The Mahabharata is a Hindu epic that tells the story of the conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas, two families vying for control of the kingdom of Hastinapura. The story is said to have been written by sage Vyasa and is one of the longest epics in the world.

The story begins with King Shantanu falling in love with and marrying Ganga, a river goddess who agrees to marry him on the condition that he never question her actions. However, after she gives birth to several children, she drowns them in the river. When Shantanu finally questions her, she reveals that she is doing it to prevent any of their children from becoming king and taking the throne from his firstborn son.

Shantanu eventually marries Satyavati, a fisherman’s daughter who later becomes the mother of two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Chitrangada dies young, and Vichitravirya is too weak to rule. Satyavati then requests her son Vyasa to father children with Vichitravirya’s widows, Ambika and Ambalika. Ambika gives birth to Dhritarashtra, who is born blind, and Ambalika gives birth to Pandu, who is born pale.

Dhritarashtra becomes king, but his blindness causes him to favor his own son, Duryodhana, over the Pandavas, who are the sons of Pandu. The Pandavas, who are skilled warriors, are exiled to the forest, where they encounter many adventures, including a dice game in which they lose their kingdom to the Kauravas. The Pandavas are then forced to spend 13 years in exile, after which they must live in disguise for another year.

At the end of the exile period, the Pandavas reveal their true identities and ask for their kingdom back, but the Kauravas refuse. A great war ensues, in which both sides suffer many losses. Eventually, the Pandavas emerge victorious, with Yudhishthira becoming king.

Throughout the story, various gods and goddesses play important roles, and there are many moral and ethical lessons to be learned. The Mahabharata is considered a masterpiece of world literature and continues to be read and studied by people all over the world.