Yuga (Timeline)	Period	Starting	Ending	Key Characters	Key Events
Satya Yuga	1,728,000 years	Began with complete truth and virtue; Dharma stood on all four legs	Ended as righteousness declined and truth was compromised	Manu, Yama, Prahlada, Narada, Lord Vishnu (as Matsya, etc.)	Creation of humanity, manifestation of avatars like Matsya and Narasimha
Treta Yuga	1,296,000 years	Started with slight decline in virtue; Dharma on three legs	Ended after the battle between Lord Rama and Ravana	Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Ravana, Hanuman, Vasistha	Ramayana, birth of Lord Rama, Ravana’s defeat, Lanka war
Dwapara Yuga	864,000 years	Began after the end of Treta Yuga with further decline in morality	Ended with the death of Krishna and the submergence of Dwaraka	Lord Krishna, Pandavas, Kauravas, Bhishma, Drona	Mahabharata War, Bhagavad Gita discourse, end of Krishna’s earthly presence
Kali Yuga	432,000 years	Started with the departure of Lord Krishna from Earth	Will end with the arrival of Kalki Avatar and destruction of evil	Kalki (future), current humanity	Ongoing age of darkness, rise of adharma, prophecy of Kalki Avatar

The Mahabharata War

The Mahabharata War, also known as the Kurukshetra War, was an 18-day battle fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas for the throne of Hastinapura. This epic conflict involved nearly all the kingdoms of ancient India, aligning themselves with either the Pandavas or the Kauravas.

Causes of the War

The seeds of the war were sown when the Kauravas, led by Duryodhana, refused to return the rightful kingdom to the Pandavas after their exile. Despite Krishna's peace mission on behalf of the Pandavas, Duryodhana rejected all compromises, making war inevitable.

The Opposing Forces

The Kaurava army consisted of 11 akshauhinis (military units), while the Pandavas commanded 7 akshauhinis. Each akshauhini comprised 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610 cavalry, and 109,350 infantry.

Key warriors on the Kaurava side: Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, Shakuni, and the hundred Kaurava brothers
Key warriors on the Pandava side: Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishthira, Nakula, Sahadeva, Dhrishtadyumna, Abhimanyu, and other allies

The 18 Days of Battle

The war followed strict dharmic rules initially established by both sides:

Fighting only from sunrise to sunset
No attacking unarmed, retreating, or unprepared opponents
No fighting against non-combatants
Warriors would fight only their equals

However, as the war progressed, these rules were gradually abandoned as both sides resorted to less honorable tactics in their desperation to win.

Some pivotal moments in the war included:

Bhishma's fall on the 10th day after being pierced by innumerable arrows
Drona's death on the 15th day after being deceived about his son's death
Karna's defeat by Arjuna on the 17th day