Mahabharata Quiz

Yudhisthira's Pandava army managed to gather 7 Akshauhinis from their allies, including the kingdoms of Panchala, Matsya, and Chedi. In comparison, the Kaurava army assembled 11 Akshauhinis

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.

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

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.

Arjuna pleased Lord Shiva through severe penance in the forest to obtain the Pashupatastra.

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.

Devavrata was the son of King Shantanu and the goddess Ganga. He earned the name Bhishma (meaning "he of the terrible vow") after taking a lifelong oath of celibacy and giving up his claim to the throne so that his father could marry Satyavati.

It was Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava brother, who performed the Rajasuya sacrifice to establish his sovereignty as emperor.

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.

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.