Mahabharata Family Tree Explained: Discovering the Epic’s Legendary Ancestry

The Mahabharata unfolds a comprehensive narrative, enriched with an extensive family tree that spans several generations. This simplified, sequential breakdown emphasizes the key characters according to their generational placement, alongside other noteworthy individuals within the Mahabharata family tree.

Generation 1 in the Mahabharata Family Tree: The Elders

1. Shantanu: A king of the Kuru dynasty, he is the father of Bhishma. His marriage to Ganga and later Satyavati sets the stage for the epic’s dynastic struggles.
2. Ganga: First wife of Shantanu, mother of Bhishma. She is a goddess of the river Ganges.
3. Satyavati: Second wife of Shantanu, mother of Vichitravirya and Chitrangada, and stepmother to Bhishma.
4. Bhishma (Devavrata): Son of Shantanu and Ganga. Known for his vow of celibacy and loyalty to the throne of Hastinapur.

Generation 2 in the Mahabharata Family Tree: The Throne’s Heirs

1. Chitrangada and Vichitravirya: Sons of Shantanu and Satyavati. Chitrangada dies in a duel, and Vichitravirya becomes king but dies young without heirs.
2. Vyasa: Son of Satyavati (from her pre-marital relationship with sage Parashara) and later the father of Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidura through niyoga.

Generation 3 in the Mahabharata Family Tree:The Parents of the Pandavas and Kauravas

1. Dhritarashtra: Eldest son of Vyasa and Ambika (Vichitravirya’s widow), born blind, father of the Kauravas.
2. Pandu: Second son of Vyasa and Ambalika (Vichitravirya’s other widow), father of the Pandavas.
3. Vidura: Son of Vyasa and a maid, known for his wisdom and impartial advice.
4. Gandhari: Wife of Dhritarashtra, mother of the Kauravas, known for blindfolding herself.
5. Kunti (Pritha): Wife of Pandu and mother of Karna (before marriage) and the first three Pandavas.
6. Madri: Second wife of Pandu, mother of Nakula and Sahadeva.

Generation 4 in the Mahabharata Family Tree: The Pandavas and Kauravas

1. Karna: Eldest son of Kunti (and the sun god Surya), raised by a charioteer’s family.
2. Yudhishthira: Eldest son of Pandu and Kunti (fathered by the god Dharma).
3. Bhima: Second son of Pandu and Kunti (fathered by the god Vayu).
4. Arjuna: Third son of Pandu and Kunti (fathered by the god Indra).
5. Nakula and Sahadeva: Twins, sons of Pandu and Madri (fathered by the Ashvins).
6. Duryodhana and his 99 brothers: Sons of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, the Kauravas.
7. Dushasana: Second among the Kaurava brothers, closely involved with Duryodhana.

Generation 5 in the Mahabharata Family Tree: The Next Generation

1. Abhimanyu: Son of Arjuna and Subhadra (Krishna’s sister), known for his valor.
2. Ghatotkacha: Son of Bhima and Hidimbi, a rakshasa (demon) woman.
3. Draupadi’s sons: Each Pandava fathered a son with Draupadi, who participated in the war.

Also read: The Epic Genesis: How the Mahabharata Unfolded Through Time

Other Key Figures

• Krishna: Cousin and charioteer to Arjuna, plays a key role in the Kurukshetra War.
• Drona: Teacher of both the Pandavas and Kauravas, father of Ashwatthama.
• Shakuni: Gandhari’s brother, known for his deviousness and significant role in the lead-up to the Kurukshetra War.
• Parashara: A sage who is the father of Vyasa with Satyavati before her marriage to Shantanu.
• Ambika and Ambalika: Wives of Vichitravirya, mothers of Dhritarashtra and Pandu respectively through Vyasa’s niyoga.
• Sage Kindama: A sage whom Pandu accidentally kills, resulting in Pandu’s curse that leads to his abstinence and eventual death.
• Subhadra: Sister of Krishna, wife of Arjuna, and mother of Abhimanyu.
• Uttara: Wife of Abhimanyu and mother of Parikshit, who becomes the sole survivor of the Pandava lineage after the Kurukshetra war.
• Hidimbi: A rakshasa woman who becomes Bhima’s wife and the mother of Ghatotkacha.
• Draupadi (Panchali): Wife of all five Pandavas, princess of Panchala, known for her beauty and pivotal role in the epic’s events.
• Kripa: A teacher of the princes of Hastinapur, known for his neutrality and serving as a counselor to the throne.
• Jayadratha: King of Sindhu, responsible for Abhimanyu’s death in the Kurukshetra war.
• Ashwatthama: Son of Drona, known for his role in the night-time massacre of the Pandava camp on the last night of the Kurukshetra war.
• Adhiratha and Radha: Karna’s adoptive parents, who found and raised him after Kunti abandoned him.
• Uttar: Son of King Virata, in whose kingdom the Pandavas stay in disguise during their year of incognito exile. Arjuna teaches him warfare.
• Shishupala: King of Chedi, cousin of Krishna, known for his enmity towards Krishna and his death at Krishna’s hands.
• Ekalavya: A young prince of the Nishadha tribe, known for his self-taught archery skills, who considers Drona as his mentor in spirit.
• Satyaki: A warrior of the Vrishni clan and a disciple of Arjuna, known for his bravery in the Kurukshetra war.
• Virata: King of Matsya, where the Pandavas spend their final year of exile in disguise.
• Drupada: King of Panchala, father of Draupadi, and Dhrishtadyumna (the commander of the Pandava army in the Kurukshetra war).
• Dhrishtadyumna: Son of Drupada, created to avenge Drona and serves as the Pandava general in the Kurukshetra war.