Tag: general knowledge

Vidura was the chief counsellor and advisor to Dhritarashtra in the Mahabharata. Known for his wisdom and adherence to dharma, Vidura repeatedly advised Dhritarashtra against supporting his son Duryodhana's unjust actions. Sanjaya was the charioteer who narrated the war to Dhritarashtra, Shakuni was Duryodhana's uncle, and Bhishma was the grand patriarch who commanded the Kaurava army initially.

Bhishma won three princesses - Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika - for his half-brother Vichitravirya to marry. Amba, however, refused to marry Vichitravirya as she was already in love with another king. Ambuja is not one of the sisters mentioned in the Mahabharata narrative; it appears to be a fabricated option. The three sisters were all daughters of the King of Kashi.

The Mahabharata war, also known as the Kurukshetra war, lasted for 18 days according to the epic. Each day had specific battles and events that culminated in the final confrontation on the 18th day. This is a well-documented fact in the Mahabharata text and is consistently mentioned in traditional accounts.

In the Mahabharata, Rishi Kindam cursed King Pandu. The curse stated that Pandu would die if he attempted to engage in sexual intercourse. This occurred after Pandu accidentally shot the Rishi while he was in the form of a deer. Vyasa, Durvasa, and Vishwamitra are other prominent sages.

Bheema (Bhimasena) killed Duryodhana in a mace fight on the 18th day of the Kurukshetra war. Fulfilling his oath to break Duryodhana's thighs, Bheema struck Duryodhana on his thighs with his mace after an intense duel. This was in retaliation for Duryodhana's role in Draupadi's humiliation. Arjuna killed Karna, Yudhishthira was the eldest Pandava king, and Karna was killed by Arjuna, not Duryodhana.

Harshavardhana (Harsha) belonged to the Vardhana (also called Pushyabhuti) dynasty, which ruled from Thanesar and later Kanauj. He unified much of North India after the Gupta decline and ruled from 606-647 CE. The Maurya, Gupta, and Kanva were different dynasties from other periods.

Sri Gupta (c. 240-280 CE) is regarded as the founder of the Gupta dynasty, though his grandson Chandragupta I (r. 320-335 CE) was the first great ruler who significantly expanded the empire and started the Gupta Era. Chandragupta II was a later famous ruler. Bimbisara belonged to the Haryanka dynasty.

Madhuri Dixit made her acting debut with the film 'Abodh' in 1984. While 'Tezaab' (1988) was her breakthrough film and 'Dil' (1990) and 'Parinda' (1989) were major hits, 'Abodh' was her first appearance on the silver screen.

Pulakeshin I (c. 543-566 CE) established the Chalukya dynasty of Badami in South India. His son Kirtivarman I and grandson Pulakeshin II expanded the kingdom; Pulakeshin II was famous for defeating Harshavardhana. Kirtivarman II was the last ruler of this dynasty.