Mahabharata Quiz (1).pptx

Mhabharat

1. Teams are requested to wait for their turn Don’t argue with the quizmasters. Their decisions are final and binding. Each question carries one point unless stated otherwise. Time limit for each question is 2 minutes. If any candidate is found cheating then it will lead to disqualification of the team. If a team is unable to answer then the question will be passed on to the next team. Hints by Experts for any two questions: Choose Any : Experts : Saroj Singh, Amrit, Tanay , Meenanshu RULES OF THE QUIZ

2. Team A : Rishika , Tara Team D: Krish,Dhruv Team B : Rishi, Mishtu Team C : Amitav, Anshita

3. Question 1. The Great Mahabharat War lasted for how many days of fighting?

4. 18 long The  war  was  fought  for 18  long days . The  Kurukshetra War  is a  war  described  in  the Indian epic  Mahabharata  as a conflict that arose from a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indian kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas , for the throne of Hastinapura .

5. Question 2. Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, was murdered while trying to break into a vyuha (army formation). Which vyuha was it?

6. Chakravyuha  (Chakra = Disc; Vyuha = Formation), also known as Padmavyuha (Padma = Lotus; Vyuha = Formation), was a type of battle formation used by the Kauravas against the Pandavas on the 13th day of the  Mahabharata  war. It resembled a seven-layered circular maze with one entrance when viewed from above. Abhimanyu was the re-incarnation of son of the Moon-God  Chandra . When Chandra was asked to let his son incarnate himself on earth, he made a pact that his son will only remain on earth for 16 years, as he could not bear to be separated from him any longer than that. So, Chandra's son was born as the son of  Arjuna  and  Subhadra .

7. Question 3. Who is Yudhisthira's father?

8. In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhishthira (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: Yudhiṣṭhira ) was the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti and the king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura (Kuru). He was the leader of the successful Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War .

9. Question 4. W hat was S hakuni’s real motive?

10. Shakuni's  main enmity was with Bhishma , who had humiliatingly defeated and ravaged Gandhara , when Hastinapur was expanding its territories under Dhritarashtra . He wanted to destroy the Kuru empire and the royal lineage itself, as a revenge for what was done to his people.

11. Question 5. In all, how many sons or daughters did Kunti give birth to?

12. 4. Kunti had a special gift that she obtained from the sage, Durvasa . Durvasa gave Kunti a gift because of her kindness to him. She had a mantra that allowed her to acquire sons from the gods. She wanted to test this mantra, so she summoned Surya, the sun god. Her first son was born and his name was Karna. Kunti was not married, so she did not want people to question her about her child. She put Karna in a basket and he floated down the river. A couple rescued him and they took care of him. Kunti later married King Pandu.  Kunti used her mantra to have three children from gods. 

13. Question 6. Who is the well known charioteer of Dhritarashtra?

14. Sanjaya was the son of Gavalgana . Sanjaya was a Suta . He was the charioteer of Dhritarashtra and the first one who narrated the Bhagavad Gita other than Sri Krishna himself. He gave a blow-by-blow account of the war to Dhritarashta . The magical part of the Mahabharatam tells us that Sanjaya was given divine vision by Veda Vyasa and that is how he knew what was going on in the war even though he was always at Hastinapur (old delhi ), with Dhritarashtra .

15. Question 7. Who were the parents of Bhishma ?

16. King Shantanu was Bhishma’s father. Shantanu had him on his first wife Ganga.  Shantanu was the 12th king of a line starting from Dushyanta and Bharata, though the vansh (family or progeny) is said to have started with Bharata the great.

17. Question 8. Krishna was the charioteer of Arjuna. This gave him a special name. What was it?

18. Krishna is also known as  Parthasarathy , which translates to  charioteer of Partha  (another name for Arjuna), or  Sanathana Sarathi ,  eternal charioteer . Arjuna's chariot  is known as the Kapi Dhwaja . The  chariot  on which both, Shree  Krishna  and  Arjuna , rode was  given  by Agni (the fire-god) to  Arjuna , and that was indication that this  chariot  was capable of conquering all directions, wherever it was drawn through out the three worlds.

19. Question 9. What king did the Pandavas serve during their 13th year in exile?

20. Virata Parva , also known as the “Book of Virata”, is the fourth of eighteen books of the Indian Epic  Mahabharata . Virata Parva traditionally has 4 sub-books and 72 chapters. The critical edition of Virata Parva has 4 sub-books and 67 chapters. It discusses the 13th year of exile which the  Pandavas  must spend incognito to avoid another 12 years of exile in the forest. They do so in the court of Virata.   They assume a variety of concealed identities. Yudhishthira assumes the identity of game entertainer to the king and calls himself Kanka , Bhima of a cook Ballava , Arjuna teaches dance and music as eunuch  Brihannala  and dresses as a woman, Nakula tends horses as Granthika , Sahadeva herds cows as Tantipala

21. Question 10.What famous text does Krishna dictate to Arjuna?

22. Gita  is one of the most influential treatise in eastern philosophy. The  Bhagavad - Gita  is the eternal  message  of spiritual wisdom from ancient India. The word  Gita  means song and the word.  Bhagavad  means God, often the  Bhagavad - Gita  is called the Song of God It is believed that three other person besides Arjuna listened the Gita directly from Krishna. They were Sanjay, Hanuman, Barbarik son of Ghatotkach .

23. Question 11.Who does Duryodhana appoint as his initial commander?

24. It was a general position and only Duryodhan used to give those rights to someone, of course, with a lot of conflicts. The Mahabharata Kurukshetra war was fought for  18 days . Day 1–10:  Right from the day one, the mighty warrior and the son of Ganga,  Bhishma  was the commander-in-chief for the entire Kaurava army comprising of 11  Akshauhinis . Bounded by his promises, he went on fighting with the Pandava army until he was stopped by Lord Krishna on  Day 9 . 

25.  Question 12. Who wrote the Mahabharata?

26. Krishna- Dwaipayan   Vyasa , himself a character in the epic, composed it; as, according to tradition, he dictated the verses and Ganesha wrote them down. At 100,000 verses, it is the longest epic poem ever written, generally thought to have been composed in the 4th century BCE or earlier.

27. Question 13. Which Pandava vowed to kill the evil Dushasana and drink his blood when he molested Draupadi?

28. Dussasana was the warrior who shot the first arrow in the war according to Sanjay when asked by Dhrithrashtra . On the 1st day of the war he was defeated by  Nakula  but was spared by him for sake of Bhima's vow. On the 10th day, Dussasana was appointed to defend  Bhishma  but he was swept aside by  Arjuna . On the 13th day of the war Dussasana was present in the  Chakravyuh  and he was badly defeated by  Abhimanyu . On the 16th day of the  Kurukshetra War ,  Bhima  defeated and killed Dussasana . He and Dussasana were fighting with bows and arrows. Later, Dussasana's arrows pierced Bhima. Then Bhima attacked Dushasana with his mace which caused him to fall on the ground. Remembering his vow Bhima tore open Dussasana's chest using a sword and drank his warm blood. Later he decapitated him. [1]  Bhima exclaimed that the taste of the blood was sweeter than that of milk and danced around his body. Dussasana's brutal death greatly agitated  Duryodhana , and demoralized the Kaurava army watching Bhima in his ecstasy of wrath (soldiers of both sides called Bhima 'Rakshasa' condemning his terrible act). Bhima washed Draupadi's hair with Dussasana's blood, thus fulfilling her vow as well. However, this did little to end the conflict, as Duryodhana reaffirmed his view on the continuation of the war.

29. Question 14. Who shot the first arrow that killed Bheeshma ?

30. Shikhandi  is a character in the  Hindu  epic, the  Mahabharata . He was born a baby girl, named " Shikhandini ," to  Drupada , the king of  Panchala . Shikhandi fought in the  Kurukshetra war  for the  Pandavas  along with his father Drupada and brother  Dhristadyumna . Amba's vengeance was fulfilled when  Shikhandi  became the cause of  Bhishma's death .  Shikhandi  is  killed  in a sword fight with Ashwatthama when Ashwatthama, Kripacharya , and Kritavarma attacked the Pandava camp on the night of the final day of battle.

31. Question 15. What does the Narayanastra do, and who used it after the fall of Drona?

32. It shoots weapons continuously - Ashwattama Ashwattama used the Narayanastra in his anger at the death of his father, Drona. He unjustly used it against an innocent crowd which was against the rules of Astras . Ashwathama , a warrior-hero in the epic  Mahabharata  unleashes this weapon on the  Pandava  forces. Lord  Krishna , who is an  avatar  of Vishnu tells the Pandavas and their warriors to drop their weapons and lie down on the ground, so that they all surrender completely to the power of the weapon.It was also said that this weapon can be used only once in a war and if one tries to use it twice, then it would devour the user's own army.

33. Q uestion 16 .What does Draupadi disguise herself as during the 13th year in exile?

34. Draupadi in the name of Malini went as Sairandhri (hairdresser) to queen Shudeshna . [1]

35. Q uestion 17. Where does Duryodhana hide right before he is killed?

36. On the eighteenth day of the war, with his army reduced to himself,  Ashwatthama ,  Kripa  and  Kritvarma , Duryodhana goes to meditate in a lake. When the  Pandavas  and  Krishna  eventually find him, Duryodhana tells them that he wants to gift the kingdom to them, and retire to the forest.  Yudhishthira  balks at the offer, telling him that  Hastinapur  is not Duryodhana's to gift. Instead, he offers that Duryodhana may pick any of the Pandava brothers to fight against one-to-one with a weapon of his choice, with the winner of the conflict the victor of the war.

37. Question 18. Where do the Pandavas spend their first 12 years of exile?

38. Kamyaka Forest  was situated on the western boundary of the  Kuru Kingdom  (Kuru Proper + Kurujangala ), on the banks of the  Saraswati River . It lay to the west of the  Kurukshetra  plain. It contained within it a lake called the  Kamyaka lake. Kamyaka forest is mentioned as being situated at the head of the  Thar desert , near the lake  Trinavindu . The Pandavas on their way to exile in the woods, left  Pramanakoti  on the banks of the Ganges and went towards  Kurukshetra , travelling in a western direction, crossing the rivers  Yamuna  and  Drishadvati . They finally reached the banks of the  Saraswati River . There they saw the forest of Kamyaka , the favourite haunt of  ascetics , situated on a level and wild plain on the banks of the Saraswati abounding in birds and deer. There the Pandavas lived in an ascetic asylum. It took 3 days for Pandavas to reach the Kamyaka forest, setting out from  Hastinapura , on their chariots.

39. Question 19 . How many warriors did each elephant carry in the war?

40.  Each elephant was decked with ornaments and carried  seven warriors  and their weapons.

41. Q. 20. What was the yagna performed by Yudhishthira after the battle of Kurukshetra?

42. The  Ashvamedha  is a  horse sacrifice  ritual followed by the  Śrauta  tradition of  Vedic religion . It was used by ancient Indian kings to prove their imperial sovereignty: a horse accompanied by the king's warriors would be released to wander for a period of one year. In the territory traversed by the horse, any rival could dispute the king's authority by challenging the warriors accompanying it. After one year, if no enemy had managed to kill or capture the horse, the animal would be guided back to the king's capital. It would be then sacrificed, and the king would be declared as an undisputed sovereign.

43. Q uestion 21. Who was the last commander of the Kaurava army?

44. Ashvathama (After Duryodhana had fallen in the mace fight against Bheema, Ashvathama came to him. Before dying, Duryodhana made Ashvathama his commander and made him promise that he would bring the five severed heads of the Pandavas to him.)

45. Question 22. How many soldiers and warriors is Bhishma said to have killed each day of the war?

46. 10000 (Before the war began, Bhishma promised Duryodhana that he would kill 10,000 soldiers and warriors on the Pandava side each day but would not kill any of the Pandavas . It was said that Bhishma was invincible till a bow was in his hand and arrows in his quiver.)

47. Question 23. Duryodhana and Arjuna both approached Krishna for help before the war began. Arjuna asked for Krishna himself to aid him. What did Duryodhana ask for?

48. A. Narayani Sena (army)( Before the war, Duryodhana and Arjuna came to Krishna to ask for help. Duryodhana came first, but saw that Krishna was asleep. He sat down on a couch near Krishna's head. Arjuna arrived and, seeing Krishna asleep, remained standing at Krishna's feet. When Krishna awoke he saw Arjuna first and greeted him. Then Duryodhana said that he had come before Arjuna and said that he wanted Krishna's help in the war. But Krishna said that he had seen Arjuna first and thus Arjuna had the right to ask first. Arjuna asked for Krishna himself to aid him in the war and that left the huge Narayani Sena for Duryodhana, who accepted it gladly.)

49. Question 24 It is said that because of his Dharma, Yudhishthira's chariot is approximately _______ above the ground.

50. The chariot of Yudhishthira is always about two inches above the ground because he never swerved from the path of Dharma and Truth. The Chariot sank back to the ground when he told the One Lie to Drona.

51. Which side broke the most rules in the war?

52. Rule of War Rule Breaker Victim No woman shall fight in the battlefield Pandavas (Arjuna) Bhishma No single warrior shall be attacked by many Kauravas (Drona) Abhimanyu No fighting after sunset Pandavas (Arjuna) Jayadhratha No one shall interfere in a duel Pandavas ( Satyaki ) Bhurishrava No killing animals Pandavas (Bhima) Ashwatthama the Elephant No spreading of misinformation Pandavas ( Yudishtira ) Drona No killing people who have laid down arms Pandavas ( Dhristadyuma ) Drona No archer shall fight one who has lowered their bow Pandavas (Arjuna) Karna No one shall strike below the waist Pandavas (Bhima) Duryodhana No attacking people who are asleep Kauravas (Ashwatthama) Sons of the Pandavas

53. Why did the everyone who died on kurukshetra go to heaven?

54. King Kuru chose land at the banks of the now extinct  Sarasvati River  (believed to be dried up c. 1900 BCE) [5]  for embedding spirituality with eight virtues: austerity ( Tapas ), truth ( Satya ), forgiveness (Kshama), kindness ( Daya ), purity ( Shuddha ), charity ( Daana ), devotion ( Yajna ), and conduct ( Brahmacharya ). Lord  Vishnu  was impressed with the acts of King Kuru and blessed him with two boons—first, that this land forever will be known as a Holy Land after his name as Kurukshetra (the land of Kuru); second that anyone dying on this land will go to heaven.

55. What did Karna have attached to his body since birth ?

56. Kavach and kundal Karna was the son of Surya the sun god and was born with it as a boon from his father