1. The two major Epics of India: the RAMAYANA and the MAHABHARATA
 

2. Problems with Dating, Spelling, and Transliteration. (See p. xvi of Mahabharata for transliteration)
 

3. MAJOR CHARACTERS OF THE MAHABHARATA

BHISHMA (formerly, DEVAVRATA, the son of SHANTANU and the river Goddess GANGA)

VYASA: A sage credited with the authorship of the Mahabharata. Also father of Dhritarashtra and Pandu.

DHRITARASHTRA and GANDHARI (parents of the Kauravas)

KUNTI (wife of Pandu and mother of three of the Pandavas)

PANDU (Kunti's husband)

MADRI ( wife of Pandu and mother of Nakula and Sahadeva by the ASHWIN Twins)

SURYA (Sun-God) (fathered KARNA with Kunti)

THE FIVE PANDAVAS

Yudhishtira (by DHARMA - God of Righteousness)

Bhima (By VAYU - God of Wind)

Arjuna (By Indra - God of War)

Nakula (By the Ashwin Twins - the Gods of Medicine)

Sahadeva (Also by the Ashwins)

DRAUPADI (wife of all five Pandavas)

THE KAURAVAS

Duryodhana

Dusshasa

KARNA (son of Kunti by the Sun-god, SURYA, abandoned by her, and ally of the Kauravas)

KRISHNA - An incarnation of the God Vishnu, and ally of the Pandavas. Acted as the charioteer for Arjuna during the war and recounted the BHAGAVAT- GITA.
 

4. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MAHABHARATA
 

GEOGRAPHY AND POLITICAL ECONOMY
 

POLITICS

The rise of territorial states.

Colonization of the non-Arya territories

Incorporation of non-Aryas.

RELIGION

Incorporation of the non-Aryan religious figures into the Vedic religion.

Early "Hinduism"

Emergence of VARNASHRAMA DHARMA.

SOCIAL ORDER

Gender Relations.

Caste Order.
 

5. OTHER NAMES AND TERMS

KURUKSHETRA (the battlefield of the great war)

INDRAPRASTHA (capital of the Pandavas: near the present day capital of India: NEW DELHI)

HASTINAPURA (capital of the Kauravas [Dhritarashtra's capital, actually])