30 Major Events of Mahabharata | Birth of Kauravas and Pandavas - Living in the Forest - Marriage of Bhima and Hidimba - Kurukshetra War Preparation - Birth of Dronacharya

30 Major Events of Mahabharata

The Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, is a vast and intricate narrative that encompasses numerous events, battles, and dialogues. Here are 30 major events from the Mahabharata:

Let us look at a list of such 30 events incidents of Mahabharata.

1. The Birth of Kauravas and Pandavas: The story begins with the birth of the Kaurava and Pandava princes, the sons of King Dhritarashtra and King Pandu, respectively.

2. Draupadi's Swayamvar: Draupadi's Swayamvar, where she marries Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, after he successfully strings the bow and shoots an arrow.

3. The Game of Dice: Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava, invites the Pandavas to a game of dice, where they lose their kingdom, freedom, and even their wife Draupadi.

4. Pandavas' Exile: The Pandavas are sent into exile for 13 years, which includes one year in incognito.

5. Living in the Forest: During their exile, the Pandavas face various challenges and adventures while living in the forest.

6. Marriage of Bhima and Hidimba: Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers, marries Hidimba, a Rakshasi (demoness) princess.

7. Draupadi's Humiliation: Draupadi is publicly humiliated by Duhshasana in the court of the Kauravas.

8. Krishna's Peace Mission: Lord Krishna attempts to negotiate peace between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, but his efforts fail.

9. Kurukshetra War Preparation: Both sides prepare for the great Kurukshetra War, gathering allies and strategizing.

10. Bhagavad Gita: Lord Krishna imparts spiritual wisdom and guidance to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the form of the Bhagavad Gita.

11. Bhishma's Fall: Bhishma Pitamah, the granduncle of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas, falls on the tenth day of the battle.

12. Death of Dronacharya: Dronacharya, the teacher of both Pandavas and Kauravas, is deceived and killed in battle.

13. Death of Karna: Karna, the loyal friend of Duryodhana and a key warrior, is killed by Arjuna.

14. Duryodhana's Final Battle: Duryodhana faces a one-on-one battle with Bhima and is mortally wounded.

15. Ashwatthama's Revenge: Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya, kills the sons of the Pandavas in their sleep in a misguided act of revenge.

16. Pandavas' Victory: With the fall of Duryodhana, the Pandavas emerge victorious in the Kurukshetra War.

17. Yudhishthira's Coronation: Yudhishthira is crowned as the king of Hastinapura.

18. Bhishma's Teachings: Before his death, Bhishma imparts valuable teachings to Yudhishthira on kingship, ethics, and dharma.

19. Parikshit's Birth: Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu and the grandson of Arjuna, is born.

20. Death and Ascension of Pandavas: The Pandavas renounce the kingdom and set out on their final journey. They reach the Himalayas and start ascending the peaks, eventually ascending to heaven one by one, except Yudhishthira.

21. Yudhishthira's Test: Yudhishthira is tested by Lord Yama, the god of death, and eventually, he reaches heaven.

22. End of the Yadava Dynasty: The Yadava clan, to which Lord Krishna belonged, faces a fratricidal war that leads to its destruction.

23. The Snake Sacrifice (Sarpasatra) of Janamejaya: King Janamejaya performs a grand Yagna (sacrifice) to annihilate all snakes after his father's death due to a snake bite.

24. Story of Savitri and Satyavan: The story of Savitri, a devoted wife who saves her husband Satyavan from death with her devotion and wisdom.

25. Kunti and Karna's Reunion: Karna, the son of Kunti, and his mother have an emotional reunion before the Kurukshetra War.

26. The Birth of Dronacharya: The story of Dronacharya's birth from a vessel.

27. The Birth of Draupadi: Draupadi emerges from the fire as a boon to King Drupada.

28. Ekalavya's Story: Ekalavya, a tribal prince, becomes a self-taught archer and offers his thumb as Guru Dakshina 

29. Parikshit was bitten by a snake due to a curse and Janamejaya's Naagyagya.

30. Apart from this, there were many other developments in Mahabharata like the killing of Jarasandha by Bhima, asking for the head of Barbarik by Shri Krishna etc.