Bharatayuddha or Bharat Yudha (or similar) is a term used in Indonesia for the Kurukshetra War, and to describe the Javanese translation and interpretation of the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata was translated into (old) Javanese under the reign of king Dharmawangsa of Medang (r. 990-1006). The current version was started by Sedah in 1157, and finished by mpu Panuluh. Mpu Panuluh also wrote the Kakawin Hariwangsa. According to the Javanese tradition, the war between descendants of emperor Bharata was already destined by the gods long before the Pandavas and Kauravas were born. The tradition also maintained that the Kurukshetra battlefield is not located in the present-day Haryana state of India, but rather in Dieng Plateau, Central Java. Therefore, the Javanese considered the Mahabharata epic happened in Java and not in India.

Overview

In indonesian version the Kings and Queens were the descendant of Gods. The story begins at Batara Guru, who became the first king of the kingdom of 'Medang Kamulang'. It is often portrayed through the form of Javanese Wayang. A characteristic feature of the Indonesian Mahabharata is that it gives more autonomy to other characters apart from the main characters - Krishna, Arjuna, Bhisma, Duryodhana. In the Indonesian version of Mahabharata more is said about the character of Shalya etc. The main characters and places are: