Characters in the Mahabharata
Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It was composed by sage Vyasa. The most important characters of Mahabharata can be said to be Krishna, the Pandavas; Yudhishthira, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, Draupadi, the Kauravas (who were a hundred brothers), led by the eldest brother, Duryodhana; the important characters were Bhishma, Karna, Dronacharya, Shakuni, Dhritrashtra, Gandhari and Kunti. Some pivotal characters who also played a key role are, Balarama, Subhadra, Vidura, Abhimanyu, Kripacharya, Pandu, Satyavati, Ashwatthama, Amba, etc. Gods including Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Indra, Surya and Yamraj played significant roles in the epic.
A
Abhimanyu
In the epic Mahabharata, Abhimanyu was the son of Pandava prince Arjuna and Yadava princess Subhadra. He was disciple of his maternal uncles Krishna and Balrama. He was killed unfairly on the 13th day of Kurukshetra War. In the war, Abhimanyu killed warriors including Rukmartha, Brihadbala, Laksmana (Duryodhana's son), Dushmanara (Dushyasana's 2nd son), 7 foster brothers of Karna, sons of Shalya etc. and defeated mighty warriors including Drona, Ashwatthama, Kripa, Karna, Shalya, Duryodhana, Dushasana, Vrishasena etc. in direct and joint attacks when he had bow in his hands. He was a great warrior just like his father Arjuna. He was among the most loved sons of Pandavas.
Adhiratha
Adhiratha was the foster father of Karna and the charioteer of Dhritarastra. He was also leader of all Sutas and royal charioteers.
Amba
Amba was the eldest daughter of Kashya, the king of Kashi and the sister of Ambika and Ambalika. Amba was abducted by Kuru prince Bhishma and holds him responsible for her misfortune. Her sole goal in life becomes his destruction, to fulfill which she is reborn as Shikhandini/Shikhandi.
Ambalika
In the epic Mahabharata, Ambalika is the daughter of Kashya, the King of Kashi, and wife of Vichitravirya, the King of Hastinapur. She was mother of Pandu.
Ambika
In the epic Mahabharata, Ambika is the daughter of Kashya, the King of Kashi, and wife of Vichitravirya, the king of Hastinapura.[1] She was also the mother of Dhritarashtra and stepmother of Pandu and grandmother to the Kauravas.[2]
Anjanaparvana
He was the son of Ghatotkacha and Mourvi. His grandparents were Bhima and Hidimbā. He was killed by Ashwatthama in the Kurukshetra War.
Anushalva
He was the younger brother of Shalva. He took over the kingdom after the latter's death. He kidnapped Padmavati from the Ashwamedha Yagya held by Yudhishthira on the insisting of his uncle Upadharava. He was spared by Shri Krishna. However, Upadharava was killed by the Sudarshana Chakra thrown by Shri Krishna, when he was angry at Anushalva for betraying him. He was a devotee of Shri Krishna and also saw his Vishwa-roop.
Arjuna
Arjuna is considered as chief protagonist in Mahabharata. Arjuna plays listener's role in Bhagavadgita. Arjuna was the son of Pandu and Kunti in the Kuru Kingdom. He was the spiritual son of Indra. He was the 3rd of the Pandava brothers and was married to Draupadi, Ulupi, Chitrāngadā, and Subhadra at different times. His 4 children included Iravan, Babruvahana, Abhimanyu and Srutakarma. Arjuna was an Atimaharathi and was equal to 12 Maharathis. He was cousin and was the best friend of Lord Krishna. He was the best archer and greatest warrior in Mahabharata. He defeated great warriors like Bhishma, Drona, Ashwatthama, Karna, Kripa many times but never got defeated by any of them through out his life. He performed incredible feats like defeating Gandharva King Chitrasena, defeating and killing Puloma, Kalakeyas, Kala-kunjas and Nivatakavachas (whom Ravana and Indrajit together failed to defeat and made truce). Arjuna is the only invincible warrior on the Earth at his times.[3][4]
Arshi
She was wife of Shakuni and Queen of Gandhar. She was mother of Uluka, Vrikaasur and Vriprachitti. She was also known as Arsh and Charulata. Her brothers Keturaja and Ketusena were killed by Drupada on the 11th day of war. She was very close to her sister-in-law, Gandhari.
Asawari
In Kashidasi Mahabharat, Asawari was a princess who was rescued by Karna from some attackers along with her maid Padmavati. However, her father, Maharaja Chitravardhana, rejected her marriage with Karna. Karna defeated the kings at her swaymvara. Karna asked her if she would like to marry him. She says that she will do anything to save her father. Karna then accepts her maid Padmavati as his wife instead.
Ashokasundari
Devi Ashokasundari oor Viraja is the consort of Nahusha and the mother of Yayati. She is the daughter of Devi Parvati and Lord Shiva. She was born when Devi Parvati wished for a daughter from Kalpavriksh, the wish granting tree.
Ashvins
The Ashvins or Ashwini is pair of twin gods. Their father is Surya and mother is Saranyu. They are the gods of medicine and health. In the epic, Kunti felt bad for Madri as she didn't had any children due a curse and shared her secret mantra with her. Madri, using the mantra, called the Ashwini and had two twins, Nakula and Sahadeva.
Ashwatthama
Ashwatthama was the son of guru Drona and the grandson of the sage Bharadwaja. Ashwatthama possessed celestial weapon Narayanastra (which no one possessed in Mahabharat era. He used Narayanastra and killed 1 akshouni of Pandava army. Ashvatthama fought on the Kaurava side against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. He became a Chiranjivi (immortal) due to a curse on him by Lord Krishna after he shot the Brahmashirastra over Uttara's womb. Ashvatthama was appointed as the final commander-in-chief of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. Overcome with grief and rage, he slaughters most of the Pandava camp in a single night offensive.
Avantini
She was wife of Shalya and mother of Madranjaya, Rukmanagada and Rukmanaratha. She was princess of Avanti.
B
Babruvahana
Babruvahana was one of the sons of Arjuna, begotten through Chitrangada, the princess of Manipur. During the Ashvamedha yagna he killed his father Arjuna without knowing his identity. But Arjuna's another wife Ulupi brought back his life with help of Nagmani.
Bahlika
Bahlika (Sanskrit: बाह्लिक), also spelled as Vahlika, was the king of Bahlika kingdom in the Mahabharata, the elder brother of Shantanu, who was a king of Hastinapur and the uncle of Bhishma. He was the oldest warrior to fight in the Mahabharata war. He had a son, Somadatta, and grandson, Bhurishravas, who along with him fought on the side of the Kaurava army in the Kurukshetra War. He was slain by Bhima in the 14th day of the war when it continued after sunset. According to Yudhishthira, Bahlika's only wish was that there should be peace among the Bhāratas.
Balarama
Balarama was elder brother of Krishna. He is also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra, Haladhara and Halayudha. He was son of Vasudev and Rohini. He was incarnation of great serpent God Seshnag. He is describes as a extremely powerful warrior. He taught both Duryodhana of the Kauravas and Bhima of the Pandavas the art of fighting with a mace.
Banasena
He was son of Karna and Supriya. He was an excellent Mace-wielder. On the 16th day of war, Karna was fighting with Bhima. When Bhima was about to stab Karna, Karna's son Banasena came in aid of his father. On seeing Banasena, Bhima got angered as his own son Ghatotkacha and nephew Abhimanyu were killed by Karna. Bhima killed Banasena by beating his chest, head and abdomen regions in front of Karna. After seeing his son dead, Karna attacked Bhima. In the fight Bhima almost took Karna to death. But Bhima spared Karna remembering Arjuna's oath of slaying Karna. Bhima asked Karna to take his son's body to perform funerals and later fight with Arjuna.[5]
Bhadra and Madira
Bhadra and Madira were two wives of Vasudeva, the others. being Rohini Devi and Devaki. Bhadra's children were Upanidhi, Gada, and others. Madira's children were Nanda, Upananda, Kritaka, and others. They cremated themselves with Vasudeva.
Bhagadatta
Bhagadatta was the son of Naraka, king of the Pragjyotisha Kingdom and second in line of kings of Naraka dynasty. He was succeeded by his son Vajradatta. He sided with Kaurava in the Mahabharata war as he was an enemy of Lord Krishna. He was killed by Arjuna on 12th day of battle. In the war, he defeated great pandava warriors including Drishtadyumna, Drupada, Matsya king Virata, Bhima.
Bhanu
He was the son of Shri Krishna and Satyabhama. He married Yudhishthira and Draupadi's daughter Suthanu. They had a son called Vajra (see below).
Bhanumati
Bhanumati is a character in the Indian epic Mahabharata.[6] She is the wife of Duryodhana, the primary antagonist and an incarnation of Kali (demon).[7] She is said to be a princess of either Kashi or Kalinga. According to the Mahabharata, Duryodhana abducted Bhanumati, the maiden of the fairest complexion, from her swayamvara with the help of his best friend Karna in the wake of having been rejected by her.[8] Her maid or best friend, Supriya, married Karna. Bhanumati's mother-in-law Gandhari describes her to Krishna in the posterior to the battle of Kurukshetra. Bhanumati had 2 children with Duryodhana. One is Laxman Kumara (son) and second one is Lakshmanaa (daughter).
Bharata
Bharata is an ancestor of the Pandavas and the Kauravas in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. Though the Bhāratas are a prominent community in the Rigveda, the story of Bharata is first told in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, wherein he is the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. According to the epic Bharata was a great emperor.
Bhima
In the epic Mahabharata, is the 2nd born of the Pandavas. He was son of Pandu and Kunti and spiritual son of Vayu. The Mahabharata relates many events which portray the might of Bhima. Physically, Bhima was the strongest person on the Earth after Hanuman. Bhima killed demons including Bakasura, Hidimbasura, Kirmira, Jatasura etc. Bhima defeated and killed fearsome warrior Jarasandha. Bhima also slayed krodhavanshas, demon Maniman and Kichaka. In Kurukshetra war, Bhima alone killed 100 Kaurava brothers. He was considered to have the physical strength of 10,000 elephants approximately. Bhima was invincible wrestler and invincible mace fighter.
Bhishma
Originally named as 'Devavrata', he was the eighth son of the Kuru King Shantanu and the river goddess Ganga. 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 the Pandavas and the Kauravas through his half-brother, Vichitravirya (Son of Satyavati). He was one of the best archers and one of the greatest warriors of his time and he was trained by Lord Parashurama. On one of the occasions, he defeated Parashurama- no kshatriya achieved this feat.
Bhurishravas
Bhurishravas was the son of Somadatta and the grandson of Bahlika, hence making him the cousin of Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura. Bhurishravas had 2 brothers - Bhuri and Shala. Bhurishravas, in the Kurukshetra War, is known to have a rivalry with Yadava general Satyaki. Bhurishravas is eventually killed by Satyaki in the War.
Brothers of Karna
This list includes the foster brothers of Karna i.e the biological sons of Adiratha and Radha. The foster brothers of Karna were Vrikaratha, Chitrasena, Shatrunjaya, Jaya and Sangramajit.
C
Chandravarma Kamboja
Chandravarma Kamboja is the first Kamboja king mentioned by name in the Mahābhārata. He was an ancestor of Duryodhana's wife Bhanumati.[9][10][11][12] He appears to have been an ancient very powerful and renowned (vikhyaat) ruler of the Kambojas. He finds mention in the Adiparva section of the epic Mahābhārata, where he is stated to be an Asura or a demonic ruler[13][14][15]
Gandharva King Chitrasena
Chitrasen appeared twice in the epic. Chitrasena was 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 by Indra. Indra foresaw that Arjuna would have to spend one year at King Virata'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.[16] When Urvashi 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 the Pandavas and the bravery of Arjuna.[17]
Chekitana
Chekitana was the son of Kekaya king Dhrishtaketu and Queen Shrutakirti, a Yadava. Chekitana was described to be a valorous warrior, who fought with warriors like Susharma, Kripacharya and Dronacharya. He also rescued Nakula from the clutches of Duryodhana. On the 18th day, he was killed by Duryodhana.
Chitra and Chitrasena
Chitra and Chitrasena were brothers, and the 2 kings of the Abhisara Kingdom. Both of them sided with the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. Chitra was killed by Prativindhya on the 16th day, whereas Chitrasena was killed by Shrutakarma on the same day.
Chitrāngada
Chitrāngada (Sanskrit: चित्रांगद, citrāngada) was a king in ancient India. In the Mahabharata, he is the elder son of Shantanu and Satyavati, ascending the throne of Hastinapura after his father's death.
Chitrāngadā
Chitrāngadā was the Princess of Manipura, the Daughter of king Chitravahana and one of Arjuna's consorts. She had a son named Babhruvahana with him.
Chitravahana
He was the king of Manipura and the father of Chitrangadaa. He was also the grandfather of Babruvahana. His wife was Queen Vasundhara.
D
Damayanti
Damayanti is a character in a love story found in the Vana Parva book of the Mahabharata. She was a princess of the Vidarbha Kingdom, who married King Nala of the Nishadha Kingdom. Her story is set long before the Kurukshetra War.
Dantavakra
Dantavakra was the king of Karusha according to the Mahabharata and the Puranas. Dantavakra plays a minor role in the Mahabharata. He was named Dantavakra because his teeth were crooked. According to the Padma Purana (VI.274.16-7), he was of Chaidya lineage.[18] According to the Vishnu Purana (IV.XIV.40), he was son of Vriddhasharman and Shrutadeva, who was Kunti's sister. Viduratha was his brother.[19] Shishupala was his cousin from maternal side.[20][21] He and Shishupala were the third and last birth of Vishnu's gatekeepers Jaya-Vijaya. He was an ally of Jarasandha, Kamsa, Salva and Paundraka, and an enemy of Vasudeva Krishna.[22] At MBh 2:30 he is mentioned as the king of the Adhirajas. Pandava general Sahadeva defeated him, making him pay tribute, he then was re-installed on his throne. He attacks Krishna who was on his way to Dwaraka after the Rajasuya sacrifice (which Dantavakra had not attended, to protest the killing of Jarasandha) to avenge Shishupala, and his friend Salva – and he was killed by Krishna in a mace-duel.[23] His brother, Viduratha also dies in the same battle.[24]
Dashraj
Dashraj, also known as Kevatraj, was the chief fishermen of Hastinapura and the adoptive father of Satyavati. He was the one who asked Satyavati's heir to be the ruler of Hastinapura, due to which Bhishma took a vow of celibacy and a vow not to rule Hastinapura.
Devaki
Devaki was the daughter of Ugrasena, step sister of Kansa, wife of Vasudeva Anakadundubhi, biological mother of Lord Krishna.
Devayani
Devayani was the daughter of Shukra, the guru of the Asuras. She was married to Yayati and gave birth to two sons — Yadu and Turvasu. Before her marriage, she once fell in love with Brihaspati's son, Kacha. However, Kacha later refused to marry her. She had a friend named Sharmishtha who was secretly in relationship with her husband Yayati.[25]
Devika
Devika is a minor character in the Mahabharata. She was the daughter of Govasena, the king of Sivi Kingdom, and the first wife of Yudhishthira. They had a son called Yaudheya.
Dhrishtadyumna
Dhrishtadyumna was the son of Drupada and brother of Draupadi, Shikhandi and Satyajit in the epic Mahabharata. He had 4 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.
Dhritrashtra
In the epic Mahabharata, Dhritarashtra is the King of Kuru Kingdom with its capital Hastinapur. He was born to Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika. Dhritarashtra was born blind and became father to 100 sons and one daughter Dushala by his wife Gandhari (Gāndhārī), and another son Yuyutsu by Sughada, his wife's maid. These children, including the eldest son Duryodhana, came to be known as the Kauravas.
Dhrishtaketu of Chedi
Dhrishtaketu was the son of Chedi king Shishupala, who was a cousin of Krishna. Dhrishtaketu became the king of Chedi after his father's death, and became an ally of the Pandavas. His sister Karenumati was married to Nakula. Dhrishtaketu, and his brothers and sons participated in the Kurukshetra War, where they all were killed.
Dhrishtaketu of Kekeya
Dhrishtaketu was the ruler of Kekeya, and his wife was Shrutakirti, a Yadava who was the daughter of Shurasena. Many of Dhrishtaketu's sons participated in the Kurukshetra War, participating on both sides. Vrihadkshatra and Chekitana were 2 of his notable sons. Dhrishtaketu's daughter Bhadra was married to Krishna, who bore him many sons.
Draupadi
Draupadi also referred as Panchalī, is the most important female and one of the most important character in Mahabharata. She was the daughter of Panchala King Drupada and wife of the Pandavas who fought their cousins, the Kauravas in the great Kurukshetra War. She had five sons from each Pandava, who were collectively addressed as the Upapandavas.
Drona
In the epic Mahabharata, Droṇa (Sanskrit: द्रोण, 'Droṇa') or Droṇāchārya or Guru Droṇa or Rajaguru Devadroṇa was the 3rd incarnation of Brahma and was royal preceptor to the Kauravas and Pandavas; an avatar of Brihaspati. He was a friend of Guru Sukracharya, the guru of Asuras, including Mahabali. He was the son of rishi Bharadwaja and a descendant of sage Angirasa. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the divine weapons or Astras.
Drupada
Drupada was son of King Prishata, he was the king of the land of Southern Panchala. His capital was known as Kampilya. He was father of Shikhandi, Satyajit, Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi.
Duryodhana
Duryodhana also known as Suyodhana, is a major antagonist in Mahabharata and was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of blind king Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari. Being the firstborn son of the blind king, he was the crown prince of Kuru Kingdom and its capital Hastinapura along with his cousin Yudhishtra who was older than him. Karna was Duryodhana's closest friend
Dushala
Dushala was the daughter of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, the sister of the Kauravas and the wife of Jayadratha. She was also a cousin of the Pandavas. She was the mother of Suratha. After Jayadratha was slain by Arjuna in the Kurukshetra War, her grandson challenged Arjuna to fight, when the latter approached the country of Sindhus. This event took place after the Kurukshetra War, when to collect tribute for Yudhisthira's Ashwamedha sacrifice from the king of the Sindhu was approached. But Arjuna considering Duryodhana's sister as his own sister, he spared life of Suratha's son and left the country of Sindhus intact.
Dushasana
Dushasana was a Kaurava prince, the second son of the blind king Dhritarashtra and Gandhari and the younger brother of Duryodhana in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
Dushyanta
Dushyanta was king of Hastinapura. He was the husband of Shakuntala and the father of the Emperor Bharatha.
E
Ekalavya
Ekalavya (English: एकलव्य, ékalavya) is a character from the epic The Mahābhārata. He was a young prince of the Nishadha, a confederation of jungle tribes (Adivasi) in Ancient India.
G
Gandhari
Gandhari is a prominent character in the Indian epic the Mahabharata. She was a princess of Gandhara (modern day Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) and the wife of Dhritrashtra, the blind king of Hastinapura, and the mother of a hundred sons, the Kauravas.
Ganga
In the Mahabharata, she is the wife of Shantanu, and the mother of heroic warrior-patriarch, Bhishma. Ganga was born as human due to a curse of Brahma.
When Bhishma is mortally wounded in battle, Ganga comes out of the water in human form and weeps uncontrollably over his body.
Ghatotkacha
Ghatotkacha was the son of the Pandava Bhima and Hidimbi. His name comes from the fact that his head was hairless (utkaca) and shaped like a ghatam. He was died in Kurukshetra War in the hands of Karna.
H
Hanuman
Unlike Ramayana, lord Hanuman doesn't have a large role in Mahabharata. 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 wasn't able to lift the tail. Later, he realised who the monkey was and apologized.[26] Hanuman taught battle-skills to Bheema for some time.
Hidimba
Hidimba was a Rakshasa and the brother of Hidimbi. He was killed by Bhima, who later married his sister.
Hidimbi
Hiḍimbī (Sanskrit:हिडिम्बी, IAST: Hiḍimbī), or Hiḍimbā, is the wife of the Pandava Bhima and mother of great warrior Veer Ghatotkacha in the Mahābhārata. She meets Bhima in the 9th sub-parva (Hidimva-vadha Parva) of the Adi Parva.
I
Ila
Ila or Ilā was a character from Mahabharata who could change his/her gender. As a woman, she married Budha, son of Chandra, and had a son named Pururavas. Pururavas's descendents founded the lunar dynasty.
Indra
In the epic, Indra appears numerous times. He is son of Kashyapa and Aditi. He is the spiritual father of Arjuna. He was the reason for the seperation of Urvashi and Pururavas. During his temporary absence, Nahusha took his place as the king. He is called by Kunti after Dharmaraj and Vayu. Later in the epic, he is shown protecting Takshaka's forest from Arjuna. The Pandavas named their capital, Indraprastha, after him. During the exile of Pandavas, Arjuna came to meet him.
During the Kurukshetra war, he took the indestructible armour and earings from Karna and gave him a powerful weapon. These were some of his appearances in the epic
Iravan
Iravan also known as Aravan and Iravat[27] is a minor character in Mahabharata. He was son of Pandava prince Arjuna (one of the main heroes of the Mahabharata) and the Naga princess Ulupi, Iravan is the central deity of the cult of Kuttantavar which is also the name commonly given to him in that cult—and plays a major role in the cult of Draupadi. Iravan played a huge role in the Kurukshetra War. On the 7th day, he massacred the Kaurava army and killed many brothers of Shakuni. However, on the 8th day, in a battle of many illusions and magical powers, Iravan is beheaded by the demon Alambusha.
J
Jambavati
Jambavati is second of the Ashtabharya, the eight principal queen-consorts of Krishna. She was the only daughter of the bear-king Jambavan. Krishna married her, when he defeated Jambavan to retrieve the stolen Syamantaka jewel.[28]
Jarasandha
According to the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Jarasandha was a powerful king of Magadha. He was a descendant of king Brihadratha, the creator of the Barhadratha dynasty of Magadha. He was killed by 2nd Pandava Bhima.
Jayadratha
Jayadratha was King of Sindhu Kingdom. He was son of King Vridhakshtra. He was married to Kauravas' only sister and only daughter of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, Dushala. He kidnapped Draupadi on Duryodhana's order but was stopped by Arjuna and Bhima. His hairs were cut off as a punishment. He was biggest reason of Abhimanyu' death. Abhimanyu's father Arjuna swore to kill Jayadratha and he fulfil his oath.
K
Kaalvakra
He was the most loyal companion and main bodyguard of Kansa. He was always appreciated by Kansa. He was also cruel like Kansa. When Krishna was killing Kansa, Balarama killed him by beating him and cutting his head with hands.
Kacha
Kacha's story is mentioned in Mahabharata's Adi Parva. He was the son of Brihaspati. 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.[29]
Kamsa
Kamsa or Kansa was the tyrant ruler of the Vrishni kingdom with its capital at Mathura. He is the cousin of Devaki, the mother of the god Krishna who later slew Kamsa.
Karenumati
Karenumati was the daughter of Chedi king Shishupala, and sister of his successor Dhrishtaketu. She was the wife of Pandava Nakula, and begot him a son, Niramitra. Niramitra succeeded his father Nakula to the throne of the Northern Madra Kingdom.
Karna
In the epic, Karna was the spiritual son of Surya (the Sun deity) and son of princess Kunti (later the Pandu's queen). He was raised by foster Suta parents named Radha and Adhiratha. Adhiratha was the charioteer and poet profession working for king Dhritarashtra. Karna grows up to be an accomplished warrior, a gifted speaker and becomes a loyal friend of Duryodhana. He is appointed the king of Anga (Bengal) by Duryodhana. He married Vrushali and Supriya. Karna joined the Duryodhana's side in the Kurukshetra War. He defeated many warriors when he performed Vijay yatra including mighty Bhagadatta and Susharma. In the war, he killed mighty warrior Ghatothkatcha. He was a key warrior on Kaurava side who aimed to kill 3rd Pandava Arjuna but dies in a battle with him during the war.
Kichaka
Kichaka was the general of the Mastya kingdom. He was the brother of Sudeshna, queen of Matsya. He was very powerful and feared by Virata and the citizens of the kingdom. He was killed by Bhima when he tried to force himself on Draupadi.
Kripa
Kripacharya was the son of Śaradvān and Jānapadī, born in a particularly extraordinary manner. He was the grandson of Maharishi Gautama. He was a descendant of sage Angiras. He along with his sister Kripi were adopted by King Shantanu. Later on Kripa became an acharya, teacher of the royal children, giving him the name Kripacharya. His twin sister Kripi married Drona. Kripa was among the Maharathis who fought on the Kauravas's side against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war in the Hindu epic of the Mahabharata.
Kripi
Kripi was the sister of Kripacharya. She married Dronacharya. They had a son called Ashwathama. She and her brother were adopted by the Rajguru of King Shantanu. Her actual parents were Saradvan and Janapadi.
Krishna
Lord Krishna is a Hindu deity. He is also a major character in epic Mahabharata.He was an eighth avatar of lord Vishnu /Narayana Krishna . He was born to Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva of the Yadava clan in Mathura. During the Kurukshetra War, he became strategist of Padavas and charioteer of Arjuna. At the start of the Dharma Yudhha (righteous war) between Pandavas and Kauravas, Arjuna is filled with moral dilemma 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 the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna counsels Arjuna to "fulfill his Kshatriya (warrior) duty to uphold the Dharma" through "selfless action".
Kritavarma
Kritavarma was one of the Yadava warriors and chieftain, and a contemporary of Krishna. During Kuruksetra war, Kritavarma fought for Kauravas along with Krishna's Narayani sena and was one of survivors of the war.
Kokila Devi
She was the wife of King Drupada and the mother of Shikhandi/Shikhandini and Satyajit. She accompanied Drupada when he went to sages to obtain a son who could defeat Dronacharya. However, when Dhristadyumna and Draupadi emerged from the fire, she was not present there. She later accompanied Draupadi when she was leaving Panchala for Hastinapura.
Kunti-Bhoja
In Hindu mythology, Kunti-Bhoja (or Kuntibhoja) was the adoptive father of Kunti and cousin of Shurasena. He was the ruler of the Kunti Kingdom. Kunti was a daughter of King Shurasena, but was later given to Kuntibhoja since he was devoid of children.[30] Kuntibhoja raised her as his own daughter and loved her.[31] She was very beautiful and intelligent and later married Pandu. When Kunti was a young girl, the sage Durvasa 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.[32] Eventually, the sage was gratified. Before departing, he rewarded Kunti by teaching her Atharvaveda mantras which enabled her to invoke any god of her choice to beget children by them.[33] His son Visharada succeeded him who was killed by Duryodhana on the 8th day.
Kunti
Kunti or Pritha was the daughter of Shurasena, and the foster daughter of his cousin Kuntibhoja. She was married to King Pandu of Hastinapur and was the mother of Karna and the Pandavas Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna. She was the paternal aunt of Krishna, Balarama, and Subhadra. She was the step mother of Nakula and Sahadeva. She was very beautiful and intelligent.
Kuru
Kuru is the name of the ancestor of the clan of the Kurus in the Mahabharata. He was the son of Samvarana and of Tapati, the daughter of the Sun.[34]
In the literature, Kuru is an ancestor of Pandu and his descendants, the Pandavas, and also of Dhritarashtra and his descendants, the Kauravas. This latter name, derived as a patronym from "Kuru", is only used for the descendants of Dhritarashtra.[35]
King Kuru had two wives named Shubhanga and Vahini. He had a son named Viduratha with Shubhanga, and five sons with Vahini, named Ashvavat, Abhishyat, Citraratha, Muni and Janamejaya.[36][37] Due to his merits and great ascetic practices the region "Kurujangal" was named after him. It has also been known as Kurukshetra since ancient Vedic times.[38]
L
Lakshmana Kumara
In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, 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.
Lakshmanaa
In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Laxmanaa (also spelled Lakshmanaa or Lakshmanā) is the daughter of Duryodhana and Bhanumati. She had a twin brother named Laxman Kumara. Little is revealed about Laxmanaa in the Mahabharata other than her marriage to Krishna's son Samba.
M
Madanjaya
He was Prime Minister of Kuru Kingdom before Vidura. When Bhishma gave his post to Vidura, he tried to kill Vidura but he fought and was beheaded by Bhishma.
Madrasena
He was younger of Shalya and elder brother of Madri. He was uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva. He was unmarried and was killed by Yudhishthira along with Shalya on the last day of war.
Madri
In the Mahabharata epic, Madri, also called Madhuri, was sister of Shalya and princess of the Madra Kingdom who married Pandu and had two sons called Nakula and Sahadeva. The word Mādrī means 'she who is the princess of Madra kingdom'.[39] She was like a younger sister to Kunti. After Pandu was cursed by Rishi Kindama, Kunti and Madri accompanied him to the forest. There, using the mantra Rishi Durvasa gave Kunti, Madri gave birth to Nakul and Sahadeva. Pandu was captivated by the beauty of Madri. King Pandu could not resist himself from touching Madri. And after that the curse that Pandu received before came true and Pandu died. Madri burnt herself on Pandu's funeral pyre after handing over her children to Kunti.
Malini
She was maid of Draupadi married to a Kshatriyan soilder Pralanksena. Her son Nakusha was Bodyguard of Drupada. Her husband and son were killed by Drona before Drupada's death on the 15th day of war.
Meghavarna
He was the son of Ghatotkach and Maurvi. He was the grandson of Bhima and Hidimbi. He was the brother of Anjanaparvana. He did not fight the War, and hence, was the only alive son of Ghatotkacha.
Mourvi
Ahilāvati, also known as Mourvi, her maiden name, was a female figure in the Mahābhārata epic. She was a Nāga Kanyā (meaning snake-girl) and was married to Ghatotkacha. Her father was Bashak (the snake staying around the neck of Lord Shiva). She had been cursed by Goddess Parvati for offering stale flowers to Lord Shiva, the curse was that she would get a mortified man as her husband.
N
Nala
Nala is the main character of a love story in the Vana Parva of Mahabharata. He was king of Nishada. He fell in love Damayanti and married her. But they struggled a lot after their marriage. His story is set long before the Kurukshetra war.
Nahusha
Nahusha was a king from lunar dynasty and an ancestor of Shantanu. He was the son Ayu and Indumati. He was equal to Indra in every way and was made the ruler of Swarga in Indra's absence. He married Ashokasundari/Viraja, the daughter of Devi Parvati and Lord Shiva, and had a son named Yayati. He was removed from his position as the king because of his arrogance and cursed to a snake. His curse was over when he met Yudhishthira in a forest.
Nakula
Nakula was fourth of the five Pandava brothers. Nakula and Sahadeva were twins born to Madri, who had invoked the Ashwini Kumaras. Nakula and his brother Sahadeva, are both called as Ashvineya(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.
Nanda
Nanda was the head of the Gopas tribe of Yadava cowherds referred as Holy Gwals. He was a friend of Vasudeva, spouse of Yashoda and the foster father of Krishna.
Narakasura
Narakasura was the son of Bhumi, the earth goddess. He gained a boon that only his mother could kill him. He captured and married women forcefully. Lord Krishna and Satyabhama ( the human incarnation of Bhumi) killed him.
P
Padmavati
In Kashidasi Mahabharat (a regional version of the epic), Padmavati was the maid of Princess Asawari and the wife of Karna. Padmavati is sometimes referred to be the another name of Supriya. He married her after the princess wanted to marry him only to save her father from his wrath at her swayamvara where he defeated all the kings. Her sons were Vrishaketu, Dvipata and Prasena. Padmavati was the maid of princess Asawari. They were rescued by Karna from some attackers. When Karna asks Asawari's father, the king, for her hand, he rejected her marriage with Karna. Later, Karna attacked the kings at Asawari's swaymvara. Karna asked her if she would like to marry him. She says that she will do anything to save her father. Karna then accepts her maid Padmavati as his wife instead. Padmavati marries him and goes to Anga Kingdom with him.
Parashara
Parashara was a sage. He was the grandson of Vasishtha, the son of Śakti Maharṣi, and the father of Vyasa. Before Satyavati married Shantanu, she had an affair with Parashara. During that time, she was known as Matsyagandha. Later they had a child named Vyasa. However, Satyavati was tired of Parashara'a living style and they parted away. Before they parted, Parashara restored Matsyagandha's virginity and gave her an enchanting scent.
Parikshit
Parikshit was a king from kuru lineage. He was the son of Abhimanyu (Arjuna's son) and Uttarā. When he was in his mother's womb, he was attacked and killed by Ashwatthama using Brahmastra. 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, Kaliyuga 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 by Takshaka, his son Janamejaya performed Sarpa Satra.
Parishrami
Parishrami was the chief maid of queens Ambika and Ambalika. They sent her to Maharishi Vyasa the third time when Satyavati asked them to go. She was the mother of Vidura and the mother-in-law of Sulabha.
Pandu
Pandu was the king of Hastinapur, the son of Ambalika and Vichitravirya. He is popularly known as the father of the Pandavas, 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.
Pradyumna
Pradyumna was the son of Sri Krishna and Rukmini. He is the reincarnation of Kamadeva, who was burnt by lord Shiva for shooting arrow of love at him. After his birth, he was kidnapped by Sambara and thrown into water. However, he survived and was raised by Mayawati (reincarnation of devi Rati). Later, he defeated Sambara and returned to Dwarka. He married Mayawati and Vidarbha princess Rukmavati, and had a son Aniruddha.
Prativindhya
Prativindhya was the son of Yudhisthir and Draupadi. He was the eldest brother among Upapandavas.
Purochana
Purochana was the builder of the Lakshagraha. However, he, along with a Nishada woman 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.
R
Radha (The Goddess)
Radha is a popular and revered goddess in Hinduism, especially in the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition and is worshipped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion and devotion. She is the eternal consort of Lord Krishna and resides with him in their eternal abode Goloka dham. She was an avatar of goddess Lakshmi.
Radha (Karna's Mother)
Radha was the foster mother of Karna, one of the central characters in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata. She is not connected with goddess Radha. She was the wife of Adhiratha, mentioned in Mahabharatha as a charioteer of Mahamahim Bhisma. She was real mother of Shon.
Revati
In Mahabharata, Revati was daughter of King Kakudmi and consort of Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna.
Rohini Devi
She was the wife of Vasudeva and mother of Balrama. She looked after Balaram in his childhood. After Vasudeva and Devaki 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.[40]
Rukmi
Rukmi was the ruler of Vidarbha according to the epic Mahābhārata. He was the son of king Bhishmaka and elder brother of Rukmini.
Rukmini
Rukmini was the first consort of Shri Krishna. She was an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She was the daughter of king Bhishmaka, sister of Rukmi and the princess of Vidarbha.
S
Sahadeva
Sahadeva was the youngest of the five Pandava brothers. Nakula and Sahadev were twins born to Madri who had invoked the Ashwini Kumaras. 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 killed Shakuni who was mainly responsible for the Kurukshetra War.
Sakradeva
He was son of King Srutayudha and Queen Sakrayani of Kalinga. He was Yuvaraja (Crown Price) of Kalinga. He was killed by Bhima on the 2nd day of war along with many soldiers and two generals Satya and Satyadeva.
Samvarana
Samvarana was a king from lunar dynasty. He married Tapati, daughter of Surya, and had a child named Kuru.
Sanjaya
Sanjaya was Dhritarashtra's advisor and also his charioteer. Sanjaya was a disciple of sage Krishna Dwaipayana Veda Vyasa and was immensely devoted to his master, King Dhritarashtra. 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 of Kurukshetra, which includes the Bhagavad Gita.
Satyabhama
Satyabhama is the third consort of the God Krishna, the eighth avatar of the god Vishnu. Satyabhama is believed to be an avatar of Bhumī Devī, the Goddess of Earth who is Prakriti form of Mahalakshmi. She aided Krishna in defeating the demon Narakasura.
Satyajit
He was second born child of King Drupada and Queen Kokila Devi. He was younger brother of Shikhandini/Shikhandi and elder brother of Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi. He was killed by Dronacharya on the 12th day.
Satyaki
Yuyudhana , better known as Satyaki, was a powerful warrior belonging to the Vrishni clan of the Yadavas, to which Krishna also belonged. Satyaki was also student of Arjuna due to which he fought on Pandavas side.
Satyavati
Satyavati (Sanskrit: सत्यवती, IAST: Satyavatī; also spelled Satyawati) was the queen of the Kuru king, Shantanu of Hastinapur and the great-grandmother of the Pandava and Kaurava princes (principal characters of the Hindu epic Mahabharata). She is also the mother of the seer Vyasa, author of the epic. Her story appears in the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa and the Devi Bhagavata Purana.
Savitri and Satyavan
In the Mahabharata, Savitri and Satyavan are characters appearing in the Vana Parva of the epic. Savitri is a princess born by the boon of Savitra. She is wise and beautiful. She fell in love with Satyavan, a prince who is destined to die at very young age. Satyavan and Savitri, knowing that she would become a widow at a young age, married. The later part of the story is about how Savitri's love and wit saves her husband from Yama, god of death.
Shakuni
Shakuni was the prince of Gandhara Kingdom in present-day Gandhara, later to become the King after his father's death. He is the main antagonist in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was the brother of Gandhari and hence Duryodhana's maternal uncle.
Shakuntala
Shakuntala was wife of Dushyanta and the mother of Emperor Bharata. Her story is told in the Mahabharata and dramatized by many writers, the most famous adaption being Kalidasa's play Abhijñānaśākuntala (The Sign of Shakuntala).
Shalva
Shalva was the king of Shalva kingdom. He and Amba, the princess of Kashi, fell in love and Amba decided chose him during her Swayamvara. However, Bhishma won the princesses for his brother.
When, Amba told Bhishma about her love, he sent her with honour to Shalva. But, Shalva rejected her and told her that he cannot marry her as she was won by Bhishma.
Shalya
In the epic Mahabharata, King shalya was the brother of Madri (mother of Nakula and Sahadeva), as well as the ruler of the Madra kingdom. Shalya, a powerful Spear fighter and a formidable charioteer, was tricked by Duryodhana to fight the war on the side of the Kauravas.
Shankha
Shankha was 3rd son of King Virata. He was killed by Shalya with his two brothers on very first day of war.
Shantanu
Shantanu was a Kuru king of Hastinapura in the epic Mahabharata. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, of the Lunar dynasty and great-grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He was the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapura and had been born in the latter's old age. He was husband of Ganga and Satyavati. He was father of Devavrat (Bhishma), Chitrāngad and Vichitravirya.
Sharmishtha
Sharmishtha was an Asura princess and a spouse of Yayati, an ancestor of Shantanu.
Shatanika
Shatanika was the son of Nakula and Draupadi. He was the second brother among Upapandavas.
Shikhandi
Shikhandi was born as a baby girl, named "Shikhandini," to Drupada, the king of Panchala, and his wife, Queen Kokila Devi. Later she changed her sex and took the name Shikhandi. He fought in the Kurukshetra war for the Pandavas along with his father Drupada and brother Dhristadyumna. He was Kashi's Amba in previous birth.
Shishupala
Shishupala was the son of Damaghosha. He was slain by his cousin Krishna, at the great coronation ceremony of Yudhishthira in punishment for the opprobrious abuse made against his august personage. He was also called Chaidya, being a member of Chedi kingdom.
Shrutkarma
Shrutkarma was the son of Arjuna and Draupadi. He was the youngest brother among Upapandavas.
Shrutsena
Shrutsena was the son of Sahadeva and Draupadi. He was the fourth brother among Upapandavas.
Sons of Karna
Karna's sons were Vrishasena, Vrishaketu, Banasena, Chitrasena, Satyasena, Sushena, Shatrunjaya, Dvipata and Prasena. All except for Vrishaktu were killed in the war.
Sons of Shalya
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 by Virata and other two were killed by Abhimanyu inside the Chakravyuha on 13th day.
Subala
Subala was father of Shakuni and Gandhari. He was King of Gandhar and later King-Father under Shakuni's rule. He was husband of Sudharma.
Subhadra
In the epic, she is the sister of Krishna and Balarama, wife of Arjuna and mother of Abhimanyu and grandmother of Parikshit. She is the daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini. Subhadra is known as Veera sodari (brave sister), Veera Patni (brave wife) and Veera mata (brave mother) due to her relationship with Krishn, Arjun and Abhimanyu respectively. Hindus believe Subhadra to be a goddess named Yogmaya.
Sudakshina
Sudakshina (Sanskrit: सुदक्षिण) was a king of the Kambojas, and fought on the side of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War.
Sudeshna
In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Sudeshna was the wife of King Virata, at whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. She was the mother of : Uttara, Shveta, Shankha, Uttar ( 1 - Daughter, 3 - Sons ). she had a younger brother named Kichaka and a brother-in-law named Sahtanika.
Sudharma
Sudharma was mother of Shakuni and Gandhari. She was Queen of Gandhar and later Queen-Mother under Shakuni's rule. She was wife of Subala.
Sujata
Sujata was an important maid of Chitrāngadā.
Sulabha
Sulabha was the wife of Vidura, the half-brother of King Dhritarashtra and the Prime Minister of Hastinapur. She was also a chaste woman of supreme order. She too had a high degree of devotion and abdication. When Lord Krishna visited Hastinapur as an emissary of Pandavas, he had not accepted Duryodhana's request to stay in his palace but instead he chose to stay at Vidur's home and accepted a simple meal there.
Supriya
Supriya was the second of Karna's two wives. Supriya was the maid or best friend of Duryodhana's wife Bhanumati. She married Karna when Duryodhana married Bhanumati. Her sons were Banasena, Sushena and Shatrunjaya.
Surya
Lord Surya is the god of sun and day. He is son of Aditi and Kashyapa. He is consort of Saranyu. In the epic, he was the first god called by Kunti using the mantra given by sage Durvasa to obtain a child. She did it out of curiosity and gave birth to Karna, who was born with indestructible armour and earings. During that time she wasn't married and had to abandon the child. Later in the epic, Surya gave Akshaypatra to Yudhishthira.
Suthanu
Suthanu was the daughter of Yudhisthir and Draupadi, as well as the sister of the Upapandavas. She was married to Lord Krishna and Satyabhama's son Bhanu. After the Kurukshetra war, she had a son, Vajra/Vajram.
Sutsoma
Sutsoma was the son of Bhima and Draupadi. He was the third brother among Upapandavas.
T
Takshaka
Takshaka was the king 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, the 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.
U
Usha
Uṣā or Usha was daughter of Banasura, powerful king of Sonitpur and a devote of Lord Shiva. Later Usha was married to Aniruddha, grandson of Lord Krishna.[41]
Ugrasena
Ugrasena (Sanskrit: उग्रसेन) is a Yadava king in Mahabharata epic. He was the king of Mathura, a kingdom that was established by the powerful Vrishni tribes from Yaduvanshi clan. Lord Krishna was the grandson of Ugrasena. He established his grandfather as the ruler of Mathura again after defeating his uncle, King Kansa who was a wicked ruler. Before this, King Ugrasena was overthrown from power by his own son Kansa and was sentenced to prison along with his daughter Devaki and son in law Vasudeva to prison. Devki and Vasudev were parents of Lord Krishna.
Uluka
Uluka was eldest son of Shakuni and Arshi. He was sent as messenger to Pandavas by Duryodhana. He was killed by Sahadeva on 18th day of war before his father's death.
Ulupi
Ulupi was daughter of Kauravya, the king of Nāgas, she was among the four wives of Arjuna. She had a son named Iravan.
Upadharava
In some versions, Upadharava was the uncle of Anushalva. He forced the latter to kidnap Padmavati from the Ashvamedha Yajna. When Shri Krishna, along with Yudhishthira and Bhima went to rescue Padmavati and Arjuna, who was also caught, Anushalva betrayed Upadharava, who wanted Shri Krishna in exchange for the others to take revenge for killing SHalva. When Shri Krishna showed his Vishvaroop, he tried to kill Anushalva (who turned out to be a devotee of Shri Krishna) and Padmavati. As a result, he was beheaded by the Sudarshana Chakra.
Uravashi
Urvashi was a celestial maiden in Indra's court and was considered the most beautiful of all the Apsaras. She was the consort of Puruvas, an ancestor of Pandavas and Kauravas. Later she left him and returned to heaven. 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.
V
Vajra
Vajra in the Vayu Purana and the Harivamsa, described as the son of Suthanu, the daughter of Yudhishthira and Draupadi, and wife of Bhanu, the eldest son of Krishna and Satyabhama.
Vajranabha
He was the son of Aniruddha and Usha, the daughter of Banasura. Vajra was crowned as the King of Indraprastha on the request of Krishna by the Pandavas after the Yadava fratricide just before the Pandavas' exile.
Valandhara
Valandhara was the princess of Kashi Kingdom, and wife of Pandava Bhima. They both had a son Sarvaga, who became the King of Kashi after the Kurukshetra War. Sarvaga's granddaughter Vapusthama married Janamejaya, the great-grandson of Arjuna, and bore him 2 sons – Shatanika and Sahashranika.[42]
Vapusthama
Vapusthama was the princess of Kashi, the grand-daughter of King Sarvaga and great-granddaughter of Bhima, the 2nd Pandava. Vapusthama was married to Arjuna's great-grandson Janamejaya, and bore him 2 sons - Shatanika and Sankukarna.
Vasudeva
Vasudeva the father of the Hindu deities Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra. He was king of the Vrishnis and a Yadava prince. He was the son of the Yadava king Shurasena. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu.
Vasundhara
She was the queen of Manipura and the mother of Chitrangada. She was also the grandmother of Babruvahana. Her husband was King Chitravahana.
Vayu
Vayu deva is the god of wind. He is son of Aditi and Kashyapa. In the epic, he is the spiritual father of Hanuman and the Pandava, Bhima. He was the second god called by Kunti after her marriage using a mantra as her husband couldn't conceive due to a curse.
Vichitravirya
Vichitravirya (Sanskrit: विचित्रवीर्य, vicitravīrya) was a king in Indian Religious Texts. In the Mahabharata he was the younger son of queen Satyavati and king Shantanu and grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas.
Vidura
In the epic Mahabharata, Vidura is described as the prime minister of the Kuru Kingdom and also the uncle of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He was born from Niyoga- between sage Vyasa and Parishrami, a handmaiden to the queens- Ambika and Ambalika.
Vikarna
Vikarna was third Kaurava, son of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari and a brother to the crown prince Duryodhana. 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 (after Duryodhana and Dussasana). Vikarna was the only Kaurava who questioned the humiliation of Draupadi, the wife of his cousin Pandavas after they lost her in a game of dice to Duryodhana.
Vinda and Anuvinda
Vinda and Anuvinda were brothers, and the 2 kings of Avanti. They were the sons of Jayasena and Rajadhidevi. They also had a sister, Mitravinda, who married Lord Krishna. They were good friends of Duryodhana, and fought for his cause in the Kurukshetra War.
Virata
In the epic, Virata was the king of Matsya Kingdom with its Virata Kingdom, in whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. Virata was married to Queen Sudeshna and was the father of Prince Uttara and Princess Uttarā, who married Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.
Vrihanta
Vrihanta was king of the Ulukas. His name appears at several places in the Mahabharata.
Vrikaasura
He was second son of Shakuni. Shakuni did a Yajna on Subala's order for obtaining a protector who can protect his eldest son Uluka and Kingdom Gandhara from dangers. Due to Yajna's powers Arshi gave birth to Vrikaasur. He served as Commander-in-Chief of Gandhara army under Shakuni's rule. Vrikaasur was master of sword fighting. He killed numerous warriors in the war. On the 11th day he killed 10 generals of Pandava army in one attack of Sword. He was the most active warrior of entire war. He was killed by Nakula on 17th day.
Vriprachitti
He was the youngest and only remaining son of Shakuni. He served as Prime Minister of Gandhara because of his wisdom under Shakuni's rule. After his father's death, he became the king of Gandhara.
Vrishaketu
Vrishaketu is a figure in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. He was the son of King of Anga Karna and his chief consort Maharani Padmavati and also third of Karna's nine sons. Arjuna teaches him many more skills of great warrior. Later, he becomes King of Anga and Indraprastha.
Vrishasena
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 Arjuna.
Vrushali
Vrushali was the first of Karna's two wives.
In the original Mahabharata, there are descriptions and mentions of Karna's wife which match her, but her name is never mentioned. She is mentioned by Gandhari in Stree Parva of Mahabharata. However, her name is found in the folktales and regional stories related to Mahabharata.
Vrushali knew Karna from their childhood days. Later, she became the first and favourite wife of Karna. She was chosen by Adhiratha, Karna's foster father, as the bride for his son. She was from Suta caste and the sister of Satyasena Pratigami, Duryodhana's charioteer. Her sons were Vrishasena, Chitrasena and Satyasena. After Karna's death, she committed sati.
Vyasa
Vyasa was the author of epic Mahabharata. According to the Mahabharata, the sage Vyasa was the son of Satyavati and Parashara.
Sage Vyasa had a fierce personality and a bright, glowing spiritual aura around him. Hence upon seeing him, Ambika who was rather scared shut her eyes, resulting in their child, Dhritarashtra, being born blind. The other queen, Ambalika, turned pale upon meeting Vyasa, which resulted in their child, Pandu, being born pale. Alarmed, Satyavati requested that Vyasa meet Ambika again and grant her another son. Ambika instead sent her maid to meet Vyasa. The duty-bound maid was calm and composed; she had a healthy child who was later named Vidura.
Y
Yamraj
In the epic, Yama is known by the named Dharmaraj. He is the god of dead and Dharma. He is son of Surya and Saranyu. He has a twin named Yami, the goddess of life. He is the spiritual father of Yudhishthira. He was the first god called by Kunti after her marriage using a mantra as her husband couldn't conceive. Dharma, later in the epic, appears testing Yudhishthira by taking form of a Yaksha. When the Pandavas and Draupadi went for heaven, he accompanied them by taking form of a dog and was only surviving left along with Yudhishthira. At the end, he showed his true form to Yudhishthira.
Yama also appeared in the tale of Savitri and Satyavan. In the story, he tried to take Satyavan's soul, but Savitri tricked him.
Yamuna / Kalindi
Devi Yamuna or Yami is the river goddess of life. She is daughter of Surya and Saranyu as well as the twin of Yamraj. In the epic, she appears as Kalindi. She is one of Krishna's eight wives.
Yashoda
She is the wife of Nanda (head of Gokul) and foster mother of Krishna and Balarama. She is popularly and best known as Mother of Krishna. Krishna and Balarama spent their childhood with Yashoda and Nanda and the couple took care of them. There is a popular story about replacement of Krishna with Yashoda's daughter by Vasudeva after an agreement with Nanda.
Yaudheya
Yaudheya was the son of Yudhishthira and Devika, and the grandson of Govasena, who was the king of Sivi Kingdom. Yaudheya succeeded his grandfather after his death in the Kurukshetra War.
According to the Matsya Purana, Yaudheya is also the name of the son of Prativindhya, however he does not succeed Yudhishthira to the throne of Hastinapur as he inherits his maternal kingdom.
Yayati
Yayati was an ancestor of Shantanu and the son of king Nahusha and Ashokasundari, the daughter of goddess Parvati. He had two wives, Devayani and Sharmishtha.
Yogmaya
Yogmaya or Vindhyavasini is an incarnation of goddess Adi Parashakti. She was the daughter of Yashoda and Nanda, the foster parents of Krishna. Krishna and Yogmaya were born on the same day. They were exchanged by their parents to save Krishna from Kamsa. Many believe that Subhadra was her reincarnation.
Yudhisthira
In the epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira is the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti and the king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura (Kuru). He was the leader of the successful Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War. At the end of the epic, he ascended to heaven. He was also blessed with the spiritual vision of second sight by a celestial Rishi as a boon. During their exile, Yudhisthira took the name Kanka, and became a court minister of Virata as well as played dice with the king.
Yuyutsu
Yuyutsu was a son of Dhritarashtra with Dasi aka Sughada/Sauvali, his wife Gandhari's maid. He was the paternal half – sibling to Gandhari's children: Duryodhana and the rest of the 100 Kaurava brothers and their sister Dushala. Eventually, he was the only son of Dhritarashtra who survived the Kurukshetra war.
Names taken by the Pandavas and Draupadi in their year of Incognito
Kanka (Yudhishthira)
Yudhishthira took the name of a Brahmina Kanka and became chausara teacher of Virata.
Vallabha (Bhima)
Bhima took the name of Vallabha and became royal cook of Virata.
Brihannala (Arjuna)
Arjuna took the name Brihannala and dressed as woman and became the dance teacher of princess Uttarā.
Granthika (Nakula)
Nakula took the name Granthika and became a worker of the royal stables of Matsya Kingdom.
Tantripala (Sahadeva)
Sahadeva took the name Tantripala and work to look after the royal cattle of Matsya Kingdom.
Sairandhri (Draupadi)
Draupadi became maid servant of Sudeshna named as Sairendhri, who had five powerful ghandharva husbands named as Jaya (Yudhishthira), Jayanta (Bhima), Vijaya (Arjuna), Jayadsena (Nakula) and Jayadbala (Sahadeva).
References
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- Sörensen (1902) p. 345 indexes the name as Irāvat.
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- Chandrakant, Kamala (1972). Kacha and Devayani: A Tale from the Mahabharata. India Book House. ISBN 978-81-7508-172-7.
- KUNTI (also called Pritha and Parshni)
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- Monier Williams (1899), S. 294.1
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