Category:Described in the Mahabharata
Theme Analysis
The Mahābhārata, compiled by the great sage Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsadeva, is not merely a historical epic; it is a profound repository of transcendental knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that because recording the entire chronological history of the world would require an impossible number of pages, Vyāsadeva selected only the most important incidents. Within its vast chapters, the Mahābhārata contains the foundational principles of spiritual philosophy, most notably the conversation between Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sañjaya that sets the stage for the Bhagavad-gītā. The epic vividly describes the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord, His Sudarśana cakra, and His forgiving nature, while also secretly containing the confidential descriptions of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation.
Beyond theology, the Mahābhārata provides extensive geographical and administrative details of the ancient Vedic world. It describes the various regions of Jambūdvīpa, such as Bhārata-varṣa and Ketumāla, and gives exact calculations for military divisions like the patti. It also outlines the strict principles of spiritual and social behavior, explicitly detailing when to reject a false guru who opposes the path of viṣṇu-bhakti, and categorizing the five kinds of ignorance that condition the soul.
Finally, the epic records the glorious and sometimes tragic histories of exalted personalities. The extraordinary feats of Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, the lineage of Mahārāja Bharata and Parīkṣit Mahārāja, and the mystic space travel of Śukadeva Gosvāmī are all meticulously preserved. Through these vivid historical descriptions, the Mahābhārata serves its ultimate purpose: to guide human society out of ignorance and toward the supreme destination of devotional service to the Lord.
- Selective History: The Mahābhārata does not record all events chronologically, but selectively describes the most important incidents for the spiritual education of humanity.
- The Supreme Lord: The epic provides profound descriptions of Kṛṣṇa's qualities, His weapons, and even confidential hints regarding the advent of Lord Caitanya.
- Spiritual Guidelines: It categorizes the ignorance of the conditioned soul and gives strict injunctions, such as the necessity to reject a guru who defies the principles of viṣṇu-bhakti.
- Geography and Society: The text offers exact descriptions of ancient Vedic geography, such as the regions of Jambūdvīpa, as well as complex military science and formations.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Described in the Mahābhārata - Philosophy, Geography, and History.
Pages in category "Described in the Mahabharata"
The following 19 pages are in this category, out of 19 total.
A
- A full description of Maharaja Bharata (son of Dusyanta) is given in the Mahabharata, Adi-parva
- An exact description is given in the Mahabharata, Adi parva, Second Chapter, as follows: One chariot, one elephant, five infantry soldiers and three horses are called a patti by those who are learned in the science
B
- Bhadrasva: It is a tract of land near Meru Parvata, and it extends from Gandha-madana Parvata to the saltwater ocean. There is a description of this varsa in the Mahabharata. The description was narrated by Sanjaya to Dhrtarastra
- Bharata-varsa: This part of the world is also one of the nine varsas of the Jambudvipa. A description of Bharata-varsa is given in the Mahabharata (Bhisma-parva, Chapters 9 and 10)
I
- If one has falsely accepted such a guru (who goes against the principle of visnu-bhakti), one should reject him. Such a guru is described in Mahabharata Udyoga 179.25
- If the history of such a vast period of time was recorded chronologically, how many pages would it have to be? Therefore, only the most important incidents are selected and described in the Mahabharata
- In the center of Jambudvipa is Ilavrta-varsa, and south of Ilavrta-varsa is Hari-varsa. The description of these varsas is given in the Mahabharata (Sabha-parva 28.7-8)
L
- Lord Caitanya as the incarnation of Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, is described secretly but not directly in the confidential parts of the revealed scriptures, such as the Upanisads, Mahabharata, Bhagavatam, etc. BG 1972 purports
- Lord Krsna's forgiving quality is described in the Mahabharata in connection with His forbidding the killing of Sisupala
T
- The acaryas mentioned in these verses (SB 6.15.12-15) are described in the Mahabharata. The word pancasikha is also important
- The topics discussed by Dhrtarastra and Sanjaya, as described in the Mahabharata, form the basic principle for this great philosophy. BG 1972 purports
- There is an elaborate description of this weapon (Sudarsana) in the Adi-parva of the Mahabharata
- This is specifically described in the Mahabharata (Adi-parva 114). He (Vidura) indirectly hinted, A weapon not made of steel or any other material element can be more than sharp to kill an enemy, and he who knows this is never killed