Definition

Proper noun 1. A legendary city in ancient India: Hastinapura is the name of a capital city in the epic Mahabharata, the ancestral kingdom of the Kuru dynasty, and the setting for a significant portion of the narrative.

Usage

• As a proper noun (capitalized): The word is used exclusively as a proper noun to refer to this specific, legendary place.
  • In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas and Kauravas grew up in Hastinapura.
  • The kingdom of Hastinapura was ruled by King Dhritarashtra.

Advanced Usage

• Symbolic Usage: In literary and philosophical discussions, Hastinapura can symbolize the seat of royal power, dynastic conflict, or the complexities of dharma (duty/righteousness) within the epic.
  • The struggle for the throne of Hastinapura drives the central conflict of the Mahabharata.

Variants and Related Words

• Mahabharata: The great Sanskrit epic of ancient India, within which the city of Hastinapura is a central location.
• Kurukshetra: The battlefield where the great war of the Mahabharata takes place, located near Hastinapura.
• Indraprastha: The magnificent capital city built by the Pandavas, which rivaled Hastinapura.

Synonyms

• Legendary capital
• Kuru capital

Notes on Meaning

The provided reference context defines "Mahabharata," not "Hastinapura." The definition above is for the word "hastinapura" itself. Hastinapura is a key location within the Mahabharata, which is the epic poem.

Noun

1. one of two classical Hindu epics; a great collection of poetry worked into and around a central heroic narrative (eight times as large as the Iliad and Odyssey combined)