The core story of the work is that of a dynastic struggle for the throne of Hastinapura, the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan. The two collateral branches of the family that participate in the struggle are the Kauravas, the elder branch of the family, and the Pandavas, the younger branch. The struggle culminates leading to the Great battle of Kurukshetra, and the Pandavas are ultimately victorious. The Mahabharata itself ends with the death of Krishna, and the subsequent end of his dynasty, and ascent of the Pandava brothers to Heaven. ...

See also:

Mahabharata, Mahabharata - Primary purport, Mahabharata - Background and history, Mahabharata - The Mahabharata, the epic story, Mahabharata - Stories, Mahabharata - Structure, Mahabharata - Modern Mahabharata, Mahabharata - Another Viewpoint, Mahabharata - The Significance of Mahabharata, Mahabharata - Symbolism of Mahabharata

Read more here: » Mahabharata: Encyclopedia II - Mahabharata - The Mahabharata, the epic story

See also:

Mahabharata, Mahabharata - Primary purport, Mahabharata - Background and history, Mahabharata - The Mahabharata the epic story, Mahabharata - Stories, Mahabharata - Structure, Mahabharata - Modern Mahabharata, Mahabharata - Another Viewpoint, Mahabharata - The Significance of Mahabharata, Mahabharata - Symbolism of Mahabharata

Read more here: » Mahabharata: Encyclopedia II - Mahabharata - The Mahabharata the epic story

The core story of the work is that of a dynastic struggle for the throne of Hastinapura, the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan. The two collateral branches of the family that participate in the struggle are the Kauravas, the elder branch of the family, and the Pandavas, the younger branch. The struggle culminates leading to the Great battle of Kurukshetra, and the Pandavas are ultimately victorious. The Mahabharata itself ends with the death of Krishna, and the subsequent end of his dynasty, and ascent of the Pandava brothers to Heaven. ...

See also:

Mahabharata, Mahabharata - Scope, Mahabharata - Background and history, Mahabharata - The central story, Mahabharata - The books, Mahabharata - Jaimini's version, Mahabharata - In modern times, Mahabharata - Another Viewpoint

Read more here: » Mahabharata: Encyclopedia II - Mahabharata - The central story

Shruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita

The Friendly Treatises and the Commanding Treatises : There are four books under this heading: The Valmiki-Ramayana, the Yogavasishtha, The Mahabharata and the Harivamsa. These embody all that is in the Vedas, but only in a simpler manner. These are called the Suhrit-Samhitas or the Friendly Treatises, while the Vedas are called the Prabhu-Samhitas or the Commanding Treatises with great authority. These works explain the great universal truths in the form of historical narratives, stories and dialogues

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Itihasas: The Itihasas in the Hindu Scriptures

The Mahabharata is the history of the Pandavas and the Pandavas. It gives a description of the great war, the Battle of Kurukshetra, which broke out between the Kauravas and the Pandavas who were cousins and descendants of the lunar race. The Mahabharata is an encyclopaedia of Hindu Dharma. It is rightly called the fifth Veda. There is really no theme in religion, philosophy, mysticism and polity which this great epic does not touch and expound.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Mahabharata: The Mahabharata in the Hindu Scriptures

Krishna - The Loveable Hero-God

The Ekashloki Bhagavatam encapsulates his entire life in one stanza, the Krishna-shtakam attempts to define him in eight couplets, the Madhurashtakam describes him as the Emperor of Sweetness, the Gita Govinda immortalises his love, Vyasa's Srimad Bhagavatam details his glories.

Iconised as a hero-god, Krishna has charmed poets, philosophers and devotees for the last 3,500 years.

Read more here: » Krishna: The Loveable Hero-God - Krishna

The Ramayana, the Adi-Kavya or the first epic poem, relates the story of Sri Rama, the ideal man. It is the history of the family of the solar race descended from Ikshvaku, in which was born Sri Ramachandra, the Avatara of Lord Vishnu, and his three brothers. The ideal characters like Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata and Sri Hanuman that we find in Ramayana firmly establish Hindu Dharma in our minds.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Ramayana: The Ramayana in the Hindu Scriptures

The Bhagavata Purana and other works tell us stories of how the divine is always trying to break away from its divine fetters. When you are pervasive and omnipresent, how can you have the freedom to play? Being omnipresent, you are constantly watched by those who adore you, worship you and serve you. You need a disguise.

(See also: Bhagavata Purana, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Nakula was the son of king Pandu and queen Madri. He and his twin brother Sahadeva are in the image of the Ashwini Gods. He was one of the five Pandavas whose story is told in the Mahabharata - the youngest two. According to the legend, the twins have ability to speak with animals. Nakula is described as extremely fair and attractive. ...

Read more here: » Nakula: Encyclopedia - Nakula

Radha refers to either one of two figures in Hindu religion. By far the most important is Radha, the gopi, who participates in the Rasa Lila with Krishna. Radha - The Mahabharata. Radha - Radha the gopi. In the story of Krishna, as told in the Puranas and the Mahabharata, she is one of the gopis (cow-herding women) of the forest of Vrindavan, and was brought up in this community with Krishna. In the orginal story she is briefly mentioned as one of the gopis who Krishna plays wit ...

Including:

• Radha - The Mahabharata
• Radha - Radha the gopi
• Radha - The foster mother of Karna
• Radha - Radha the Gopi in later Vaishnava traditions
• Radha - Festivals
• Radha - Radha the most important Gopi of Krishna
• Radha - Radha the beautiful one

Read more here: » Radha: Encyclopedia - Radha

Sanjaya is a character from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In this story of warring families, the father of the Kaurava side is the blind king Dhritarashtra. His charioteer Sanjaya (who has the gift of seeing events at a distance) narrates to Dhritarashtra the action in the climactic battle of Kurukshetra, which includes the Bhagavad Gita. In the Bhagavad Gita, passages often start with the Sansk ...

Read more here: » Sanjaya: Encyclopedia - Sanjaya

Subhadra is the sister of Krishna. She is considered an incarnation of Maya who appears as per the instructions of Krishna. Subhadra was married to her first cousin Arjuna, the Pandava, who was the third son of Kunti. Subhadra and Arjuna were the parents of Abhimanyu, whose posthumous son Parikshita, born to the widowed Uttara, was the sole surviving dynasty of the entire Kuru family. The epic Mahabharata is a story based on the Kuru family as well as the Pandavas. S ...

Read more here: » Subhadra: Encyclopedia - Subhadra

Nala is a character in Hindu mythology. He was the husband of Damayanti and their story is told in the Mahabharata. Nala was known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. His main weakness was gambling. Nala - Story. Nala was one of the Shatchakravarthins (six great emperors) in Hindu mythology. Also known as Nalachakravarti (Nala the emperor). He was king of Nishadha Kingdom. He was chosen by Damayanti as husband in the 'Swayamvara' (function in which th ...

Including:

• Nala - Story

Read more here: » Nala: Encyclopedia - Nala

Damayanti is a character in Hindu mythology. She was the wife of Nala and their story is told in the Mahabharata. Damayanti was a princess who fell in love with Nala simply from hearing about his virtues and accomplishments, although he was addicted to gambling. When it came time for Damayanti to choose her husband at a swayamvara, princes and kings came to seek her hand, including Nala. The gods Indra, Agni, Varuna, and Yama were in attendance too. Nala met the gods on their way there, and they ordered him to go inform Damayanti that

Read more here: » Damayanti: Encyclopedia - Damayanti

The Recognition of Sakuntala is a Sanskrit play by Kalidasa. Its date is uncertain, as Kalidasa may have lived during either the first or the fourth centuries AD. It is based on a story in the Mahabharata, though Kalidasa makes some minor changes to the plot. The Recognition of Sakuntala - Synopsis. The play depicts the legendary King Dushyanta, who falls in love with Shakuntala, the daughter of a hermit in the forest. Dushyanta woos and marries her. But Shakuntala is then cursed by an old sa ...

Including:

• The Recognition of Sakuntala - Synopsis
• The Recognition of Sakuntala - Translations

Read more here: » The Recognition of Sakuntala: Encyclopedia - The Recognition of Sakuntala

In the Mahabharata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu, by his two wives Kunti and Madri. They are Yudhishtira Bhima Arjuna (sons of Pandu's first wife Kunti), and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva (sons of his second wife Madri). As Pandu is cursed with death if he ever has intercourse with his wives, the actual fatherhood of the children is traditionally attributed to various gods, by the boon that was given to Kunti by Durvasa. According t ...

Read more here: » Pandava: Encyclopedia - Pandava

The term Kaurava is a Sanskrit term, that means the descendants of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahabharata. It is often written as Kauravas in English; technically this plural form is incorrect since the Sanskrit form is plural already. The singular term, for a single descendant of Kuru, is Kaura. The term is used in the Mahabharata with two meanings; 1. the wider meaning, to represent all the descendants of Kuru. This meaning, which includes the Pandava brothers, is sometimes used in the Mahabha ...

Read more here: » Kaurava: Encyclopedia - Kaurava

In Indian and Hindu mythology, Rishyasringa ('horned rishi' in Sanskrit) was a boy born with the horns of a deer. His father was the rishi Vibhandaka, and his mother was a deer. The father raised the boy in a forest, isolated from society. He never saw any girls or women, and was not told of their existence. In the usual version of the story, at the time that the boy becomes a young man, the kingdom of Anga suffers from drought and famine. The king, Romapada, is told that this can only be alleviated by a brahmin with the powers ...

Read more here: » Rishyasringa: Encyclopedia - Rishyasringa

Kathakali (katha for story, kali for performance or play) is a form of Indian dance-drama. It originated in the South Indian state of Kerala over 500 years ago and is considered one of the oldest dance forms in India. It is a spectacular combination of drama, dance, music and ritual. Characters with vividly painted faces and elaborate costumes re-enact stories from the Hindu epics, Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Kathakali is considered to be a combination of five forms of fine art: Literature (Sahithyam)< ...

Including:

• Kathakali - Kathakali plays
• Kathakali - Music
• Kathakali - Performance
• Kathakali - Acting
• Kathakali - Famous Kathakali actors
• Kathakali - Other forms
• Kathakali - Make-up

Read more here: » Kathakali: Encyclopedia - Kathakali