Mahaabhaarata

Mahabharata
Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra
Information
Religion	Hinduism
Author	Vyasa
Language	Sanskrit
Verses	200,000

The Mahābhārata (US: /məhɑːˈbɑːrətə/,UK: /ˌmɑːhəˈbɑːrətə/;Sanskrit: महाभारतम्, Mahābhāratam, pronounced [məɦaːˈbʱaːrət̪əm]) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rāmāyaṇa. The title may be translated as "the great tale of the Bhārata dynasty".

The Mahābhārata is an epic legendary narrative of the Kurukṣetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes. It also contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or puruṣārtha (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the Mahābhārata are the Bhagavad Gita, the story of Damayanti, an abbreviated version of the Rāmāyaṇa, and the story of Ṛṣyasringa, often considered as works in their own right.