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Definition: Mahabharata from Philip's Encyclopedia

(Sanskrit, 'Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty') Poem of almost 100,000 couplets, written between c.400 bc and c.AD 200. One of India's two major Sanskrit epics (the other is the Ramayana), the verse incorporates the Bhagavad Gita ('Song of the Lord'). It is important both as literature and as Hindu religious instruction.

Mahabharata

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(mӘhä´´bär'ӘtӘ), classical Sanskrit epic of India, probably composed between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200. The Mahabharata , comprising more than 90,000 couplets, usually of 32 syllables, is the longest single poem in world literature. The 18-book work is traditionally ascribed to the ancient sage Vyasa, but it was undoubtedly composed by a number of bardic poets and later revised by priests, who interpolated many long passages on theology, morals, and statecraft. It is the foremost source concerning classical Indian civilization and Hindu ideals. While there are many subplots and irrelevant tales, the Mahabharata is primarily the fabulous account of a dynastic struggle and great civil war in the kingdom of Kurukshetra, which in the 9th cent. B.C. encompassed the region around modern Delhi. The throne of Kurukshetra fell to the prince Dhritarashtra, but he was blind and therefore, according to custom, not eligible to rule. Pandu, his younger brother, became king instead, but he renounced the…
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ca. 1500 BCE ; current form ca. 300–150 CE The Mahabharata is an enormous epic poem that now plays a central role in the Hindu religion. It tells the story of the great Bharata family and its war of succession. The poem was composed originally in Sanskrit. Scholarly analysis of the poem has led some…
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This illustration from the Mahābhārata, circa...
✣Key Facts Conflict: Kurukshetra War Time Period: c. 9th Century BCE Genre: Epic poem OVERVIEW The Mahābhārata is an epic poem of ancient India. The form known today is written in Sanskrit and was probably developed over a period from around 400 BCE to 400 CE, although it may contain some older…
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Full text Article Mahabharata

From Encyclopedia of Renaissance Literature
ca. 400 BCE –ca. 400 CE Work Author: Vyāsa The great epic of ancient India, the Mahabharata contains the myths, songs, poems, legends, philosophical viewpoints, and, some argue, historical accounts whose retelling and reworking from at least the fourth century BCE have played major roles in shaping…
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Full text Article Mahabharata

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
One of the two major Sanskrit epics of India, valued for its literary merit and its religious inspiration. It tells of the struggle for supremacy between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Many myths and legends are woven into the poem, along with didactic material on topics such…
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Full text Article Mahabharata

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(mӘhä´´bär'ӘtӘ), classical Sanskrit epic of India, probably composed between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200. The Mahabharata , comprising more than 90,000 couplets, usually of 32 syllables, is the longest single poem in world literature. The 18-book work is traditionally ascribed to the ancient sage Vyasa, …
| 437 words
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Full text Article Mahabharata

From Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature
ca. 400 BCE –ca. 400 CE Work Author: Vya-sa Attributed to the ancient priest, poet, and sage, Krishna Dwaipāyana Vyāsa, and perhaps in part actually composed by him, the Mahabharata is the great epic of India. It clearly, however, grew over time by accretion. In keeping with ancient custom, the poet…
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Full text Article Mahābhārata

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Sanskrit Hindu epic consisting of 18 books and 90,000 stanzas, originally written in about 900 BC and probably composed in its present form in about 300 BC . It forms with the Rāmāyana the two great scriptural epics of the Hindus. It contains the Bhagavad-Gītā , or Song of the Blessed , an episode…
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Full text Article Mahabharata (MBh)

From Encyclopedia of World Religions: Encyclopedia of Hinduism
The Mahabharata (MBh), is one of the two great Indian epics (the other is the Ramayana). It tells the story of the descendents of Bharata, the legendary leader of the early Indian tribes. It is the world's largest epic, containing at least 100,000 verses. It is often said in India that there is…
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Perhaps, one of the most celebrated collaborations was between British director Peter Brook (1925–) teamed up with French writer Jean-Claude Carrière (1931–), designers Chloé Obolensky (1942–) and Jean Kalman (1945–), and composer Toshi Tsuchitori (1950–) to stage a nine-hour version of the Indian…
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Full text Article MAHĀBHĀRATA, MONSTERS IN

From The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters
Within the ancient Sanskrit epic, monstrous figures such as Rākṣasas, Gandharvas, and Yakṣas are often found living in the untamed forest. The text's central characters, the royal Pāṇḍava brothers named Yudhisṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, encounter these creatures while in exile from…
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