De '''Mahabharata''' (Devanagari: महाभारत, fonetisch
Mahābhārata ), soms gewoon Bharata genoemd, is een zeer omvangrijk religieus en filsosofisch epos Manas en bestaat uit 18 delen (zogeheten ''parva'''s), die elk weer onderverdeeld zijn in kleinere delen. De titel (met de klemtoon op ''bha'') is afgeleid van ''Maha'' (Sanskriet: groot) en ''Bharata'' (Sanskriet: India/wereld/alles). Mahabharata betekent dus zoiets als "Groot India" of "Gehele Wereld". Het werk is onderdeel van de zogenaamde Hindoe Bijbel en zeven keer zo lang als de Ilias en de Odyssee.

==Betekenis==
Met zijn enorme filosofische diepgang en grote reikwijdte vormt de Mahabharata als het ware de belichaming van zowel Groot India (en de wereld) als van haar rijke spirituele traditie. In zijn reikwijdte is de Mahabharata meer dan slechts een verhaal over koningen en prinsen, heiligen en wijzen, demonen en goden. Vyasa zegt dat de Mahabharata zich onder andere richt op het verklaren van de vier levensdoelen: ''kama'' (plezier), ''artha'' (rijkdom), ''dharma'' (spirituele doel), ''moksha'' (bevrijding). Het verhaal komt tot zijn hoogtepunt in moksha, wat door velen in India en daarbuiten wordt gezien als het ultieme menselijke levensdoel. Karma en dharma spelen een integrale rol in de Mahabharata.

==Achtergrond en geschiedenis==

Volgens de overlevering werd het epos gedicteerd door de wijze Vyasa, die de strijd zelf mee zou hebben gemaakt en die zichzelf een plaats geeft als een van de grote dynastische personages in het epos. In het eerste deel van de Mahabharata wordt duidelijk gemaakt dat het Ganesh (de hindoegodheid met het hoofd van een olifant) was, die in opdracht van Vyasa het epos op schrift stelde. 
In het eerste millennium voor onze jaartelling werd de Mahabharata mondeling overgeleverd door reizende barden en priesters. Dit maakte het mogelijk dat voortdurend nieuwe verhalen konden worden ingevoegd en dat regionale varianten konden ontstaan. Het centrale verhaal bleef echter ongeveer hetzelfde. Rond 350 n.Chr. werd het voor het eerst in zijn geheel opgetekend in het Sanskriet. Na het jaar 1000 verschenen ook versies in vele andere talen van het Indiase subcontinent. 
 
De huidige Mahabharata zou zijn voorafgegaan door een veel korter werk, dat ''Jaya'' (Overwinning) heet. Het dateren van de gebeurtenissen in het verhaal is moeilijk. Weinig mensen kunnen de gebeurtenissen op een betrouwbare wijze plaatsen in het India van rond 1500 v.Chr.. Er staan wel bijzondere astronomische gebeurtenissen (zoals verduisteringen) in de Mahabharata, die volgens sommige onderzoekers zouden kunnen wijzen op een datering rond 1478 v.Chr. óf 3100 v.Chr.

==De Mahabharata, het epische verhaal==

Het kernverhaal van de Mahabharata is de dynastische strijd om de troon van Boven Ganga (Ganges) en de Delhi. De twee takken van de familie die de strijd aangaan, zijn neven van elkaar. Het zijn de Kaurava's, de oudste tak in de familie en de Pandava's, de jongere tak. De Pandava's zijn de vijf zonen van koning Pandu en de Kaurava's zijn de honderd zonen van de blinde koning Dhritarashtra. De vijf Pandava's zijn geen echte zonen van Pandu, want die is vervloekt en mag geen gemeenschap hebben, op straffe van dood. Kunti, de echtgenote van Pandu, had echter een mantra gekregen waarmee ze naar believen een god op kon roepen om een kind bij haar te verwekken.

De strijd culmineert in de slag bij Kurukshetra en de Pandava's zijn de uiteindelijke overwinnaars. De Mahabharata eindigt met de dood van Krishna en het daaropvolgende einde van de dynastie en het eenworden met God (moksha) van de Panadava broers. Sommige van de meest nobele en geachte personages vechten mee aan de kant van de Kaurava's vanwege de vóór het conflict aangegane allianties. 

De Pandava's en de Kaurava's, die in historische tijden een strijd op leven en dood zouden hebben gevoerd met bijna volledige vernietiging, staan symbool voor de strijd tussen licht en duister, tussen Goden en Demonen en alle wezens die daarbij gedacht kunnen worden. Volgens esoterische opvattingen heeft de strijd alleen plaats binnen in de mens die tot inzicht en wijsheid komt en zich tracht los te maken van zijn egocentrische beperkingen.

===Personages===
Een lijst met beknopte beschrijvingen van de personages:

* Arjuna, zoon van Indra (Oorlogs- en Dondergod): een meesterlijke boogschutter;
* Karna, de nobele strijder en stralende zoon van Surya, wiens enorme krachten hem tijdens de slag tekort schoten vanwege de twee vloeken die door zijn goeroe en een Heilige over hem waren afgeroepen. Hij werd door zijn moeder Kunti uit schaamte (want hij werd door Surya verwekt toen Kunti nog bij haar ouders woonde en ongetrouwd was) in een rieten mandje gelegd en aan de rivier overgelaten. Hij werd toen als vondeling opgevoed, kende zijn afkomst niet en sloot zich aan bij de Kaurava's. Karna is een halfbroer van de Pandava's.
* Bhisma, de grandioze held die zijn koninkrijk had opgegeven en het celibaat had omarmd omdat zijn vader verliefd was geworden op een vissersdochter, en die van de goden de zegening had ontvangen zijn eigen tijdstip van overlijden te mogen kiezen. Hij stierf uiteindelijk op een bed van pijlen neergelegd door zijn grootste vriend Arjuna, de Pandava broer wiens leger tegen de zijde van Bhisma had gevochten. 
* Bhima, zoon van Vayu (de Wind); een van de Pandava broers wiens enorme kracht, grootte en gezagsgetrouwheid legendarisch zijn.
* Yudishtira, de oudste Pandava, staat erom bekend dat gedurende zijn gehele leven geen enkele leugen over zijn lippen kwam. Hij staat ook bekend als ''Dharmaputra'', omdat hij een zoon was van Kunti door de genade van Yama, de God van de Dood, maar tevens als Dharmaraja of koning van de Rechtvaardigheid. Yudisthira staat ook bekend als de volmaaktheid van integriteit die ten val kwam vanwege een enkele terugval en als een denker of beschouwer.

===Structuur===
De '''Mahabharata''' is geschreven in achttien parva's (hoofdstukken of boeken): 
# ''Adiparva'' - Inleiding, geboorte en opvoeding van de prinsen. (Adi = eerste).
# ''Sabhaparva'' - Leven aan het hof, het dobbelspel en de verbanning van de Pandava's. Maya Danava bouwt het paleis en het hof (sabha) in Indraprastha. 
# ''Aranyakaparva (ook wel Vanaparva, Aranyaparva)'' - De twaalf jaar verbanning in het woud (aranya).
# ''Virataparva'' - Het jaar van verbanning doorgebracht aan het hof van Virata. 
# ''Udyogaparva'' - Voorbereidingen voor de oorlog. 
# ''Bhishmaparva'' - Het eerste deel van de grote slag, met Bhishma als aanvoerder van de Kaurava's. Onderdeel is de zogenaamde mentor en wagenmenner van Arjuna, vóór de grote strijd tot Arjuna zegt.
# ''Dronaparva'' - De strijd gaat door, met Drona als aanvoerder.
# ''Karnaparva'' - Nogmaals de strijd, met Karna als aanvoerder. 
# ''Shalyaparva'' - Laatste deel van de slag, met Shalya als aanvoerder. 
# ''Sauptikaparva'' - Hoe Ashvattama en de overgebleven Kaurava's het leger van de Pandava's doden in hun slaap (Sauptika).
# ''Striparva'' - Gandhari en de andere vrouwen bewenen de doden (stri = vrouw).
# ''Shantiparva'' - De kroning van Yudhisthira, en zijn instructies van Bhishma (shanti = vrede).
# ''Anushasanaparva'' - De laatste instructies van Bhishma (anushasana = instructie).
# ''Ashvamedhikaparva'' - De koninklijke ceremonie van ashvameda geleid door Yudhisthira. 
# ''Ashramavasikaparva'' - Dhritarashtra, Gandhari en Kunti vertrekken naar een ashram, en hun uiteindelijke dood in het woud.
# ''Mausalaparva'' - De onderlinge strijd tussen de Yadava's met staffen (mausala). 
# ''Mahaprasthanikaparva '' - Eerste deel van de weg naar dood van Yudhisthira en zijn broers (mahaprasthana, de grote reis = de dood).
# ''Svargarohanaparva'' - De Pandava's keren terug naar de spirituele wereld (svarga = hemel).

Er bestaat ook nog een supplement van 16.375 verzen, de ''Harivamsaparva'', dat speciaal gericht is op het leven van Krishna.

===Verhalen===
De belangrijkste werken en verhalen in de Mahabharata zijn de volgende. Ze worden apart gepresenteerd als zelfstandige werken.

# Bhagavad gita (Krishna geeft onderwijs en instructies aan Arjuna; ''Bhishmaparva'')
# Nala (of Nala en Damayanti, een liefdesverhaal; ''Aranyakaparva'')
# Krishnavatara (het verhaal van Krishna, de ''Krishna Leela'', dat door veel van de hoofdstukken heen geweven is)
# Rama (een verkorte versie van de Ramayana; ''Aranyakaparva)
# Rishyasringa (ook geschreven als Rshyashrnga, de gehoornde jongen en rishi; ''Aranyakaparva'')
# Vishnu sahasranama (de beroemdste hymne aan Vishnu, die Zijn 1000 namen beschrijft; ''Anushasanaparva'') 

Gedurende de 20-ste eeuw hebben onderzoekers de vroegst bewaard gebleven exemplaren van de regionale varianten van het werk, gebruikt om een samengesteld referentiewerk te ontwikkelingen, dat bekend staat als de Kritische Editie van de Mahabharata. Dit project werd voltooid in 1966 aan het Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Poona (India).

thumb|320px|Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra
The '''''''''' (epics of ancient India, the other being the ''''.

With more than 74,000 verses, long prose passages, and about 1.8 million words in total, the ''Mahābhārata'' is one of the longest epic poems in the world.<ref>It is roughly ten times the size of the ''Tibetan ''Kyrgyz ''Epic of Manas''.</ref> Including the '''', the ''Mahabharata'' has a total length of more than 90,000 verses.

It is of immense importance to the culture of the Indian subcontinent, and is a major text of Hinduism. Its discussion of human goals (''artha'' or purpose, ''kāma'' or pleasure, ''dharma'' or duty, and ''moksha'' or liberation) takes place in a long-standing tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world (the nature of the 'Self') and the workings of karma.

The title may be translated as "the great tale of the Bhārata Dynasty", according to the ''Mahābhārata'''s own testimony extended from a shorter version simply called ''Bhārata'' of 24,000 verses<ref>''bhārata'' means the progeny of ''Bharata'', the legendary king who founded the  ''Bhāratavarsha'' Empire.</ref>
The epic is part of the Hindu ''itihāsa'', literally "history", which includes the ''Ramayana'' but not the .

Traditionally, Hindus ascribe the authorship of the ''Mahābhārata'' to Gupta period began (ca. 4th c. AD).

==Scope==

Besides its epic narrative of the philosophical and devotional material, such as the kama'' (pleasure), and ''moksha'' (liberation).  
 
The ''Mahabharata'' claims all-inclusiveness at the beginning of its first ''parvan'' ("book"): "What is found here, may be found elsewhere. What is not found here, will not be found elsewhere."
Among the principal works and stories that are a part of the ''Mahabharata'' are the following (often considered isolated as works in their own right):
*the Bhagavad Gita in book 6 (Bhishmaparvan): Krishna advises and teaches Arjuna when he is ridden with doubt. 
*the Damayanti or Nala and Damayanti in book 3 (Aranyakaparvan), a love story. 
* An abbreviated version of the Ramayana, in book 3 (Aranyakaparvan)
* Rishyasringa, the horned boy and rishi, in book 3 (Aranyakaparvan)

==Textual history and structure==

The epic is traditionally ascribed to Vyasa, who is also one of the major dynastic characters within the epic. The first section of the ''Mahabharata'' states that it was  Ganesha who, at the request of Vyasa, wrote down the text to Vyasa's dictation. Ganesha is said to have agreed to write it only on condition that Vyasa never pause in his recitation. Vyasa agreed, providing that Ganesha took the time to understand what was said before writing it down. The epic employs the story within a story structure, otherwise known as frametales, popular in many Indian religious and secular works. It is recited to the King Janamejaya who is the great-grandson of Arjuna, by Vaisampayana, a disciple of Vyasa.

It is usually thought that the full length of the ''Mahabharata'' has accreted over a long period. The ''Mahabharata'' itself (1.1.61) distinguishes a core portion of 24,000 verses, the ''Bharata'' proper, as opposed to additional secondary material, while the ''Ashvalayana Grhyasutra'' (3.4.4) makes a similar distinction. According to the ''Adi-parvan'' of the ''Mahabharata'' (shlokas 81, 101-102), the text was originally 8,800 verses when it was composed by Vyasa and was known as the ''Jaya'' (Victory), which later became 24,000 verses in the ''Bharata'' recited by Vaisampayana, and finally over 90,000 verses in the ''Mahabharata'' recited by Ugrasravas.<ref>SP Gupta and KS Ramachandran (1976), p.3-4</ref>

As with the field of Indologists as "chaotic" or "unordered".<ref> Oldenberg (1922) stipulated that the supposed original poem once carried an immense "tragic force", but dismissed the full text as a "horrible chaos." The judgement of other early 20th century Indologists was even more condemning, Winternitz (''Geschichte der indischen Literatur'' 1909) opted that "only unpoetical theologists and clumsy scribes" could have lumped the various parts of disparate origin into an unordered whole.</ref>

The earliest known references to the ''Mahabharata'' and its core ''Bharata'' date back to the   ''Ashvalayana Grhyasutra'' (3.4.4). This may suggest that the core 24,000 verses, known as the ''Bharata'', as well as an early version of the extended ''Mahabharata'', were composed by the 4th century BC. Parts of the ''Jaya''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s original 8,800 verses possibly may date back as far as the 9th-8th century BC.<ref name=Brockington>Brockington (1998, p. 26)</ref>

The Greek writer syncretistically identify with the story of the ''Iliad''. Max Duncker, ''The History of Antiquity'' (trans. Evelyn Abbott, London 1880), vol. 4, [http://books.google.com/books?id=gIkBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA81 p. 81].</ref> This interpretation, endorsed in such standard references as Albrecht Weber's ''History of Indian Literature'', has often been repeated without specific reference to what Dio's text says.<ref>For example, John Campbell Oman, ''The Great Indian Epics'' (London 1895), [http://books.google.com/books?id=Fy0OAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA215 p. 215].</ref>

Later, the copper-plate inscription of the Maharaja Sharvanatha (533-534) from Khoh (Satna District, Madhya Pradesh) describes the ''Mahabharata'' as a "collection of 100,000 verses" (''shatasahasri samhita''). The redaction of this large body of text was carried out after formal principles, emphasizing the numbers 18<ref>18 books, 18 chapters of the Bhagavadgita and the Narayaniya each, corresponding to the 18 days of the battle and the 18 armies (Mbh. 5.152.23)</ref> and 12. The addition of the latest parts may be dated by the absence of the ''Anushasana-parvan'' from ''MS Spitzer'', the oldest surviving Sanskrit philosophical manuscript dated to the first century, that contains among other things a list of the books in the ''Mahabharata''. From this evidence, it is likely that the redaction into 18 books took place in the first century. An alternative division into 20 parvans appears to have co-existed for some time. The division into 100 sub-parvans (mentioned in Mbh. 1.2.70) is older, and most parvans are named after one of their constituent sub-parvans. The ''Harivamsa'' consists of the final two of the 100 sub-parvans, and was considered an appendix (''khila'') to the ''Mahabharata'' proper by the redactors of the 18 parvas.

===The 18 parvans===
The division into 18 parvans is as follows:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|parvan
|title
|sub-parvans
|contents
|-
|1
|''Adi-parvan'' (The Book of the Beginning)
|1-19
|How the Mahabharata came to be narrated by Sauti to the assembled rishis at Naimisharanya. The recital of the Mahabharata at the Sarpasatra of Janamejaya by Vaishampayana at Takṣaśilā. The history of the Bharata race is told in detail and the parvan also traces history of the Bhrigu race. The birth and early life of the Kuru princes. (''adi'' means first)
|-
|2
|''Sabha-parvan'' (The Book of the Assembly Hall)
|20-28
|Maya Danava erects the palace and court (''sabha''), at Indraprastha. Life at the court, Yudhishthira's Rajasuya Yajna, the game of dice, and the eventual exile of the Pandavas. 
|-
|3
|''Aranyaka-parvan (also Vana-parvan, Aranya-parvan)'' (The Book of the Forest)
|29-44
|The twelve years of exile in the forest (''aranya'').
|-
|4
|''Virata-parvan'' (The Book of Virata)
|45-48
|The year in incognito spent at the court of Virata.
|-
|5
| ''Udyoga-parvan'' (The Book of the Effort)
|49-59
|Preparations for war and efforts to bring about peace between the Kurus and the Pandavas which eventually fail (''udyoga'' means effort or work).
|-
|6
| ''Bhishma-parvan'' (The Book of Bhishma)
| 60-64
|The first part of the great battle, with Bhishma as commander for the Kauravas and his fall on the bed of arrows.
|-
|7
| ''Drona-parvan'' (The Book of Drona)
|65-72
|The battle continues, with Drona as commander. This is the major book of the war. Most of the great warriors on both sides are dead by the end of this book.
|-
|8
| ''Karna-parvan'' (The Book of Karna)
|73
|The battle again, with Karna as commander.
|-
|9
|''Shalya-parvan'' (The Book of Shalya)
|74-77
|The last day of the battle, with Shalya as commander. Also told in detail is the pilgrimage of Balarama to the fords of the river Saraswati and the mace fight between Bheema and Duryodhana which ends the war.
|-
|10
| ''Sauptika-parvan'' (The Book of the Sleeping Warriors)
|78-80
|Ashvattama, Kripa and Kritavarma kill the remaining Pandava army in their sleep (''sauptika''). Only 7 warriors remain on the Pandava side and 3 on the Kaurava side.
|-
|11
| ''Stri-parvan'' (The Book of the Women)
|81-85
|Gandhari, Kunti and the women (''stri'') of the Kurus and Pandavas lament the dead.
|-
|12
| ''Shanti-parvan'' (The Book of Peace)
|86-88
|The crowning of Yudhisthira as king of Hastinapura, and instructions from Bhishma for the newly anointed king on society, economics and politics. This is the longest book of the Mahabharata (''shanti'' means peace).
|-
|13
| ''Anusasana-parvan'' (The Book of the Instructions)
|89-90
|The final instructions (''anusasana'') from Bhishma.
|-
|14
| ''Ashvamedhika-parvan'' (The Book of the Horse Sacrifice)  <ref>The ''Ashvamedhika-parva'' is also preserved in a separate version, the  ''Jaimini-Bharata'' (''Jaiminiya-ashvamedha'') where the frame dialogue is replaced, the narration being attributed to  Jaimini, another disciple of Vyasa. This version contains far more devotional material (related to Krishna) than the standard epic and probably dates to the 12th century. It has some regional versions, the most popular being the Kannada one by Devapurada Annama Lakshmisha (16th century).[http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/07-06/features360.htm The Mahabharata]
</ref>
|91-92
|The royal ceremony of the Ashvamedha (Horse sacrifice) conducted by Yudhisthira. The world conquest by Arjuna. The Anugita is told by Krishna to Arjuna.
|-
|15
| ''Ashramavasika-parvan'' (The Book of the Hermitage)
|93-95
|The eventual deaths of Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti in a forest fire when they are living in a hermitage in the Himalayas. Vidura predeceases them and Sanjaya on Dhritarashtra's bidding goes to live in the higher Himalayas.
|-
|16
|''Mausala-parvan'' (The Book of the Clubs)
|96
|The infighting between the Yadavas with maces (''mausala'') and the eventual destruction of the Yadavas.
|-
|17
| ''Mahaprasthanika-parvan'' (The Book of the Great Journey)
|97
|The great journey of Yudhisthira and his brothers across the whole country and finally their ascent of the great Himalayas where each Pandava falls except for Yudhishthira.
|-
|18
| ''Svargarohana-parvan'' (The Book of the Ascent to Heaven)
|98
| Yudhishthira's final test and the return of the Pandavas to the spiritual world (''svarga'').
|-
|''khila''
|''Harivamsa-parvan'' (The Book of the Genealogy of Hari)
|99-100
|Life of Krishna which is not covered in the 18 parvans of the Mahabharata.
|-
|}

The Adi-parvan includes the snake sacrifice (''sarpasattra'') of Janamejaya, explaining its motivation, detailing why all snakes in existence were intended to be destroyed, and why in spite of this, there are still snakes in existence. This sarpasattra material was often considered an independent tale added to a version of the ''Mahabharata'' by "thematic attraction" (Minkowski 1991), and considered to have particularly close connection to Vedic (Brahmana) literature, in particular the Panchavimsha Brahmana which describes the Sarpasattra as originally performed by snakes, among which are snakes named Dhrtarashtra and Janamejaya, two main characters of the ''Mahabharata'''s sarpasattra,  and Takshaka, the name of a snake also in the ''Mahabharata''. The Shatapatha Brahmana gives an account of an Ashvamedha performed by Janamejaya Parikshita.

According to what one character says at Mbh. 1.1.50, there were three versions of the epic, beginning with  ''Manu'' (1.1.27),  ''Astika'' (1.3, sub-parvan 5) or ''Vasu'' (1.57), respectively. These versions would correspond to the addition of one and then another 'frame' settings of dialogues. The ''Vasu'' version would omit the frame settings and begin with the account of the birth of Vyasa. The Astika version would add the Sarpasattra  and Ashvamedha material from Brahmanical literature, introduce the name ''Mahabharata'', and identify Vyasa as the work's author. The redactors of these additions were probably Pancharatrin scholars who according to Oberlies (1998) likely retained control over the text until its final redaction. Mention of the Huna in the ''Bhishma-parvan'' however appears to imply that this parvan may have been edited around the 4th century.

==Historical context==

right|thumb|300px|Map of ''"Bharatvarsha"'' (Kingdom of India) during the time of ''Mahabharata'' and [[Ramayana. (Title and location names are in English.)]]
The historicity of the Kurukshetra War is unclear. Inasmuch as it does have a historical precedent, it would best fit into the context of Iron Age India of the 9th century BC or so.<ref> In discussing the dating question, historian A. L. Basham says: "According to the most popular later tradition the Mahabharata War took place in 3102 B.C., which in the light of all evidence, is quite impossible. More reasonable is another tradition, placing it in the 15th century B.C., but this is also several centuries too early in the light of our archaeological knowledge. Probably the war took place around the beginning of the 9th century B.C.; such a date seems to fit well with the scanty archaeological remains of the period, and there is some evidence in the Brahmana literature itself to show that it cannot have been much earlier." Basham, p. 40, citing HC Raychaudhuri, ''Political History of Ancient India'', pp.27ff.</ref>

Regardless of the historicity of the Kurukshetra War in particular, the general setting of the epic certainly does have a historical precedent in Iron Age (Vedic) India, where the Kuru kingdom was the center of political power during roughly 1200 to 800 BC.<ref>M Witzel, ''Early Sanskritization: Origin and Development of the Kuru state'', EJVS vol.1 no.4 (1995); also in B. Kölver (ed.), ''Recht, Staat und Verwaltung im klassischen Indien. The state, the Law, and Administration in Classical India'', München, R. Oldenbourg, 1997, p.27-52</ref>  A dynastic conflict of the period could have been the inspiration for the ''Jaya'', the core on which the Mahabharata corpus was built, with a climactic battle eventually coming to be viewed as an epochal event.  

Pauranic literature presents genealogical lists associated with the Mahabharata narrative. 
The evidence of the Puranas is of two kinds.  Of the first kind, there is the direct statement that there were 1015 (or 1050) years between the birth of Parikshita (Arjuna's grandson) and the accession of Mahapadma Nanda, commonly dated to 382 B.C., which would yield an estimate of about 1400 B.C. for the Bharata battle.<ref>AD Pusalker, ''History and Culture of the Indian People'', Vol I, Chapter XIV, p.273</ref>  However, this would imply improbably long reigns on average for the kings listed in the genealogies.<ref>FE Pargiter, ''Ancient Indian Historical Tradition'', p.180.  He shows estimates of the average as 47, 50, 31 and 35 for various versions of the lists.</ref>
Of the second kind are analyses of parallel genealogies in the Puranas between the times of Adhisimakrishna (Parikshita's great-grandson) and Mahapadma Nanda.  Pargiter accordingly estimated 26 generations by averaging 10 different dynastic lists and, assuming 18 years for the average duration of a reign, arrived at an estimate of 850 B.C. for Adhisimakrishna, and thus approximately 950 B.C. for the Bharata battle.<ref>Pargiter, ''op.cit.'' p.180-182</ref>  

B. B. Lal used the same approach with a more conservative assumption of the average reign to estimate a date of 836 B.C., and correlated this with archaeological evidence from Painted Grey Ware sites, the association being strong between PGW artifacts and places mentioned in the epic.<ref>B. B. Lal, ''Mahabharata and Archaeology'' in Gupta and Ramachandran (1976), p.57-58</ref>

Attempts to date the events using methods of archaeoastronomy have produced, depending on which passages are chosen  and how they are interpreted, estimates ranging from the late 4th to the mid 2nd millennium B.C.<ref>Gupta and Ramachandran (1976), p.246, who summarize as follows: "Astronomical calculations favor 15th century B.C. as the date of the war while the Puranic data place it in the 10th/9th century B.C.  Archaeological evidence points towards the latter." (p.254)</ref>
The late 4th millennium date has a precedent in the calculation of the Kaliyuga epoch, based on planetary conjunctions, by Aihole inscription of Pulikeshi II, dated to Saka 556 = 634 A.D., claims that 3735 years have elapsed since the Bharata battle.<ref>Gupta and Ramachandran (1976), p.55; AD Pusalker, HCIP, Vol I, p.272</ref>)
Another traditional school of astronomers and historians, represented by ''Brhatsamhita'') and Kalhana (author of the ''Rajatarangini''), place the Bharata war 653 years after the Kaliyuga epoch, corresponding to 2449 B.C.<ref>AD Pusalker, ''op.cit.'' p.272</ref>

==Synopsis==
The core story of the work is that of a dynastic struggle for the throne of Kuru clan. The two collateral branches of the family that participate in the struggle are the Kaurava and the Pandava. Although the Kaurava is the senior branch of the family, Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava, is younger than Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava. Both Duryodhana and Yudhisthira claim to the first in line to inherit the throne.

The struggle culminates in the great battle of Kurukshetra, in which the Pandavas are ultimately victorious. The battle produces complex conflicts of kinship and friendship, instances of family loyalty and duty taking precedence over what is right, as well as the converse.

The ''Mahabharata'' itself ends with the death of Kali (Kali Yuga), the fourth and final age of mankind, where the great values and noble ideas have crumbled, and man is heading toward the complete dissolution of right action, morality and virtue.

===The elder generations===
Janamejaya's ancestor Ganga and has a  son, Devavrata (later to be called Bhishma), who becomes the heir apparent.

Many years later, when the king goes hunting, he sees Satyavati,  and asks to marry her. She is the daughter of a fisherman, and already has a son, Vyasa. Her father refuses to consent to the marriage unless Shantanu promises to make any future son of Satyavati the king upon his death. To solve the king's dilemma, Devavrata agrees not to take the throne. As the fisherman is not sure about the prince's children honouring the promise, Devavrata also takes a vow of lifelong celibacy to guarantee his father's promise.
Shantanu has two sons by Satyavati, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Upon Shantanu's death, Chitrangada becomes king. After his death Vichitravirya rules Hastinapura. In order to arrange the marriage of the young Vichitravirya, Bhishma goes to Kāśī for a swayamvara of the three princesses Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. He wins them on strength, rather than by their will and Ambika and Ambalika are married to Vichtravirya. Amba wishes to marry someone else who Bhishma defeated at their swayamvar, but informs this to Bhishma only after reaching Hastinapur. Bhishma lets her but the man she wants refuses, as she had already left with Bhishma and had gone to Hastinapur from the swayamvar. Amba asks Bhishma to marry her but he can not. So Amba becomes Bhishma's bitter enemy,holding him responsible for her plight.

===The Pandava and Kaurava princes===
When Vichitravirya dies young without any heirs, Satyavati asks her first son father children on the widows. Ambika shuts her eyes when she sees him and her son Dhritarashtra is born blind. Ambalika turns pale and bloodless, and her son Pandu is born pale (the term Pandu may also mean 'jaundiced' [http://webapps.uni-koeln.de/tamil/]). Vyasa fathers a third son Vidura, by a serving maid, who is born normal.

Dhritarashtra marries Gandhari, who blindfolds herself when she finds she has been married to a blind man. Pandu takes the throne because of Dhritarashtra's blindness. Pandu marries twice, to Kunti and Madri. Pandu is however cursed by sage Kindama that if he engages in a sexual act, he will die. He then retires to the forest along with his two wives, and his brother rules thereafter, despite his blindness. <!-- The story of Pandu ruling at Hastinapura, and details of his retirement to the forest is not in Narasimhan's abridged version -->

Pandu's elder queen Kunti however, asks the gods Ashwini twins. However Pandu and Madri, indulge in sex and Pandu dies. Madri dies on his funeral pyre. Kunti raises the five brothers, who are from then usually referred to as the Pandava brothers.

Dhritarashtra has a hundred sons through Gandhari, all born after the birth of Yudhishtira. These are the Kaurava brothers, the eldest being Duryodhana, and the second Dushasana. There is rivalry and enmity between them and the Pandava brothers, from their youth and into manhood.

=== (The House of Lac)===
Duryodhana plots to get rid of the Pandavas. He has a palace built of flammable materials (mostly Lac), and arranges for them to stay there, with the intention of setting it alight. However, the Pandavas are warned by their uncle, Vidura, who sends them a miner to dig a tunnel. They are able to escape to safety and go into hiding, but after leaving others behind, whose bodies are mistaken for them.  The Pandavas and Kunti go into hiding. <!-- removed material about Bhishma knowing of the plot, et.c., which is not in Narasimhan's work -->

===Marriage to Draupadi===
During the course of their hiding the Pandavas learn of a swayamvara which is taking place for the hand of the Pāñcāla princess  Draupadī. The Pandavas enter the competition in disguise as Brahmins. The task is to string a mighty steel bow and shoot a target on the ceiling, which is the eye of a moving artificial fish, while looking at its reflection in oil below. Most of the princes fail, many being unable to lift the bow. Arjuna succeeds however. The Pandavas return home and inform their mother that Arjuna has won a competition and to look at what they have brought back. Without looking, Kunti asks them to share whatever it is Arjuna has won among themselves. Thus Draupadi ends up being the wife of all five brothers.

===Indraprastha===
After the wedding, the Pandava brothers are invited back to Hastinapura. The Kuru family elders and relatives negotiate and broker a split of the kingdom, with the Pandavas obtaining a new territory. Yudhishtira has a new capital built for this territory at Indraprastha. Neither the Pandava nor Kaurava sides are happy with the arrangement however.

Shortly after this, Arjuna kidnaps and then marries Krishna's sister, Subhadra. Yudhishtira wishes to establish his position as king; he seeks Krishna's advice. Krishna advises him, and after due preparation and the elimination of some opposition, Yudhishthira carries out the ''rājasūya yagna'' ceremony; he is thus recognised as pre-eminent among kings.

The Pandavas have a new palace built for them, by Maya the Danava. They invite their Kaurava cousins to Indraprastha. Duryodhana walks round the palace, and mistakes a glossy floor for water, and will not step in. After being told of his error, he then sees a pond, and assumes it is not water and falls in. Draupadi laughs at him, and he is humiliated.

===The dice game===
Sakuni, Duryodhana's uncle, now arranges a dice game, playing against Yudhishtira with loaded dice. Yudhishtira loses all his wealth, then his kingdom. He then even gambles his brothers, himself, and finally his wife into servitude.  The jubilant Kauravas insult the Pandavas in their helpless state and even try to disrobe Draupadi in front of the entire court, but her honour is saved by Krishna who miraculously creates lengths of cloth to replace the ones being removed.

Dhritarashtra, Bhishma, and the other elders are aghast at the situation, but Duryodhana is adamant that there is no place for two crown princes in Hastinapura. Against his wishes Dhritarashtra orders for another dice game. The Pandavas are required to go into exile for 13 years, and for the 13th year must remain hidden. If discovered by the Kauravas, they will be forced into exile for another 12 years.

===Exile and return===
The Pandavas spend twelve years in exile; many adventures occur during this time. They also prepare alliances for a possible future conflict. They spend their final year in disguise in the court of Virata, and are discovered at or after the end of the year.

At the end of their exile, they try to negotiate a return to Indraprastha. However, this fails, as Duryodhana objects that they were discovered while in hiding, and that no return of their kingdom was agreed. War becomes inevitable.

===The battle at Kurukshetra===

right|thumb|250px|Bhishma on his death-bed of arrows with the [[Pandavas and Krishna - Folio from the ''Razmnama''(1761 - 1763), Persian translation of the Mahabharata, commissioned by Mughal emperor Akbar. The Pandavas are dressed in Islamic armour and robes.<ref>[http://www.plantcultures.org/pccms/action/showItem?id=340 Plant Cultures - picture details<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>]]
The two sides summon vast armies to their help, and line up at Chedi, Sauviras and Sivis), Mahishmati, Avanti in Madhyadesa, Madra, Gandhara, Bahlikas, Kambojas  and many others. Prior to war being declared, Balarama, had expressed his unhappiness at the developing conflict, and left to go on pilgrimage, thus he does not take part in the battle itself. Krishna takes part in a non-combatant role, as charioteer for Arjuna.

Before the battle, Arjuna, seeing himself facing great-uncle Bhishma and his teacher Drona on the other side, has doubts about the battle and he fails to lift his Gandiva bow. Krishna  wakes him up to his call of duty in the famous Bhagavad Gita section of the epic.

Though initially sticking to chivalrous notions of warfare, both sides soon adopt dishonourable tactics. At the end of the 18-day battle, only the Pandavas, Satyaki, Kripa, Ashwathama, Kritavarma and Krishna survive.

===The end of the Pandavas===
After "seeing" the carnage, Gandhari who had lost all her sons, curses Krishna to be a witness to a similar annihilation of his family, for though divine and capable of stopping the war, he had not done so. Krishna accepts the curse, which bears fruit 36 years later.