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20 unusual facts about Mahābhārata


Anand Neelakantan

Ajaya is the story of Duryodhana, hero of the losing side, from his perspective, seen Mahabharata from his eyes.

Arti Dhand

She has authored several publications including Woman as Fire, Woman as Sage: Sexual Ideology in the Mahabharata published in 2008 and numerous articles on topics such as "Engendering Brahmanirvanam in the Mahabharata: A Conversation between Suka and Sulabha," "Hinduism and Pedagogy: Teaching Hinduism to Hindus in the Canadian Diaspora," and "The Subversive Nature of Dharma in the Mahabharata: A Tale of Women, Smelly Ascetics, and God."

Æsir–Vanir War

Scholars have cited parallels between the Æsir–Vanir War, The Rape of the Sabine Women from Roman mythology, and the Mahabharata from Hindu mythology, providing support for a Proto-Indo-European "war of the functions."

Barbara Stoler Miller

Miller’s enthusiasm for responsible popularization was demonstrated in the pride she took in her role as advisor to the director Peter Brooks in his production of the Mahabharata, which was mounted at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1978 and televised on the Public Broadcasting Service, an event that was seen as watershed in American popular awareness of Indian culture.

Gong ageng

It is named according to subjective poetic descriptive images for different speeds of beats, comparing slow beats with waves of water and faster beats with Bima’s laughter (Bima is one of the Pandawa brothers in the Mahabharata epic).

Gosaikunda

The Hindu scriptures Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana, and the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata refer to Samudra manthan, which is directly related to the origin of Gosaikunda.

Guilherme de Vasconcelos Abreu

A book he wrote in 1902 consisted of translations from ancient books, including the Sutta-pitaka, Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Harvey Lichtenstein

He brought Peter Brook's epic stage version of the Mahabharata to Brooklyn, and was an executive producer of its 1989 film version.

Javanization

The example of this process is the adoptions of large numbers of sanskrit loanwords into old Javanese, and the Javanization of Indian Hindu epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata into Javanese version, and incorporating local deities such as Semar and Punakawan into their Wayang Purwa stories.

Klungkung Regency

The regency is famous for its classic Balinese paintings which mostly depict the story of the epics like Mahabharata or Ramayana.

Krishna Dharma

In 1999 Krishna Dharma published the first edition of his adaptation of the Mahabharata.

Krita

In the Mahabharata, the name 'krita' is used in a context where this can be translated with 'perfect' - the perfect age.

Leonides Sarao Virata

Sometime during the 1896 Philippine revolution, a forebear changed the surname to Virata, taking the name of the character King Virata from the Indian epic Mahabharata.

Rajgir hills

Between these two ridges lie a number of places of historical importance, dating from the period of the Mahabharata, Gautam Buddha, Mahavira, Mauryas and the Guptas.

Shavinder Mahal

He began his career with serials like his dual role portrayel of Parshurama and Shiva and mega-epic Mahabharata (1988).

Terrestrial television

The Ramayana and Mahabharata (both being Hindu mythological stories based on religious scriptures of the same names) were the first major television series produced.

The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs

In the Mahabharata a story is recounted of wild birds that spit gold, and were discovered by a man who soon strangled them "out of greed".

Vatsa Kingdom

Brief mentions of this kingdom is available in the epic Mahabharata.

Wrestling in India

One of the premier characters in Mahabharata, Bhima was considered to be a great wrestler of the time, and some of the other great wrestlers included Jarasandha, Duryodhan, Karna etc.

Mahabharata has a huge mention about the game of wrestling in India.


Abisares

Hazara (country), the Abisares of the Greeks;it forms the north-western district of the Peshawar division.It was conquered by Arjuna(Mahabharata,Sabha-Parva,Ch.27;JASD.

Ahir

Gaṅga Ram Garg considers the Ahir to be a tribe descended from the ancient Abhira community, whose precise location in India is the subject of various theories based mostly on interpretations of old texts such as the Mahabharata and the writings of Ptolemy.

Ailas

The Mahabharata (Sabha Parva:14) mentioned about the Ailas as, "The numerous royal lines and other ordinary Kshatriyas all represent themselves to be the descendants of Aila and Ikshwaku. The descendants of Aila, as indeed, the kings of Ikshwaku’s race, are each divided into a hundred separate dynasties."

Ananta Basudeba Temple

The terracota works depict stories from the great Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as from lilas of Krishna.

Anga

Based on Mahabharata evidence, the kingdom of the Angas roughly corresponded to the districts of Bhagalpur, Banka, Purnia, Munger, Katihar and Jamui in Bihar and districts of Deoghar, Godda, and Sahebganj in Jharkhand; later extended to include Malda and Uttar Dinajpur in Bengal.

Bhilwara

When Arjuna was going to Dwarika with all Gopis during Mahabharata period, he was passing through the present Bhilwara region.

Darada Kingdom

Mahabharata also notifies that the Daradas, Sakas, Kambojas, Yavanas etc. were originally Kshatriyas but were slowly sank to the status of vrishalah or degraded Kshatriyas due to the wrath of the Brahmanas.

Dasuya

According to a report by The Tribune newspaper in 1977, the town is referred to in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, as being the seat of king Virata.

Deva Pureeswarar Temple

As per the Mahabharata, Virata worshipped Shiva at the temple along with his son Uttara.

Folklore of Indonesia

Hindu epic of Ramayana and Mahabharata have their own separate episodes that often formed a separate story with Indonesian twists and interpretations that often differ from Indian version.The Buddhist Jataka tales also has made its way into Indonesian fable animal folklores.

Gadag District

Poets Kumara Vyasa (born in Koliwada) and Chamarasa are known for their translation of the Mahabharata into Kannada (Karnata Bharatha Kathamanjari) and Prabhulingaleele, respectively.

Jambavan

In the Mahabharata, Jambavantha had killed a lion, who had acquired a gem called Syamantaka from Prasena after killing him.

Janapada

In context of Krsna digvijay, the Mahabharata furnishes a key list of twenty-five ancient Janapadas, viz., Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Magadha, Kasi, Kosala, Vatsa, Garga, Karusha, Pundra, Avanti, Dakshinatya, Parvartaka, Dasherka, Kashmira, Ursa, Pishacha, Mudgala, Kamboja, Vatadhana, Chola, Pandya, Trigarta, Malava, and Darada (MBH 7/11/15-17).

Kalinga Kingdom

The Kauravas with the Panchalas, the Salwas, the Matsyas, the Naimishas, the Koshalas, the Kasapaundras, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, and the Chedis who are all highly blessed, know what the eternal religion is. (8,45)

Karanprayag

Karanprayag is believed by many to be the place where Karna of the Mahabharata, was to have worshipped the Sun God.

Kirātārjunīya

Shiva, pleased with his bravery, gives him the powerful weapon, the Pashupatastra, which later in the Mahabharata aids him against Karna and the Kauravas during the Kurukshetra war.

Kosala Kingdom

During the time of Kurukshetra War, and the reign of Pandavas and Kauravas, we find mention of numerous kingdoms with the name, Kosala (as per the references in Mahabharata).

Kunti Kingdom

And the king of the Salwayana tribe with their brethren and followers; and the southern Panchalas and the eastern Kosalas have all fled to the country of the Kuntis.

Lakhamandal

According to the local people, this temple and the adjoining area are believed to be where Duryodhana of Mahabharata episode conspired to burn alive the Pandava in the Lakshyagriha house, constructed with shellac.

Madura Island

The topeng theater, which involves masked performances of classical stories such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, is the Madurese performance art best known outside the island, due to its role as a representative Madurese art form at exhibitions of regional cultures from all over Indonesia.

Maraguda

In the Mahabharata and Ramayana it was known as Kantara or Mahakantara which later on finds mention in the historical record of Allahabad pillaring scription of Samudragupta.

Mewat

Even after conversion to Islam they retained their Mahabharata culture by creating Gotras and Pals for marriages and social interaction.

Nili Chhatri

It is believed that the eldest Pandava brother, Prince Yudhisthira of Mahabharata, established the temple and the Nigambodh Ghat adjacent to it, and conducted Aswamedha yajna from here.

Parvatiyar

Mahabharata mentions(II,52,14-15) Ambashtha as one of the north-western tribes.During the first quarter of the 2nd century A.D., the Ambashtha are referred to by the geographer Ptolemy as settled in the east of the country.

Rajan

According to several mythological epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana etc Rajan name is given as the honor to the Kings like Rama, Dasharatha etc.

Rasā

In RV 9.41.6, RV 10.108 and in the Nirukta of Yaska, it is the name of a mythical stream supposed to flow round the earth and the atmosphere (compare Oceanus), also referring to the underworld in the Mahabharata and the Puranas (compare Styx).

Ratan Thiyam

Thiyam is also known for his use of traditional martial arts, of Thang-Ta in his plays, such as in Urubhangam (Broken Thigh), of Sanskrit playwright Bhāsa itself based on an episode from epic, the Mahabharata, which along with Chakravyuh (Amry Formation) is considered one of his finest works.

Saka Kingdom

Mahabharata mentions about a whole region inhabited by Sakas called Sakadwipa to the north-west of ancient India, at (6:11):-There in that region are, many delightful provinces where Siva is worshipped, and thither repair the Siddhas, the Charanas, and the Devas.

Sarala Temple

It is well documented that Sidheshwar Parida - a small time farmer and part-time Oriya Paika - was an ardent follower of the Goddess and it was after her blessings that Sidheshwar Parida became Sarala Das, the author of the Oriya Mahabharata.

Shibpur

Kisari Mohan Ganguli, the author of the first complete English translation of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata (1883–1893) also lived in Shibpur.

Sidhpur

Even in the Mahabharata, the great Indian epic, it is mentioned that the Pandavas had visited the place while they were in exile.

Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddham

The story is a combination of Parijatapaharanam, Subhadra Parinayam and Gayopakhyanam sequences in Hindu epic Mahabharata.

The Pahlavas

But the Udyoga-Parva of Mahabharata groups the Pahlavas with the Sakas, Paradas and the Kambojas-Rishikas and locates them all in/around Anupa region in western India.

Udappu

The 18-day period is spent in prayer and fasting, with a priest reciting the Mahabharata epic to remind everyone of the story of Draupadi, the five Pandava brothers' common wife, whose chaste and virtuous ways enabled her to recover the kingdom they been deprived of by King Duryodhana.

Vana Parva

It is one of the longest of the 18 books in the Mahabharata, and contains numerous discussions on virtues and ethics, along with myths of Arjuna, Karna, tales of “Nahusha the snake and Yudhisthira” as well as “Ushinara and the hawk”, love stories of “Nala and Damayanti”, as well as “Savitri and Satyavan”.

World Elephant

The spelling Mahapudma originates as a misprint of Mahapadma in Sri Aurobindo's 1921 retelling of a story of the Mahabharata,