Source recordAncient text
Mahabharata
Vyasa (traditional attribution) · c. 400 BCE - 400 CE · Sanskrit
Ancient text
Mahabharata
Vyasa (traditional attribution)
The longest epic poem in existence, containing the Bhagavad Gita. Chronicles the Kurukshetra War and includes extensive Hindu mythology and philosophy.
About this work
The longest epic poem in existence, containing the Bhagavad Gita. Chronicles the Kurukshetra War and includes extensive Hindu mythology and philosophy.
Where to start
John D. Smith's abridged Penguin Classics translation (2009) is the most manageable entry point to the full epic; readers who want only the Gita can start with Eknath Easwaran's standalone translation.
Figures in the text
Heroes and divinities who feature prominently, with where they appear.
Key scenes
Turning points of the work, in reading order.
The Game of Dice
Yudhishthira loses the Pandavas' kingdom, and Draupadi is humiliated, in a rigged dice game with the Kauravas.
The Bhagavad Gita
On the eve of battle, Krishna counsels the grieving Arjuna on duty and the nature of the self.
The Death of Bhishma
The Pandavas' grandsire falls to a combined assault by Arjuna and Shikhandi, but lingers to choose the moment of his death.
The Death of Karna
Arjuna kills his secret half-brother Karna in the war's later stages.
The War's End
The last Kaurava commanders fall, and a night raid slaughters the sleeping Pandava camp.
Passages
Direct quotations are distinguished from editorial paraphrases and records awaiting verification.
“I am the mighty world-destroying Time, here made manifest for the purpose of infolding the world.”
Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita · 11.32 (p. 259)
Translation: Swami Swarupananda
Early-20th-century Swami Swarupananda translation, public-domain Sacred Texts web transcription; English-only replacement of prior unverified wording. Exact wording checked against the cited page at verse 32. Sacred Texts identifies the translation as English and public domain; only the English transcription was reviewed. English transcription checked 2026-09-23.
Read source“Discriminating then between righteousness, and unrighteousness, and understanding what is meant by covetousness and having recourse to exertion fight without arrogance, for victory is there where righteousness is.”
Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva · Book 6, Section XXI, Arjuna’s reply to Yudhishthira
Translation: Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Ganguli translation, Internet Sacred Text Archive transcription; replaces the unsupported Udyoga Parva attribution. English excerpt checked against the cited transcription on 2026-09-23; no original-language text is supplied. This replaces the previously unverified passage.
Read sourceStories drawn from it
Retellings in the atlas that quote or cite this work.
The MahabharataepicEpic saga of the conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas for the throne of Hastinapura, culminating in the great Kurukshetra war. Contains the Bhagavad Gita.
Shakuntala and DushyantaromanceKing Dushyanta falls in love with the hermit girl Shakuntala, but a curse makes him forget her entirely. Only when she produces his ring does memory return, reuniting them after years of separation.
About this record
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Dates and authorship follow standard scholarly references; for many ancient works both are approximate or disputed.