ABHIMANYU: The son of Arjuna and Subhadra. Said to be an
incarnation of the moon-god Soma's son. He was slain in the battle of
Kurukshetra when just sixteen. He married Uttara, King Virata's daughter, and
fathered Parîksit.
ADHIRATHA: A leader of the suta's, the caste generally employed
as charioteers. He found Karna after Kuntî had cast him away in a basket and
raised him as his own son. His wife's name was Radha, and thus Karna was known
as Radheya.
AGNIVESHA: A rishi who underwent severe austerities on Mount
Mahendra. He was expert in the use of weapons, and both Drona and Drupada
studied under him. He received the agneyastra (fire weapon) from the rishi
Bharadvaja, and passed it on to Drona.
AKRORA: Krishna's uncle and a famous Vrishni. He was a
commander of the Yadava army and also acted as one of Krishna's advisors
ALAMBUSHA: A rakshasa who fought for Duryodhana in the
Kurukshetra war. He was Baka's brother, and bore enmity toward Bhîma because
Bhîma slew his brother. He killed Arjuna's son Iravan, and was himself killed
by Bhîma's son, Ghatotkacha.
AMBA: The king of Kashi's eldest daughter. Bhîsma abducted her
from her swayamyara to be his brother's bride. Having already committed herself
to Shalva, Bhîsma released her. When Shalva rejected her as a wife because she
had been touched by another, she developed an intense hatred for Bhîsma. She
worshipped Shiva and obtained a boon that she would kill Bhîsma in her next
life. She was then reborn as Shikhandhi.
AMBÂLIKÂ: The king of Kashi's youngest daughter. She was
abducted by Bhîsma from her swayamvara and married Vichitravirya. Later she
became Pandu's mother by union with Vyâsadeva.
AMBIKÂ: Second daughter of the king of Kashi, abducted from
her swayamvara by Bhîsma. She married Vichitravirya and, after his death,
became Dhritarastra's mother by union with Vyâsadeva.
ANGARAPARNA: A Gandharva chief; also known as Chitraratha, who
met the Pândavas when they were fleeing from Varanavata after the burning of
the lac house.
ARJUNA: Third son of Pandu and Kuntî, begotten by Indra. He
is famous as Krishna's dear friend and he heard the Bhagavad Gîtâ
from Him. He is known by nine other names: Dhananjaya (winner of wealth),
Vijaya (always victorious), Swetavahana (he whose chariot is drawn by white
horses), Phalguna (born under the auspicious star of the same name), Kiriti (he
who wears the diadem), Bhibatsu (terrifying to behold in battle), Savyasachi
(able to wield a bow with both hands), Jishnu (unconquerable), and Krishna
(dark-complexioned). The name Arjuna means "one of pure deeds." He is
said to be an incarnation of the ancient sage Nara.
ASHVINI KUMARA'S: Twin gods who act as celestial
physicians. They fathered Nakula and Sahadeva through Madrî.
ASHVATTHAMA: Son of Drona and Kripî. When he was young, his
father was impoverished. Some of Ashvatthama's friends, knowing that he
had never tasted milk, once gave him a cup of water mixed with flour and told
him it was milk. The boy drank it and danced in glee, saying "I have
tasted milk!" His father saw this and was cut to the quick. It was this
incident that inspired him to go to his old friend Drupada and beg.
Ashvatthama is said to be a partial expansion of Shiva.
BABRUVAHANA: Son of Arjuna and Chitrangada, who became the ruler
of Manipura.
BAHLIKA: Younger brother of Shantanu. He lived a long life
and was an advisor to Dhritarastra. He became a commander in Duryodhana's army
during the Kurukshetra war. He was finally killed by Bhîma.
BALARÂMA: Son of Vasudeva and Rohini. Said by the Vedas to be
an eternal form of the Supreme Lord who sometimes appears in the material world
to enact pastimes.
BHARATA: A king in the dynasty of the moon-god (all
kshatriyas are descendents either of Chandra, the moon-god, or Surya, the
sun-god) who ruled the earth for thousands of years. The earth planet has been
named after him, and it was common during the Mahâbhârata era to call his
descendents by his name. Bharata was born from the union of King Dushyanta and
the daughter of Kanva Rishi, named Shakuntala. The story of their marriage and
Bharata's birth is recounted in the Mahâbhârata's Adi Parva.
BHIMASENA: Pându and Kuntî's second son, sired by Vayu, the
wind-god. After the great war he was installed by Yudhisthira as crown prince.
A story is told in the Skanda Purâna that Bhîma became a little proud after the
war, considering that it was by his own power that he had achieved success in
the war. All his brothers attributed their success to Krishna. Wanting to curb
Bhîma's pride, Krishna took him on Garuda and traveled a long way to the south,
where they came to a great lake many miles wide. Krishna sent Bhîma to find the
source of the lake. Bhîma ran around its perimeter, but could not discover its
source. As he ran he encountered a number of powerful Asuras. Bhîma found
himself unable to defeat them and he ran to Krishna for shelter. Krishna lifted
and threw the lake away and dispersed the Asura's (celestial demon). He said to
Bhîma, "This lake was contained in Kumbhakarna's skull, the Rakshasa
killed by Râma in a previous age . The warriors who attacked you were from a
race of demons who fought with Ravana against Rama." Bhîma's pride was
thus curbed.
BHISMA: Son of Shantanu, known as the
"grandfather" of the Kurus. Although he never became king, he
officiated at Hastinapura as regent until Vichitravirya was of age. He is said
to be an incarnation of Dyau, the chief Vasu. The original text of the
Mahâbhârata contains an entire Parva, the Shanti Parva, devoted to Bhîsma's
instructions on religion and morality, which he delivered while lying on the
bed of arrows.
CHITRASENA: King of the Gandharvas who taught Arjuna the arts of
singing and dancing while he was in heaven. He later captured Duryodhana, whom
Arjuna and Bhîma had released. Chitrasena was also the name of a king of
Trigarta who fought with the Kauravas, and also the name of one of Karna's
sons.
DEVAKI: Krishna's mother and the wife of Vasudeva, a chief
of the Vrishni clan.
DHAUMYA: An ascetic rishi who became the Pândavas' guru and
guide. The younger brother of Devala, another famous rishi.
DHRISTADYUMNA: Son of Drupada, born from the
sacrificial fire. Said in the Vedas to be an expansion of the fire-god, Agni.
DHRISTAKETU: A son of Sishupala, king of the
Chedis, who befriended the Pândavas and supplied them with an akshauhini
division of troops for the Kurukshetra war. He was slain by Drona. After the
war, his sister married Nakula. He was said to be one of the celestial
Vishvadevas incarnating on earth.
DHRITARÂSTRA: The blind son of Vyâsadeva,
born of Ambika after the death of her husband, Vichitravirya. He became king in
Hastinapura after Pându retired to the forest. He was the father of the
Kauravas. In the Bhagavata Purâna it is said that, after practicing yoga, he
achieved liberation, merging into the Supreme Brahman at the end of his life.
DRAUPADI: Daughter of Drupada, king of Panchala, and wife of
the five Pândavas. In her previous life she was an ascetic woman named Nalayani
who received a boon from Shiva that she would have five husbands in her next
life. The epitome of womanly skills, she once gave advice on how to serve a
husband to Satyabhama, one of Krishna's principal wives. She was said to be an
expansion of the Goddess Lakshmi. Also known as Panchali.
DRONA (DRONACHARYA): The Kurus' martial teacher. The
sage Bharadvaja once caught sight of the Apsara Ghrtachi and, as a result,
semen fell from his body, which he caught in a pot. Drona was later born from
that pot. He was taught by Agnivesha and Parasurama. Said to be an expansion of
Brihaspati, the celestial seer and preceptor of the gods.
DRUPADA: King of the Panchala province in Bharata. He was a
staunch ally of the Pândavas, respected as the seniormost king among their
allies. He formed an enmity with Drona after the latter had come to him for
charity and had been refused. Drona finally killed him in the Kurukshetra war.
Drupada was also known as Yajnasena, and is said to be an expansion of the
celestial Maruts.
DURVASA: A powerful rishi famous for his quick temper. The
Purânas and Mahâbhârata contain many stories about Durvasa. He is particularly
famous for having granted Kuntî the boon that she could summon any god to do
her will, which resulted in the births of the Pândavas from five principal
deities. He is said to be an expansion of Shiva.
DURYODHANA: Eldest of Dhritarâstra's sons and leader of the
Kauravas. From childhood he formed an enmity with the Pândavas, which later
resulted in the Kurukshetra war. He was killed by Bhîma and went to the
heavenly planets as a result of his adherence to kshatriya duties. He was said
to be an expansion of Kali, the god presiding over the dark age.
DUSHASHANA: Duryodhana's eldest brother and one of his inner circle
of close advisors. He grievously offended Draupadî and the Pândavas, and as a
result Bhîma vowed to kill him and drink his blood. He did so during the great
war.
EKALAVYA: Son of Hiranyadhanu, a Nishadha tribal chief. He
became quite skilled in archery by worshipping Drona, but he was ultimately
cursed by him. He was killed by Krishna.
GANDHÂRI: Daughter of the king of Gandhara, who became
Dhritarâstra's wife. Having once pleased Vyâsadeva by her service, she was
blessed by the sage that she would have one hundred sons. After marrying the
blind Dhritarâstra, she covered her own eyes with a cloth for the rest of her
life. She is thus famous as one of the most chaste ladies in Vedic history. She
died in the forest with her husband and Kuntî.
GANGA: A goddess who appears in this world as the river Ganges.
She was Bhîsma's mother. Her origin is described in various Vedic texts,
including Bhagavata Purâna and Ramayana. The river water descends from
the spiritual world after touching Lord Vishnu's foot and is thus considered
sacred.
GHATOTKACHA: The son of Bhîma and the Rakshashi Hidimbi. He
became a leader of the Rakshasas and assisted the Pândavas in the Kurukshetra
war. Karna killed him with Indra's celestial Shakti weapon.
INDRA: King of the gods, also known as Purandara and Shakra. The
Vedas contain numerous stories about this deity, who became Arjuna's father.
JARASANDHA: King of Magadha and a powerful enemy of Krishna. His
father, Brihadratha, once approached a sage to seek a blessing to have a son.
The sage gave him a mango, which the king divided into two, giving half to each
of his wives. They each gave birth to half a child, and the king threw away the
halves. A Rakshashi named Jara later found the two halves and joined them
together, whereupon the body came to life. The child was then named Jarasandha,
meaning 'joined by Jara.' The Bhagavata Purâna describes the history of his
inimical relationship with Krishna. He was killed in a wrestling match with
Bhîma.
JAYADRATHA: King of Sindhu who married Dhritarâstra's daughter
Dushala. When he was born, a heavenly voice announced that he would be a
powerful warrior but would be beheaded by an enemy of unparalleled strength.
His father, Vridhakshetra, then cursed whomever would cause his son's head to
fall to the ground to himself die, his own head shattering into a hundred
fragments. He was killed by Arjuna at Kurukshetra.
KAMSA: Maternal uncle of Krishna who usurped the throne from his
father, Ugrasena. He was killed by Krishna . Details of his life are found in
the Bhagavata Purâna.
KARNA: First born son of the Pândavas' mother Kuntî from her
union with the sun-god [SB Canto 9, Chapter 24 verses 32 to 36]. He became the
chief support and best friend of Duryodhana, who made him king of
Anga. He was killed by Arjuna at Kurukshetra and went to the sun planet. Other
names of Karna include Vasusena, Vaikarthana and Radheya.
KAURAVA'S: Another name for the Kuru's.
KRIPA (KRIPACHARYA): Son of the sage Saradvan, who
was once practicing asceticism in the forest when he saw the Apsara Janapadi.
He passed semen, which fell into a clump of reeds, and a boy and girl were born
from it. They were named Kripa and Kripi. They were found and brought to
Shantanu, who was later told of their origin by Saradvan. Kripa was taught
Dhanurveda, the martial arts, by his father, and he became one of the Kurus'
martial teachers. He survived the Kurukshetra war and counseled the Pândavas
when they ruled the world. Later, they appointed him preceptor of their
grandson, Parîksit.
KRISHNA: Said by the Vedas to be God, the Supreme Person, who
is the origin of all other incarnations of the Godhead such as Vishnu and
Nârâyana. The Bhagavata Purâna contains extensive descriptions of his qualities
and activities. He spoke the Bhagavad Gîtâ to Arjuna at the beginning of the
Kurukshetra war.
KRITAVARMA: A chief in the Yadu dynasty. A devotee of Krishna,
he was the commander of the Yadu army. Krishna offered the army to Duryodhana
for the Kurukshetra war, and thus they and Kritavarma fought against the
Pândavas. Kritavarma survived the war, but was later killed at Prabhasa during
a fratricidal quarrel among the Yadus.
KUNTI: The Pândavas' mother. She was the sister of Vasudeva,
Krishna's father. Her own father, Surasena, had given her as a baby to his
close friend King Kuntibhoja, who had no children. She was named
Prithâ at birth, but became better known as Kuntî after being raised by
Kuntibhoja.
KURU: Ancient king and founder of the Kuru dynasty. Due to his
performance of sacrifice and asceticism at the site, the place known as
Kurukshetra, named after Kuru, is considered sacred.
KURU'S: (Kaurava's) Sons of King Dhritarâstra, hundred in
number, where Duryodhana is the most known. Opponents in the battle of
Kurukshetrawith their nephews the Pandava's, who were also Kuru's, descendants
of Kuru.
KUVERA (VAISHRAVANA): God of riches and one of the
four universal protectors or Lokapalas. Known as the celestial treasurer.
MARKENDEYA: An ancient rishi said to have lived through
thousands of ages. The Mahâbhârata contains many stories about him.
NAKUL: One of the twin sons of Pându and Madri, begotten by the
twin Ashvini gods. He was a maharatha (a warrior capable of contending with ten
thousand other warriors) warrior renowned for his expertise with a sword. He
conquered the western regions of Bharata, before Yudhisthira's Rajasuya
sacrifice. Along with Draupadî, he married a princess of Chedi named Karenumati.
NÂRADA: A celestial sage also known as Devarshi, or the
rishi among the gods [see for example: SB - Canto 1 : Ch. 4] He is famous as a
devotee of Krishna and frequently assists Him in His pastimes on earth. The
Vedas contain innumerable references to Nârada's activities and teachings.
PANDAVA'S: The five sons of King Pându and Queen Kuntî: Arjuna,
Sahadeva, Nakula, Bhîma en Yudhisthira.
PÂNDU: Father of the Pandava's born to Vichitravirya's widow
queen Ambalika by the grace of Vyâsadeva.
PARASARA: A powerful rishi, grandson of Vasishta, who fathered
Vyâsadeva by conceiving him with Satyavati when she was still a maiden. Once
Satyavati ferried the sage across a river and he was attracted by her beauty.
He asked if he could have union with her, promising that by his mystic power
she would not lose her virginity. She agreed and they united on an island in
the middle of the river, which Parasara shrouded from view by creating volumes
of mist. Vyâsadeva was immediately born and grew at once to manhood.
PARAS'URÂMA: A rishi said to be an empowered incarnation of
Vishnu. He is famous for having annihilated all the kshatriyas of the world
after his father, Jamadagni, had been killed by a king named Kartavirya. An
expert in the Vedic military arts, he was the martial teacher of Bhîsma, Drona
and Karna. The Mahâbhârata contains various stories about his exploits.
PARIKSHIT: Posthumous son of Abhimanyu, the Pândavas installed
him as king in Hastinapura when they retired. He was named Parîksit, meaning
'the examiner', as the brahmins said he would come to examine all men in his
search for the Supreme Lord, whom he saw while still an embryo in his mother's
womb He became famous as the hearer of the Bhagavata Purâna from the sage
Sukadeva Goswâmî.
SAHADEVA: The youngest Pandava. One of the two twin sons of
Madri fathered by the Ashvini gods. He conquered southern Bharata before
Yudhisthira's Rajasuya sacrifice. Famous for his perceptive powers and
intelligence, he was appointed as Yudhisthira's personal advisor after the
Kurukshetra war. Besides being married to Draupadî, he married a princess of
Madra named Vijaya.
SANJAY: Dhritarâstra's charioteer and secretary. Although he
belonged to the suta caste (a class of sûdra generally employed as a
charioteer), he was a spiritually advanced disciple of Vyâsadeva, who gave him
the power to see the events during the Kurukshetra war. Consequently, he
narrated all the battle scenes to Dhritarâstra.
SATYAKI: A Vrshni hero who became Arjuna's martial disciple.
He was a close friend of Krishna. A powerful maharatha, he fought for
the Pândavas at Kurukshetra, surviving both the war and subsequent massacre of
sleeping soldiers by Ashvatthama. He died at Prabhasa during the fratricidal
battle among the Yadus.
SATYAVATI: Mother of Vyâsadeva (from the union with Parasara
Rishi).
SHAKUNI: Son of King Suvala and brother of Gandhari. Acted as
close confidant and
mentor to Duryodhana. Although a powerful kshatriya, he
preferred cunning and underhanded methods to open combat. Said to be an
expansion of the deity presiding over the Dvapara age (third in the cycle of
four ages), he was slain at Kurukshetra by Sahadeva.
SHALVA: King of Saubha. He fought Bhîsma for Amba's hand
after Bhîsma kidnapped her from her swayamvara. Due to his strong friendship
with Sishupala, whom Krishna killed, he became Krishna's enemy. He attacked
Dwârakâ in the huge airplane he had received from Shiva. Said to be an
incarnation of the Asura Ajaka, Krishna killed him.
SHALYA: Ruler of Madra and brother of Pându's second wife
Madri. Although the Pândavas' friend, and having a particular friendship
with Yudhisthira, he was tricked by Duryodhana into fighting for the Kauravas
at Kurukshetra. Said to be an incarnation of the Daitya Samhlada, Yudhisthira
killed him in the war.
SHANTANU: Great grandfather of the Pândavas and Kauravas, and
Bhîsma's father from his union with Ganga. After retirement, he went to Mount
Archika in the Himalayas and practiced asceticism, finally attaining
liberation. It is said in the Bhagavata Purâna that his elder brother, Devapi,
still lives on earth in a place called Kalapa, awaiting the commencement of the
next Satya-yuga (golden age) when he will become king.
SHIKHANDHI: Son of Drupada and a reincarnation of Amba. He was
born as a woman and later became a man by the grace of a Yaksha named
Sthunakarna. Remembering his enmity from his previous life, he vowed to kill
Bhîsma. It was due to him that Arjuna was able to approach and finally slay
Bhîsma. Ashvatthama killed him during the night slaughter of the sleeping
Pandava warriors.
SISHUPALA: King of Chedi and an avowed enemy of Krishna. The
Bhagavata Purâna describes his previous existence as Jaya, a gatekeeper in the
spiritual Vaikuntha world. Due to a curse, he and his brother Vijaya had to
take birth in the material world for three lives as demons (his other two
incarnations were Hiranyâksa and Ravana). Krishna killed him at Yudhisthira's
Rajasuya sacrifice .
SUBHADRÂ: Krishna's sister, (daughter of Devakî and Vasudeva)
said to be an incarnation of Yogamâyâ, the Lord's personified spiritual energy.
Her birth is described in the Bhagavata Purâna. She married Arjuna and they had
a son named Abhimanyu. Unlike her co-wife Draupadî, no details are given in the
original text about how she ended her life.
SUSHARMA: King of Trigarta and brother of Duryodhana's wife,
Bhanumati. He led a huge army and concentrated on fighting Arjuna during the
Kurukshetra war, having taken a vow to kill him. He was slain by Arjuna.
ULOPI: Daughter of the Naga king Kauravya, who became Arjuna's
wife. They had a son named Iravan, who was killed at Kurukshetra. She married
Arjuna during his one year exile from Indraprastha, only spending one day with
him after their wedding. She was reunited with him in Hastinapura after the
war.
UTTARA: A princess of Virata whom Arjuna taught dancing during his
final year of exile. She married Abhimanyu and their son was named Parîksit.
VASUDEVA: Krishna's father, after whom Krishna himself is
named. Details of his life and previous births are given in the Bhagavata
Purâna.
VIDURA: Son of Vyâsadeva and a palace maidservant. He was
said to be an expansion of Yamaraja, the lord of justice. Once a rishi named
Mandavya was mistaken for a robber. The king arrested and punished him by
having him pierced by a lance. The sage later went to Yamarâja and asked why
this had happened and was told that in his childhood he had pierced an insect
with a blade of grass. Hearing that he had received punishment for a mistake
made when he was still an ignorant child, the sage cursed Yamaraja to take
birth on earth as a sûdra. Thus he became Vidura.
VIRATA: King of Matsya, where the Pândavas spent their final
year in exile. He joined with the Pândavas in the Kurukshetra war, bringing an
akshauhini divison of warriors. Drona killed him in the battle. He was said to
be an expansion of the celestial Maruts.
VYÂSADEVA: The sage who authored the Mahâbhârata.Born from the
union of Parasara Rishi and Satyavatî, he is known as Dwaipayana because he was
born on an island . He compiled the Vedas and is said to be an empowered
incarnation of Vishnu. His son's name is S'ukadeva the famous reciter of the Bhagavata
Purâna.
YADU: Ancient king and founder of the Yadu dynasty, in which
Krishna appeared. Details of Yadu's birth and life are given in the original
text of the Mahâbhârata and also the Bhagavata Purâna.
YUDHISTHIRA: Eldest Pândava, born from the union of Kuntî and the
god Dharma. He performed a Rajasuya sacrifice which established him as world
emperor. Famous for his adherence to virtue and truth, he is also known as
Dharmaraja, as well as Ajatashatru, which means "one who has no enemies."
After the war he ruled the world for thirty-sixyears and was succeeded by
Parîksit.
