanga. Bhishma was blessed with a boon from his father that he could choose the time of his death or he may remain immortal till he desires. He was related to both thePandavas and theKauravas through his half-brother, Vichitravirya (son of Satyavati). He was the commander in chief of the Kaurava army for the first 11 days.
Sauti said in the Pauloma Parva that Bhrigu was the son ofBrahma. He was married to Puloma, who gave birth to Chyavana. When the demon Puloma was carrying off his wife Puloma, she gave birth to his son, Chyavana, by whose brightness the demon was burnt into ashes. When Bhrigu saw his wife crying, he asked the reason. Puloma stated that Agni had said to the demon Puloma that I was the girl with whom Puloma was betrothed. In anger, Bhrigu cursedAgni to engulf everything whether pure or impure.
Bhurishravas was the son of Somadatta and the grandson of Bahlika, hence making him the cousin of Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidura. Bhurishravas had two brothers – Bhuri and Shala. Bhurishravas, in theKurukshetra War, is known to have a rivalry withYadava generalSatyaki. Bhurishravas is eventually killed by Satyaki in the War.
Budha is the illegitimate son ofChandra, the moon god, andTara, wife of Brihaspati and foster son ofBrihaspati. He metIlā and married her. From their union, a son was born, who was known asPururava. Pururavas founded the greatlunar dynasty.
Brihaspati is the son ofAngirasa, and husband ofTara. He is the father ofBharadvaja and his descendants areDrona andAshwatthama. He is the foster father ofBudha. He is the guru of the devas.
Chandra is the moon god. He is the son ofAnusuya andAtri. TheChandravamsha (lunar dynasty) is named after him. Chandra had an affair withTara,Brihaspati's wife. From their union, Tara became pregnant with Chandra's son,Budha. Budha's son,Pururavas, was the first king of the lunar dynasty. Later, Chandra marriedRohini and a son namedVarchas was born.
Chandravarma Kamboja is the firstKamboja king mentioned by name in theMahābhārata. He was an ancestor of Duryodhana's wife Bhanumati.[24][25][26][27] He appears to have been an ancient very powerful and renowned (vikhyaat) ruler of the Kambojas. He finds mention in the Adiparva section of theepicMahābhārata, where he is stated to be an Asura or ademonic ruler.[28][29][30]
Chitrasena was a son of Kashyapa and Arishta/Pradha and the King of the Gandharvas who prevented the Kauravas from putting up their camp near the pond where he himself had encamped.
Chitrasena was also introduced in the epic in the Vana Parva, as a teacher of music byIndra. Indra foresaw that Arjuna would have to spend one year at KingVirata's palace as a eunuch, during which time he would need the knowledge of music and dance. He wanted Arjuna to be trained by the king of the Gandharvas, Chitrasena. Chitrasena began his classes soon and the two also became good friends.[31] WhenUrvashi cursed Arjuna to remain a eunuch for life, it was Chitrasena along with Indra who mediated with her to reduce the tenure of her curse to a single year. Chitrasena was able to achieve this by narrating to her the story of thePandavas and the bravery of Arjuna.[32]
Chekitana was the son ofKekaya kingDhrishtaketu and Queen Shrutakirti, aYadava. He was the leader ofAndhaka sect ofYadavas.Chekitana was described to be a valorous warrior, who fought with warriors likeSusharma,Kripacharya andDronacharya. He also rescuedNakula from the clutches ofDuryodhana. On the 18th day, he was killed by Duryodhana.
Chitra and Chitrasena were brothers and the two kings of the Abhisara Kingdom. Both of them sided with the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. Chitra was killed byPrativindhya on the 16th day, whereas Chitrasena was killed byShrutakarma on the same day.
Chitrāngada was a king in ancient India. In theMahabharata, he is the elder son of Shantanu and Satyavati, ascending the throne of Hastinapura after his father's death. However, he is killed by a Gandharva named Chitrāngada soon after that.
Chitrangada was a Gandharva, who was jealous of Shantanu's sonChitrāngada, for sharing a name. One day, the Gandharva challenged the prince and killed him.
Chitrāngada was the king of the Kalinga kingdom. In theShanti Parva of the epic,Narada narrated that Chitrangada's daughter (Bhanumati) with Kaurava Duryodhana. After him,Srutayudha became the king of Kalinga as he had no son. Possibly, his wife was Chandramudra.
Chitrāngadā was the warrior princess ofManipura. She was the only heir of king Chitravahana and one ofArjuna's consorts. She had a son namedBabhruvahana with him. Later, Babhruvahana unknowingly killed his father but was revived byUlupi, Chitrāngadā's friend, and co-wife.
He was the king ofManipura and the father ofChitrangadaa. He was also the grandfather ofBabruvahana. His wife was Queen Vasundhara.
Damayanti is a character in a love story found in theVana Parva book of theMahabharata. She was a princess of the Vidarbha Kingdom, who married KingNala of the Nishadha Kingdom. Her story is set long before the Kurukshetra War.
Dantavakra was the king ofKarusha according to theMahabharata and thePuranas.
Danda and Dandadhara is the two princes ofMagadha Kingdom. They fought the side of Kauravas and killed byArjuna during Kurukshetra war.[33][34]
Dasharaja was the fisherman chieftain of Hastinapura and the father ofSatyavati. He was the one who asked Satyavati's heir to be the ruler of Hastinapura, due to whichBhishma took a vow of celibacy and a vow not to rule Hastinapura. He is a great-great-grandfather of the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
Darada is the king of Bahlika Kingdom. Shushipala eulogized him when he was born the earth was cleaved because of his weight.
Devaki was the daughter of Devaka, the cousin ofKamsa, wife ofVasudeva Anakadundubhi, the biological mother of Krishna.
Devayani was the daughter ofShukra, the guru of theAsuras. She was married to Yayati and gave birth to two sons—Yadu andTurvasu, and a daughter—Madhavi. Before her marriage, she once fell in love with Brihaspati's son,Kacha. However, Kacha later refused to marry her. She had a friend namedSharmishtha who was secretly in relationship with her husband Yayati.[35]
Devika was the daughter of Govasena, the king of the Sivi Kingdom of Shaivya tribe, and the second wife ofYudhishthira they got married in a self choice ceremony. They had a son called Yaudheya.
Dhrishtadyumna was the son of Drupada and the brother of Draupadi, Shikhandi, and Satyajit in the epicMahabharata. He had four sons – Kshatradharman, Kshatravarman, Kshatranjaya, and Dhrishtaketu. He was the commander-in-chief of the Pandava army during the entire Kurukshetra War i.e. for 18 days. Dhrishtadyumna killed Drona, the royal guru, when he was meditating which was against the rules of engagement.
In the epicMahabharata, Dhritarashtra is the King ofKuru Kingdom with its capitalHastinapur. He was born toVichitravirya's first wifeAmbika. Dhritarashtra was born blind and became father to 100 sons and one daughter Dushala by his wifeGandhari (Gāndhārī), and another sonYuyutsu by Sughada, his wife's maid. These children, including the eldest sonDuryodhana, came to be known as theKauravas.
Dhrishtaketu was the son of Chedi kingShishupala, who was a cousin of Krishna. Dhrishtaketu became the king ofChedi after his father's death and became an ally of thePandava. Dhrishtaketu and his brothers and sons participated in theKurukshetra War, where they all were killed.
Dhrishtaketu was the ruler ofKekeya, and his wife was Shrutakirti, a Yadava who was the daughter ofShurasena. Many of Dhrishtaketu's sons participated in the Kurukshetra War, participating on both sides. Vrihadkshatra and Chekitana were two of his notable sons. Dhrishtaketu's daughter Bhadra was married to Krishna, who bore him many sons.
Draupadi also referred to as Panchalī, is the most important female and one of the most important characters inMahabharata. She was born from a yajna organized by Panchala King Drupada and is described to be the most beautiful woman of her time. She was the common wife of thePandavas, who fought their cousins, theKauravas in the greatKurukshetra War. She had five sons from each Pandava, who were collectively addressed as theUpapandavas.
In the epicMahabharata, Droṇa or Droṇāchārya was the royalpreceptor to theKauravas andPandavas. He was the son of rishiBharadvaja and a descendant of sageAngirasa. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the divine weapons orAstras. He was also the second commander-in-chief of kaurava army from 11th day to 15th day. He was beheaded byDhrishtadyumna when he was meditating to release his soul on the battlefield.[8]
Drupada was the son of King Prishata. He was the king of the land of SouthernPanchala. His capital was known asKampilya. He was father ofShikhandi, Satyajit,Dhrishtadyumna andDraupadi. He was friend turned rival of Droṇa and rivalry developed when he humiliated Droṇa in front of his ministers. Later, with the help of Arjuna, Droṇa took half of Drupada's kingdom. This led Drupada to perform a yajna from which Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna emerged. He was killed by Droṇa during the Kurukshetra War.
Durmasena was the son ofDushasana. He helped his father many times in the Kurukshetra war. He was also present inside the Chakra Vyuha on the thirteenth day of the war. He was deprived of his chariot by Abhimanyu and saved by Ashwatthama by cutting Abhimanyu's arrow in mid air. After that, Durmasena killed brutally injuredAbhimanyu in a mace duel. On 14th day, Durmasena was brutally killed by Draupadi's sons, theUpapandavas, in revenge for Abhimanyu.
Duryodhana also is known as Suyodhana, is a major antagonist inMahabharata and was the eldest of theKauravas, the hundred sons of a blind kingDhritarashtra and QueenGandhari. Being the firstborn son of the blind king, he was the crown prince ofKuru Kingdom and its capitalHastinapura along with his cousinYudhishtra who was older than him.Karna was Duryodhana's closest friend and his brother, he died at bhima 's hands at the 18th day of the war.
Duryodhana's wife—named Bhanumati in later retelling—is a minor character is inMahabharata, and mainly appears in the folk tales.[36] She is unnamed in the epic, but it is described that she was the princess ofKalinga Kingdom and was the daughter ofChitrangada. She was abducted by Duryodhana with the help of his friendKarna. FromDuryodhana, she is the mother of a son,Laxman Kumara, and daughter,Lakshmanaa. Bhanumati's mother-in-lawGandhari described her toKrishna in the posterior to thebattle of Kurukshetra.[37]
Goddess Durga is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. InVirata Parva and Bhishma Parva of the epic, she was eulogized byYudhishthira andArjuna.[38][39]
Dushala was the daughter ofDhritarashtra andGandhari, the sister of theKauravas and the wife of the king of Sindhu, Jaydrath. She was the only daughter of Gandhari from the 101 children. She had a son named Suratha, who succeeded his father, after Jayadratha was killed by Arjuna in the Mahabharata War. Suratha was slewn by Arjuna during his campaign in Sindhu.
Dushasana was aKaurava prince, the second son of the blind kingDhritarashtra andGandhari and the younger brother ofDuryodhana in theHindu epicMahabharata. Dushasana married the princess of the Trigarta Kingdom. In a later retelling, she is known as Chandramukhi.[citation needed] They had a son named Drumasena.
Dushyanta was an ancestor of Shantanu and a king of Hastinapura. He was the husband ofShakuntala and the father of theEmperor Bharata.
Ekalavya (English: एकलव्य, ékalavya) is a character from the epic theMahābhārata. He was a young prince of the Nishadha, a confederation of jungle tribes (Adivasi) in Ancient India.
Gandhari is one of the prominent characters in theIndian epic theMahabharata. She was a princess ofGandhara (modern-day Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) and the wife ofDhritrashtra, the blind king ofHastinapura, and the mother of a hundred sons, theKauravas.
The chief maid of Gandhari—named Sughada in later retelling—was the mother ofYuyutsu. When Gandhari was pregnant for more than nine months, Dhritrashtra, in fear that there would be no heir, impregnated the maid. Later Gandhari gave birth to the 100 Kauravas and Sughada gave birth to Yuyutsu.
Ganesha is the god of beginnings. He is the son ofShiva andParvati. The epic poemMahabharata says that the sageVyasa asked him to serve as his scribe to transcribe the poem as he dictated it to him. Ganesha agreed but only on the condition that Vyasa recites the poem uninterrupted, that is, without pausing. The sage agreed but found that to get any rest he needed to recite very complex passages so Ganesha would have to ask for clarifications.[note 2]
In theMahabharata, Ganga was the first wife ofShantanu, and the mother of heroic warrior-patriarch,Bhishma. When she met Shantanu for the first time, Shantanu asked her to become his wife. She agreed on the condition that he would not ask her a single question. Later, she gave birth to 8 children, who wereVasus reborn as mortals due to a curse. Ganga drowned her seven sons as the Vasus requested her to do so. However, Shantanu stopped her from drowning their eighth son, who was Bhishma, and asked her questions. Ganga's condition was broken and she left Shantanu. However, she promised him to return his son. When Bhishma is mortally wounded in theKurukshetra War, Ganga came out of the water in human form and wept uncontrollably over his body.
Ghatotkacha was the son of thePandavaBhima andHidimbi. His name comes from the fact that his head was hairless (utkaca) and shaped like aghatam. He died inKurukshetra War in the hands of Karna.
Ghritachi is one of the prominentApsara. In theMahabharata, she appeared in Adi Parva. According to the story, she was bathing in a river. Bharadvaja was passing by, then he saw her. He was filled with desire and discharged his seed. It fell into a pot and Drona was born.
UnlikeRamayana, lord Hanuman does not have a large role inMahabharata. He appears during the exile of Pandavas. In the story,Bhima, Hanuman's celestial brother, performed a penance to gain more strength. Hanuman wanted to test Bhima and appeared as a normal monkey in front of him. The monkey asked Bhima to lift his tail if he believed in his strength. But, Bhima was not able to lift the tail. Later, he realised who the monkey was and apologized.[40] Hanuman taught battle-skills to Bheema for some time.
Hayagriva was a horse headed avatar of Vishnu. He incarnated to slay the demons named Madhu and Kaitabha and brings the Vedas to Brahma.[41]
Hidimba was aRakshasa and the brother of Hidimbi. He was killed byBhima, who later married his sister.
Hiḍimbī or Hiḍimbā was a Rakshasi in theMahābhārata. Hidimbi, along with her brother, Hidimba, tried to eat the Pandavas, when they entered their forest. But when she met Bhima, she fell in love with him and told them the plan. AfterBhima killed Hidimba, Hidimbi married Bhima and gave birth toGhatotkacha.
Ila or Ilā was a character fromMahabharata who could change his/her gender. As a woman, she marriedBudha, son of Chandra, and had a son namedPururavas. Pururavas's descendants founded thelunar dynasty.
In the epic, Indra appears numerous times. He is son ofKashyapa andAditi. He is the spiritual father ofArjuna. He was the reason for the separation ofUrvashi andPururavas. During his temporary absence,Nahusha took his place as the king. He is called byKunti afterDharmaraj and Vayu. Later in the epic, he is shown protecting Takshaka's forest from Arjuna. ThePandavas named their capital,Indraprastha, after him. During the exile of Pandavas, Arjuna came to meet him. During the Kurukshetra war, he took the indestructible armor and earrings fromKarna and gave him a powerful weapon. These were some of his appearances in the epic.
Iravan also is known as Aravan and Iravat[42] is a minor character inMahabharata. He was a son ofPandava princeArjuna (one of the main heroes of the Mahabharata) and theNaga princessUlupi, Iravan is the central deity of the cult ofKuttantavar which is also the name commonly given to him in that cult—and plays a major role in the cult ofDraupadi. Iravan played a huge role in theKurukshetra War. On the 7th day, he massacred the Kaurava army and killed many brothers ofShakuni. However, on the 8th day, in a battle of many illusions and magical powers, Iravan is beheaded by the demon Alambusha.
Jambavati is second of the Ashtabharya, the eight principal queen-consorts ofKrishna. She was the only daughter of the bear-kingJambavan. Krishna married her, when he defeated Jambavan to retrieve the stolenSyamantaka jewel.[43]
Janamejaya was a Kuru king and a descendant ofArjuna. He was the son ofParikshit and the grandson ofAbhimanyu andUttarā. He performed a snake sacrifice calledSarpa Satra to avenge his father's death, who was killed byTakshaka, Arjuna's naga enemy.Astika, son ofManasa, stopped the sacrifice.
Janapadi is anApsara, who once roamed in the forests. One day, upon seeing her, Shardavan, son ofGautama Maharishi discharged his seed. From his seed,Kripa andKripi were born.
Jara was a demoness. When King Brihadratha's queen threw away their half-born child, Jara joined the two halves. The child was namedJarasandha.
According to the Hindu epicMahabharata,Jarasandha was a powerful king ofMagadha. He was a descendant of a kingBrihadratha, the creator of the Barhadratha dynasty of Magadha. He was killed by second PandavaBhima.
Jaratkaru was a sage who wandered all over the earth and remained unmarried. He encountered his ancestors who hung upside down, leading to hell for he did not have any son. This led to his marriage with the snake goddess, Manasa. They gave birth to Astika who saved the snakes from being burnt during the snake sacrifice.
According to the Vana Parva of Mahabharata, Jatasura was a demon. He attacked the Pandavas in there exile. Then Bhima killed him.
Jaidrath was King of Sindhu Kingdom. He was the son of King Vridhakshtra. He was married toKauravas' only sister and only daughter ofDhritarashtra andGandhari, Dushala. He kidnappedDraupadi onDuryodhana's order but was stopped byArjuna andBhima. His hairs were cut off as a punishment. He was the biggest reason forAbhimanyu's death. Abhimanyu's fatherArjuna swore to kill Jaidrath and he fulfill his oath.
Jayatsena is the son ofJarasandha and king ofMagadha. He is stated as one of the powerful kings of the time, who could be summoned to the cause of thePandavas, before Kurukshetra war. He accepted that and came with an Akshauhini on the side of Pandavas.
Kadru was the daughter ofDaksha and wife ofKasyapa. She was the mother of thousandnāgas. She even cursed her children for not obeying her to be burnt in the snake sacrifice.
He was the most loyal companion, commander-in-chief and main bodyguard ofKamsa. He was always appreciated by Kamsa. He was also cruel like Kamsa. WhenKrishna was killing Kamsa,Balarama killed him by beating him and cutting his head with hands.
Kalaratri is the seventh among the Navadurgas. She is stated in Sauptika Parva. When she appears to thePandava soldiers in dreams, she appears amidst the fighting during an attack byDrona's sonAshwatthama.[44]
Kalki is the final incarnation of the preserver deity,Vishnu. He is stated inVana Parva of the epic, to incarnate at the end of theKali Yuga and protect dharma, by destroying the sinners andMlecchas.[45][46]
Kacha's story is mentioned inMahabharata's Adi Parva. He was the son ofBrihaspati andTara. He was sent by Devas to Sukracharya's ashram to learn about Mrita Sanjeevani mantra. Sukra's daughter Devyani fell in love with him. However, Kacha later refused to marry her.[47]
Kamsa or Kamsa was the tyrant ruler of theVrishni kingdom with its capital atMathura. He is the brother ofDevaki, the mother of the godKrishna who later slew Kamsa.
Kanika was a sage ofHastinapur. He acted as a counselor toDhritarashtra. WhenYudhisthira was announced the crown prince, Dhritarashtra became sad for his sons were deceived. And at this time Kanika was summoned to counsel the king, who advised Dhritarashtra not to resort to fight but remove his foes secretly. Unethical methods may also be adopted for killing a foe, was his advice. Then he narrated a story of a jackal, who deceived his companions (tiger, mongoose, wolf, and mouse) by tricking them. Influenced by his counsels Dhritarashtra exiled the Pandavas to Varanavata and constructed the house of lac.[48]
Karenumati was the daughter of Damaghosha,and Srutashrava. And the sister ofChedi kingShishupala, andDhrishtaketu. She was the wife ofPandavaNakula and begot him a son, Nirumitra. Nirumitra succeeded his father Nakula to the throne of the Northern Madra Kingdom.
In the epic, Karna is one of the main antagonist, he was the spiritual son ofSurya (the Sun deity) and son of princessKunti (later the Pandu's queen). He was raised by fosterSuta parents named Radha and Adhiratha after his mother abandoned him at birth. Adhiratha was the charioteer and poet profession working for kingDhritarashtra. Karna grows up to be an accomplished warrior, a gifted speaker and becomes a loyal friend ofDuryodhana.[49] He is appointed the king ofAnga (Bengal) by Duryodhana. Karna joined the Duryodhana's side in theKurukshetra War and was defeated by many warriors like Arjuna, Bhima, Abhimanyu and Satyaki. Karna fought valiantly after the fall of Bhishma, and killed various warriors on the Pandava side, he was born with a natural armour and earrings. He was one of the 9 warriors who unfairly killed Abhimanyu inside the Chakravyuh, he shared a great rivalry with Arjuna; though after his death he was loved and missed by the Pandavas. He had 3 curses and was killed by Arjuna on 17th Day of the War.
Adhiratha andRadha, the adoptive parents ofKarna, had some biological children. Karna's adoptive brothers were killed during theKurukshetra War.[50] In later retelling, one of them is named Shona, who was killed byAbhimanyu on the 13th day of Kurukshetra War.
In the originalMahabharata, there are some mentions of Karna's wife. Her name is not revealed, sometimes assumed as Vrushali.It is described that she belonged to Suta (charioteer) community.[50] The names and stories appear in later texts and interpolation.
Kauravas were the 102 sons of Dhritarashtra. Out of which, 101 were his legitimate children from his wifeGandhari. He had one illegitimate son namedYuyutsu, who was conceived through a maid during Gandhari's two-year-long pregnancy. Out of these children,Dushala is the only girl. The names of the 102 Kauravas are:
He was the father ofUlupi and grandfather ofIravan. His wife was Vishvahini.
Keechak was the general of the Matsya kingdom. He was the brother ofSudeshna, queen of Matsya. He was very powerful and feared byVirata and the citizens of the kingdom. He was killed byBhima when he tried to molestDraupadi.
Kirmira was a demon and younger brother of demonsBaka. WhenPandavas andDraupadi wentKamyaka Forest, Kirmira encountered them and challengedBhima for a fight as Bhima killed his brother Baka. After a tough fight, Bhima beheaded Kirmira.
Kratha is the Kshatriya king and the reincarnation ofRahu. He fought the side of Kauravas and killed by a Kulinda king during Kurukshetra war.[51]
Kripa was the son of Śaradvān and Jānapadī, born in a particularly extraordinary manner. He was the grandson ofMaharishi Gautama. He was a descendant of sageAngiras. He along with his sister Kripi were adopted by KingShantanu. Later on Kripa became anacharya, teacher of the royal children, giving him the honorificKripacharya. His twin sister Kripi marriedDrona. Kripa was among the Maharathis who fought on the Kauravas's side against the Pandavas in theKurukshetra war in theHindu epic of theMahabharata.
Kripi was the sister ofKripa. She and her brother were adopted by theRajguru of KingShantanu. Her actual parents were Saradvan and Janapadi. She marriedDronacharya, who was poor at that time. When they wanted a powerful son, they prayed to Shiva, and a son namedAshwathama was born.
Krishna is a Hindu deity. He is also a major character in epicMahabharata. He was an eighth avatar of Vishnu. He was born toDevaki and her husband,Vasudeva of theYadava clan inMathura. During theKurukshetra War, he became strategist of Padavas and charioteer ofArjuna. At the start of theDharmaYudhha (righteous war) betweenPandavas andKauravas, Arjuna is filled withmoraldilemma and despair about the violence and death the war will cause in the battle against his own kin. He wonders if he should renounce and seeks Krishna's counsel, whose answers and discourse constitute theBhagavad Gita. Krishna counsels Arjuna to "fulfill hisKshatriya (warrior) duty to uphold theDharma" through "selfless action".
Kritavarma was one of theYadava warriors and chieftain, and a contemporary ofKrishna. During Kuruksetra war, Kritavarma fought for Kauravas along with Krishna's Narayani sena and was one of survivors of the war.
In Mahabharata,Kunti-Bhoja (orKuntibhoja) was the cousin ofShurasena and adoptive father ofKunti . He was the ruler of theKunti Kingdom. Kunti was a daughter of KingShurasena but was later given to Kuntibhoja since he was devoid of children.[52] Kuntibhoja raised her as his own daughter and loved her.[53] She was very beautiful and intelligent and later marriedPandu.[54] When Kunti was a young girl, the sageDurvasa visited Kuntibhoja one day and sought his hospitality. The king entrusted the sage to Kunti's care and tasked Kunti with the responsibility of serving the sage and meeting all his needs during his stay with them.[55] Eventually, the sage was gratified. Before departing, he rewarded Kunti by teaching herAtharvavedamantras which enabled her to invoke anygod of her choice to beget children by them.[56] His son Visharada succeeded him who was killed byDuryodhana on the eighth day.
Kunti or Pritha was the daughter ofShurasena, and the foster daughter of his cousinKuntibhoja. She was married to KingPandu ofHastinapur and was the mother ofKarna and the PandavasYudhishthira,Bhima,Arjuna. She was the paternal aunt ofKrishna,Balarama, andSubhadra. She was the step mother ofNakula andSahadeva. She was very beautiful and intelligent.
Kuru is the name of the ancestor of the clan of the Kurus in theMahabharata. He was the son ofSamvarana and ofTapati, the daughter of the Sun.[57]
In the literature, Kuru is an ancestor ofPandu and his descendants, thePandavas, and also ofDhritarashtra and his descendants, theKauravas. This latter name derived as apatronym from "Kuru", is only used for the descendants of Dhritarashtra.[58]
King Kuru had two wives named Shubhangi and Vahini. He had a son named Viduratha with Shubhangi, and five sons with Vahini, named Ashvavat, Abhishyat, Citraratha, Muni, and Janamejaya.[59][60] Due to his merits and great ascetic practices the region "Kurujangal" was named after him. It has also been known asKurukshetra since ancient Vedic times.[61]
In the Hindu epicMahabharata, Laxman Kumara or simply Laxman (Lakshman(a)) is the son of Duryodhana, and grandson of Dhritarashtra. He had a twin sister called Lakshmanaa who was kidnapped by Samba (Krishna's son). Not much is revealed about Laxman in the Mahabharata, He was beheaded by Abhimanyu.
In theBhagavata Purana, Lakshmanaa (also spelled Laxmanaa or Lakshmanā), also known as Lakshana, is the daughter of Duryodhana. Little is revealed about Laxmanaa in the text other than her marriage to Krishna's sonSamba.
He was Prime Minister of Kuru Kingdom beforeVidura. WhenBhishma gave his post to Vidura, he tried to kill Vidura but he fought and was beheaded by Bhishma.
Madhavi was the daughter of King Yayati.
He was eldest son ofShalya and Avantini who was killed on second day of war byVirata.
He was younger brother ofShalya and elder brother of Madri. He was uncle ofNakula andSahadeva. He was unmarried and was killed byYudhishthira along with Shalya on the last day of war.
In theMahabharata epic, Madri, was sister ofShalya, princess of theMadra Kingdom, second wife ofPandu and the mother of two sons:Nakula andSahadeva.[62][63] One day, Pandu and Madri made love; this led Pandu to die due to his curse and Madri to commit suicide.
She was maid ofDraupadi married to a Kshatriya soldier Pralanksena. Her son Nakusha was Bodyguard ofDrupada. Her husband and son were killed byDrona before Drupada's death on the 15th day of war.
In theMahabharata,Naga Goddess Manasa is the wife ofJaratkaru. They had a son,Astika, who saved the serpents includingTakshaka fromSarpa Satra organised by kingJanamejaya to avenge hisfather's death.[64]
Manimat or Maniman is the king who was the rebirth of Vritra, the son of Danayu. He fought the side of Pandavas and killed byBhurishravas in the Kurukshetra war.[65]
Shurasena was married to aNāga (or serpent) woman named Marisha. She bore all of his children and was the cause forVasuki’s boon to Bhima.[66][67][68] after whom theSurasena Kingdom or mahajanpada and the Yadava sect ofSurasenas[69] were named. She was the mother ofKunti andVasudeva as well. She was named as "Bhadra" in Jain narratives
Markandeya was blessed by Shiva to remain young till the end ofKali Yuga. In the Mahabharat, Markandeya visits the Pandavas during their exile and tells them the story ofNala andDamayanti,Savitri and Satyavan, etc.
Menaka was a beautiful apsara. She was sent by Indra to fill Vishwamitra with lust and destroy his penance. Upon seeing her, Vishwamitra was filled with desire and from their union,Shakuntala, mother of great king Bharat, was born. Menaka left Shakuntala and Vishwamitra again started to meditate. Shakuntala was left with sage Kanva.
Muchukunda, son ofKing Mandhata, and brother of equally illustriousAmbarisha, was born in theIkshvaku dynasty. He later became a sage and his divine powers killedKalyavana.[70]
Nala is the main character of alove story in theVana Parva of Mahabharata. He was king of Nishada. He fell in love withDamayanti and married her. But they struggled a lot after their marriage. His story is set long before the Kurukshetra war.
Nahusha was a king from lunar dynasty and an ancestor ofShantanu. He was the son Ayu and Prabha. He was equal toIndra in every way and was made the ruler of Swarga in Indra's absence. He marriedAshokasundari/Viraja, the daughter of Devi Parvati and Shiva, and had a son namedYayati. He was removed from his position as the king because of his arrogance and cursed to a snake. His curse was over when he metYudhishthira in a forest.
Nakula was fourth of the fivePandava brothers. Nakula andSahadeva were twins born toMadri, who had invoked theAshwini Kumaras. Nakula and his brotherSahadeva, are both called asAshvineya (आश्विनेय), as they were born from Ashvinas. Nakula was said to be a skilled master in sword-fighting. On the 18th day of Kurukshetra War, Nakula had killed three sons of Karna.
Nand was the head of the Gopas tribe of Yadava cowherds referred as Holy Gwals. He was a friend ofVasudev, spouse ofYashoda and the foster father ofKrishna.
Narakasura was the son ofBhumi, the earth goddess. He gained a boon that only his mother could kill him. He captured and married women forcefully. Krishna andSatyabhama (the human incarnation of Bhumi) killed him.
In theHindu epicMahabharata,Niramitra (Sanskrit:निरमित्र,lit. 'he who has no enemies') was the son ofNakula and his wifeKarenumati.[71][72]
Padmavati is the goddess who mentioned in Tantras.[73] She also mentioned in Shalya Parva of the epic, as one of the followers of Kartikeya.[23]
Parashara was a sage. He was the grandson ofVasishtha, the son ofŚakti Maharṣi, and the father ofVyasa. BeforeSatyavati married Shantanu, she had an affair with Parashara. During that time, she was known as Matsyagandha. Later they had a child named Vyasa. However they parted away but before leaving, Parashara restored Matsyagandha's virginity and gave her an enchanting scent.
Parashuram is thesixth avatar ofVishnu inHinduism and he is one of the chiranjeevis who will appear at the end of theKali Yuga. He was born to destroy evil Kshatriya, who had begun to abuse their power.Parashurama is also the Guru ofBhishma,Dronacharya, andKarna.[74][75]
Parikshit was a king from kuru lineage. He was the son ofAbhimanyu (Arjuna's son) andUttarā. When he was in his mother's womb, he was attacked and killed byAshwatthama usingBrahmastra. However Shri Krishna revived him and named him Parikshit. After the Pandavas and Draupadi retired for heaven, he was crowned as the new king. Later,Kali (demon) manipulated Parikshit and he placed a dead snake on a meditating rishi. The Rishi's son saw it and cursed him to die by a snakebite. After he was bitten and killed byTakshaka, his sonJanamejaya performedSarpa Satra. This is where he hears the story of his great-grandfathers.
Pandu was the king ofHastinapur, the son ofAmbalika andVichitravirya. He is popularly known as the father of thePandavas, who were called so after him. Pandu was responsible and a great warrior, who expanded his kingdom during his rule. He had two wives named Kunti and Madri. He died early due to a curse of a sage.
He is the king of Pandya Kingdom. He came to help thePandavas with an army and also an maharathi on the side of Pandavas.
Paurava is a king and the rebirth of Asura Sarabha. He fought the side ofKauravas and was killed by Arjuna during Kurukshetra war.
Prabha, sometimes Indumati, was the daughter of AsuraSvarbhanu, who later becameRahu andKetu. She marriedAyu, son ofPururavas oflunar dynasty, and had a son namedNahusha.
Pradyumna was the son ofKrishna andRukmini. He is the reincarnation ofKamadeva, who was burnt byShiva for shooting arrow of love at him. After his birth, he was kidnapped bySambara and thrown into water. However, he survived and was raised by Mayawati (reincarnation of deviRati). Later, he defeated Sambara and returned toDvaraka. He married Mayawati, Prabhavati andVidarbha princess Rukmavati, and had a sonAniruddha.
Pratipa was a king in theMahabharata, who was the father ofShantanu and grandfather ofBhishma.[76]
Prativindhya was the son ofYudhishthira andDraupadi. He was the eldest brother amongUpapandavas.
Prishati (lit. daughter-in-law of Prishata) was the wife of KingDrupada and the mother ofShikhandini,Dhrishtadhyumna,Draupadi (Panchali) and the sister-in-law of Satyajit, Drupada's younger brother. After Drupada performed ayajna (fire-sacrifice) to obtain a powerful son, she was asked by the sages to consume the sacrificial offering to conceive a child. However, Prishati had perfumed saffron in her mouth and requested the sages to wait till she had a bath and washed her mouth. The sages criticised her untimely request and poured the offering into the flames of the yajna, from which Dhrishtadhyumna and Draupadi emerged. Overwhelmed by their arrival, Prishati requested the sages to declare her as the mother of Dhrishtadhyumna and Draupadi.[77]
Purochana was the builder of theLakshagraha. However, he, along with his wife and her sons, perished in the fire. He was the royal chief architect in Hastinapura. He was a friend of Shakuni and Duryodhana. Purochana built the Lakshagraha palace and burnt it. He was killed by Bhima in the Lakshagraha palace. Purochana had a wife and many sons. In his last life, Purochana had been Prahasta, Ravana's uncle and commander-in-chief of his army. Shakuni and Duryodhana made another plan to kill the Pandavas. Shakuni told Purochana to build a really beautiful palace in Varnavrata out of only materials that can catch and spread fire easily. Purochana quickly did as Shakuni had said. Purochana called the palace Lakshagraha. It was made out of materials such as wax and twigs.After some time, Shakuni convinced the Pandavas and Kunti to visit Lakshagraha. Purochana and his wife welcomed the Pandavas and Kunti grandly. After 10 days, during the night, Purochana set fire on the palace. The Pandavas woke up and realized that this had been another one of Duryodhana and Shakuni's evil schemes. Bhima got really mad. While Purochana and his sons and wife were trying to escape, Bhima killed all of them, including Purochana. The Pandavas barely managed to escape the fire.
Pururavas was the first king from the lunar dynasty. He was the son ofBudha andIla. He marriedUrvashi but she left him. He was succeeded by his son, Ayu.[citation needed]
Radha was thefoster mother ofKarna, one of the central characters in theHindu epicMahabharata. She was the wife ofAdhiratha, the charioteer ofBhishma. Radha also bore a son namedShon. The youngKunti used amantra to beget a son from the Sun godSurya. Afraid of the taint of being an unwed mother, she placed the baby in a basket and set him afloat a river. The child later known as Karna was found and adopted by Radha and Adiratha, who raised Karna as their own. Karna is known by the matronymicRadheya. Karna, once he knows from Krishna and Kunti about his birth secret, having done so much harm to his brothers Pandavas, was in no position to abandon Duryodhana.[78]
InMahabharata, Revati was daughter of King Kakudmi and consort ofBalarama, the elder brother ofKrishna.
She was the wife ofVasudeva and mother ofBalrama. She looked afterBalaram in his childhood. After Vasudeva andDevaki were released, she started living with them. After the passing of Vasudeva in the Yadu massacre, Rohini cremates herself on Vasudeva's pyre along with his other wives Devaki, Bhadra and Madira.[79]
Rochamana was Kshatriya king of Aswamedha kingdom. He was a warrior on the side ofPandavas and killed by Karna in the Kurukshetra war.
Rukmi was the ruler of Vidarbha. He was the son of king Bhishmaka and elder brother of Rukmini.
Rukmini was the first and chief queen consort ofKrishna. She was an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She was the daughter of king Bhishmaka, sister of Rukmi and the princess of Vidarbha.
Ruru was a rishi(sage) of the epicMahabharata. He was the son of Pramati and Ghritachi, the celestial dancer and a descendant of Bhrigu. Ruru married Pramadvara, foster-daughter of sage Sthulakesha. He was the father of Sunaka.
Sahadeva was the youngest of the fivePandava brothers.Nakula and Sahadev were twins born toMadri who had invoked theAshvins. Sahadeva had two wives, Draupadi and Vijaya. Draupadi was the common wife of Pandavas, while Vijaya was the beloved wife of Sahadeva. Similar to his twin brother Nakula, Sahadeva was also accomplished in swordsmanship. On the 18th of war, Sahadeva had killedShakuni who was mainly responsible for the Kurukshetra War.
Sahadeva was the son of powerful kingJarasandha. When Bhima slew his father, Krishna declared him to be the new ruler of Magadha. Sahadeva is a frequent ally of the Pandavas, and attended the rajasuya of Yudhishthira. During the Kurukshetra War, he fought on the side of Pandavas, and was slain by Karna.
He was son of KingSrutayudha and Queen Sakrayani ofKalinga. He was theyuvaraja (crown prince) of Kalinga. He was killed byBhima on the second day of war along with many soldiers, and two generals, Satya and Satyadeva.
Samba is the mischievous son ofKrishna and his second wife,Jambavati. He was born as a boon of Shiva. Samba was the husband ofLakshmana,Duryodhana's daughter. Later in the epic, his mischief becomes the reason for the destruction of Krishna's Yadu clan, owing to the curse ofGandhari.
Samudrasena is a king. Once, Bhima defeated Samudrasena and his son, Chandrasena, during his war of conquest. In the Kurukshetra War, he fought on the side of the Pandavas and was killed by the Kaurava army.[80]
Shamika is a sage featured in the epic. One day, while hunting, Parikshit had wounded a deer, but lost it in the woods. Searching for it, fatigued, he asked the meditating Shamika about the deer. The sage did not answer as he was observing the vow of silence. This angered the king, who placed a dead snake on Shamika's shoulder. Sringin, the son of Shamika, enraged by this act, cursed Parikshit to be killed byTakshaka (snake) within seven days.
Samvarana was a king from the Lunar dynasty and an ancestor of Shantanu. He marriedTapati, daughter of Surya, and had a child namedKuru.
Sanjaya wasDhritarashtra's advisor and also hischarioteer. Sanjaya was a disciple of the sageVyasa and was immensely devoted to his master, KingDhritarashtra. Sanjaya – who has the gift of seeing events at a distance (divya-drishti) right in front of him, granted by the sage Vyasa – narrates to Dhritarashtra the action in the climactic battle ofKurukshetra, which includes theBhagavad Gita.
Sarama, according to theMahabharata, is a celestial female dog. Janamejaya and his brothers beat one of her sons without any reason when the dog arrives at an occasion of sacrifice. This angers Sarama, and she curses the princes and Janamejaya that evil may happen to them.
Featured in theMahabharata and theBhagavata Purana, Satrajit was aYadava king who was a great devotee ofSurya, the Sun god. He is famous for his role in the story ofSyamantaka gem. He was the father ofSatyabhama, who becameKrishna's third wife.[81][82]
Satyabhama is the third consort of Krishna. She is believed to be an avatar of Bhumi, the goddess of the Earth. According to some traditions, she is regarded to have aided Krishna in defeating the demon Narakasura. She visited the Pandavas during their exile and had a conversation with Draupadi.
Satyajit was the brother of KingDrupada and brother-in-law of Queen Prishati and the younger paternal uncle ofShikhandini/Shikhandi,Dhrishtadyumna, andDraupadi. Not much is written about him in the epic, but he acted as a regent while his brother, the king, was away for some time for summoning the sages Yaja and Upayaja for a powerful penance to beget children.
Yyudhana, also known as Satyaki, was a powerful warrior belonging to theVrishni clan of theYadavas, to whichKrishna also belonged. Satyaki was also a student of Arjuna, due to which he fought on the Pandavas's side.
Satyavati is a matriarch of the Kuru dynasty in theMahabharata. She was a fisherwoman before her marriage withShantanu. She, along with her father, Dasharaja, proposed the conditions that ledBhishma to take his vow of celibacy. Married to Shantanu, she became the mother ofChitrangada andVichitravirya. She is also the mother of theVyasa, the author of the epic, whom she called to engage inniyoga when Vichitravirya died without leaving an heir.
In theMahabharata, Savitri and Satyavan are characters appearing in theVana Parva of the epic. Savitri is a princess born by the boon ofSavitr. Described to be wise and beautiful, she fell in love with and married Satyavan, a prince who was destined to die at a very young age. The latter part of the story describes Savitri's love, and her wit, which saves her husband fromYama, the god of death.
Senavindu, also called as Senabindu, is a king and the rebirth of the asura Tuhunda. Arjuna twice defeated this king during hisdigvijaya. He is stated by Drupada as one of the kings who could be summoned to the cause of the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. He was killed by the Kauravas in the war.
Shakuni was the prince ofGandhara Kingdom in present-dayGandhara. He is a major antagonist in the epic. He was the brother ofGandhari and henceDuryodhana's maternal uncle. Shakuni was killed by Sahadeva on the 18th day of the Kurukshetra War.
Shakuntala was the wife ofDushyanta and the mother ofEmperor Bharata. Her story is told in theMahabharata and dramatized by many writers, the most famous adaption beingKalidasa's playAbhijñānaśākuntala (The Sign of Shakuntala).
Shalva was the king of theShalva kingdom. He andAmba, the princess of Kashi, fell in love, and Amba decided to choose him during her svayamvara. However,Bhishma won the princesses for his brother Vichitravirya. When Amba told Bhishma about her love, he sent her with honour to Shalva. But Shalva rejected her and told her that he would not be able marry her as she had been won by Bhishma.
In the epicMahabharata, King Shalya was the brother ofMadri (mother ofNakula andSahadeva), as well as the ruler of theMadra kingdom. A powerful spear fighter and a formidable charioteer, he was tricked byDuryodhana to fight the war on the side of theKauravas. On the last day of the Kurukshetra War, Yudhishthira killed him during a spear fight.
Shankha was third son of KingVirata. He was killed byBhishma on the very first day of the war.
Shantanu was aKuru king ofHastinapura in the epicMahabharata. He was a descendant of theBharata race, of the Lunar dynasty, and great-grandfather of thePandavas andKauravas. He was the youngest son of KingPratipa of Hastinapura and had been born in the latter's old age. He was the husband ofGanga andSatyavati. He was the father of Devavrata (Bhishma),Chitrāngada, andVichitravirya.
Sharmishtha was an asura princess and a spouse of Yayati, an ancestor of Shantanu.
Shatanika was the son ofNakula andDraupadi. He was the third brother among theUpapandavas.
Shaunaka headed the sages during their conclave at his twelve-year sacrifice, whereUgrashravas Sauti recited theMahabharata.
Shikhandi was born as a girl named Shikhandini, toDrupada, the king ofPanchala. She changed her sex with ayaksha and took the name Shikhandi. He fought in the Kurukshetra War for thePandavas along with his father Drupada and brotherDhristadyumna. He was the princessAmba in his previous birth.
Shishupala was the son of Damaghosha. He was slain by his cousinKrishna, at the great coronation ceremony ofYudhishthira as punishment for his exceeding insults against the deity. He was also called Chaidya, being a member of the Chedi kingdom.
Shrutakarma was the son ofArjuna andDraupadi. He was the youngest brother among theUpapandavas.
Shrutasena was the son ofSahadeva andDraupadi. He was the fourth brother amongUpapandavas.
Shukra is the son of sageBhrigu and his wifeKavyamata. After the devas killed his mother (who was later revived), Shukra developed a deep hatred towards the devas and became the guru of the asuras. He had a daughter namedDevayani, who was married to the kingYayati. But Yayati had an affair with Devayani's maid,Sharmishtha. This led Shukra to curse Yayati to lose his youth.
He was the second son ofVirata, also called Shvetavarman. He was killed on the first day of the war byBhishma.
Shvetaki was a king who performed numerous yajnas. He is the reason of the destruction of the Khandava forest (Khandava Dahana).[83]
Great Karna's sons wereVrishasena,Vrishaketu,Banasena, Chitrasena, Satyasena, Sushena, Shatrunjaya, Dvipata, and Prasena. All except for Vrishaketu were killed in the war.
Shalya and Avantini's three sons were Madranjaya, Rukmanagada, and Rukmanaratha. Madranjaya was the eldest than other two with a gap of 10 years. Rukmanagada and Rukmanaratha were twins. Madranjaya was killed on 2nd day of war byVirata and other two were killed byAbhimanyu inside the chakravyuha on 13th day.
The four sons ofChedi KingShishupala were Dhrishtaketu, Mahipala, Suketu, Sarabha. They had a sister namedKarenumati who was younger than Dhrishtaketu but elder than other three. Dhrishtaketu succeeded the throne of Chedi after Shishupala's death. Dhrishtaketu was killed by Drona on 6th day of war and other three were killed by Shakuni's son Vrikasura.
Shreniman was a king. He ruled the Kumaradesa.Nakula defeated him during his digvijaya. In the Kurukshetra War, he fought on the side of the Pandavas and was killed by Drona.
Subala was the father ofShakuni andGandhari. He was the King of Gandhara and he was the husband of Sudharma.
In the epic, she is the sister ofKrishna andBalarama, wife ofArjuna and mother ofAbhimanyu and grandmother ofParikshit. She is the daughter ofVasudeva andRohini. When Arjuna visited Dvaraka, he fell in love with Subhadra and ran away with her.Hindus believe Subhadra to be a form of the goddess namedYogamaya.
Sudakshina was a king of the Kambojas, and fought on the side of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War.She was so beautiful in all order
Sudeshna was the wife of King Virata, at whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. She was the mother ofUttara,Uttarā, Shveta, and Shankha. She had a younger brother namedKichaka and a brother-in-law named Sahtanika.
Sunaka was the son of Sage Ruru and Pramadvara. This royal sage was a member of Yudhishthira's assembly. He received a sword from King Harivamsha and presented it to the king Ushinara.[84][85]
Surya is the god of the Sun. He is a son ofAditi andKashyapa. He is the consort ofSaranyu. In the epic, he was the first god called byKunti using the mantra given by the sageDurvasa to obtain a child. She did it out of curiosity and gave birth toKarna, who was born with indestructible armour and earrings. During that time, as she was not married, she had to abandon the child. Later in the epic, Surya gave theAkshaya Patra toYudhishthira.
Susharma was the king of the Trigarta Kingdom. He supported the Kauravas in the war. He was a friend of Duryodhana. He was killed by Arjuna on the fourteenth day of the war.
Sutasoma was the son of Bhima and Draupadi. He was the second brother among the Upapandavas.
Svaha is the daughter of PrajapatiDaksha and the wife ofAgni. In the Vana Parva, the sageMarkandeya narrated her story to thePandavas. As per the story, Agni visited theashram of the sevenSaptarshi and saw their wives. He was attracted towards them, but controlled his lust. Svaha was attracted to Agni, and wishing to sleep with him, she assumed the form of the wives of sages (exceptArundhati), slept with Agni six times, later becoming his consort.
Takshaka was the king of nagas. He lived in a city named Takshasila, which was the new territory of Takshaka after his race was banished by Pandavas led by Arjuna from the Khandava Forest and Kurukshetra, where they built their new kingdom. Because of this, he made a fierce rivalry with Arjuna. During the Kurukshetra war, he sat on an arrow of Karna which was shot at Arjuna. However Krishna saved Arjuna. After his failure, Takshaka vowed to end Arjuna's lineage. After the Pandavas and Draupadi left for heaven, Takshaka killed Parikshit.
Tapati is a river goddess. She is daughter ofSurya andChhaya. She marriedSamvarana and had a child namedKuru. Kuru was an ancestor of Shantanu.
In the Hindu epicMahabharata, Tilottama is described to have been created by the divine architectVishwakarma, atBrahma's request, by taking the best quality of everything as the ingredients. She was responsible for bringing about the mutual destruction of the Asuras,Sunda and Upasunda. Even gods like Indra are described to be enamoured by Tilottama. Her story was told by sageNarada to thePandavas as he wanted to tell them how a woman can lead to rivalry between brothers.
Tara is the goddess of felicity. She is spouse ofBrihaspati, a guru of gods and mother ofKacha. Brihaspati often ignored Tara and she started to have an affair withChandra, the moon god and eloped with him. From their union,Budha was born, whose son,Pururavas, founded the lunar dynasty.
Uṣā or Usha was daughter ofBanasura, powerful king of Sonitpur and a devotee of Shiva. Later Usha was married toAniruddha, grandson of Krishna.[86]
Ugrasena (Sanskrit:उग्रसेन) is a Yadava king inMahabharata epic. He was the king of Mathura, a kingdom that was established by the powerful Vrishni tribes from Yaduvanshi clan. Krishna was the grandson of Ugrasena. He established his grandfather as the ruler of Mathura again after defeating his uncle, King Kamsa who was a cruel and greedy ruler. Before this, King Ugrasena was overthrown from power by his own son Kamsa and was sentenced to prison along with his daughter Devaki and son in law Vasudeva to prison. Devki and Vasudev were parents of Krishna.
Ugrashravas Sauti was the son of Lomaharsana. He was the Lomaharshana. He was a disciple ofVyasa. He was the narrator ofMahabharata and severalPuranas before the gathering of the sages inNaimisha Forest.
Uluka was eldest son ofShakuni and Arshi. He was sent as messenger toPandavas byDuryodhana. He was killed bySahadeva on 18th day of war before his father's death.
Ulupi was daughter of Kauravya, theking of Nāgas, she was among the four wives ofArjuna. She had a son namedIravan.
Urvashi was a celestial maiden in Indra's court and was considered the most beautiful of all the Apsaras. She was the consort ofPururavas, an ancestor of Pandavas and Kauravas. Later she left him and returned to heaven.[citation needed] When Arjuna came to heaven to meet Indra, she fell in love with him. But Arjuna refused her as he thought her as his mother.
In the epicMahabharata, Uttamaujas was a powerful Panchala warrior. He is described to be a protector ofArjuna. With his brother Yudhamanyu, they fought a battle againstDuryodhana. He was killed during Ashwatthama's night raid. Sometimes, he is described to be Drupada's son and identified withSatyajit.
In theMahabharata, Uttanka is described as the disciple of the sageGautama. In both legends, he is a learned sage who goes through many hurdles in procuring the earrings demanded by his guru's wife as the fee for the teacher (gurudakshina).
Uttara or Uttara Kumara was the prince ofMatsya Kingdom and the son of KingVirata, at whose court thePandavas spent one year in concealment during their exile. His sisterUttarā was given in marriage toAbhimanyu, son ofArjuna.
Uttarā was the daughter of KingVirata, at whose court thePandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. She was sister of PrinceUttara. She was wife ofAbhimanyu and mother ofParikshit.
He was the son ofAniruddha. Vajra was crowned as the King ofIndraprastha on the request of Krishna by thePandavas after theYadava fratricide just before thePandavas' journey to Mount Sumeru.
Vajra in theVayu Purana and theHarivamsa, described as the son ofBhanu, the eldest son ofKrishna andSatyabhama. He had a sister named Bhanusammati.
Valandhara was the princess of theKashi Kingdom, daughter of King Devesha and wife ofBhima. They both had a son Sarvaga, who became the King of Kashi after theKurukshetra War. Sarvaga's granddaughter Vapusthama marriedJanamejaya, the great-grandson ofArjuna, and bore him two sons – Shatanika and Sahashranika.[87]
Vapusthama was the princess ofKashi,present day Benaras, the daughter of Subarnavarma,the granddaughter of King Sarvaga and great-granddaughter ofBhima, the secondPandava. Vapusthama was married toArjuna's great-grandsonJanamejaya, and bore him two sons – Shatanika and Sankukarna.
Varaha is the boar-incarnation of Vishnu. He is stated inVana Parva of the epic, when he rescued Bhumi during theMahapralaya (great-flood).[88]
Vasudeva the father of the Hindu deitiesKrishna,Balarama andSubhadra. He was a member ofVrishnis and aYadava. He was the son-in-law of the Yadava kingShurasena. His sisterKunti was married toPandu.
She was the queen ofManipura and the mother ofChitrangada. She was also the grandmother ofBabruvahana. Her husband was King Chitravahana.
Vayu deva is the god of wind. He is son of Aditi and Kashyapa. In the epic, he is the spiritual father ofHanuman and the Pandava,Bhima. He was the second god called byKunti after her marriage using a mantra as her husband could not conceive due to a curse.
Veerabhadra was the fierce god who incarnated from Shiva to destroy Daksha's yajna. He is also stated in Shanti Parva of the epic Mahabharata.[22]
Vichitravirya (Sanskrit: विचित्रवीर्य, vicitravīrya) was a king and the younger son of queen Satyavati and king Shantanu and grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas.
In the epicMahabharata, Vidura is described as theprime minister of theKuru Kingdom and also the uncle of thePandavas andKauravas. He was born from Niyoga- between sageVyasa and Parishrami, a handmaiden to the queens-Ambika andAmbalika.
The wife ofVidura, the half-brother of KingDhritarashtra and the Prime Minister ofHastinapur. She was also a chaste woman of supreme order. She too had a high degree of devotion and abdication. WhenKrishna visitedHastinapur as an emissary ofPandavas, he had not acceptedDuryodhana's request to stay in his palace but instead he chose to stay atVidura's home and accepted a simple meal there. She is named Sulabha in later versions of the Mahabharata.[89][90][91] Sulabha was a great devotee ofKrishna. One day he came to her home for a surprise meal. She was enchanted by his glowing face. In absence of her husband, she offered him peels of banana instead of the fruit. And he ate them respecting herbhakti note.[91]
In theHindu epicMahabharat,Vijaya was the daughter of kingDyutimata of Madra (Bahalika) and wife ofSahadeva. They got married in aself choice ceremony. Vijaya wasNakula's maternal uncle's daughter. They had a sonSuhotra.[71] After the Kurukshetra War, Vijaya lived in Madra.
Vikarna was thirdKaurava, son ofDhritarashtra andGandhari and a brother to thecrown princeDuryodhana. Vikarna is universally referred to as the third-most reputable of Kauravas. Usually, he is also indicated as the third-oldest son, but in other sources, the "third-strongest" reputation remained and it is implied that Vikarna is just one of Gandhari's 99 children (afterDuryodhana andDussasana). Vikarna was the onlyKaurava who questioned the humiliation ofDraupadi, the wife of his cousinPandavas after they lost her in a game of dice to Duryodhana.
Vinata, was the mother ofAruna andGaruda (the birds). She was also the daughter ofDaksha and wife of sageKasyapa.
Vinda and Anuvinda were brothers, and the two kings ofAvanti. They were the sons of Jayasena and Rajadhidevi. They also had a sister, Mitravinda, who marriedKrishna. They were good friends ofDuryodhana, and fought for his cause in theKurukshetra War.
In the Harivamsa, (an appendix ofMahabharata), the spouse ofNahusha is mentioned to be Viraja, the daughter ofPitrs.[92] Later, she was replaced byAshokasundari, the daughter of goddess Parvati and Shiva.
In the epic, Virata was the king ofMatsya Kingdom with itsVirata Kingdom, in whose court thePandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. Virata was married to QueenSudeshna and was the father of PrinceUttara and PrincessUttarā, who marriedAbhimanyu, the son ofArjuna.
Vishoka was the charioteer of Pandava Bhima during the Kurukshetra War.
Vrihanta was king of the Ulukas. His name appears at several places in theMahabharata.
He was former king ofSinghu Kingdom. He was father ofJayadratha and Vijayadratha. He later became a rishi. WhenArjuna beheaded his son Jayadratha, his head came on his lap while he was doing tapa and when he stood up and Jayadratha's head blasted, killing Vridhakshtra.
Vrishaketu is a figure in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. He was the youngest and only surviving son ofKarna and Arjuna teaches him many more skills of great warrior. Later, he becomes King of Anga.
Vrishasena was the son of Karna and Vrishali. With his father, he entered battle field on the 11th day of Kurukshetra war and fought for Kauravas. He was killed by the pandavas, his uncles to avenge abhimanyu's death,who later blessed him on his deathbed.
Vyasa was the author of epicMahabharata. According to theMahabharata, the sage Vyasa was the son ofSatyavati andParashara. He was also the surrogate father of Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura. They were born throughNiyoga. Later, he helped in birth of 101 children of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. He also helped the Pandavas many times.
In the epic, the death godYama—often identified with the god Dharma—is the spiritual father ofYudhishthira. He was the first god invoked byKunti after her marriage using a mantra as herhusband could not conceive. Yama also appeared in the tale ofSavitri and Satyavan. In the story, he tried to take Satyavan's soul during his predestined time of death, but Savitri was able to persuade the deity to let her husband live. Dharma, later in the epic, appears testing Yudhishthira by taking form of a yaksha. When the Pandavas and Draupadi departed to heaven, he accompanied them by taking the form of a dog and was the only survivor left, along with Yudhishthira. In the end, he showed his true form to Yudhishthira.
Yamuna or Yami is a river goddess. She is the daughter ofSurya andSaranyu as well as the twin ofYama. In the epic, she appears as Kalindi, becoming one ofKrishna's eight wives.
Yashoda is the wife ofNanda (head of Gokulam) and the foster-mother of Krishna andBalarama. Krishna and Balarama spent their childhood with Yashoda and Nanda, and the couple took care of them. Her daughter, who was Vishnu'sYogamaya, was swapped byVasudeva with Krishna during the birth of the deity.
Yaudheya was the son of Yudhishthira and Devika, and the grandson of Govasena, who was the king ofSivi Kingdom. Yaudheya succeeded his grandfather after his death in theKurukshetra War.
According to theMatsya Purana, Yaudheya is also the name of the eldest son ofPrativindhya and his first wife Subala, however he does not succeed Yudhishthira to the throne of Hastinapura as he inherits his maternal kingdom.
Yayati was an ancestor ofShantanu and the son of kingNahusha andAshokasundari, the daughter of goddessParvati. He had two wives,Devayani andSharmishtha.
Yogamaya or Vindhyavasini is a goddess who is the personified divine energy of the deity Vishnu. She was the daughter ofYashoda andNanda, the foster parents ofKrishna. Krishna and Yogamaya were born onthe same day. They were exchanged by their parents to save Krishna fromKamsa. Many believe thatSubhadra was her reincarnation.
Yudhishthira was the first among the fivePandavas, granted by death god Yama toPandu andKunti. He became the king ofIndraprastha and later ofHastinapura (Kuru). He was the leader of the successfulPandava side in theKurukshetra War. At the end of the epic, heascended to heaven. He was also blessed with the spiritual vision of second sight by a celestialrishi as a boon.
Yuyutsu was the illegitimate son ofDhritarashtra with a Vaishya woman who is his wifeGandhari's maid. He was the paternal half–sibling to Gandhari's children:Duryodhana and the rest of the hundred Kaurava brothers and their sisterDushala. He was the only son of Dhritarashtra who survived in theKurukshetra War .
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