Battlefield of the Mahabharata
Kurukshetra
कुरुक्षेत्र
Site of the Great War
Kurukshetra: Site of the Great War, located at coordinates 29.96°N, 76.88°E.
Key Facts
| Type | Battlefield |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit name | कुरुक्षेत्र |
| Coordinates | 29.96°N, 76.88°E |
| Significance | Site of the Great War |
About Kurukshetra
The sacred battlefield where the 18-day Mahabharata war was fought. Krishna delivered the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna here.
Why it matters: Site of the Great War
Details
- Days
- 18 days of war
- Armies
- 11 Akshauhinis (Kaurava) vs 7 Akshauhinis (Pandava)
- Bhishma
- Bhishma lay on bed of arrows for 58 days
- Gita
- 700-verse conversation between Krishna and Arjuna
On the Map
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra sits at 29.96°N, 76.88°E.
View on the full mapEvents at Kurukshetra
- Death of ChitrangadaYear -90The valiant King Chitrangada is killed in a three-year battle by a Gandharva of the same name.
- Parashurama Battles BhishmaYear -89Championing the rejected princess Amba, Parashurama commands his former disciple Bhishma to marry her. When Bhishma refuses, guru and disciple fight a tremendous duel on the field of Kurukshetra that lasts twenty-three days.
- War PreparationsYear -14Both sides gather armies. Krishna offers his army to one side and himself unarmed to the other. Arjuna chooses Krishna.
- Bhagavad GitaYear -14On the first day of war, Arjuna is overcome with despair. Krishna delivers the 700-verse Bhagavad Gita, teaching the yoga of action, knowledge, and devotion.
- The 18-Day WarYear -14The greatest war in history fought for 18 days. Millions died. Bhishma, Drona, Karna, and all Kauravas were killed.
- Bhishma's TeachingsYear -14Lying on a bed of arrows for 58 days, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira the duties of kingship, moksha dharma, and Vishnu Sahasranama.
- Death of AbhimanyuYear -14On the 13th day, Abhimanyu breaks into the Chakravyuha but is trapped inside alone. Multiple warriors kill him unfairly.
- Arjuna Kills JayadrathaYear -14On the 14th day, Arjuna fulfills his vow by killing Jayadratha with a divine arrow that decapitates him.
- Ghatotkacha's Night BattleYear -14On the 14th night, Bhima's rakshasa son Ghatotkacha wreaks havoc on the Kaurava army. Karna uses his Vasavi Shakti to kill him.
- Death of KarnaYear -14On the 17th day, Arjuna kills Karna while his chariot wheel is stuck in the ground. Karna was trying to lift it when Arjuna shot him.
- Death of DuryodhanaYear -14On the 18th day, Bhima defeats Duryodhana in a mace duel at the same lake. Bhima strikes his thigh against the rules of mace fighting.
- Death of DronaYear -14On the 15th day, Drona lays down his weapons after hearing the false news of Ashwatthama's death. Dhrishtadyumna beheads him.
- Yudhishthira Kills ShalyaYear -14On the 18th day, Yudhishthira kills King Shalya, his maternal uncle, in single combat with a spear.
- Nakula and Sahadeva in BattleYear -14The twins Nakula and Sahadeva prove their valor by defeating numerous Kaurava warriors throughout the war.
- Hanuman on Arjuna's FlagYear -14Hanuman manifests on Arjuna's chariot flag, promising protection and granting victory to the Pandavas.
- Barbarik Arrives At KurukshetraYear -14Barbarik arrives at Kurukshetra with divine arrows that could end the war in one minute.
- Bhishma FallsYear -14On the tenth day of war, Bhishma falls to Arjuna's arrows using Shikhandi as shield.
- Kunti Reveals Karna's BirthYear -14On the eve of war, Kunti reveals to Karna that he is her firstborn son.
- Karna Spares The PandavasYear -14Karna defeats all Pandavas except Arjuna but spares their lives according to his promise to Kunti.
- Night MassacreYear -14After the war, Ashwatthama massacres the sleeping Pandava camp, killing Draupadi's five sons and Dhrishtadyumna.
- Indra Takes Karna's Earrings and ArmourYear -14Knowing Karna's kavacha-kundala (divine armour and earrings) make him invincible, Indra disguises himself as a brahmin and begs them as charity. Karna gives them at the cost of his invincibility.
- Classification of Warriors - Ratha and AtirathaYear -14Before the war, Bhishma classifies all warriors in both armies by their combat abilities - Ratha (one chariot fighter) and Atiratha (one who can fight many simultaneously). Karna is insulted by the classification.
- Uluka Delivers Duryodhana's TauntYear -14On the eve of war, Duryodhana sends his ambassador Uluka (Shakuni's son) with a provocative message to the Pandava camp, challenging them to fight.
- Krishna Shows His Cosmic Form to ArjunaYear -14At Arjuna's request, Krishna reveals his divine Vishvarupa - the cosmic universal form - showing the entire universe and all time contained in his being.
- Drona Arrests the Sky with BrahmastraYear -14On the 14th day, an enraged Drona releases the Brahmastra, a weapon of mass destruction. Arjuna counters it with his own Brahmastra, and the gods urge both to withdraw.
- Arjuna's Vow to Kill JayadrathaYear -14After Abhimanyu's death, a grief-stricken Arjuna vows on the night of the 13th day to kill Jayadratha by the next sunset or enter fire himself.
- Sahadeva Kills ShakuniYear -14On the 18th day, Sahadeva finally fulfills his personal vow and kills Shakuni, the schemer who engineered the dice game that led to all of the Pandavas' suffering.
- Duryodhana Hides in the LakeYear -14After all the Kaurava warriors fall, the fatally wounded Duryodhana hides himself in a lake, using yoga to stop water from entering and waiting there unseen.
- Bhishma Recites the Vishnu SahasranamaYear -14Lying on his bed of arrows, Bhishma teaches the thousand names of Vishnu (Vishnu Sahasranama) to Yudhishthira in the presence of Krishna himself.
- Bhishma Teaches Raja DharmaYear -14Over 58 days on his bed of arrows, Bhishma delivers to Yudhishthira a comprehensive teaching on kingly duties (Raja Dharma), emergency conduct (Apad Dharma), and the paths to liberation (Moksha Dharma).
- The Rules of Righteous WarYear -14Before the first arrow, the Kurus and Pandavas meet and bind themselves to a code: equals fight equals, combat ends at sunset, and the fleeing, the unarmed, and the non-combatant are not to be struck.
- Yuyutsu Crosses the LinesYear -14As the armies stand arrayed on the first morning, Yudhishthira calls out that any who choose dharma may come over. Of all the Kaurava host, only Yuyutsu, Dhritarashtra's son by a Vaishya woman, walks across.
- Prince Uttara FallsYear -14On the first day of battle, the young prince of Matsya charges the Madra king's chariot on his war-elephant and is struck down by Shalya's lance - the war's first great grief.
- Krishna Takes Up the WheelYear -14Enraged that Arjuna fights his grandsire half-heartedly while Bhishma scorches the Pandava host, Krishna leaps from the chariot and rushes at Bhishma with a chariot wheel raised, breaking his own vow - until Arjuna drags him back.
- Death of IravanYear -14On the eighth day, Iravan, son of Arjuna and the naga princess Ulupi, shatters the Gandhara cavalry and slays five of Shakuni's brothers before the giant rakshasa Alambusha cuts him down with sorcery.
- The Samsaptaka OathYear -14Susharma of Trigarta and his brothers swear by fire to slay Arjuna or die - the 'sworn ones' whose daily challenges draw Arjuna away from the field so that Drona may strike at Yudhishthira.
- Bhagadatta and the Elephant SupratikaYear -14On the twelfth day, the aged Bhagadatta on his colossal elephant Supratika tramples the Pandava host and hurls the irresistible Vaishnava weapon at Arjuna - which Krishna receives on his own breast, where it becomes a garland.
- Satyaki and the Yupaketu's ArmYear -14On the fourteenth day, the Kuru elder Bhurishravas overpowers the exhausted Satyaki and raises his sword for the kill; Arjuna severs the upraised arm, and the warrior sits in final meditation before Satyaki, against all protest, beheads him.
- Fall of Virata and DrupadaYear -14On the fifteenth day, Drona in his last terrible blaze of mastery slays the two old kings who staked everything on the Pandava cause - Drupada of Panchala and Virata of Matsya.
- Bhima Slays DushasanaYear -14On the seventeenth day, Bhima fulfills the vow of thirteen years: he breaks Dushasana down in front of Karna's line, tears open his chest, and drinks his blood, then carries word of it to Draupadi.
- Death of VrishasenaYear -14Hours before his duel with Karna, Arjuna kills Karna's valiant son Vrishasena before his father's eyes - declared payment for Abhimanyu, slain while Arjuna was far away.
- Gandhari's Curse to KrishnaYear -13When Krishna visits Gandhari after the war, she curses him that his clan will destroy itself in 36 years, just as her sons died.
- Krishna Curses AshwatthamaYear -13For his cowardly night massacre, Krishna curses Ashwatthama to wander the earth for 3000 years with diseases and suffering.
- Removal of Ashwatthama's GemYear -13Arjuna forcibly removes the divine gem from Ashwatthama's forehead as punishment for his atrocities.
- The Women's LamentYear -13After the war, the surviving women of both sides come to the battlefield to grieve over their fallen husbands and sons. Gandhari curses Krishna and the Pandavas face Dhritarashtra's grief.
- Ashwatthama Releases the Brahmashira WeaponYear -13Enraged after the night massacre, Ashwatthama releases the most destructive weapon - the Brahmashira - aimed at the Pandava lineage. Arjuna matches it with his own Brahmastra.
- Bhishma Chooses His DeathYear -13Having waited 58 days for the auspicious Uttarayana (northward sun-movement), Bhishma finally chooses to leave his body. His passing is witnessed by all the gods and sages.
- The Sun That SetYear -12Grieving Abhimanyu, Arjuna vows to slay Jayadratha before sunset or die by fire. The whole Kaurava army shields Jayadratha all day; as the sun sinks, Krishna veils it in false dusk, drawing the exultant Jayadratha into the open, then reveals the sun - and warns of the boon, so Arjuna sends the severed head into his father's lap, where the curse recoils on the father.
- The King of MadraYear -12Shalya, uncle of the Pandavas, is tricked by Duryodhana's hospitality into a boon that binds him to fight for the Kauravas, though he secretly serves the Pandavas by demoralizing Karna. Made the last Kaurava commander on day eighteen, he falls to Yudhishthira's spear, and his death breaks the Kaurava host - the war's tragedy of divided loyalty.
- The Spear Meant for ArjunaYear -11On the torchlit fourteenth night of the war, Bhima's rakshasa son Ghatotkacha ravages the Kaurava army until Duryodhana begs Karna to stop him. Unable to kill the night-giant by any other means, Karna is forced to spend the infallible Vasava Shakti - the one weapon he had saved to kill Arjuna. Ghatotkacha dies, crushing thousands beneath his falling body, and unknowingly saves Arjuna's life.
- Uluka's Embassy - The Last Words Before the WarYear -10With the armies camped across Kurukshetra, Duryodhana spends his final embassy on insults, sending Shakuni's son Uluka with taunts for each Pandava and for Krishna. The answers come back calm, exact, and terrible - and the next sound between the camps is the conch at first light.
- The Weapon That Could Not Be FacedYear -9Grief-maddened at his father Drona's death, Ashvatthama looses the Narayanastra, which grows fiercer the more it is resisted and rains annihilation on the Pandava host. Krishna commands all to throw down their arms and bow in total submission; the weapon passes them by - but proud Bhima must be forcibly disarmed and pulled down to be saved.
- The Gleaner Who Refused HeavenYear -3The sage Mudgala lives at Kurukshetra by gleaning fallen grains like a bird, yet gives away even that little without complaint. The gods send the irascible Durvasa to test him, who devours his food and abuses him through six harvests - and cannot shake his serene contentment. Offered heaven itself as reward, Mudgala questions its nature, learns that heaven too is impermanent, and refuses it to seek the peace that does not pass.
- Sarama's CurseYear 50Janamejaya's brothers beat a dog (Sarama's son) who was simply looking at the sacrificial ghee. The mother dog Sarama curses Janamejaya that evil will befall him.
- The Sage Who Tested the GodsYear 84Sent by the sages to learn which god is greatest in goodness, Bhrigu insults each: Brahma masters his anger, Shiva's wrath is checked by the goddess, but Vishnu, kicked on the chest, shows no anger and tends the sage's foot in concern. The verdict: the truest greatness is forbearance, not the power to punish.
Stories Set at Kurukshetra
The Bhagavad Gita
The Song of God
The Terrible Vow
The Sacrifice of Devavrata
The Meeting of Brothers
The Lesson in Humility
The Fall of the Guru
The Half-Lie of the Dharma King
The Secret of the Sun
A Mother's Plea, A Warrior's Promise
The Forest Retreat
Book 15 - How the Blind King Walked Into the Woods to Die
The Iron Maces
Book 16 - The Curse That Destroyed Krishna's People
The Eve of Battle
Last Embassies Before Kurukshetra
The Fall of Bhishma and the Earrings
Indra's Gift, the Grandsire's Bed of Arrows
Arjuna's Vow and the Fall of Drona
Jayadratha, the Night Battle of Ghatotkacha, and the Lie That Killed a Teacher
Duryodhana's Last Stand
Shalya, the Twins, and a King in a Lake
The Aftermath of War
The Night Massacre, the Women's Lament, and a Curse on Krishna
Bhishma on the Bed of Arrows
Fifty-Eight Days of Teaching, and a King Crowned at His Feet
The Fire-Born and the Woman Who Became a Man
Drupada's Children, Drona's Old Feud, and Amba's Vow Across Lives
Ancient Beginnings
The Earth's Plea, the Descent of the Gods, and the Sages Who Began the Telling
The Epic Composed
Vyasa at Badarikashrama, Astika at the Snake Sacrifice, and the Story First Told
The Serpent Prince's Sacrifice
Iravan, Son of Ulupi, and the Price of Victory
The Abduction of Draupadi
Jayadratha's Crime and the Five Tufts of Shame
The Elephant King of the East
Bhagadatta, Supratika, and the Missile Krishna Took on His Chest
The Oath of the Doomed
Susharma and the Samsaptakas - the Army That Swore to Die
The Last Son of Karna
Vrishaketu, the Boy the Pandavas Raised in Their Brother's Place
The Spear Meant for Arjuna
The Death of Ghatotkacha
The Head That Watched the War
Barbarika and the Three Arrows
The Gleaner Who Refused Heaven
Mudgala and the Test of Durvasa
The Sage Who Tested the Gods
Bhrigu finds the greatest is greatest in forbearance
The Death of Karna
The chariot wheel, the curses, and the fall of the sun
Abhimanyu and the Wheel
The boy who could enter the formation but not leave it
The Sun That Set
Arjuna's sunset vow and Krishna's hidden sun
The Blood Vow
Bhima fulfills the oath sworn over Draupadi's hair
The King of Madra
A good man bound by a rash promise to the wrong side
The Severed Arm
Two breaches of the code in a single combat
The Weapon That Could Not Be Faced
Ashvatthama's irresistible astra, undone by submission
Bhima and Hidimbi
The Birth of Ghatotkacha
Uluka's Embassy
The Last Words Before the War
The Revival of Parikshit
The Act of Truth