Who's Who in the Gita

The Divine Teacher · Pandava Side

Krishna is God himself, come to earth in human form. He is Arjuna's charioteer, best friend, and guide. With his blue-tinged skin, peacock feather crown, and a flute tucked at his waist, he speaks with a gentle smile even on the edge of the most terrible battle the world has ever seen. Almost every verse of the Gita is his voice — patient, loving, and wise beyond measure.

The Warrior Prince · Pandava Side

Arjuna is the finest archer in the world, lean and athletic, with his legendary bow Gandiva always at his side. He is brave, kind, and deeply honourable. But when the battle is about to begin and he sees his own family on the other side, he is overcome with doubt and grief. His questions to Krishna become the Bhagavad Gita.

The Blind King · Kaurava Side

Dhritarashtra is the elderly king of Hastinapura and father of the hundred Kauravas. Born blind, he wears a silk blindfold and sits on his throne while others describe the world to him. He loves his sons but cannot bring himself to correct them. The Gita begins with his anxious question: "What did my sons and the Pandavas do on the battlefield?"

The Eldest Kaurava Prince · Kaurava Side

Duryodhana is Dhritarashtra's eldest son — proud, strong-jawed, and ambitious, dressed in red-gold armour with an ornate crown. He refused to give the Pandavas even five villages of land, and his jealousy drove the two families to war. In the Gita's opening, he surveys both armies and tries to bolster his own confidence.

The Grandsire · Kaurava Commander (by duty, not by heart)

Bhishma is the great-grandfather of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas, an ancient warrior of towering stature with flowing white hair and a massive bow. He took a legendary vow of lifelong celibacy so his father could remarry, and he has protected the kingdom ever since. He fights on the Kaurava side because of his oath to the throne, even though his heart aches for the Pandavas.

The Teacher of Warriors · Kaurava Commander (by obligation)

Dronacharya is the guru who taught both the Pandavas and the Kauravas the art of war. An elderly sage in saffron robes, he carries a teaching staff and a bow with equal authority. Arjuna was his favourite student. Like Bhishma, he stands on the Kaurava side out of loyalty to the throne that gave him his livelihood — one of the story's deepest tragedies.

The Queen of the Pandavas · Pandava Side

Draupadi is the wife of all five Pandava brothers and a queen of extraordinary courage. Born from sacred fire, she endured public humiliation when the Kauravas tried to disrobe her in court — and it was Krishna who protected her. Her suffering and her fierce call for justice are among the reasons this war could not be avoided.

Pandava Side

The One Who Sees · Neutral

Sanjaya is Dhritarashtra's trusted minister and charioteer. The sage Vyasa granted him a miraculous gift: the ability to see everything happening on the distant battlefield as if he were standing right there. He narrates the entire Gita to the blind king, describing not just the events but the emotions, the divine visions, and even the words spoken in whispers between Krishna and Arjuna.