r/mahabharata

Namaste

Tomorrow (Friday, 10th July) is Ekadashi — a sacred day dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Let us come together and chant the powerful Vishnu Sahasranamam for peace, protection, prosperity, and spiritual upliftment.

Event Details:

Occasion: Ekadashi Vishnu Sahasranamam Chanting

Date: 10th July 2026 (Friday)

Time:9.30pm - 10pm IST

Platform: Google Meet https://meet.google.com/xdu-gesd-zqy

All are welcome — beginners and experienced chanters alike. No prior experience needed. We will chant together slowly and clearly, with brief explanation if required.Benefits of Vishnu Sahasranamam (as per scriptures):

• Removes obstacles and negative energies
• Grants good health, wealth & mental peace
• Bestows Vishnu’s protection and blessings
• Highly auspicious especially on Ekadashi

Please join with a calm mind, preferably after bath. You may keep a glass of water nearby and offer it to the Lord after the chanting. Drop a in the comments if you plan to join so we know the expected number of participants.

Hare Krishna
Jai Shri Vishnu

Full credit to the actors for playing their roles to absolute perfection, but watching this show for the first time tests my patience every single time.

Between Dhritarashtra's selective blindness and constant victim card, Shakuni’s greasy smirk with that annoying "Mere bachhe", and Duryodhan throwing full toddler tantrums whenever things don't go his way, the urge to reach through the screen is too real.

स्वनिगममपहाय मत्प्रतिज्ञामृतमधिकर्तुमवप्लुतो रथस्थः।

धृतरथचरणोऽभ्ययाच्चलद्गुर्हरिरिव हन्तुमिभं गतोत्तरीयः

​अर्थ:

"जिन्होंने अपनी प्रतिज्ञा ('मैं शस्त्र नहीं उठाऊंगा') को तोड़कर मेरी प्रतिज्ञा ('मैं कृष्ण से शस्त्र उठवाऊंगा') को सत्य सिद्ध करने के लिए रथ से छलांग लगा दी; जिनका उत्तरीय (दुपट्टा) गिर गया था और जो हाथ में रथ का पहिया लेकर मेरी ओर ऐसे दौड़े जैसे कोई मतवाला सिंह हाथी को मारने के लिए झपटता है—उन भगवान श्रीकृष्ण के चरणों में मेरा प्रणाम है।"

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The retellings confuse me because they all seem to handle this differently. In some versions, Karna knows he’s adopted but has no idea who his biological parents are. In others, he doesn’t even know he’s adopted and genuinely believes Radha and Adhiratha are his biological parents.

The Villi Bharatham version I’ve read doesn’t seem to make this clear either. When Krishna reveals the truth about his birth, Karna says:

இன்றால் எனது பிறப்புணர்ந்தேன்

என்று என்பு உருகி…

Translation: Only today have I come to know about my birth...

So does this mean Karna didn’t know he was adopted at all until Krishna told him? Or did he already know that Radha and Adhiratha weren’t his biological parents and just didn’t know who his real parents were? And if he already knew he was adopted, why did he never try to find out who his biological parents were?

I missed playing Catan & Civ, so I built my own strategy game over the weekend with AI's help.

Rajasuya, 12 turns, two rival claims to the high kingship of ancient India based during the times of Mahabharata.

Free to play, in-browser.

Hope you find it fun.

https://amlanchak29.github.io/rajasuya/

Most people blame Shakuni others blame Duryodhana. Some believe the real cause was greed, ego, and silence.

Who do you think was truly responsible for the war?

Did the Pandavas incur any sin for killing their own family members?

They killed their whole assembled family, did they commit a sin or not?

Especially Arjun for the Bhishma's downfall? The grandsire.

An Artwork of Krishna 🦚 OC

I came across this beautiful artwork of Shri Krishna on Pinterest and had to recreate it because I was genuinely struck by its atmosphere and expression. There’s something about Krishna’s depiction that feels both peaceful and powerful at the same time. This is my recreation of the drawing! For me, Krishna represents wisdom, compassion, joy, and the deeper idea of divine consciousness. This artwork especially caught my attention because it conveys that feeling without needing anything overly elaborate. I’d love to hear what everyone else sees or feels when looking at this depiction of Krishna. 🦚✨

Udhyoga Parva, Chapter No. 66, Mahabharata CE by BORI, Dr. Bibek Debroy translation

‘Sanjaya said, “Arjuna and Vasudeva are supremely honoured archers. They have everything in them and have been born in this way because of their own wishes

This is another proof of how divine arjun was that it was because of his own wish he took a human form to establish dharma on earth

Rukmini was supposed to marry Shishupala, but she didn’t want to. She sent Krishna a message asking him to come and take her away.

Krishna came to Vidarbha, took Rukmini with him, and after escaping the people chasing them, they reached Dwaraka.

That’s where Krishna and Rukmini were married.
The beautiful reunion of Narayan and Shri.

Some sources state they were married madhavpur ged (modern day gujarat)

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During the Pandavas’ exile, Bhima was travelling through a forest when he came across an old monkey lying in his path. Bhima proudly asked him to move his tail aside. The monkey replied that he was too weak and asked Bhima to move it himself. Bhima tried with all his strength, but could not lift the tail.

Bhima then realized that the monkey was no ordinary creature and humbly asked for forgiveness. The monkey revealed himself as Lord Hanuman, Bhima’s elder brother, both being sons of Vayu. Hanuman blessed Bhima, taught him humility, and promised to aid the Pandavas. He also assured Bhima that his presence would be on Arjuna’s banner during the Kurukshetra war.

After failing at the peace negotiations in the Kuru court, Krishna went to Kunti and asked if she had any message for the Pandavas.

She said, tell this to Yudithistir-

Your dharma has greatly declined. O son! Do not act in vain. You have learned the sacred texts, but not properly, and have missed out on their insight. You have focused on the literal words and therefore, your intelligence only focuses on limited dharma. Consider the complete dharma that was created by the one who created himself. The kshatriya was created from his chest, to earn a living through the valour of his arms, always resorting to cruel deeds for the protection of the subjects

You are learned and have been born in a noble lineage. But you are oppressed because you have been following the wrong conduct, O son! You are a kshatriya, you are the one who saves from injuries, you sustain yourself through the strength of your arms.

O mighty-armed one! Your ancestral right has been immersed. Raise it up again

She said, tell this to Arjuna-

When you were born, I was seated in the maternity chamber A voice was then heard from the sky- O Kunti! This son of yours will be the equal of the one with a thousand eyes (Indra), In a battle, he will vanquish all the assembled Kurus. With Bhimasena as his second, he will overturn the world. Your son will be the conqueror of the earth and his fame will touch heaven. With Vasudeva as his ally, he will kill the Kurus in the field of battle. He will regain the paternal share that had been lost

O Achyuta! If I know Bibhatsu Savyasachi, who is devoted to the truth, it must be as it was spoken. I know that he is strong and unassailable. O Dasharha! It must therefore be as the voice had spoken. O Varshneya! If there is any dharma, it must truly be that way.

She said tell this to Bheem-

The time for which a kshatriya lady gives birth has arrived. Those who are bulls among men do not waver when an enmity surfaces

She said tell this to the twins-

Choose the enjoyments that can be gained through valour over life itself

If a man lives according to the dharma of kshatriyas, he is always delighted at prosperity that is gained through valour. It was while you looked on that Panchali, who was devoted to every kind of dharma, was harshly addressed. It is not proper for you to forgive that. The unhappiness from the loss of the kingdom, the defeat at the game of dice and the banishment of my sons was nothing compared to the unhappiness when that large, dark and weeping lady was brought to the assembly hall and made to listen to harsh words. In my view, that was a greater misery.

Tell this to Arjuna, tiger among men, supreme among those who wield all weapons- Follow the path indicated by Droupadi. You know that when Bhima and Arjuna are enraged, they are like two Yamas and can convey even the gods to the final destination. Both were insulted when Krishna was brought to the assembly hall and Duhshasana addressed terrible and harsh words towards her, while all the brave Kurus looked on. Remind him about that again.

Ask about the welfare of the Pandavas and Krishna and her sons. O Janardana! Also tell them that I am extremely well. Travel along a safe path and protect my sons

Most people remember Duryodhana for the dice game or the disrobing of Draupadi. But for me, the purest display of his cruelty comes much earlier — the Lakshagriha (House of Lac / Wax Palace) incident.

After Yudhishthira is declared heir-apparent and the Pandavas start gaining massive popularity, Duryodhana’s jealousy turns into something far darker. He doesn’t challenge them openly. He doesn’t fight them. He engineers a quiet, almost “accidental” genocide of an entire family — including their mother.

Here’s how cold it was:

He personally instructs Purochana to build a beautiful palace in Varanavata using lac, resin, ghee, oil, hemp, and other highly flammable materials, carefully hidden under plaster and decorations so no one would suspect.

He gets his father Dhritarashtra to sweetly persuade the Pandavas and Kunti to go there for a festival, framing it as a royal honour.

The plan was simple and ruthless: let them settle in, live there for months without suspicion, then set the palace on fire at night while they slept. Make it look like a tragic accident. No blood on anyone’s hands in public.

He was willing to burn not just the five brothers, but Kunti as well who was essentially their aunt by marriage and the mother of the cousins he grew up with.

What makes it especially cruel is the performance of affection. The palace is made luxurious. The hospitality is lavish. Everything is designed so the victims feel safe and cared for… right until the moment the flames take them.

Vidura’s secret warning and the tunnel saved them, of course. Bhima eventually set the place on fire himself after they had lived there for nearly a year, and they escaped. Purochana and an unfortunate Nishada woman with her five sons died in the blaze, and the world believed the Pandavas were dead. Duryodhana celebrated.

This wasn’t a crime of passion. This was premeditated, patient, smiling evil. Duryodhana didn’t just want the throne he wanted the Pandavas erased so thoroughly that even their memory would burn with them.

So it is one of the most repeated and quoted thoughts about Arjun and his abilities, capabilities, and all that for the Kurukshetra war days.

What if Arjun heard it, and what would be his reaction to it? Positive affirmative, negative non-agreeing, or anything else.

Based on Arjun's character in the epic, thinking of his answer from his POV

So the winner of the last post is u/seperate_record9354 as arjun.

(Scary won but he wants to be dushashan so he gave all his votes to separate instead. Yes we will be pulling off this bs lol.)

Anyways now who in the sub is best suited as abhimanyu ? Comment who you want to win this one.

(For mods, duryodhan > eklavya in archery)