The Mahbhrata (US: /mhbrt/, UK: /mhbrt/; Sanskrit: , Mahbhratam, pronounced [mabatm]) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rmyaa. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pava princes and their succession. Along with the epic Rmyaa, it forms the Hindu Itihasa.
It also contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or pururtha (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the Mahbhrata are the Bhagavad Gita, the story of Damayanti, an abbreviated version of the Rmyaa, and the story of yasringa, often considered as works in their own right.