List of characters in the Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India composed by Veda Vyasa. At its heart lies the epic struggle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The central characters include the five Pandava brothers—Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva—along with their wife Draupadi. On the opposing side, the hundred Kaurava brothers are led by the elder brother, Duryodhana. However, the Mahabharata is richly populated with other notable figures including Krishna, Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Kunti, Dushasana, Kripa, Dhritrashtra, Gandhari, Shakuni, Ashwatthama, Balarama, Subhadra, Vyasa, Abhimanyu, Pandu, Satyavati and Amba.
The Mahabharata manuscripts exist in numerous versions, wherein the specifics and details of major characters and episodes vary, often significantly. Except for the sections containing the Bhagavad Gita which is remarkably consistent between the numerous manuscripts, the rest of the epic exists in many versions. The differences between the Northern and Southern recensions are particularly significant, with the Southern manuscripts more profuse and longer. The manuscripts found in the North and South India have "great divergence" in details, though the thematic essence is similar. Scholars have attempted to construct a critical edition, relying mostly on a study of the Bombay edition, the Poona edition, the Calcutta edition and the south Indian editions of the Mahabharata manuscripts. The most accepted version is one prepared by scholars led by Vishnu Sukthankar at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, preserved at the Kyoto University, the Cambridge University and various Indian universities.
This list follows the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata, but may have characters exclusive to a particular recension.A
Abhimanyu
Adhiratha
Adhiratha was the foster-father of Karna. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Adhiratha was descended from Yayati and therefore was related to Krishna. He was also the descendant of Romapada, the king of Anga and brother-in-law of Dasharatha's descendant Shighra, king of Ayodhya. His wife was Radha and their biological sons were Shatrunjaya and Chitrasena.Adrika
Adrika was an apsara, who was cursed to become a fish and only to be liberated when she gives birth to a human. Adrika, as a fish, lived in the river Yamuna. Once she came in contact with the semen of Uparichara and impregnated herself. After 10 months, some fishermen caught her, cut open her womb and found two childrenMatsyagandha and Matsya. After the incident, Adrika was liberated from her curse and returned to heaven.Agni
Alambusha
Alambusha was a Rakshasa. In the Kurukshetra War, he fought from the Kaurava side. During the war, he defeated Iravan, son of Pandava prince Arjuna. Later on the 14th day of Kurukshetra war, Alambusha was killed by Bhima's son, Ghatotkacha.Alayudha
He was a demon and friend of another demon named Alambusha. He and Alambusha were killed by Bhima's demon son Ghatotkacha during the Night war on the fourteenth day of the war.Agastya
Amba
Ambalika
Ambika's maid
The chief maid of Ambika was sent by Ambika and Ambalika to Maharishi Vyasa. From their union, Vidura was born.Amitaujas
Amitaujas is the mighty warrior of Panchala Kingdom. He was the maharatha on the side of Pandavas.Arjuna
Ashvapati
A king of Madra and the father of SavitriAshvins
Ashwatthama
Astika
Ayu
Ayu or Ayus was an ancestor of Shantanu. He was a son Pururavas and his apsara wife, Urvashi. He married Prabha, an asura princess. He was succeeded by his son Nahusha.Ayoda Dhaumya
Ayoda Dhaumya/ Dhaumya was a sage of Avanti. He had three disciples namely Aruni of Panchal, Upamanyu and Veda. He even accompanied the Pandavas into the forest of Kurujangala during their exile. He sang songs of Sama Veda referring to Yama.B
Babhruvahana
Bahlika
Bakasura
Balandhara
Balandhara, sometimes also written as Valandhara, was the princess of the Kashi Kingdom, daughter of King Devesha and wife of Bhima. They both had a son Sarvaga, who became the King of Kashi after the Kurukshetra War. Sarvaga's granddaughter Vapusthama married Janamejaya, the great-grandson of Arjuna, and bore him two sons – Shatanika and Sahashranika.Balarama
Banasena
He was a son of Karna. He was an excellent Mace-wielder. On the 16th day of the war, Banasena was fighting with Bhima and later killed.Bhadra and Madira
Bhadra and Madira were 3rd and 4th wives of Vasudeva. They were the daughters of Giribhanu/Sumukha and Padmavati/Pataladevi, and elder sisters of Yashoda. Bhadra's sons were Upanidhi, Gada and Keshi. Madira's sons were Nanda, Upananda, Kritaka and Shura. They cremated themselves with Vasudeva.Bhadrakali
Bhadrakali is the fierce form of Devi. To destroy Daksha yajna, She appeared with Veerabhadra. She also mentioned in Shalya Parva, when she was the one of followers of Kartikeya.Bhagadatta
Bharadvaja
Bharata
Bhima
Bhima of Vidarbha
In the Vana Parva of the epic, sage Markandeya narrated the story of Nala and Damayanti. Bhima was the king of Vidarbha and the father of Damayanti.Bhishma
Bhrigu
Bhurishravas
Budha
Brahma
Brihadashva
A sage who councels Yudhishthira during his exile, narrates Nalopakhyana and blesses Yudhishthira with skill in dicing.Brihaspati
C
Chandra
Chandravarma Kamboja is the first Kamboja king of solar race mentioned by name in the Mahābhārata. He appears to have been an ancient very powerful and renowned ruler of the Kambojas. He finds mention in the Adiparva section of the epic Mahābhārata, where he is stated to be an Asura or a demonic ruler.Chitrasena
Chekitana
Chekitana was the son of Kekaya king Dhrishtaketu and Queen Shrutakirti, a Yadava. He was the leader of Andhaka sect of Yadavas. Chekitana was described to be a valorous warrior, who fought with warriors like Susharma, Kripacharya and Dronacharya. He also rescued Nakula from the clutches of Duryodhana. On the 18th day, he was killed by Duryodhana.Chitra and Chitrasena
Chitra and Chitrasena were brothers and the two kings of the Abhisara Kingdom. Both of them sided with the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. Chitra was killed by Prativindhya on the 16th day, whereas Chitrasena was killed by Shrutakarma on the same day.Gandharva Chitrāngada
Chitrangada was a Gandharva, who was jealous of Shantanu's son Chitrāngada, for sharing a name. One day, the Gandharva challenged the prince and killed him.Chitrāngada of Kalinga
Chitrāngada was the king of the Kalinga kingdom. In the Shanti Parva of the epic, Narada narrated that Chitrangada's daughter with Kaurava Duryodhana. After him, Srutayudha became the king of Kalinga as he had no son. Possibly, his wife was Chandramudra.Chitrāngadā
Chitravahana
He was the king of Manipura or Manalura and the father of Chitrangadaa. He was also the grandfather of Babruvahana.D
Daksha
Damayanti
Dantavakra
Danda and Dandadhara
Danda and Dandadhara is the two princes of Magadha Kingdom. They fought the side of Kauravas and killed by Arjuna during Kurukshetra war.Darada
Darada is the king of Bahlika Kingdom. Shushipala eulogized him when he was born the earth was cleaved because of his weight.Dasharaja
Dasharaja was the fisherman chieftain of Hastinapura and the father of Satyavati. He was the one who asked Satyavati's heir to be the ruler of Hastinapura, due to which Bhishma took a vow of celibacy and a vow not to rule Hastinapura. He is a great-great-grandfather of the Pandavas and the Kauravas.Devaki
Devasena and Daityasena
Devayani
Devika
Devika was the daughter of Govasena, the king of the Sivi Kingdom of Shaivya tribe, and the second wife of Yudhishthira they got married in a self choice ceremony. They had a son called Yaudheya.Dhaumya
Dhrishtadyumna
Dhritrashtra
Dhrishtaketu of Chedi
Dhrishtaketu of Kekeya
Dhrishtaketu was the ruler of Kekeya, and his wife was Shrutakirti, a Yadava who was the daughter of Shurasena. Many of Dhrishtaketu's sons participated in the Kurukshetra War, participating on both sides. Vrihadkshatra and Chekitana were two of his notable sons. Dhrishtaketu's daughter Bhadra was married to Krishna, who bore him many sons.Divodasa
Draupadi
Drona
Drupada
Durmasena
Durmasena was the son of Dushasana. He helped his father many times in the Kurukshetra war. He was also present inside the Chakra Vyuha on the thirteenth day of the war. He was deprived of his chariot by Abhimanyu and saved by Ashwatthama by cutting Abhimanyu's arrow in mid air. After that, Durmasena killed brutally injured Abhimanyu in a mace duel. On 14th day, Durmasena was brutally killed by Draupadi's sons, the Draupadeyas, in revenge for Abhimanyu.Duryodhana
Durga
Goddess Durga is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. In Virata Parva and Bhishma Parva of the epic, she was eulogized by Yudhishthira and Arjuna.Dushala
Dushasana
Dushyanta
E
Ekalavya
G
Gandhari
Gandhari's maid
The chief maid of Gandhari was the mother of Yuyutsu. When Gandhari was pregnant for more than nine months, Dhritrashtra, in fear that there would be no heir, impregnated the maid. Later Gandhari gave birth to the 100 Kauravas and Sughada gave birth to Yuyutsu.