Glossary Abhimanyu Brave son of Arjuna who fought and died in the war of Mahabharat Amba A character from Hindu epic of Mahabharata, she is transformed into Shikhandi, a male but impotent warrior Ambika Wife of Vichitravirya of Mahabharata' sister of Amba and Ambalika Arjuna Son of Kunti and Pandu by the blessings of Indra; a great archer in Mahabharat; initiator of the great preaching of Lord Krishna. Bakasura The crane demon from Mahabharat epic; Bhima kills him and saves the village; a demon with a great appitite Bhishma Son of Shantanu and the river Ganga; his oath of celibacy in Mahabharat is well known. Draupadi Daughter of king Drupada and common wife of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata epic. Drona A brahmin teacher from Mahabharata epic who taught weaponry and warfare to the royalty at Hastinapur; father of Ashwathama Drupada King of Panchala kingdom; parent of Draupadi of Mahabharat Duryodhana The eldest of the Kouravas and fought the great Mahabharat war with the cousins, the Pandavas Dwaparayuga The third era according to Hindu mythologies; the war of Mahabharata is said to have taken place in this period Gandeeva The weapon of choice belonging to warrior Arjuna in Mahabharat war Jayadratha King of Sindhu kingdom during Mahabharata; son-in-law of Dhritarashtra Karna Son of Surya and Kunti out of wedlock and raised as a charioteer; the tragic hero of Mahabharata epic Kripacharya A brahmin of Hastinapur and teacher to the first warrior family of Mahabharat Kurukshetra The battlefield for the great war of Mahabharat; present day Ambala in Uttara Pradesh Mahabharat The epic story of Hindus featuring the Pandavas, the Kauravas, Krishna and the war of Kurukshetra, written by sage-poet Vyasa. Parashurama The avatar of Vishnu as the angry Brahman with an axe; teacher to stalwarts like Drona and Bhishma of Mahabharat Razm Nama Persian translation of the Mahabharata made at the command of Akbar in the 16th Century Shalya a king from Mahabharata; father of Madri Uttara the North pole; also a character from Mahabharat -- the cowardly son of king Virata Vyasa Ancient Indian sage and writer of the epic Mahabharat; son of Parasar and Satyavati