Mahabharata Quiz

Bhima killed Keechaka during the Pandavas' final year of exile in disguise at the Matsya kingdom, after Keechaka harassed Draupadi.

Dronacharya was born to Sage Bharadwaja, one of the revered Saptarishis (Seven Great Sages). According to the Mahabharata, Drona had a miraculous birth: Sage Bharadwaja captured his seed in a vessel called a Drona (a wooden pot or cup) after being captivated by the beauty of the celestial nymph Ghritachi. The child born from this vessel was named Drona.

Karna fought in the Kurukshetra war for a total of 7 days (from Day 11 to Day 15 under Dronacharya's command, and Day 16 and 17 as the supreme commander himself).

Even though the war lasted 18 days, Karna did not fight for the first 10 days. This was due to a bitter dispute with the first Kaurava commander, Bhishma, who insulted Karna's lineage and fighting status by classifying him as only a Ardha Ratha (half-charioteer). Karna refused to fight while Bhishma was leading the Kaurava forces, as Bhishma had insulted his skills and belittled his status as a "Suta" (charioteer's son). Insulted, Karna vowed never to step onto the battlefield as long as Bhishma was alive. He only entered the war on Day 11 after Bhishma fell on the bed of arrows. Karna was ultimately killed by Arjuna on the 17th day of the war while trying to lift his stuck chariot wheel.

King Janamejaya (the great-grandson of Arjuna) organized the devastating Sarpa Satra yagna to avenge the death of his father, King Parikshit, who had been fatally bitten by the serpent king Takshaka. The ritual was so powerful that snakes from all over the world were mechanically drawn by the mantras and consumed by the sacrificial fire.

To save his clan, Takshaka sought refuge with Indra. However, the priests simply intensified the chants to drag both Indra and Takshaka into the fire together. At this critical moment, a brilliant young boy named Astika—the son of Sage Jaratkaru and the snake goddess Manasa (Vasuki's sister)—arrived at the court. Using his immense wisdom, eloquence, and knowledge of the scriptures, he deeply impressed King Janamejaya. Granted a boon by the pleased king, Astika requested that the sacrifice be terminated immediately, saving Takshaka and the remaining serpent race.

To save his ancestors from falling into hell, the intense sage Jaratkaru vowed he would only marry a woman who shared his exact name. Knowing this, the Serpent King Vasuki offered his own sister, whose birth name was also Jaratkaru (later widely known as Goddess Manasa). From this unique union of Jaratkaru and Jaratkaru, the great young sage Astika was born, who eventually stopped the catastrophic snake sacrifice of King Janamejaya.

Arjuna's legendary bow is the Gandiva. Created by Lord Brahma, it passed through several deities before Varuna (the god of oceans) gifted it to Arjuna at the request of Agni (the fire god) during the burning of the Khandava Forest. The bow was completely indestructible, doubled the strength of whoever wielded it, and made a sound like thunder when its string was pulled.

On the 13th day of the Kurukshetra war, Dronacharya (serving as the supreme commander of the Kaurava army) formed the Chakravyuha—a deadly, multi-layered rotating spiral battle formation. It was strategically deployed to capture Yudhisthira while Arjuna was lured away to another part of the battlefield. Arjuna's young son, Abhimanyu, was the only one present who knew how to enter the maze, but he did not know how to exit it, leading to his heroic yet tragic death.

Bhishma served as the Senadhipati (supreme commander) of the Kaurava forces for the first 10 days of the 18-day Kurukshetra war.

Despite his old age, his unmatched mastery of warfare caused massive devastation to the Pandava army. On the evening of the 9th day, realizing Bhishma was invincible, Yudhisthira and his brothers personally visited his camp to ask how he could be defeated. Bhishma hintingly revealed his weak point. The next day, Arjuna placed Shikhandi (whom Bhishma refused to fight due to a vow) at the front of his chariot. Shielded by Shikhandi, Arjuna pierced Bhishma with countless arrows, bringing him down on the 10th day. Blessed with the boon of Ichcha-Mrityu (death at will), Bhishma chose to lie on a bed of arrows (for 58 days) until the auspicious winter solstice before passing away.

Parashurama’s mother was Renuka (also revered as Goddess Yellamma in parts of Southern India). She was famous for her deep chastity and devotion, which gave her the unearthly power to fetch water from the river using a pot molded purely out of unbaked wet clay every single day.

However, one day, she momentarily lost her concentration when she saw the reflection of a handsome celestial king sky-vying overhead. Her mental distraction caused the unbaked clay pot to instantly dissolve in the water. Sensing this shift via his yogic powers, her husband, Sage Jamadagni, flew into a massive rage. He ordered his sons to execute their mother for her lapse in focus. While his older brothers refused and were turned to stone by their father's curse, Parashurama obeyed and beheaded Renuka. Pleased with his obedience, Jamadagni granted him a boon, which Parashurama immediately used to bring his mother back to life and restore his brothers.

On the 15th day of the Kurukshetra war, furious over the death of his father Dronacharya through a deceptive trick, Ashwatthama invoked the Narayanastra—a supreme weapon of Lord Vishnu that he had uniquely inherited.

The weapon rained down millions of lethal missiles, growing increasingly powerful against anyone who tried to resist or fight back. Recognizing its nature, Lord Krishna quickly instructed the entire Pandava army to drop their weapons, dismount their chariots, and bow down in total submission. Because the weapon only targeted active combatants, it peacefully defused once everyone surrendered.