Mahabharata Gyan
Test your knowledge of the great epic — its warriors, weapons, vows, and the turning points of Kurukshetra.
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1. On which day of the Kurukshetra war did the sixteen-year-old Abhimanyu break into the Chakravyuha alone?
- • Day 10
- ✓ Day 13
- • Day 14
- • Day 18
Answer: Abhimanyu entered the Chakravyuha (Padmavyuha) on Day 13, deployed by Drona after Bhishma's fall, while Arjuna and Krishna were lured away to the southern front.
Read the full story →2. Whose boon allowed a single warrior to hold off all the Pandavas except Arjuna, trapping Abhimanyu inside the formation?
- ✓ Jayadratha's boon from Shiva
- • Karna's boon from Indra
- • Drona's boon from Brahma
- • Ashwatthama's boon from Vishnu
Answer: Jayadratha, king of Sindhu, held a boon from Lord Shiva that let him single-handedly block all the Pandavas (except Arjuna) for one day, sealing Abhimanyu inside.
Read the full story →3. What did Devavrata vow that earned him the name 'Bhishma'?
- • To never wield a weapon
- • To rule Hastinapura justly forever
- ✓ Lifelong celibacy, renouncing throne and children
- • To protect Draupadi at all costs
Answer: Devavrata renounced the throne and took a vow of lifelong celibacy so his father could marry Satyavati; the gods named him Bhishma ('the one of the terrible vow').
Read the full story →4. What special boon did Bhishma receive from his father Shantanu?
- • Invincibility in battle
- ✓ Iccha Mrityu — death only at his own will
- • The power to become invisible
- • An inexhaustible quiver of arrows
Answer: Shantanu granted Bhishma iccha mrityu — he could not die until he himself chose death, which is why he waited on the bed of arrows for Uttarayana.
Read the full story →5. Why did Parashurama curse Karna so that the Brahmastra would fail him when needed most?
- • Karna disobeyed him in battle
- ✓ Karna lied about his caste to gain the teaching
- • Karna refused to pay guru dakshina
- • Karna defeated him in a duel
Answer: Karna disguised himself as a Brahmin since Parashurama taught only Brahmins; when his endurance of pain revealed him as a Kshatriya, the enraged guru cursed his Brahmastra to fail in his hour of need.
Read the full story →6. Why is Karna honoured with the title 'Danveer'?
- • For his unmatched archery
- • For his loyalty to Duryodhana
- ✓ For his boundless generosity in giving, even his divine armour
- • For never losing a single combat
Answer: Karna is called Danveer (hero of giving) because generosity was his identity — he even cut the divine Kavach-Kundal from his own body and gave it to the disguised Indra.
Read the full story →7. What did Karna receive from Indra in exchange for his Kavach-Kundal?
- • The Vajra thunderbolt
- ✓ The Vasavi Shakti — a one-use spear of lightning
- • The Sudarshana Chakra
- • The bow Gandiva
Answer: Indra, except for his own Vajra, let Karna choose any weapon; Karna chose the Vasavi Shakti, a divine spear that would kill any single target but could be used only once.
Read the full story →8. Karna had saved the Vasavi Shakti to kill Arjuna, but on the night of Day 14 he was forced to use it on whom?
- • Bhima
- ✓ Ghatotkacha
- • Dhrishtadyumna
- • Yudhishthira
Answer: Krishna lured Bhima's half-Rakshasa son Ghatotkacha into the night battle; his rampage forced Duryodhana to beg Karna to spend the Vasavi Shakti on him, leaving Karna without it against Arjuna.
Read the full story →9. In the dice game, what final stake did Yudhishthira wager after losing himself?
- • The kingdom of Indraprastha
- • His brother Arjuna
- ✓ Draupadi
- • His chariot and weapons
Answer: After staking and losing his brothers and then himself, Yudhishthira wagered Draupadi — leading to her dragging into the sabha and her famous legal question.
Read the full story →10. Which Kaurava prince was the sole voice in the sabha who stood up and declared the dice game and the staking of Draupadi unjust?
- • Dushasana
- ✓ Vikarna
- • Yuyutsu
- • Vidura
Answer: Vikarna, a younger brother of Duryodhana, was the only person in the assembly who openly declared the staking of Draupadi invalid; he was silenced by his own side.
Read the full story →11. At the enchanted lake, the Yaksha offered to revive one brother. Which brother did Yudhishthira choose, and why?
- • Arjuna — the greatest warrior
- • Bhima — the strongest
- ✓ Nakula — so his stepmother Madri would also have a living son
- • Sahadeva — the wisest
Answer: Yudhishthira chose Nakula so that Madri, his father's other wife, would also have a surviving son — choosing fairness over tactical advantage, which the Yaksha (his father Dharma) approved.
Read the full story →12. According to Yudhishthira's answer to the Yaksha, what is the greatest wonder in the world?
- • That the sun rises every day
- ✓ That mortals see others die daily yet believe themselves immortal
- • That the mind is faster than the wind
- • That a mother is heavier than the earth
Answer: Yudhishthira answered that the greatest wonder is that beings see others go to Yama's abode daily, yet those who remain still wish to live forever.
Read the full story →13. Whose conch was named Panchajanya, blown at the start of the Kurukshetra war?
- • Arjuna
- ✓ Krishna
- • Bhima
- • Yudhishthira
Answer: As the Bhagavad Gita opens, Krishna (Hrishikesha) blew Panchajanya, while Arjuna blew Devadatta, Bhima Paundra, and Yudhishthira Anantavijaya.
Read the full story →14. How many warriors made up one Akshauhini, the largest unit of the Mahabharata's army system?
- • 18,000
- • 109,350
- ✓ 218,700
- • 390,000
Answer: One Akshauhini comprised 218,700 warriors (21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610 cavalry, 109,350 infantry); 18 such Akshauhinis fought at Kurukshetra.
Read the full story →15. How were the 18 Akshauhinis at Kurukshetra divided between the two sides?
- • 9 Kaurava and 9 Pandava
- ✓ 11 Kaurava and 7 Pandava
- • 7 Kaurava and 11 Pandava
- • 12 Kaurava and 6 Pandava
Answer: The Kauravas assembled 11 Akshauhinis and the Pandavas 7; despite being outnumbered, the Pandavas won through superior leadership and strategy.
Read the full story →16. Arjuna won the Pashupatastra from Shiva, who appeared disguised as which figure in the Kiratarjuniya episode?
- • A wandering Brahmin
- ✓ A Kirata (tribal hunter)
- • A celestial musician
- • A wounded soldier
Answer: Shiva appeared as a Kirata (tribal hunter) and fought Arjuna over a boar; after testing his courage, Shiva revealed himself and granted the supreme Pashupatastra — which Arjuna never used in the war.
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