Gandhara Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Gandhara is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata
. The epic Ramayana
also mentions it as a western kingdom. Gandhara prince Sakuni was the root of all the conspiracies of Duryodhana
against the Pandavas, which finally resulted in the Kurukshetra War
. Sakuni's sister was the wife of the Kuru king Dhritarashtra
and was known as Gandhari
. Gandhara was in modern Pakistan. Puskalavati, Takshasila (Taxila
) and Purushapura (Peshawar
) were cities in this Gandhara kingdom. Takshasila was
founded by Raghava Rama's brother Bharata
. Bharata's descendants ruled this kingdom afterwards. During epic period it was ruled by Sakuni's father Suvala, Sakuni and Sakuni's son. Arjuna
defeated Sakuni's son during his post-war military campaign for Yudhisthira
's Aswamedha Yagna.
Janamejaya
, a Kuru king in Arjuna's line, conquered Takshasila, probably then ruled by the Naga Takshaka
. He conducted a massacre called Sarpa Satra meaning the slaughter of the snakes, in which the Naga
race was nearly exterminated. This massacre was stopped by a Brahmin
named Astika, whose mother was a Naga. Nagas were considered as a super human tribe, in Puranas
. Naga literally means a Serpent
or a serpent-god. The Nagas could be a group of people who inhabited India during epic periods who worshiped snakes.
It is speculated that another super human tribe called the Gandharvas
were originally inhabitants of the Gandhara kingdom. Gandharvas were well versed in music and art. This explains why there is much Gandhara influence in Indian Classical Music
. Gandhara form of sculpturing is also famous (very close to Greek
sculpturing).The Yadava
chief Bala Rama saw many Gandharva settlements on the banks of Saraswati River
, not far from Gandhara, during his pilgrimage over Saraswati river basin. The Gandharva Kali and Dwapara, probably were princes from Gandhara. The last two Yugas (prehistoric periods) were named after them. Kuru King Dhritarashtra
's wife was from Gandhara (a Gandharvi) well known by the name Gandhari
. There was a Gandhrava also by the name Dhritarashtra. (See Gandharva Kingdom
).
, Guhas, Pulindas, Savaras, Chuchukas, Madrakas
were also mentioned along with the first group.
period. His sons were Sakuni, Sauvala, Achala, Vrishaka and Vrihadvala (1,188). All of them were Gandhara chiefs. Sakuni lived in the court of Kurus
, as a councillor of king Duryodhana
. His sister Gandhari
was the mother of Duryodhana
. Suvala was present in the self-choice event of Draupadi
and in the Rajasuya sacrifice of Pandava
king Yudhisthira
. Sakuni was a skilled dice-player. (2,57). Gaya, Gavaksha, Vrishava, Charmavat, Arjava, and Suka were mentioned as brothers of Sakuni, all of them being the warriors in the Kurukshetra War
(6,91)
is mentioned to have subjugated Gandharas along with others like the Madrakas, the Matsyas, the Trigartas, the Tanganas, the Khasas, the Pancalas, the Videhas, the Kulindas, the Kasi-kosalas, the Suhmas, the Angas, the Nishadhas, the Pundras, the Kichakas, the Vatsas, the Kalingas, the Taralas, the Asmakas, and the Rishikas (8,8). Karna who vanquished all the Kambojas and the Amvashthas with the Kaikeyas, that puissant one, who, having for the accomplishment of his purpose vanquished the Gandharas and the Videhas in battle (8,9)
In the region called Aratta
, resides the people called the Vahikas
. The lowest of Brahmanas also are residing there from very remote times. They are without the Veda and without knowledge, without sacrifice and without the power to assist at other’s sacrifices. They are all fallen and many amongst them have been begotten by Shudras.. The gods never accept any gifts from them. The Prasthalas
, the Madras
, the Gandharas, the Aratta
s, those called Khasas
, the Vasatis, the Sindhus
and the Sauviras
are almost as blamable in their practices (8,44)
This indicate that the Gandharas followed the Bahlika Culture
. See the article Bahlika Culture
for more details.
. Gandhara army united with the Kaurava army right from the camping phase along with the chiefs of the Sakas, the Kiratas, and Yavanas, the Sivis and the Vasatis (5,198)
The following are other references that give valuable information on their role in Kurukshetra War
:-
. He then reached the Gandhara country
Arjuna
reached the country of the five waters which swelled with population and prosperity. From there he proceeded to the country of Gandharas. Then occurred a fierce battle between Arjuna
and the ruler of Gandharas, viz., the son of Sakuni (14,83)
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. The epic Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
also mentions it as a western kingdom. Gandhara prince Sakuni was the root of all the conspiracies of Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
against the Pandavas, which finally resulted in the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. Sakuni's sister was the wife of the Kuru king Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra
In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
and was known as Gandhari
Gandhari (character)
Gāndhārī is a character in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. In the epic, she was an incarnation of Mati, as the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara, or the modern Kandahar, a region spanning northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, from which her name is derived...
. Gandhara was in modern Pakistan. Puskalavati, Takshasila (Taxila
Taxila
Taxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.Taxila is situated about northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road...
) and Purushapura (Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
) were cities in this Gandhara kingdom. Takshasila was
founded by Raghava Rama's brother Bharata
Bharata (Ramayana)
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Bharata was the second brother of the main protagonist Rama, and the son of Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha was the Emperor of Ayodhya and belonged to the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty...
. Bharata's descendants ruled this kingdom afterwards. During epic period it was ruled by Sakuni's father Suvala, Sakuni and Sakuni's son. Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
defeated Sakuni's son during his post-war military campaign for Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
's Aswamedha Yagna.
Janamejaya
Janamejaya
Janamejaya was a Kuru king. He was the son of Parikshit and Madravati. He was the grandson of Abhimanyu and the great-grandson of Arjuna, the valiant warrior hero of the Mahābhārata. He was ascended to the Kuru throne following the death of his father. His significance comes as the listener of the...
, a Kuru king in Arjuna's line, conquered Takshasila, probably then ruled by the Naga Takshaka
Takshaka
Takshaka was one of the Nagas mentioned in the epic Mahābhārata. He lived in a city named Takshasila, which was the new territory of Takshaka after his race was banished by Pandavas lead by Arjuna from the Khandava Forest and Kurukshetra, where they built their new kingdom.- The king of...
. He conducted a massacre called Sarpa Satra meaning the slaughter of the snakes, in which the Naga
Naga Kingdom
Naga Kingdom refers to the territory of a tribe called Nagas who were a group of hardy and warlike people spread throughout India during far ancient history. They were also considered as one of the supernatural races like Kinnaras and Yakshas...
race was nearly exterminated. This massacre was stopped by a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
named Astika, whose mother was a Naga. Nagas were considered as a super human tribe, in Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
. Naga literally means a Serpent
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
or a serpent-god. The Nagas could be a group of people who inhabited India during epic periods who worshiped snakes.
It is speculated that another super human tribe called the Gandharvas
Gandharva Kingdom
Gandharva Kingdom refers to the territory inhabited by a people called the Gandharvas, who were one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. They were well versed in music and dance. Gandarvas were also powerful warriors who roamed in Indian kingdoms disregarding any Indian king or Kshatriya warrior...
were originally inhabitants of the Gandhara kingdom. Gandharvas were well versed in music and art. This explains why there is much Gandhara influence in Indian Classical Music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
. Gandhara form of sculpturing is also famous (very close to Greek
Art in Ancient Greece
The arts of ancient Greece have exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many countries all over the world, particularly in the areas of sculpture and architecture. In the West, the art of the Roman Empire was largely derived from Greek models...
sculpturing).The Yadava
Yadu
Yadu is one of the five Indo-Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda . The Mahabharata, the Harivamsha and the Puranas mention Yadu as the eldest son of king Yayati and his queen Devayani. The prince of King Yayati, Yadu was a self-respecting and a very established ruler...
chief Bala Rama saw many Gandharva settlements on the banks of Saraswati River
Sarasvati River
The Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
, not far from Gandhara, during his pilgrimage over Saraswati river basin. The Gandharva Kali and Dwapara, probably were princes from Gandhara. The last two Yugas (prehistoric periods) were named after them. Kuru King Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra
In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
's wife was from Gandhara (a Gandharvi) well known by the name Gandhari
Gandhari (character)
Gāndhārī is a character in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. In the epic, she was an incarnation of Mati, as the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara, or the modern Kandahar, a region spanning northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, from which her name is derived...
. There was a Gandhrava also by the name Dhritarashtra. (See Gandharva Kingdom
Gandharva Kingdom
Gandharva Kingdom refers to the territory inhabited by a people called the Gandharvas, who were one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. They were well versed in music and dance. Gandarvas were also powerful warriors who roamed in Indian kingdoms disregarding any Indian king or Kshatriya warrior...
).
Gandhara, a kingdom in Ancient India (Bharata Varsha)
Gandhara is mentioned as a hilly country at (5,30). ---In the Krita age, they were nowhere on earth (meaning Ancient India). It is from the Treta age that they have had their origin and began to multiply. When the terrible period came, joining Treta and the Dwapara, the Kshatriyas, approaching one another, engaged themselves in battle.---Another group comprising AndrakasAndhra Kingdom
Andhra in Indian epic literature was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was a southern kingdom. Andhra and Kalinga are often used interchangeably. Andhras are sub-tribes of Andhra satavahanas. The state Andhra Pradesh got its name from this kingdom.Andhra Tribes are also mentioned in...
, Guhas, Pulindas, Savaras, Chuchukas, Madrakas
Madra Kingdom
Madra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king...
were also mentioned along with the first group.
Gandhara King Suvala
Suvala (1,110) was a king of Gandhara during the MahabharataMahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
period. His sons were Sakuni, Sauvala, Achala, Vrishaka and Vrihadvala (1,188). All of them were Gandhara chiefs. Sakuni lived in the court of Kurus
Kuru Kingdom
Kuru was the name of an ancient kingdom in Vedic India, and later a republican Mahajanapada state. The kingdom was located in the area of modern Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh in India. They formed the first political center of the of the Vedic India, with its capital at Hastinapur. It...
, as a councillor of king Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
. His sister Gandhari
Gandhari (character)
Gāndhārī is a character in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. In the epic, she was an incarnation of Mati, as the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara, or the modern Kandahar, a region spanning northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, from which her name is derived...
was the mother of Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
. Suvala was present in the self-choice event of Draupadi
Draupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...
and in the Rajasuya sacrifice of Pandava
Pandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
king Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
. Sakuni was a skilled dice-player. (2,57). Gaya, Gavaksha, Vrishava, Charmavat, Arjava, and Suka were mentioned as brothers of Sakuni, all of them being the warriors in the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
(6,91)
Other Gandhara Kings
- Gandhara King Nagnajit and his sons were conquered by Vasudeva Krishna to liberate king Sudarsana from their confinement(5,48) (16,6)
- Vasudeva Krishna, vanquishing all the kings at a self-choice, bore away the daughter of the king of the Gandharas (7,11). This Gandhar princess went to forest mode of life after Krishna's death.(16,7)
- The mighty ruler of the Gandhara land, born in the lunar dynasty of kings was slain by Mandhata of IkshwakuIkshwakuIkshwakus were a mythical dynasty of rulers of ancient India, which branched out from the Solar Dynasty. They ruled from the Kosala Kingdom with Ayodhya as their capital. The two Indian epics, viz. Ramayana and Mahabharata have numerous mentions of this dynasty. The most famous among all the...
race. (3,26)
Karna's Conquests
KarnaKarna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
is mentioned to have subjugated Gandharas along with others like the Madrakas, the Matsyas, the Trigartas, the Tanganas, the Khasas, the Pancalas, the Videhas, the Kulindas, the Kasi-kosalas, the Suhmas, the Angas, the Nishadhas, the Pundras, the Kichakas, the Vatsas, the Kalingas, the Taralas, the Asmakas, and the Rishikas (8,8). Karna who vanquished all the Kambojas and the Amvashthas with the Kaikeyas, that puissant one, who, having for the accomplishment of his purpose vanquished the Gandharas and the Videhas in battle (8,9)
Karna's opinion on Gandharas
- Karna mentions that among the MadrasMadra KingdomMadra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king...
and the Gandharas, Kshatriyas were seen as priests rather than the Brahmanas (8,40)
In the region called Aratta
Aratta
Aratta is a land that appears in Sumerian myths surrounding Enmerkar and Lugalbanda, two early and possibly mythical kings of Uruk also mentioned on the Sumerian king list.-Role in Sumerian literature:Aratta is described as follows in Sumerian literature:...
, resides the people called the Vahikas
Bahlika Kingdom
All the western Indian kingdoms were known by the general name Bahlika meaning outsider. Thus these people were considered as outsiders of the Vedic culture. However, the name Bahlika is sometimes used to denote a kingdom within the present Punjab, different from Madra, Sindhu, Kekeya, Gandhara or...
. The lowest of Brahmanas also are residing there from very remote times. They are without the Veda and without knowledge, without sacrifice and without the power to assist at other’s sacrifices. They are all fallen and many amongst them have been begotten by Shudras.. The gods never accept any gifts from them. The Prasthalas
Trigarta Kingdom
Trigarta was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. Mahabharata mentions two different Trigarta kingdoms, one in the west close to the Sivi Kingdom and the other north to the Kuru Kingdom. Modern Kangra district is one of the ancient town in North Trigarta, India, extending westward to the...
, the Madras
Madra Kingdom
Madra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king...
, the Gandharas, the Aratta
Aratta
Aratta is a land that appears in Sumerian myths surrounding Enmerkar and Lugalbanda, two early and possibly mythical kings of Uruk also mentioned on the Sumerian king list.-Role in Sumerian literature:Aratta is described as follows in Sumerian literature:...
s, those called Khasas
Khasa Kingdom
Khasas were a north western tribe mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. They were probably the modern day Kazakhs found predominantly in Kazakhstan a Central Asian Republic. It is not clear if the Khasas mentioned in Mahabharata were a migrant group from Khasakhstan or original Khasakhs...
, the Vasatis, the Sindhus
Sindhu Kingdom
Sindhu&sandhu was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It stretched along the banks of river Sindhu in the Ancient Greater India, which is now Pakistan. It is believed that Sindhu kingdom was founded by Vrsadarbh, one of sons of Sivi...
and the Sauviras
Sauvira Kingdom
Sauvira was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. According to the epic, Jayadratha was the king of Sindhus, Sauviras and Sivis. Probably Sauvira and Sivi were two kingdoms close to the Sindhu kingdom and Jayadratha conquered them. Jayadratha was an ally of Duryodhana and husband of...
are almost as blamable in their practices (8,44)
This indicate that the Gandharas followed the Bahlika Culture
Bahlika Culture
Bahlika Culture was a form of culture that prevailed in ancient India. This culture was linked to the Vedic culture, but with many variations. Often these variations were seen by the people following Vedic culture as deviations and they had a feeling of contempt upon the members of this culture. It...
. See the article Bahlika Culture
Bahlika Culture
Bahlika Culture was a form of culture that prevailed in ancient India. This culture was linked to the Vedic culture, but with many variations. Often these variations were seen by the people following Vedic culture as deviations and they had a feeling of contempt upon the members of this culture. It...
for more details.
Gandharas in Kurukshetra War
Gandharas were natural allied of Kauravas owing to Sakuni, the close companion of DuryodhanaDuryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
. Gandhara army united with the Kaurava army right from the camping phase along with the chiefs of the Sakas, the Kiratas, and Yavanas, the Sivis and the Vasatis (5,198)
The following are other references that give valuable information on their role in Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
:-
Gandhara heroes
- The KekayaKekeya KingdomKekeya is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. The epic Ramayana also mentions Kekeya as a western kingdom. One of the wives of Dasaratha, the king of Kosala and father of Raghava Rama, was from Kekeya kingdom and was known as Kaikeyi...
brothers, at the head of their troops, encountered in battle the five Gandhara princes with their troops. (6,45) - Gaya, Gavaksha, Vrishava, Charmavat, Arjava, and Suka those brothers of Sakuni rushed against the foe (6,91)warriors in Kurukshetra WarKurukshetra warAccording to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
(6,91) - Gandhara chief Vrishak and Achala battled with ArjunaArjunaArjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
(7,28) - AbhimanyuAbhimanyuAbhimanyu is a tragic hero in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. He is the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, who is the half-sister of Lord Krishna...
slew Suvala's son Kalikeya (7,47) - Sakuni and his son Uluka was followed by many fearless Gandhara horsemen armed with bright lances, and many mountaineers difficult to defeat (8,46)
- Sakuni slew the Kulinda king, the king of the mountaineers, in the PandavaPandavaIn the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
army. (8,85) - MadraMadra KingdomMadra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king...
army disobeyed Sakuni on 18th day and fought separately. (9,18). Dispute was resolved by DuryodhanaDuryodhanaIn the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
(9,23) - SahadevaSahadevaSahadeva was one of the five Pandava brothers according to the epic Mahābhārata. He was one of the twin sons of Madri, who invoked Ashvins using a mantra shared by Kunti for a son. His twin brother was named Nakula...
slew Sakuni and his son Uluka (9,28)
Gandhara army
- The mountaineers of Gandhara followed Sakuni (6,20)
- The Gandharas, the Sindhu-Sauviras, the Sivis and the Vasatis with all their combatants followed BhishmaBhishmaBhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
(6,51) - The Madras, the Sauviras, the Gandharas and the Trigartas were mentioned as battling united (6,71)
- The Madrakas, the Gandharas, the Sakunas were mentioned as battling united (7,20)
- The Kambojas, and Vanayus were mentioned united with the king of the Gandharas (8,7)
Arjuna's conquests
Aruna conducted a military campaign after the Kurukshetra WarKurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. He then reached the Gandhara country
Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
reached the country of the five waters which swelled with population and prosperity. From there he proceeded to the country of Gandharas. Then occurred a fierce battle between Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
and the ruler of Gandharas, viz., the son of Sakuni (14,83)
Gandhara musical note
Gandhara was also the name of a musical note, a technical term in the art of music. Mahabharata has several mentions of the Gandhara musical note. (4,17), (13,17)- The seven musical notes are Shadaja, Rishabha, together with Gandhara, Madhyama, and likewise Panchama; after this should be known Dhaivata, and then Nishada. (12,183), (14,50) AD