All About the Kurukshetra War – Mahabharata Battle Explained
On May 22, 2025The Mahabharata epic tells the story of the fierce rivalry and war of succession between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, princely cousins of the Kuru dynasty. It is a tale of deceit, greed, envy, pride, jealousy, revenge, and the thirst for power. But it is also a tale of love, sacrifice, loyalty, and friendship. At its heart is an epic battle, the Great Kurukshetra War, fought over the Hastinapur throne. It led to the loss of numerous lives, but eventually, Dharma was restored. According to mythology, the events happened during the Dwapara Yuga, when Lord Vishnu incarnated in the form of Krishna.
Origin of Kurukshetra War
Dhritharashtra and Pandu were brothers. As the former was blind, Pandu became the king of Hastinapur. Dhritarashtra became the king after the death of his brother Pandu. He ruled the kingdom with his half-brother Vidura, who was his prime minister. Dhritharashtra had 100 sons. But his eldest son, Duryodhana, was younger than Pandu’s eldest son, Yudhishtira. Hence, according to the prevailing laws of succession, he was the rightful heir to the throne. This was deeply resented by Duryodhana, who had always hated his cousins due to the influence of Shakuni, his maternal uncle.
A Diabolical Plot
Bowing to public opinion, Dhritharashtra declared Yudhishtira as his heir. Duryodhana refused to accept this and hatched a plot to kill the Pandavas along with their mother, Kunti.
He built a palace called Lakshagraha which had flammable materials in its structure and invited the Pandavas and Kunti to stay there. The plan was to set fire to the palace as they slept. But Vidura discovered the plot and informed the Pandavas, who escaped through a tunnel. For 4 years, they lived in disguise, wandering from place to place.
Marriage to Draupadi
The Pandavas came to know of an archery contest that was to be held for the hand of Princess Draupadi, the daughter of King Drupada of Panchala. Arjuna won the contest. When the Pandavas, along with Draupadi, returned home, they told Kunti to see what they had brought home. Kunti, who was busy, told them to share it equally. So, the five brothers took Draupadi as their wife.
Partition of the Kingdom
On learning that the Pandavas were alive, Dhritharashtra invited them to come back. Meanwhile, in their absence, Duryodhana had became the crown prince. To prevent a conflict between his son and nephew, Dhritarashtra decided to partition the kingdom. He gave the city of Indraprastha (modern Delhi) to the Pandavas to rule over.
The Game of Dice
The cunning Shakuni persuaded Duryodhana to challenge Yudhisthira to a game of dice. Shakuni had a magic pair of dice that could give him the numbers he wanted. Unaware of this, Yudhisthira accepted the challenge and gambled away all his wealth to Duryodhana. Then he staked his brothers, himself, and Draupadi and lost each time.
Draupadi’s Disrobing
Duryodhana humiliated the Pandavas before the people assembled in the royal court. His brother Dushasana tried to disrobe Draupadi. It was Krishna who came to her rescue and saved her honor. Feeling ashamed of his sons’ actions, Dhritarashtra ordered that all that Yudhishtira had lost should be returned to him.
A furious Duryodhana threatened to commit suicide and convinced his father into inviting the Pandavas for another game of dice. The bet was that the player who lost would spend 12 years in exile and another year incognito. If, during the 13th year, their identities were revealed, they would have to go into another 12 years of exile. Again, Yudhishtira lost and the Pandavas had to spend 12 years in the forest.
The 13th Year of Exile
During the 13th year, they lived in King Virata's kingdom in disguise. Yudhishthira became Kanka, the king's game entertainer, Bhima was Ballava, a cook, Arjuna was Brihannala, a eunuch who taught music and dance, Nakula was Granthika, a horse trainer, and Sahadeva was Tantipala, a cow herder. Draupadi was Sairandhri, the maidservant of Queen Sudeshna. Despite their efforts, the Kauravas could not find out where the Pandavas were.
Declaration of War
When their exile ended, the Pandavas demanded their kingdom back. But Duryodhana refused. He would not even compromise by giving them 5 villages. So the two sides declared war and began to seek allies. Only one of the several hundreds of kingdoms remained neutral in this great war. It was the kingdom of Vidarbha, ruled by Rukmi, the brother of Krishna’s wife, Rukmini. Both sides turned down his offer, due to his past actions and boasting.
18 Days of War
The great war took place on the sacred ground of Kurukshetra (a city in present-day Haryana). On the battlefield, Arjuna laid down his arms, seeing his kith and kin on the opposite side, as he did not want to fight them. Krishna then made his discourse, the Bhagavad Gita, and made him realize that as a warrior his duty was to fight and that the soul was immortal and hence nothing dies. After hearing Krishna’s words, Arjuna picked up his weapons and prepared to fight.
The major events that took place on each day follow:
Day 1
The war began, with the gods witnessing the fight from heaven. Yudhishtra took blessings from revered elders like Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa.
Day 2
Bheeshma unleashed mayhem on the Pandava army, while Drona had an intense fight with Dhrishtadyumna.
Day 3
Duryodhana and Bhima fought each other while Arjuna broke Bheeshma’s bow.
Day 4
Bheema put up a tough fight and killed 14 Kauravas. The Kauravas had to retreat from the battlefield.
Day 5
Shikhandi (a eunuch) confronted Bhishma on the battlefield. Bhima continued his killing spree.
Days 6 and 7
Duryodhana accuses Bheeshma and Drona of favoring the Pandavas. Bheeshma advises him to opt for peace.
Day 8
Bhima kills 17 brothers of Duryodhana. Arjuna’s son, Iravan, dies on the battlefield.
Day 9
Krishna takes a chariot wheel to slay Bheeshma, but Arjuna stops him.
Day 10
Arjuna wounds Bheeshma, who lies mortally injured on a bed of arrows created by Arjuna.
Day 11
Karna joins the war and inflicts a lot of damage on the Pandava army. Drona becomes the new commander.
Day 12
Drona attempts to capture Yudhishtira alive, but Arjuna and the other Pandavas foil his plans.
Day 13
Abhimanyu dies on the battlefield, trapped inside the Chakravyuha formation.
Day 14
Arjuna avenges Abhimanyu and kills Jayadratha. Karna uses Vasavi Shakti to kill Ghatotkacha.
Day 15
Drona is tricked into believing that his son Ashwathama died on the battlefield, and Drishtadyumna takes advantage of his confusion and grief to kill him. This was a major turning point in the war.
Day 16
Karna becomes the Kaurava army’s commander and causes a lot of havoc.
Day 17
Bhima kills Dushasana and fulfills his oath to Draupadi. Arjuna kills Karna as his chariot gets stuck.
Day 18
On the 18th and final day, Bhima kills Duryodhana in a mace battle.
In this manner, the Pandavas won the Kurukshetra war, helped by Lord Krishna and his clever stratagems.
Aftermath of the war
To avenge his father’s death, Ashwathama sneaked into the Pandava camp in the dead of night on the 18th day and killed all the Upapandavas (the Pandava brothers’ children with Draupadi), Shikandi and Dhrishtadhyumna and many others. When the Pandavas confronted him, he launched a Brahmashira to kill the unborn baby in Uttara's womb. However, Krishna prevented it. Krishna cursed Ashwathama to be an immortal who would suffer great pain because of his injuries, with blood and pus oozing out of them. He also condemned him to lose all contact with humans after removing the gem on his forehead.
With the blessings of Kunti, Vidura, Dhritarashtra, and Gandhari, the Pandavas ruled both Hastinapur and Indraprastha. Dhritarashtra at first tried to kill Bheema while offering his blessings, but it was not Bheema but an iron statue. Realizing his mistake, he then blessed the Pandavas. The Pandavas ruled for 36 years
Origin of Kurukshetra War
Dhritharashtra and Pandu were brothers. As the former was blind, Pandu became the king of Hastinapur. Dhritarashtra became the king after the death of his brother Pandu. He ruled the kingdom with his half-brother Vidura, who was his prime minister. Dhritharashtra had 100 sons. But his eldest son, Duryodhana, was younger than Pandu’s eldest son, Yudhishtira. Hence, according to the prevailing laws of succession, he was the rightful heir to the throne. This was deeply resented by Duryodhana, who had always hated his cousins due to the influence of Shakuni, his maternal uncle.
A Diabolical Plot
Bowing to public opinion, Dhritharashtra declared Yudhishtira as his heir. Duryodhana refused to accept this and hatched a plot to kill the Pandavas along with their mother, Kunti.
He built a palace called Lakshagraha which had flammable materials in its structure and invited the Pandavas and Kunti to stay there. The plan was to set fire to the palace as they slept. But Vidura discovered the plot and informed the Pandavas, who escaped through a tunnel. For 4 years, they lived in disguise, wandering from place to place.
Marriage to Draupadi
The Pandavas came to know of an archery contest that was to be held for the hand of Princess Draupadi, the daughter of King Drupada of Panchala. Arjuna won the contest. When the Pandavas, along with Draupadi, returned home, they told Kunti to see what they had brought home. Kunti, who was busy, told them to share it equally. So, the five brothers took Draupadi as their wife.
Partition of the Kingdom
On learning that the Pandavas were alive, Dhritharashtra invited them to come back. Meanwhile, in their absence, Duryodhana had became the crown prince. To prevent a conflict between his son and nephew, Dhritarashtra decided to partition the kingdom. He gave the city of Indraprastha (modern Delhi) to the Pandavas to rule over.
The Game of Dice
The cunning Shakuni persuaded Duryodhana to challenge Yudhisthira to a game of dice. Shakuni had a magic pair of dice that could give him the numbers he wanted. Unaware of this, Yudhisthira accepted the challenge and gambled away all his wealth to Duryodhana. Then he staked his brothers, himself, and Draupadi and lost each time.
Draupadi’s Disrobing
Duryodhana humiliated the Pandavas before the people assembled in the royal court. His brother Dushasana tried to disrobe Draupadi. It was Krishna who came to her rescue and saved her honor. Feeling ashamed of his sons’ actions, Dhritarashtra ordered that all that Yudhishtira had lost should be returned to him.
A furious Duryodhana threatened to commit suicide and convinced his father into inviting the Pandavas for another game of dice. The bet was that the player who lost would spend 12 years in exile and another year incognito. If, during the 13th year, their identities were revealed, they would have to go into another 12 years of exile. Again, Yudhishtira lost and the Pandavas had to spend 12 years in the forest.
The 13th Year of Exile
During the 13th year, they lived in King Virata's kingdom in disguise. Yudhishthira became Kanka, the king's game entertainer, Bhima was Ballava, a cook, Arjuna was Brihannala, a eunuch who taught music and dance, Nakula was Granthika, a horse trainer, and Sahadeva was Tantipala, a cow herder. Draupadi was Sairandhri, the maidservant of Queen Sudeshna. Despite their efforts, the Kauravas could not find out where the Pandavas were.
Declaration of War
When their exile ended, the Pandavas demanded their kingdom back. But Duryodhana refused. He would not even compromise by giving them 5 villages. So the two sides declared war and began to seek allies. Only one of the several hundreds of kingdoms remained neutral in this great war. It was the kingdom of Vidarbha, ruled by Rukmi, the brother of Krishna’s wife, Rukmini. Both sides turned down his offer, due to his past actions and boasting.
18 Days of War
The great war took place on the sacred ground of Kurukshetra (a city in present-day Haryana). On the battlefield, Arjuna laid down his arms, seeing his kith and kin on the opposite side, as he did not want to fight them. Krishna then made his discourse, the Bhagavad Gita, and made him realize that as a warrior his duty was to fight and that the soul was immortal and hence nothing dies. After hearing Krishna’s words, Arjuna picked up his weapons and prepared to fight.
The major events that took place on each day follow:
Day 1
The war began, with the gods witnessing the fight from heaven. Yudhishtra took blessings from revered elders like Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa.
Day 2
Bheeshma unleashed mayhem on the Pandava army, while Drona had an intense fight with Dhrishtadyumna.
Day 3
Duryodhana and Bhima fought each other while Arjuna broke Bheeshma’s bow.
Day 4
Bheema put up a tough fight and killed 14 Kauravas. The Kauravas had to retreat from the battlefield.
Day 5
Shikhandi (a eunuch) confronted Bhishma on the battlefield. Bhima continued his killing spree.
Days 6 and 7
Duryodhana accuses Bheeshma and Drona of favoring the Pandavas. Bheeshma advises him to opt for peace.
Day 8
Bhima kills 17 brothers of Duryodhana. Arjuna’s son, Iravan, dies on the battlefield.
Day 9
Krishna takes a chariot wheel to slay Bheeshma, but Arjuna stops him.
Day 10
Arjuna wounds Bheeshma, who lies mortally injured on a bed of arrows created by Arjuna.
Day 11
Karna joins the war and inflicts a lot of damage on the Pandava army. Drona becomes the new commander.
Day 12
Drona attempts to capture Yudhishtira alive, but Arjuna and the other Pandavas foil his plans.
Day 13
Abhimanyu dies on the battlefield, trapped inside the Chakravyuha formation.
Day 14
Arjuna avenges Abhimanyu and kills Jayadratha. Karna uses Vasavi Shakti to kill Ghatotkacha.
Day 15
Drona is tricked into believing that his son Ashwathama died on the battlefield, and Drishtadyumna takes advantage of his confusion and grief to kill him. This was a major turning point in the war.
Day 16
Karna becomes the Kaurava army’s commander and causes a lot of havoc.
Day 17
Bhima kills Dushasana and fulfills his oath to Draupadi. Arjuna kills Karna as his chariot gets stuck.
Day 18
On the 18th and final day, Bhima kills Duryodhana in a mace battle.
In this manner, the Pandavas won the Kurukshetra war, helped by Lord Krishna and his clever stratagems.
Aftermath of the war
To avenge his father’s death, Ashwathama sneaked into the Pandava camp in the dead of night on the 18th day and killed all the Upapandavas (the Pandava brothers’ children with Draupadi), Shikandi and Dhrishtadhyumna and many others. When the Pandavas confronted him, he launched a Brahmashira to kill the unborn baby in Uttara's womb. However, Krishna prevented it. Krishna cursed Ashwathama to be an immortal who would suffer great pain because of his injuries, with blood and pus oozing out of them. He also condemned him to lose all contact with humans after removing the gem on his forehead.
With the blessings of Kunti, Vidura, Dhritarashtra, and Gandhari, the Pandavas ruled both Hastinapur and Indraprastha. Dhritarashtra at first tried to kill Bheema while offering his blessings, but it was not Bheema but an iron statue. Realizing his mistake, he then blessed the Pandavas. The Pandavas ruled for 36 years