The Mahabharata tells the story of the struggle for the throne of the kingdom of Hastinapura between two sets of cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Pandavas are the five sons of King Pandu, while the Kauravas are the one hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra, Pandu's blind elder brother.
The main story begins when the Kauravas, led by their eldest brother Duryodhana, seize the throne of Hastinapura, which rightfully belongs to the Pandavas. The Pandavas are forced into exile, and the epic narrates their struggles and trials during their exile and their eventual return to Hastinapura to claim their rightful inheritance.
The war is a battle between good and evil, and the story is filled with complex characters, moral dilemmas, and philosophical teachings. The Mahabharata explores themes of dharma, karma, love, hate, loyalty, betrayal, and the complexities of human nature. It is a grand narrative of the conflicts and resolutions between families, societies, and nations.
The epic also contains many sub-plots, tales, and philosophical parables, most famous among them is the Bhagavad Gita, which is a philosophical discourse between Arjuna and his charioteer, Lord Krishna, on the nature of life, duty, and the ultimate reality.