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The Mahabharata is a Sanskrit epic poem describing the conflict between two sets of cousins over an empire.
The Mahabharata is a Sanskrit epic poem describing the conflict between two sets of cousins over an empire.
The text is extremely long; its written form dates to the Third and Fourth Centuries B.C. and, along with the [[Ramayana]], is one of the major ancient [[Indian]] epics.
==Story==
The central story of the Mahabharata is that of the warring cousins known as the [[Pandavas]] and the [[Kauravas]]. The five Pandava brothers are the story's protagonists and they come to share a common wife named [[Draupadi]].
The conflict between the Pandavas and the Kauravas escalates throughout the story and culminates with the Battle of Kurukshetra. Before this battle, [[Arjuna]] (an archer who is the most skilled Pandava warrior) participates in a dialogue on spirituality with the Hindu god [[Krishna]]. This lesson is often separated from the Mahabharata and considered a work unto itself known as the [[Bhagavad Gita]].
Prior the the Battle of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is told by his mother [[Kunti]] that one of the allies of the Kauravas (a great warrior named [[Karna]]) is her son also. Karna's father is the Hindu sun god [[Surya]]. Kunti pleads with Arjuna not to fight in the upcoming battle, as he and his brothers would be at war with their half-brother Karna. Arjuna eventually takes part in the battle and kills Karna.