What's in the Name?

In the past Gandharva Chitrangada fought and killed Shantanuputra Chitrangada because both of them didn’t want to share the name. Paundraka Vasudeva was killed by Krishna Vasudeva. Dasharathi Rama confronted Parashu Rama. 

In the Kurukshetra war fought between thousands of warriors. With 100 Kauravas and so many princes and warriors, many must have shared the names and confusion must have occurred, often.

Sahadeva Pandava and Sahadeva the king of Magadha both fought for Pandavas and latter was killed by Drona,

Jayatsena was prince of Magadha, killed by Abhimanyu, Jayatsena Kaurava was killed by Bhima.

Alamvusha Rakshasa son of Rishyasringa was killed by Ghatotkacha in Dronaparva and Alamvusha Rakshasa son of Jatasura also was killed by him in Karna Parva.

There were three pairs of “Vinda and Anuvinda”. First pair being sons of Gandhari killed by Bhima, second pair was from Avanti, killed by Arjuna and third pair of Kekaya princes killed by Satyaki.

Vrihadvala prince of Gandhara was killed by Arjuna’s son Eravan and Vrihadvala king of Kosala by Abhimanyu.

Name Chitrasena seems to be very popular. In Drona Parva (Ch 134) Kaurava prince Chitrasena was killed by Bhima (still in Ch 166 he fights and gets defeated by Shatanika). In Karna Parva Chitrasena (Ch 6) of sea coast was killed by Samudrasen and Abhira King Chitrasena was slain by Shrutakarma (Ch 14). Panchala warrior Chitrasena (Ch 48) was killed by Karna and Karna’s brother Chitrasena by Yudhamanyu (Ch 83). In Shalya Parva (Ch 10) Nakula dispatches Karna’s son Chitrasena to Yama’s abode.

Even the epic has at times confused. Shatanika son of Nakula was killed by Ashvatthama on 18^th night. But Shatanika Virata’s brother was killed by Bhishma (6/119) by Drona (7/210 and by Shalya (7/165) too!

Gandhari had 100 sons and their names appear with some difference at different places in Mahabharata. Some of the names are Bhimaratha, Bhimabala, Bhimavikrama and Bhimavega. In Bhishma Parva (Ch 64), names of Kauravas killed by Bhima on fourth day include Bhimaratha and Bhima!!

Fortunately, no one shared the names of bows, Gandiva and Vijaya used in the war, neither conches of Pandavas- Panchajanya, Ananta-Vijaya, Poundra-Khadga, Devadatta, Sughosha and Mani-pushpaka. But out of four horses Shaibya, Sugreeva, Meghapushpa and Balaahaka of Krishna’s chariot, name Shaibya is shared by warrior from Pandava side. Supratik was famous elephant of Bhagadatta killed by Arjuna. But Bhima discovered and killed elephant named Ashvatthama and managed to confuse Drona. To confirm the rumor about the death of his son Ashvatthama, Drona asked Yudhishthira if Ashvatthama has really been killed and he got the reply “Ashwathama had died but he was not sure whether it was a human or an elephant- Ashvatthama Hatahatah, naro va Kunjaro va”, Last half of the sentence could not be heard by Drona, which enabled Dhrishtadyumna to behead Drona.

There must be many more names shared by the warriors. With so many names Mahabharata doesn’t give name of son of Duhshasana who had slain Abhimanyu. Durmarshana killed in Shalyaparva by Bhima was son of Gandhari and not her grandson.

Departure of Heroes of Kuru and Yadu Dynesties

Character	How the end came	Comment
Pratipa	Vanaprastha with wife Sunanda	Devapi-leprosy abdicated Bahlika-ruled maternal uncle’s Balkha-Somadatta-Bhurishrava, Bhuri, Shala
Shantanu	Died while ruling the kingdom
Ganga	Left Shantanu after birth of Devavrata Bhishma Deathless Goddess
Satyavati	After the death of Pandu went to forest with Ambika and Ambalika
Bhishma	Injured by Shikhandi+Arjuna-Death by choice
Vyasa	Chiranjivi
Chitrangada	Killed by Chitrangada Gandharva
Vichitravirya	Died of Raja-yakshma
Ambika-Mother of Dhritarashtra	After the death of Pandu went to forest	Amba-self immolated Next birth Shikhandi-killed by Ashvatthama
Ambalika/Kausalya-Mother of Pandu	After the death of Pandu went to forest
Pandu	Due to a curse, died when tried to be intimate with wife Madri
Madri	Committed Sati with Pandu
Kunti	15 years after war vanaprastha ashrama. The three perished in forest fire. Dhritarashtra sent back Sanjaya. Vidura looked at Yudhishthira deeply and left his body.
Dhritarashtra		Gavalganaputra Sanjaya Survived forestfire
Gandhari		Yuyutsu’s mother Sughada No further mention
Vidura (Parishrami + Vyasa Putra)		Vidura’s wife Sulabha No further mention. Any sons?
Kauravas	All hundred Killed by Bhima Yuyutsu survived	Yuyutsu was care taker of Parikshita/ Indraprastha
Kaurava wives	No further mention
Kaurava Sons & Grandsons	All killed by sons of Pandavas
Duhshala	Remained in Sindhu-Sauvira
Jayadratha	Killed by Arjuna
Son of Duhshala- Suradha	Dies of grief when Arjuna comes along with Ashvamegha horse.  His minor son made king
Karna	Killed by Arjuna Radha-Adhiratha survived Nurtured Vrishaketu Karna’s Brothers killed in the war
Karna’s Wives Vrushali and Supriya	Vrushali Committed  Sati Supriya/Padmavati  perhaps nurtured Vrishaketu
Karna’s Nine Sons	Eight of them-Vrishasens, Chitrasena, satyasena, Sushena, Shatrumjaya, Dvipata, Banasena, Prasena Killed by Arjuna, Bhima, Satyaki, Nakula Vrishaketu survived Nurtured by Arjuna, killed by Babhruvahana, revived by Ulupi and became Anga King
Pandavas and Draupadi	Swargarohana
Draupadeyas	Killed by Ashvatthama	Prativindhya, Sutasoma, Shrutakirti, Shatanika and Shrutakarma
Other wives and sons of Pandavas	Yudhisthira+Saivya Devika-Yaudheya, Bhima+Kashi Valandhara-Sarvaga, Nakula+Chedi Karenumati-Niramitra, Sahadeva+Madra Vijaya-Suhotra, Manipura princess Chitrangada and son Babhruvahana appear in Ashvamedha Parva. In Jaimineya Ashvedhaparva Arjuna also marries queen of Naripura-Parimala also Jammu’s Dogra princes of Babour gave birth to Babhruvahana II—Stayed in their fathers houses. No further mention
Abhimanyu	Killed by Daushasani+6
Subhadra	Remained with Parikshita
Uttara
Vatsala
Parikshita	Died of Takshaka bite due to curse	Wife Madravati/Iravati (daughter of Uttar)
Janmejaya	Abdicated due to differences with Vaishampayana. Hastinapura ruled by his descendants and Indraprastha by the descendents of his brother Kakshasena	Wife Vapushtama Son Shatanika or Ashvameghadatta
Hidimbi	Remained at Hidimbavat
Ghatotkacha	Killed by Karna
Anjanaparva	Killed by Ashvathhama
Meghavarna	Son of Ghatotkacha helped Pandva for Ashvamedha Yadnya rules Hidimbavat lives with mother Ahilavati/Maurvi Nagakanya	Not in Vyasa Mahabharata but in Jaimini’s Ashvamedha Parva
Barbareeka	Son of Ghatotkacha, gives head to Lord Krishna before the war
Ulupi	Remained in Naga capital close to Manipura
Eravana	Killed by Rakshasa Alambusha
Chitrangada	Remained at Manipura with son Babhruvahana as king
Vasudeva-Devaki-Rohini	Vasudeva died of grief when Krishna left for Vaikuntha and Devaki, Rohini and other wives committed Sati
Balarama	Meditated and left for Vaikuntha (Adi Shesha Ananta departed his body from his mouth)
Revati wife of Balarama	Committed Sati
Sons of Balarama	Nishatha, Ulmuka were killed inYadavi
Yogamaya	Nanda-Yashoda’s daughter, Exchanged for Krishna, Kansa tried to kill her but escapes.
Krishna	Meditated and left for Vaikuntha (hit by an arrow of hunter Jara)
Rukmini	Committed Sati along with Jambavati, princes of Gandhara, Shaivya (Mitravinda-Avanti), Haimaavati
Other wives of Krishna	Satyabhama and (Nagnajiti Kosala, Kalindi-Yamuna, Bhadra-Kekaya, Lakshmana-Madra, Satya, Rohini) entered the forest, to practice of penances.	According to Bhagavata  Krishna’s wives, daughter-in-laws, etc committed Sati
Radha	Name doesn’t appear in Mahabharata, Harivansha, Bhagavata & Vishnu Purana Nanda and Yashoda: Met Krishna and Balarama during solar eclips at Kurukshetra (before Subhadra-haran according to Bhagavata), No further mention
Krishna’s sons, grandsons, friends cousins	All except Vajra, Killed each other at Prabhasa (Somanatha). Curse of Rishi and Gandhari
Vajra (nabha) son of Aniruddha	Established at Indraprastha by Arjuna according to Mahabharata. At Mathura/Vraja according to Bhagavata
Uddhava	Left for pilgrimage
Vrishni Satyaki’s son Yuyudhani	Established on the bank of Saraswati
Bhoja Kritavarma’s son Bali	Established at Marttikavat
Samba’s son Ushneek	Established at Kashyapur (near Multan)
Dwarika	Established by Sri Krishna after leaving Mathura. Submerged in Sea after Yadavi
Hastinapura	Kuru capital. Ruled by descendants of Kuru, Capital shifted further east to Kaushambi due to repeated Gangetic floods around 600 BC. Kurus further divided into Kuru Vatsa of Kaushambi and of Mathura
Indraprastha or Khandavaprastha	Pandava established capital, then lost it in the game of dice. For a while with Yuyutsu or Vajra then Kuru descendants took over again

Confusion about the names of Draupadeyas

Empress Draupadi is one of the most dominating ladies of Mahbharata. But unfortunately hers sons have little role to play in the epic. All of them were slain by Ashvatthama on the night of 18^th day of war along with remaining warriors. There is confusion about the names of her sons. Her sons of Yudhishthira, Bhima and Nakula are Prativindhya, Sutasoma and Shatanika but name of Arjuna’s son is either Shrutakirti or Shrutakarman and name of Sahadeva’s son Shrutasena and Shrutakarman as referred in Adiparva and Aranyaparva of Mahabharata. English Translation by K.M.Ganguli and BORI’s critical version do not differ.

K.M.Ganguli	Mbh.1.63.3184 Mbh.1.67.3547	Mbh.1.95.5341 Mbh.3.12.674 Mbh 10.8 10/8	Mbh.1.223.10874 Mbh.3.233.11829
BORI	1/57/102	1/90/82 3/13/65	1/213/72 3/224/10
Yudhishthir	Pritivindhya	Prativindhya	Prativindhya
Bhima	Sutasoma	Sutasoma	Sutasoma
Arjuna	S(h)rutakirti	S(h)rutakirti	S(h)rutakarman
Nakula	S(h)atanika	S(h)atanika	S(h)atanika
Sahadeva	S(h)rutasena	S(h)rutakarman	S(h)rutasena

The contradiction can only be resolved in their tragic death at the hand of Ashvatthama in Sauptika Parva. Name Shrutasena doesn’t appear indicating Arjuna’s son was Shrutakirti and Sahadeva’s son Shrutakarman.