AT THE CENTER RELATED RESOURCES ON HINDU The Mahabharata is an
ancient Indian epic poem, one of two such works considered
sacred scripture in Hinduism, the other being the Ramayana. The
narrative of the Mahabharata covers the power struggle between
the Pandavas and their cousins, the Kauravas, for control of the
throne of Hastinapura, as well as moral guidance and
philosophical and devotional writings over the course of the
Pandavas' victory over the Kauravas. The Mahabharata most
famously contains within it the Bhagavad Gita, a philosophical
discussion between the Pandava Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna
that is said to summarize the full spirit of the Hindu
tradition. Much of the text of the Mahabharata was compiled by
the 4th century BCE, though it did not reach its present form
until the 4th century CE.