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Previous Births Characters of Mahabarata
This chapter of the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata describes exactly who incarnated as each of the major characters in the Mahabharata. It's too long a chapter to quote the whole thing here, so let me just address some important people.
There's no information in that chapter as to Dhritarashtra's previous birth, but as far as the Kauravas , Duryodhana was the incarnation of Kali (the demon of the Kali Yuga) and his brothers were incarnations of Rakshasas:
- Bhishma: The eight Vasus were incarnated of Ganga by her husband Santanu. The seven were killed by Ganga before Bhishma's birth and the youngest of them was Bhishma.
- Drona: Drona sprung from a portion of the celestial Rishi Vrihaspati
- Aswatthaman: Aswatthaman was born on earth, of the united portions of Mahadeva, Yama, Kama, and Krodha
- Kripa: Kripa was born of the tribe of the Rudras
- Dhritarashtra and Pandu: Dhitrashtra was incarnation of Hansa (the monarch of the Gandharvas and son of Arishta) and Pandu was incarnation of Hansa's younger brother
- Vidura: Vidura was incarnation of Dharma
- Duryodhana: Duryodhana was born of a portion of Kali
- Kunti and Madri: The two goddesses Siddhi and Dhriti became Kunti and Madri
- Gandhari: Mati became Gandhari
- Sakuni: Sakuni was incarnation of Dwapara
- Draupadi: Draupadi was born of a portion of Sachi (the queen of the celestials)
- Valadeva (Baladeva) - Baladeva was portion of Sesha. Baladeva is also considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu's form Saṅkarṣaṇa in SB.
- Krishna: Krishna was incarnation of Lord Vishnu or Narayana
- Rukmini: Rukmini was portion of Sri (Lakshmi)
- Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakul, Sahdeva: They were incarnations of Indra through Dharmraj, Vayu, Indra and Ashvins. Arjuna also believed as incarnation of Nara.
- Duryodhana's brothers (Duhasasana and others): the Rakshasas from Pulastya
- Abhimanyu: Abhimanyu was incarnation of Varchas (the son of Soma)
- Karna: Karna was born from the portion of Surya
- Jarasandha: Jarasandha was incarnation of Danava Viprachitti
- Sisupala: Sisupala was incarnation of Hiranyakasipu
- Salya: Salya was incarnation of Samhlada, the younger brother of Prahlada
- Bhagadatta: Bhagadatta was incarnation of Asura Vashkala
- Ugrasena : Ugrasena was incarnation of Asura Swarbhanu
- Rukmi, Ekalavya: They were born of the Asura class called Krodhavasa
- Kansa: Kansa was incarnation of Danava Kalanemi
- Satyaki, Drupada, Kritavarman, Virata: They begotten of the portion of gods called the Maruts
- Dhrishtadyumna: Dhrishtadyumna was a portion of Agni
- Sikhandin: Sikhandin who was at first a female, was (the incarnation of) a Rakshasa
- Five sons of Draupadi: They were incarnations the celestials known as the Viswas
Source:
hinduism.stackexchange.
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy righyts