The Mahabharata Period · महाभारत

Tradition places the Kurukshetra war at the close of Dvapara Yuga, with Kali Yuga beginning in 3102 BCE. The Mahabharata — with the Gita at its heart — took shape over centuries.

[Historical scholarship]

Traditional reckoning links Krishna's departure with the start of Kali Yuga in 3102 BCE. Historians date the composition of the Mahabharata from roughly the 4th century BCE to the 4th century CE; proposed dates for an actual war vary widely and none is agreed.

In the Bhishma Parva, on the field of Kurukshetra, Krishna speaks the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna — 700 verses on duty, devotion and the self.

• The eighteen parvas

Read every chapter with Wisdom Library membership →