Glossary of Names and Terms

Abhimanyu

son of Arjuna; killed on the twelfth day of the war; his son, Parikshit, by his wife, Uttara, is killed in the womb by Ashwatthama's brahmastra, but brought back to life by Krishna

adharma

actions that are unjust, oppressive, cruel, violent; opposite of dharma

ahimsa

nonviolence

Andha Yug

literally, "The Age of Blindness"; in the play, refers to the twilight period between the Dvapara Yug and Kali Yug

Arjuna

third of the five Pandava brothers; fathered by the God Indra; an intimate friend of Lord Krishna

ashwatha

sacred species of large banyan, also known as bo or peepul

Ashwatthama

son of Dronacharya; avenges his father's death by killing Dhristadyumna and all five sons of Draupadi in a night raid; for releasing the brahmastra, Krishna curses him to live as an outcast

atyachar

atrocity

Balarama

Krishna's older brother; master teacher of the warrior arts to the Pandavas and Kauravas; goes on a pilgrimage but returns on the last day of the war

Bhagavata Purana

sacred Hindu text in verse primarily about the life of Lord Krishna

Bhima

son of Kunti by the God Vayu; second oldest of the five Pandava brothers; avenges Draupadi by killing Dushasana and Duryodhana

Bhishma

sage and patriarch of the Pandavas and Kauravas; fights on the side of the Kauravas, though he can foresee the outcome

brahmastra

one of the three divine weapons, containing cataclysmic, fiery energy capable of destroying the universe

dharma

in general, what is transcendently good or right to do or be; more specifically, (1) ethical action appropriate to specific kinds of people and situations; (2) correctness, rightness, goodness, or justice of actions; (3) universally good attributes, such as purity, truthfulness, generosity, steadfastness, and self-control

dharmaraj

someone who is a leading exponent of dharma

Dhristadyumna

brother of Draupadi; when Drona lays down his weapons, Dhristadyumna kills him, thus provoking the wrath of Ashwatthama

Dhritarashtra

blind regent of Pandu's kingdom; husband of Gandhari; father of the one hundred Kauravas and of Yuyutsu

Draupadi

wife-in-common of the Pandava brothers; humiliated by the Kauravas in their assembly hall after she was wagered and lost by Yudhishthira in a crooked dice-game

drishya kavya

literally, "visual poetry"; traditional form of Indian drama

Drona/Dronacharya

sage and warrior who teaches archery to the Pandavas and Kauravas; fights on the side of the Kauravas; is tricked by Yudhishthira into laying down his weapons, then slain by Dhristadyumna

Duryodhana

firstborn of the one hundred Kaurava brothers; son of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari

Dushasana

one of the Kaurava brothers; attempted to disrobe Draupadi in the assembly hall after she was wagered and lost by Yudhishthira in a crooked dice-game

Dvapara Yug

third of the four cosmic ages, characterized by further decline in morality and dharma

Dwarkapuri

the capital city of the Yadava clan; Krishna's home city

Gandhari

wife of Dhritarashtra; when they marry, she blindfolds herself out of empathy for him; mother of the one hundred Kauravas

Hastinapur

capital of Pandu's kingdom; also known as "The City of Elephants"

Jara

hunter who shoots an arrow that kills Krishna; literally, "old age"

Kali Yug

last of the four cosmic ages, characterized by the ultimate decline of dharma

Karna

illegitimate son of Kunti and the God Surya; out of shame, Kunti placed the infant Karna in a polished wood box and set him adrift on a river, where he was found and raised by a family of low social rank; fights against the Pandavas

karuna

compassion; kindness

Kauravas

Dhritarashtra's one hundred sons, led by Duryodhana

Kripacharya

sage at the court of Hastinapur; teaches the warrior arts to the Pandavas and Kauravas; fights on the side of the Kauravas; joins Ashwatthama in a night raid

Krishna

incarnation of the Godhead Vishnu; born into the world as a son of Vasudeva, of the Yadava clan; kin to the Kauravas and Pandavas; does not fight in the war but is Arjuna's charioteer and influences the outcome

Kritavarma

born into the Yadava clan, but is a rival of his clansman Krishna; a powerful warrior and leader of the Yadava warriors who fight on the side...