Sharath Komarraju 
The Mahabharata war is not just an account of two armies going at one another without plan or reason. It is a carefully orchestrated sequence of moves and counter-moves. Central to each side’s approach is the spatial arrangement in which they choose to fight on every day of the battle. …
Why did Draupadi marry five husbands when it was Arjuna alone who won her? In the Mahabharata, Draupadi’s marriage is considered one of the pivotal episodes, and it ends up becoming a cross that she alone among women of her generation is asked to carry. Though it was common at …
The Drona Parva of the Mahabharata begins on the eleventh day of the Mahabharata war. It ends with the death of Drona on the fifteenth day. Following on from the Drona Parva Post – Part 1, I have put together a dozen more Mahabharata stories from the Drona Parva, which …
Bhishma is the grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Mahabharata. For much of the story, he is known and called only by this name, so it is often overlooked that this is in fact not his birth name. It is a title given to him because of an …
The Drona Parva of the Mahabharata begins on the eleventh day of the Mahabharata war. It ends with the death of Drona on the fifteenth day. Following on from the Bhishma Parva post, I have put together a dozen Mahabharata stories from the Drona Parva, which will add to our …
Like most people, I thought the Kurukshetra war is the last thing that happens in the Mahabharata. After all, the whole story is a long build up to it, right? After it is done and dusted, what is left to do but roll the credits? Then I was doing some …
The Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata begins with the beginning of the Mahabharata war and ends with the fall of Bhishma on his bed of arrows. It has a number of small incidents that set up the dramatic events that will happen later on during the battle. Following on from …
The Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata begins with the wedding of Abhimanyu and Uttara in Upaplavya, the capital city of Virata’s Matsya. It ends with the Pandava and Kaurava armies lining up against each other in Kurukshetra. Following on from the post on Virata Parva, I have put together a …
If you’re a student of the Mahabharata, you will know that Arjuna is the most powerful warrior of his time. During the course of the story, you will hear other characters refer to him in a variety of different names. If you’re like me, you will have often wondered: What …
The Virata Parva of the Mahabharata begins with the arrival of the Pandavas in Matsya, the kingdom of Virata, and ends with the dramatic single-handed victory of Arjuna over the Kaurava army. Following on from the Vana Parva post Part 2, I have put together a dozen more Mahabharata stories …