War of Kurukshetra: Key Events from Mahabharata’s Epic Battle
Dec 3, 2024
18 days of Divine lessons, Death and Deciet – The War of Kurukshetra.
The Great War of Kurukshetra, also called the Mahabharata War, is one of the most epic battles in Hindu mythology. The royal cousins of the Kuru dynasty, Kauravas and Pandavas, fought over the throne of Hastinapur. Countless lives were lost, and Dharma was established at the end of Dvapara Yuga.
Furthermore, the Bhagavad Gita, the holy book of Hinduism, compiles the lessons and wisdom, Lord Krishna, the 8th avatar of Lord Vishnu, shared with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Read this blog to unveil the key events from the Great War of Kurukshetra.
Prelude to the War of Kurukshetra
To understand the significance of the Mahabharata War, you must first explore the story of the Mahabharata.
Here’s a family tree of the Kuru Dynasty.
The central figures of the Kurukshetra war are the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
Pancha Pandavas - The sons of King Pandu, with Kunti and Madri.
Kauravas - The 100 sons of the blind King Dhritarashtra and Gandhari
The Palace of Lakshagraha
Dhritarashtra, being the king after the death of his brother Pandu, ruled Hastinapur with his half-brother Vidura as his prime minister.
Duryodhana, under the influence of his uncle Shakuni, bore immense hatred towards his cousins from a young age. When Yudhisthira became the heir to the dynasty, Duryodhana refused to accept the claim. He plotted to kill the Pandavas along with Kunti in the palace of Lakshagraha. However, they escaped, unknown to Duryodhana, and lived in disguise for 4 years.
The Game of Dice
When Dhritarashtra heard about the news of the Pandavas being alive, he invited them back and gave them Indraprastha to rule.
The land being split into two made Duryodhana angry, for he wanted to rule the entire kingdom. With sly intentions, he invited Pandavas to a game of dice. Shakuni played with his magical dice and defeated Yudhishtra in every game. One by one, the king of Indraprastha bet on his cows, gold, villages, and his kingdom.
When he had nothing left, he bet on his brothers, himself, and their wife, Draupadi.
Later occurred one of the most heinous adharmas in all of the Hindu mythology: The disrobing of Draupadi in the royal sabha. This act of adhrama became the root cause of the destruction that followed.
On that day, Bheema swore to kill Dushadhana and drink his blood to avenge his wife. He also swore to split open the thighs of Druyodhana and slay him.
13 Years of Exile
In the final game of dice, Yudhistra lost again, and the Pandavas had to go into exile for 12 years and must remain 1 year in incognito. If they get discovered, they have to repeat the cycle again.
In the final year, the Pandavas and Draupadi disguised themselves and lived in the kingdom of Virata.
Yudhishthira: As Kanka, the king's game entertainer
Bhima: As Ballava, a cook
Arjuna: As Brihannala, an eunuch who taught music and dance
Nakula: As Granthika, a horse tender
Sahadeva: As Tantipala, a cow herder
Draupadi: As Malini, who went by the name Sairandhri to Queen Shudeshna
Despite various efforts from Kauravas to find them, the Pandavas successfully remained incognito in their 13th year of exile.
Denial of Indraprastha
After 13 years of exile, the Pandavas requested the rightful return of their kingdom, Indraprastha. But spiteful Duryodhana denied their claim.
The Pandavas said they would be happy with even 5 villages. And that is how Duryodhana’s denial marked the beginning of the Great War of Kurukshetra.
18 Days of War
On the holy ground of Kurukshetra (a city in current-day Haryana), the great battle was waged with Lord Krishna on the battlefield.
Here are the important events that occurred on each day of the way.
Day 1
The war commenced with Devas witnessing the battle from the sky and Yudhistra seeking blessings from Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa.
Day 2
Bhishma wreaked havoc in the Pandva’s army, while Drona fought intensely with Dristadyumna.
Day 3
Duryodhana confronted Bhima on the battlefield. Arjuna engaged in a fierce battle with Bhismha, breaking his bow.
Day 4
Bheema fought valiantly, slaying 14 Kauravas. Kaurava retreated owing to the Pandava's triumph.
Day 5
Shikandi confronted Bhisma on the battlefield, while Bhima continued to kill the Kaurava brothers.
Days 6 and 7
Duryodhana reproached Bhisma and Drona for favoring the opposition. Bhisma advocated for him to pursue peace with the Pandavas.
Day 8
Bhima killed 17 of Duryodhana’s brothers. Arjuna’s son Iravan dies on the battlefield.
Day 9
Enraged, Lord Krishna took a chariot wheel as a weapon to slay Bhisma but was stopped by Arjuna.
Day 10
Arjuna struck down Bhisma, leaving him in a bed of arrows.
Day 11
Karna joined the battlefield and quickly became a formidable force. Drona took charge as the new commander.
Day 12
Drona tried to capture Yudhishthira alive, but Arjuna and the other Pandavas protected him fiercely.
Day 13
Abhimanyu died on the battlefield despite his valor, captured inside the Chakravyuha.
Day 14
Arjuna avenged Abhimanyu and killed Jayadratha. Karna used Vasavi Shakti to slay Ghatokacha.
Day 15
Caught by deceit Drona falls at the saber of Drstadyumna. This marked a turning point in the war.
Day 16
Karna became the Kaurava army’s commander and caused havoc in the Pandava army.
Day 17
Bhima killed Dushadana and avenged his oath. Other side, Arjuna salyed Karna.
Day 18
On the 18th day, Duryodhana dies, after an intense mace battle with Bhima.
And thus Pandavas won the Great War of Kurukshetra with Lord Krishna by their side.
Takeaway
If Yudhistirar chose not to bet on his brother and wife, could the War of Kurukshetra have been prevented?
If Karna slayed the Pandavas, could Kauravas have won the war?
The Mahabartha War is a testament to the flawed nature of humans. It wasn’t a single instance that caused the incident. A series of actions, choices, mistakes, weaknesses, and emotions of anger, pain, and jealousy made grounds for the battle to occur. We might never know the answers to these questions, but what we can do is learn from the mistakes our ancestors made and live a life of dharma.
Art, architecture, and stories become the divine tools that hold these legendary stories. In particular, Mahabharata paintings beautifully capture the epic battle, depicting scenarios of remarkable importance. Like Lord Krishna giving wisdom to Arjuna or Karna’s battle with his chariot wheel.
These Mahabaratha war paintings not only tell a story but also remind us of the divine history and the ways of dharma and adharma.
So, when you get a chance, explore Mahbaratha paintings and the complexity they hold.