MAHABHARATA CAST OF CHARACTERS
AND INDEX OF OTHER NAMES
MAHABHARATA CAST OF CHARACTERS
AND INDEX OF OTHER NAMES
An Outline\Synopsis of the Great Indian Epic the Mahabharata
Created by Donn B. Murphy, Ph.D., Professor of Theatre Emeritus, Georgetown
University, Washington, DC
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Abhimanyu - son of Arjuna
Amba - daughter of the King of Kasi
Ambalika - daughter of the King of Kasi
Ambika - daughter of the King of Kasi
Apsaras - celestian nymphs
Arjuna - Warrior son of Kunti
by god Indra
Ashvathaman -son of Drona
Astika - a sage
Asuras - demon enemies of the celestial spirits
Asvins - the twin celestial physicians
Bhima - son of Pandu Drishtarastra
Bhisma - son of Santanu and
Ganga, goddess of the River Ganges
Citrangada - son of Satyavati
Dharma
Dhritarashtra - Blind King - Son of Ambika
by Vyasa - husband to Queen Gandhari
- father of the Kauravas
Draupadi - daughter of Drupada, wife of the five
Pandava brothers, insulted/disrobed in public by Duryodhana
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Drona - Preceptor-mentor-in-arms to both clans, the
Pandavas and the Kauravas
Drupada - King of Pancala
Duhsaha - son of King Dhritarashtra
Duhsala - daughter of King Dhritarashtra
Duhsasana - son of King Dhritarashtra
Durhara - son of King Dhritarashtra
Durmada - son of King Dhritarashtra
Durmarsana - son of King Dhritarashtra
Durmukha - son of King Drishtarastra
Duryodhana - eldest son of King Dhritarashtra
Gandhari - Queen, wife to Blind King Dhitarashtra
Ganga - goddess of the River Ganges who, in human
form, became wife to Santanu, bore 8 vasu gods including
Bhisma
Indra - god
Janamejaya - King - son of Pariksit
Karna - son of the sun god, via Kunti,
born wearing armor and earrings - "the cutter" - owner of the Sakti
weapon
Krisna or Krishna - A deity. See the excellent
Krishna
website.
Kunti - wife to Pandu - after
mothering Karna, Yudisthira, Bhima
and Arjuna, all by gods through her magic spell
Kuntibhoja - adopted father to Kunti
Kuru - progenitor of both the Kurus and the Pandavas
Madri - second wife toPandu
Nagas - serpent demons
Nakula - one of the Pandava twins, born of Madri
by the Asvin celestial twins
Pandu the Pale - son of Vyasa by Ambalika
- nominal [not biological] father of the Pandavas - a tamer of lions
Pariksit - great grandson of Pandu
Patipa - King - father of Santanu
Samika - sage insulted by King Pariksit
Santanu - King - son of Patipa - father of Bhisma
Satyavati - Fisher King Santanu's Daughter
Siva or Shiva - The Destroyer - an aspect of the Hindu
triad
Subhadra - Sister of Krisna - wife of Arjuna
- mother of Abhimanyu
Surya - the Sun-god - sire of Karna
by Kunti
Taksaka - King of Snakes - a naga serpent demon
Vasusena - Karna, before
he changed his name
Vayu - god and father of Bhima
by Kunti
Vyasa - Sage
Yudhisthira - King - son of Kunti
by Dharma - eldest of the Pandava brothers - loser of
the Game of Dice - the last survivor of the great battle of Kuruksetra
PLACES, WEAPONS and other names/words OF IMPORTANCE
Hastinapura - City of the Elephant - the capital
city of Dhritarashtra and the Kauravas
Kuruksetra - Battlefield where the great 18-day
Kuru battle, between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, is fought
Pancala - the Kingdom of Drupada
Sakti - weapon given by Indra
to Karna
Upanisad - Sacred books containing the explication
of the Vedas
Vedas - Four books of veda (knowledge) which constitute
the essense of the Hindu religion