Cast of Characters
House Kuru
Abhimanyu: the son of Arjuna and Subhadra; a young but formidable warrior.
Ambalika: one of the three daughters of the king of Kashi; she was abducted by Bhishma and married Vichitravirya. She conceived Pandu with the seer Vyasa.
Ambika: one of the three daughters of the king of Kashi; she was abducted by Bhishma and married Vichitravirya. She conceived Dhritarashtra with the seer Vyasa.
Arjuna: the third son of Kunti and Pandu, actually fathered by the god Indra. Arjuna was known throughout the world as the perfect warrior and a peerless archer.
Bhima: the second son of Kunti and Pandu, actually fathered by the wind god Vayu. Bhima was immensely strong and tempestuous, like his divine father.
Bhishma/Devavrata: the son of Shantanu; mentor and guide for three generations of Kuru princes. To help his father he took a vow never to marry, father children, or even be intimate with a woman. In recognition of the magnitude of his resolution he was given the power to choose the time of his death. The Pandavas and the Kauravas all referred to Bhishma as “grandfather,” even though he was not their actual grandfather.
Dhritarashtra: the son of Ambika and Vyasa, Dhritarashtra was born blind because his mother closed her eyes when she saw Vyasa. Due to his disability his younger brother Pandu was initially crowned king of Kuru, but when Pandu abdicated the throne Dhritarashtra became king. He married Gandhari and had one hundred sons.
Draupadi: the princess of House Panchala, born fully-grown from a sacrificial fire. She married all five Pandava brothers and became a Kuru queen.
Dushasana: the second eldest son of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari.
Gandhari: the wife of Dhritarashtra and queen of Kuru. Gandhari was the daughter of the king of the remote land of Gandhara. When she found out about her husband’s blindness she blindfolded herself and vowed never to see again.
Janamejaya: the great-grandson of Arjuna, son of Parikshit.
Kunti: the first wife of Pandu, mother of Karna, Yudhisthira, Bhima, and Arjuna. Kunti was given a boon as a girl: the power to call on a god and have children by that god. She was the daughter of Shurasena of House Vrishni, but was raised by her father’s friend Kuntibhoja.
Kuru: a distant ancestor from whom the Kurus received their family name; the son of Tapati and the king Samvarana.
Madri: the princess of Madra and second wife of Pandu. Using Kunti’s secret mantra she bore Nakula and Sahadeva.
Nakula: one of the twin sons of Pandu and Madri, actually fathered by the Ashwins. Nakula, like his brother Sahadeva, was both extremely beautiful and wonderfully intelligent.
Pandu: the son of Ambalika and Vyasa. Pandu was crowned king of Kuru, even though he was the junior brother, because his elder brother Dhritarasthra was blind, but due to a curse he abdicated the throne and went to live in the wild with his two wives Kunti and Madri.
Parikshit: the son of Abhimanyu and Uttara, grandson of Arjuna and father of Janamejaya.
Pratipa: the father of Shantanu, grandfather of Bhishma and Vichitravirya.
Prativindhya: the son of Yudhisthira and Draupadi.
Sahadeva: one of the twin sons of Pandu and Madri, actually fathered by the Ashwins. Sahadeva, like his brother Nakula, was both extremely beautiful and wonderfully intelligent.
Samvarana: an ancient king who wed Tapati, daughter of the Sun, and fathered Kuru, from whom the family got its name.
Satyavati: the foster-daughter of a fisherman; Satyavati became the object of King Shantanu’s passion due to her incredible beauty and captivating aroma. She was the mother of Vichitravirya. Before her marriage she had another son, the seer Vyasa.
Shantanu: a Kuru king; the father of Bhishma and Vichitravirya.
Shatanika: the son of Nakula and Draupadi.
Shrutakarman: the son of Arjuna and Draupadi.
Shrutasena: the son of Sahadeva and Draupadi.
Subhadra: a Yadava noblewoman, the sister of Krishna and Balaram. She became Arjuna’s second wife and bore Abhimanyu.
Sutasoma: the son of Bhima and Draupadi.
Tapati: the daughter of the Sun. She wed Samvarana and bore Kuru, ancestor of the Kuru dynasty.
Vichitravirya: the son of Shantanu; a physically and mentally weak hedonist.
Vidura: the son of Vyasa and the shudra Parishrami; a wise and considerate man and uncle to both the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
Yudhisthira: the first-born son of Kunti and Pandu, actually fathered by the god Dharma. Yudhisthira was destined from birth to be king of the Earth.
Yuyutsu: the bastard son of Dhritarashtra and the servant Sauvali.
The Yadava Clans
Yadu: a legendary king; ancestor of all the Yadavas.
House Vrishni
Balaram: the son of Vasudeva and Rohini, brother of Krishna.
Devaki: a Yadava noblewoman. Devaki was the wife of Vasudeva and mother of Krishna.
Kamsa: Krishna’s tyrannical uncle; he deposed Ugrasena and ruled Mathura until Krishna came of age and slew him.
Krishna: the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Krishna had to go into hiding as a child to escape his malicious uncle Kamsa and was raised by cowherds in the village of Vrindavan. After he came of age and killed Kamsa he rebuilt his family and became a warrior-diplomat. He was related to the Pandavas through their mother, Kunti, and became their closest friend and advisor.
Pradyumna: the eldest son of Krishna and a ferocious warrior.
Satyaki: an impetuous and valiant Vrishni warlord.
Shurasena: the king of Mathura and ruler of the Yadavas before Ugrasena and Kamsa. He was the father of both Vasudeva and Kunti.
Ugrasena: the king of Dwaraka and ruler of the Yadavas in exile.
Vasudeva: the son of Shurasena, brother of Kunti, and father of Krishna, Balaram, and Subhadra.
House Andhaka
Kritavarman: the commander of Krishna’s armies, himself a formidable warrior.
House Panchala
Dhrishtadyumna: the second prince of Panchala, born fully grown from a sacrificial fire. Dhritshtadyumna’s sole purpose in life was to kill Drupada’s enemy Drona.
Drupada: the king of Panchala. Later an ally of the Pandavas after they married his daughter Draupadi, he nursed an intense hatred for their guru Drona.
Kokila: the queen of Panchala and mother of Shikhandi.
Prishata: the previous Panchala king; father of Drupada.
Shikhandi: the first-born prince of Panchala, though physically younger than Dhrishtadyumna due to the latter’s miraculous birth.
Other Nobles and Warriors
Amba: the daughter of the king of Kashi. She, along with her sisters Ambika and Ambalika, was abducted by Bhishma at her swayamvara. She swore a vow to bring about Bhishma’s death.
Ashwatthaman: the son of Drona; a brahmana by birth and warrior by profession.
Babruvahana: the son of Arjuna and Chitrangada, warrior princess of Manipura.
Bharata: the brother of Rama of Ayodhya; known for his loyalty and piety.
Chitrangada: princess of Manipura and mother of Babruvahana with Arjuna.
Drona: by birth a brahmana, Drona turned to the warrior profession and became a master of weapons. He was the guru of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
Gaadhi: a king; the father of Vishvamitra.
Jarasandha: the majestic and formidable king of Magadha; sworn enemy of Krishna.
Kalmashapada: an ancient king. He was used as the tool of Vishvamitra’s attack on Vasishta while possessed by the rakshasa Kimkara.
Karna: a warrior of unknown origin; closest friend of Duryodhana. He was actually the son of Kunti and the Sun, making him the elder brother of Yudhsithira, Bhima, and Arjuna.
Kritavirya: an ancient king and notable patron of the Bhrigu brahmanas.
Kuntibhoja: the foster-father of Kunti.
Lakshman: the brother of Rama of Ayodhya.
Rama: the king of Ayodhya, capital of Kosala, in a previous eon. He married Sita and defeated the rakshasa king Ravana with the help of his brother Lakshman, the monkey Hanuman, and an army of monkeys, bears, and other forest animals. He was an incarnation of the Blessed Lord Vishnu.
Salva: the king of Salva; one-time beloved of Amba.
Shakuni: the brother of Gandhari and uncle of the Kauravas.
Shalya: the brother of Madri, now king of the lands of Madra.
Sita: the princess of Videha in a previous eon; she married Rama of Ayodhya.
Gods and Asuras
Agni/the fire: the fire was the first and most crucial deity, since it was he who enabled the sacrifice and transmuted the offerings into food for the other gods.
The Ashwins: twin gods of beauty, wisdom, horsemanship, and medicine.
Brahma/Prajapati/Grandfather Shaper: the Creator of all possible worlds; born from a lotus which grows from the body of Lord Vishnu while he sleeps on the ocean of limitless awareness.
Dharma: the personification of the cosmic law which supports all creation; sometimes synonymous with Yama, lord of death.
The Earth: the Goddess Earth, also called Bhumi Devi. She supports life and is the giver of everything.
Ganesha: the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati; scribe of Vyasa’s Mahabharata.
Ganga: the divine, forever pure river who cleanses the evils of all who bathe in her waters.
Garuda: the divine eagle; servant of Lord Vishnu.
Himavant: the lord of mountains and father of Parvati.
Indra: the king of the shining gods; lord of rain and storms; guardian of the East.
Kubera: the lord of wealth, keeper of all the Earth’s treasures; guardian of the North.
Mahamaya/the Goddess: the matrix of all manifest and unmanifest reality. She has many names and many forms. She is worshiped as the occluding power which hides the true nature of the Supreme so that the play of creation can continue.
Maya: an asura architect.
The Moon: the ancestor of the lunar dynasty of kshatriyas and illuminator of the night.
Parvati: the Goddess in the form of Shiva’s eternal consort; daughter of the mountain Himavant.
Saraswati: the goddess of knowledge, learning, and the arts. Also a divine subterranean river.
Shiva/the Great God: the power of transformation and cosmic dissolution.
The Sun: the illuminator of the day and generous giver of light and life.
Sunda and Upasunda: asura brothers who sought long ago to control the cosmos.
Varuna: the lord of the waters and guardian of the West.
Vayu/the wind: the power of movement, the constant and powerful wind.
Vishnu/the Blessed Lord: the power of preservation, sustainer of the cosmos.
Vishvakarman: the celestial architect; patron of builders, carpenters, and all sorts of craftspeople.
Yama: the one who arrives at the end of life; the guardian of the South.
Yamuna: the midnight blue river that flows from the Himalayas and finally joins Ganga at Prayaga.
Seers, Saints, and Sages
Astika: the son of Jaratkaru and Jaratkaru; he put an end to Janamejaya’s sacrifice and rescued the snakes.
Aurva: a brahmana of the Bhrigu lineage; he was hidden in his mother’s thigh while still a fetus in order to protect him from the Haihaya kshatriyas who were slaughtering the Bhrigus.
Bharadvaja: a rishi; the father of Drona.
Durvasa: a notoriously irascible rishi.
Kashyap: an ancient and powerful rishi.
Nara and Narayana: two sages said to be incarnations of Vishnu.
Narada: a wandering sage and ardent devotee of Vishnu.
Parashara: the grandson of Vasishta and father of Vyasa.
Parashurama: a brahmana who turned to war and massacred corrupt kshatriyas.
Pulastya: a rishi and son of Brahma.
Shaunaka: a brahmana; organizer of a large sacrifice in the Naimish Forest.
Uddalaka: a rishi and revered teacher of dharma.
Ugrashravas: a suta and disciple of Vyasa.
Vaishampayana: a brahmana disciple of Vyasa. He told the story of the Kurukshetra War at Janamejaya’s snake sacrifice.
Vasishta: a peace-loving rishi.
Vishvamitra: a kshatriya who became a rishi and fought Vasishta.
Vyasa: the son of Satyavati and Parashara; he composed the Mahabharata and also played a crucial role in the story, even fathering Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidura.
Whiteflame: the son of Uddalaka.
Spirits, Snakes, and Rakshasas
Baka: a voracious rakshasa who terrorized the village of Ekachakra.
Chitaratha/Dagdaratha: a gandharva warrior; lord and guardian of the sacred ford of Somashravayana on the banks of the Ganga.
Hidimba: a bloodthirsty forest-dwelling rakshasa.
Hidimbi: sister of Hidimba; she fell in love with Bhima.
Iravan: the son of Arjuna and the naga princess Ulupi.
Kauravya: a naga; the father of Ulupi.
Khumbinasi: a gandharvi; wife of Chitaratha.
Kimkara: the rakshasa who possessed Kalmashapada and slaughtered Vasishta’s family.
Ravana: a rakshasa who conquered the world in a previous eon, only to be defeated by Rama of Ayodhya.
Takshaka: a king of the nagas.
Ulupi: a naga princess; she conceived Iravan with Arjuna.
Vasuki: the serpent who adorns Shiva’s neck.
Vishvavasu: the progenitor of the gandharvas.
Priests, Peasants, Servants, and Slaves
Adiratha: a suta; Karna’s foster-father.
Astika: a young brahmana; disciple of Shaunaka
Dhaumya: house priest of the Pandava brothers.
Nanda: a cowherd; Krishna’s foster-father.
Parishrami: a shudra slave in the Kuru palace at Hastinapura; mother of Vidura.
Purochana: the conniving servant of Duryodhana.
Radha: the wife of the suta Adiratha and foster-mother of Karna.
Sauvali: a vaishya servant in the Kuru palace at Hastinapura; mother of Yuyutsu.
Somasrava: the priest in charge of Janamajeya’s snake sacrifice.
Uncle One-Eye: the oldest and wisest weaver in Hastinapura; a storyteller.
Upayaja: a priest employed by King Drupada of Panchala; the brother of Yaja.
Yaja: a priest employed by King Drupada of Panchala; the brother of Upayaja.
Yashoda: a cowherd woman from the village of Vrindavan; Krishna’s foster-mother.
Others
Adrishyanti: the daughter-in-law of Vasishta and mother of Parashara.
Arimardana: a king of the owls.
Ashmaka: the child of Vasishta by Kalmashapada’s wife.
Ekalavya: a prince of the Nishadas; he requested instruction from Drona and was denied.
Gandiva: Arjuna’s bow.
Gita: the daughter of a silk merchant.
Hanuman: a divine monkey; the most ardent devotee and closest friend of Rama of Ayodhya.
Jaratkaru and Jaratkaru: a sage and a naga; the parents of Astika.
Meghavarna: a king of the crows.
Nandini: the wish-fulfilling cow of Vasishta.
Sthirajeevi: a crow; the advisor to Meghavarna.
Sudarshana: Krishna’s discus.
Tilottama: a radiantly beautiful woman made from all the most lovely elements of creation for the destruction of Sunda and Upasunda.