Mahabharata
Mahabharata From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the Sanskrit epic. For other uses, see Mahabharata (disambiguation). This article is semi-protected to prevent sock puppets of currently blocked or banned users from editing it. Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra Krishna, Arjuna at Kurukshetra, 18-19th century painting. The Mahabharata (Sanskrit Mahābhārata महाभारत) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rāmāyaṇa. The epic is part of the Hindu itihāsa (or "history"). Besides its epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kauravas and the Pandavas, the Mahabharata contains much philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or purusharthas (12.161). The latter are enumerated as dharma (right action), artha (purpose), kama (pleasure), and moksha (liberation). Among the principal works and stories that ar...