Mahabharata

It all began with petty family jealousy. The Kaurava brothers tricked their Pandava cousins out of a kingdom, and even Lord Krishna could not stop the horror and bloodshed that followed. Veda Vyasa composed an epic poem, the longest in the world, to describe the events that unfolded. In this epic tale of superhuman heroes and gory action, Veda Vyasa explores human ambitions, relationships, and conflicts to find the true purpose of life.

These are woven into the main story of the feud and final war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, cousins as well as rivals. The Kauravas are ultimately annihilated in the war. The Mahabharata's greatest contribution is the Bhagawad Gita. When Arjuna faces his cousins, arrayed before him for the fight, he becomes sad. He does not want to kill them for a paltry kingdom. Krishna, his charioteer, reprimands him and tells him that being a Kshatriya it is his duty to fight. Then, in eighteen long chapters, he expounds his philosophy. He convinces Arjuna and in the process has given us one of the most valid scriptures of all times.