Forgotten Characters
Who was Rama’s elder sister, often forgotten in retellings of the Ramayan?
Shanta
Whose curse made Ravana’s brother Kumbhakarna sleep for six months?
Goddess Saraswati
Which part of Duryodhana’s body was invincible due to Gandhari’s boon, and how was it left exposed?
His entire body was made iron-like except his thighs, which were left uncovered when Krishna tricked him.
Who was the mother of Nakul and Sahadev?
Madri
In which Puran is the story of Ravan kidnapping Kubera’s Pushpak Viman described?
Padma Purana
Who was Shatrughna’s wife?
Shrutakirti
Which warrior in Mahabharat had the boon to choose the time of his own death?
Bhishma
Who was actually the eldest Pandava, though never accepted as such?
Karna
Who was Ravan’s maternal grandfather?
Sumali, the Rakshasa king.
Which Jain texts narrate an alternate, non-violent ending of Ramayan where Ravan is depicted as a great devotee?
Paumachariya (by Vimalasuri)
In Mahabharat, who was Shalya originally supposed to support before being tricked into fighting for the Kauravas?
The Pandavas
Who cursed Karna that he would forget the mantra of the Brahmastra when he needed it most?
Parashurama
Which oath taken by Rama indirectly led to Lakshman’s death at the end of Ramayan?
Rama had vowed that anyone disturbing his private meeting with Yama would face death; Lakshman had to break it to save Ayodhya, leading to his own end.
Who was Shikhandi in their past birth?
Amba, rejected by Bhishma.
In which scripture is it said that Hanuman continued to live after Ramayan and even met Bhima in Mahabharat?
The Mahabharat (Vana Parva)
Who was Jambavan’s daughter that married Krishna?
Jambavati
Which sage cursed Dasharatha that he would also die of separation from his son?
The blind parents of Shravan Kumar.
Which character from Mahabharat is said to still be alive and will remain until the end of Kali Yuga?
Ashwatthama
Which son of Bharata ruled over Takshashila after Ram’s reign?
Taksha
According to the Bhagavata Purana, which Mahabharat characters were earlier incarnations of Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu?
Shishupala and Dantavakra
Which brother of Ravan was killed by Hanuman in Ashok Vatika?
Akshayakumara
Which sage cursed Krishna that his dynasty would perish by fighting among themselves?
Gandhari
Who was the only surviving Yadava after the fratricidal war of Krishna’s clan?
Vajranabh (Krishna’s great-grandson)
Which Pandava’s son survived Kurukshetra and continued the dynasty?
Parikshit (son of Abhimanyu).
According to some versions, who was the reincarnation of Lakshman in Mahabharat?
Sheshnag incarnated again as Balrama (Krishna’s elder brother).