title: Mahabharata

text: It also contains philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or "puruṣārtha" (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the "Mahābhārata" are the "Bhagavad Gita", the story of Damayanti, the story of Shakuntala, the story of Pururava and Urvashi, the story of Savitri and Satyavan, the story of Kacha and Devayani, the story of Rishyasringa and an abbreviated version of the "Rāmāyaṇa", often considered as works in their own right.


title: Mahabharata

text: Traditionally, the authorship of the "Mahābhārata" is attributed to Vyāsa. There have been many attempts to unravel its historical growth and compositional layers. The bulk of the "Mahābhārata" was probably compiled between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE, with the oldest preserved parts not much older than around 400 BCE. The original events related by the epic probably fall between the 9th and 8th centuries BCE. The text probably reached its final form by the early Gupta period (c. 4th century CE).


title: Mahabharata

text: The "Mahābhārata" is the longest epic poem known and has been described as "the longest poem ever written". Its longest version consists of over 100,000 "śloka" or over 200,000 individual verse lines (each shloka is a couplet), and long prose passages. At about 1.8 million words in total, the "Mahābhārata" is roughly ten times the length of the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" combined, or about four times the length of the Rāmāyaṇa. W. J. Johnson has compared the importance of the "Mahābhārata" in the context of world civilization to that of the Bible, the Quran, the works of Homer, Greek drama, or the works of William Shakespeare. Within the Indian tradition it is sometimes called the fifth Veda.


title: Mahabharata

text: The epic is traditionally ascribed to the sage Vyāsa, who is also a major character in the epic. Vyāsa described it as being "itihāsa" (). He also describes the Guru–shishya tradition, which traces all great teachers and their students of the Vedic times.


title: Mahabharata

text: The first section of the "Mahābhārata" states that it was Ganesha who wrote down the text to Vyasa's dictation, but this is regarded by scholars as a later interpolation to the epic and the "Critical Edition" doesn't include Ganesha at all.


title: Mahabharata

text: The epic employs the story within a story structure, otherwise known as frametales, popular in many Indian religious and non-religious works. It is first recited at "Takshashila" by the sage Vaiśampāyana, a disciple of Vyāsa, to the King Janamejaya who was the great-grandson of the Pāṇḍava prince Arjuna. The story is then recited again by a professional storyteller named Ugraśrava Sauti, many years later, to an assemblage of sages performing the 12-year sacrifice for the king Saunaka Kulapati in the Naimiśa Forest.


title: Mahabharata

text: The text was described by some early 20th-century Indologists as unstructured and chaotic. Hermann Oldenberg supposed that the original poem must once have carried an immense "tragic force" but dismissed the full text as a "horrible chaos." Moritz Winternitz ("Geschichte der indischen Literatur" 1909) considered that "only unpoetical theologists and clumsy scribes" could have lumped the parts of disparate origin into an unordered whole.


title: Mahabharata

text: Research on the "Mahābhārata" has put an enormous effort into recognizing and dating layers within the text. Some elements of the present "Mahābhārata" can be traced back to Vedic times. The background to the "Mahābhārata" suggests the origin of the epic occurs "after the very early Vedic period" and before "the first Indian 'empire' was to rise in the third century B.C." That this is "a date not too far removed from the 8th or 9th century B.C." is likely. "Mahābhārata" started as an orally-transmitted tale of the charioteer bards. It is generally agreed that "Unlike the Vedas, which have to be preserved letter-perfect, the epic was a popular work whose reciters would inevitably conform to changes in language and style," so the earliest 'surviving' components of this dynamic text are believed to be no older than the earliest 'external' references we have to the epic, which may include an allusion in Panini's 4th century BCE grammar Aṣṭādhyāyī 4:2:56. It is estimated that the Sanskrit text probably reached something of a "final form" by the early Gupta period (about the 4th century CE). Vishnu Sukthankar, editor of the first great critical edition of the "Mahābhārata", commented: "It is useless to think of reconstructing a fluid text in an original shape, based on an archetype and a "stemma codicum". What then is possible? Our objective can only be to reconstruct "the oldest form of the text which it is possible to reach" based on the manuscript material available." That manuscript evidence is somewhat late, given its material composition and the climate of India, but it is very extensive.


title: Mahabharata

text: The "Mahābhārata" itself (1.1.61) distinguishes a core portion of 24,000 verses: the "Bhārata" proper, as opposed to additional secondary material, while the "Aśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra" (3.4.4) makes a similar distinction. At least three redactions of the text are commonly recognized: "Jaya" (Victory) with 8,800 verses attributed to Vyāsa, "Bhārata" with 24,000 verses as recited by Vaiśampāyana, and finally the "Mahābhārata" as recited by Ugraśrava Sauti with over 100,000 verses. However, some scholars, such as John Brockington, argue that "Jaya" and "Bharata" refer to the same text, and ascribe the theory of "Jaya" with 8,800 verses to a misreading of a verse in Ā"diparvan" (1.1.81).


title: Mahabharata

text: The redaction of this large body of text was carried out after formal principles, emphasizing the numbers 18 and 12. The addition of the latest parts may be dated by the absence of the "Anuśāsana-Parva" and the "Virāta Parva" from the "Spitzer manuscript". The oldest surviving Sanskrit text dates to the Kushan Period (200 CE).


title: Mahabharata

text: According to what one character says at Mbh. 1.1.50, there were three versions of the epic, beginning with "Manu" (1.1.27), "Astika" (1.3, sub-Parva 5), or "Vasu" (1.57), respectively. These versions would correspond to the addition of one and then another 'frame' settings of dialogues. The "Vasu" version would omit the frame settings and begin with the account of the birth of Vyasa. The "astika" version would add the "sarpasattra" and "aśvamedha" material from Brahmanical literature, introduce the name "Mahābhārata", and identify Vyāsa as the work's author. The redactors of these additions were probably Pāñcarātrin scholars who according to Oberlies (1998) likely retained control over the text until its final redaction. Mention of the Huna in the "Bhīṣma-Parva" however appears to imply that this Parva may have been edited around the 4th century.


title: Mahabharata

text: The Ādi-Parva includes the snake sacrifice ("sarpasattra") of Janamejaya, explaining its motivation, detailing why all snakes in existence were intended to be destroyed, and why despite this, there are still snakes in existence. This "sarpasattra" material was often considered an independent tale added to a version of the "Mahābhārata" by "thematic attraction" (Minkowski 1991), and considered to have a particularly close connection to Vedic (Brahmana) literature. The Pañcavimśa Brahmana (at 25.15.3) enumerates the officiant priests of a "sarpasattra" among whom the names Dhṛtarāṣtra and Janamejaya, two main characters of the "Mahābhārata"'s "sarpasattra", as well as Takṣaka, the name of a snake in the "Mahābhārata", occur.


title: Mahabharata

text: The "Suparṇākhyāna", a late Vedic period poem considered to be among the "earliest traces of epic poetry in India," is an older, shorter precursor to the expanded legend of Garuda that is included in the "Āstīka Parva", within the "Ādi Parva" of the "Mahābhārata".


title: Mahabharata

text: The earliest known references to "bhārata" and the compound "mahābhārata" date to the "Aṣṭādhyāyī" (sutra 6.2.38) of Pāṇini ("fl." 4th century BCE) and the "Aśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra" (3.4.4). This may mean the core 24,000 verses, known as the "Bhārata", as well as an early version of the extended "Mahābhārata", were composed by the 4th century BCE. However, it is not certain whether Pāṇini referred to the epic, as "bhārata" was also used to describe other things. Albrecht Weber mentions the Rigvedic tribe of the Bharatas, where a great person might have been designated as "Mahā-Bhārata". However, as Páṇini also mentions characters that play a role in the "Mahābhārata", some parts of the epic may have already been known in his day. Another aspect is that Pāṇini determined the accent of "mahā-bhārata". However, the "Mahābhārata" was not recited in Vedic accent.


title: Mahabharata

text: The Greek writer Dio Chrysostom (c. 40 – c. 120 CE) reported that Homer's poetry was being sung even in India. Many scholars have taken this as evidence for the existence of a "Mahābhārata" at this date, whose episodes Dio or his sources identify with the story of the "Iliad".


title: Mahabharata

text: Several stories within the "Mahābhārata" took on separate identities of their own in Classical Sanskrit literature. For instance, Abhijñānaśākuntala by the renowned Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa (c. 400 CE), believed to have lived in the era of the Gupta dynasty, is based on a story that is the precursor to the "Mahābhārata". Urubhaṅga, a Sanskrit play written by Bhāsa who is believed to have lived before Kālidāsa, is based on the slaying of Duryodhana by the splitting of his thighs by Bhīma.


title: Mahabharata

text: The copper-plate inscription of the Maharaja Sharvanatha (533–534 CE) from Khoh (Satna District, Madhya Pradesh) describes the "Mahābhārata" as a "collection of 100,000 verses" ("śata-sahasri saṃhitā").


title: Mahabharata

text: The Mahabharata begins with the following hymn and in fact this praise has been made at the beginning of every Parva:


title: Mahabharata

text: "Om! Having bowed down to Narayana and Nara (Arjuna), the most exalted male being, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered."


title: Mahabharata

text: Nara-Narayana were two ancient sages who were the portion of Shree Vishnu. Nara was the previous birth of Arjuna and the friend of Narayana, while Narayana was the incarnation of Shree Vishnu and thus the previous birth of Shree Krishna.


title: Mahabharata

text: The historicity of the Kurukshetra War is unclear. Many historians estimate the date of the Kurukshetra war to Iron Age India of the 10th century BCE. The setting of the epic has a historical precedent in Iron Age (Vedic) India, where the Kuru kingdom was the center of political power during roughly 1200 to 800  BCE. A dynastic conflict of the period could have been the inspiration for the "Jaya", the foundation on which the "Mahābhārata" corpus was built, with a climactic battle, eventually coming to be viewed as an epochal event.


title: Mahabharata

text: Puranic literature presents genealogical lists associated with the "Mahābhārata" narrative. The evidence of the Puranas is of two kinds. Of the first kind, there is the direct statement that there were 1015 (or 1050) years between the birth of Parikshit (Arjuna's grandson) and the accession of Mahapadma Nanda (400-329  BCE), which would yield an estimate of about 1400  BCE for the Bharata battle. However, this would imply improbably long reigns on average for the kings listed in the genealogies.


title: Mahabharata

text: Of the second kind is analyses of parallel genealogies in the Puranas between the times of Adhisimakrishna (Parikshit's great-grandson) and Mahapadma Nanda. Pargiter accordingly estimated 26 generations by averaging 10 different dynastic lists and, assuming 18 years for the average duration of a reign, arrived at an estimate of 850  BCE for Adhisimakrishna, and thus approximately 950  BCE for the Bharata battle.


title: Mahabharata

text: B. B. Lal used the same approach with a more conservative assumption of the average reign to estimate a date of 836 BCE, and correlated this with archaeological evidence from Painted Grey Ware (PGW) sites, the association being strong between PGW artifacts and places mentioned in the epic. John Keay confirms this and also gives 950 BCE for the Bharata battle.


title: Mahabharata

text: Attempts to date the events using methods of archaeoastronomy have produced, depending on which passages are chosen and how they are interpreted, estimates ranging from the late 4th to the mid-2nd millennium BCE. The late 4th-millennium date has a precedent in the calculation of the "Kali Yuga" epoch, based on planetary conjunctions, by Aryabhata (6th century). Aryabhata's date of 18 February 3102  BCE for "Mahābhārata" war has become widespread in Indian tradition. Some sources mark this as the disappearance of Krishna from the Earth. The Aihole inscription of Pulikeshi II, dated to Saka 556 = 634 CE, claims that 3735 years have elapsed since the Bharata battle, putting the date of "Mahābhārata" war at 3137 BCE.


title: Mahabharata

text: Another traditional school of astronomers and historians, represented by Vriddha-Garga, Varahamihira (author of the "Brhatsamhita") and Kalhana (author of the "Rajatarangini"), place the Bharata war 653 years after the "Kali Yuga" epoch, corresponding to 2449 BCE.


title: Mahabharata

text: The core story of the work is that of a dynastic struggle for the throne of Hastinapura, the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan. The two collateral branches of the family that participate in the struggle are the Kaurava and the Pandava. Although the Kaurava is the senior branch of the family, Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava, is younger than Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava. Both Duryodhana and Yudhishthira claim to be first in line to inherit the throne.


title: Mahabharata

text: The struggle culminates in the great battle of Kurukshetra, in which the Pandavas are ultimately victorious. The battle produces complex conflicts of kinship and friendship, instances of family loyalty and duty taking precedence over what is right, as well as the converse.


title: Mahabharata

text: The "Mahābhārata" itself ends with the death of Krishna, and the subsequent end of his dynasty and ascent of the Pandava brothers to heaven. It also marks the beginning of the Hindu age of "Kali Yuga", the fourth and final age of humankind, in which great values and noble ideas have crumbled, and people are heading towards the complete dissolution of right action, morality, and virtue.


title: Mahabharata

text: King Janamejaya's ancestor Shantanu, the king of Hastinapura, has a short-lived marriage with the goddess Ganga and has a son, Devavrata (later to be called Bhishma, a great warrior), who becomes the heir apparent. Many years later, when King Shantanu goes hunting, he sees Satyavati, the daughter of the chief of fisherman, and asks her father for her hand. Her father refuses to consent to the marriage unless Shantanu promises to make any future son of Satyavati the king upon his death. To resolve his father's dilemma, Devavrata agrees to relinquish his right to the throne. As the fisherman is not sure about the prince's children honoring the promise, Devavrata also takes a vow of lifelong celibacy to guarantee his father's promise.


title: Mahabharata

text: Shantanu has two sons by Satyavati, Chitrāngada and Vichitravirya. Upon Shantanu's death, Chitrangada becomes king. He lives a very short uneventful life and dies. Vichitravirya, the younger son, rules Hastinapura. Meanwhile, the King of Kāśī arranges a swayamvara for his three daughters, neglecting to invite the royal family of Hastinapur. To arrange the marriage of young Vichitravirya, Bhishma attends the swayamvara of the three princesses Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika, uninvited, and proceeds to abduct them. Ambika and Ambalika consent to be married to Vichitravirya.


title: Mahabharata

text: The oldest princess Amba, however, informs Bhishma that she wishes to marry the king of Shalva whom Bhishma defeated at their swayamvara. Bhishma lets her leave to marry the king of Shalva, but Shalva refuses to marry her, still smarting at his humiliation at the hands of Bhishma. Amba then returns to marry Bhishma but he refuses due to his vow of celibacy. Amba becomes enraged and becomes Bhishma's bitter enemy, holding him responsible for her plight. She vows to kill him in her next life. Later she is reborn to King Drupada as Shikhandi (or Shikhandini) and causes Bhishma's fall, with the help of Arjuna, in the battle of Kurukshetra.


title: Mahabharata

text: When Vichitravirya dies young without any heirs, Satyavati asks her first son Vyasa to father children with the widows. The eldest, Ambika, shuts her eyes when she sees him, and so her son Dhritarashtra is born blind. Ambalika turns pale and bloodless upon seeing him, and thus her son Pandu is born pale and unhealthy (the term Pandu may also mean 'jaundiced'). Due to the physical challenges of the first two children, Satyavati asks Vyasa to try once again. However, Ambika and Ambalika send their maid instead, to Vyasa's room. Vyasa fathers a third son, Vidura, by the maid. He is born healthy and grows up to be one of the wisest characters in the "Mahabharata". He serves as Prime Minister (Mahamantri or Mahatma) to King Pandu and King Dhritarashtra.


title: Mahabharata

text: When the princes grow up, Dhritarashtra is about to be crowned king by Bhishma when Vidura intervenes and uses his knowledge of politics to assert that a blind person cannot be king. This is because a blind man cannot control and protect his subjects. The throne is then given to Pandu because of Dhritarashtra's blindness. Pandu marries twice, to Kunti and Madri. Dhritarashtra marries Gandhari, a princess from Gandhara, who blindfolds herself for the rest of her life so that she may feel the pain that her husband feels. Her brother Shakuni is enraged by this and vows to take revenge on the Kuru family. One day, when Pandu is relaxing in the forest, he hears the sound of a wild animal. He shoots an arrow in the direction of the sound. However, the arrow hits the sage Kindama, who was engaged in a sexual act in the guise of a deer. He curses Pandu that if he engages in a sexual act, he will die. Pandu then retires to the forest along with his two wives, and his brother Dhritarashtra rules thereafter, despite his blindness.


title: Mahabharata

text: Pandu's older queen Kunti, however, had been given a boon by Sage Durvasa that she could invoke any god using a special mantra. Kunti uses this boon to ask Dharma the god of justice, Vayu the god of the wind, and Indra the lord of the heavens for sons. She gives birth to three sons, Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna, through these gods. Kunti shares her mantra with the younger queen Madri, who bears the twins Nakula and Sahadeva through the Ashwini twins. However, Pandu and Madri indulge in lovemaking, and Pandu dies. Madri commits suicide out of remorse. Kunti raises the five brothers, who are from then on usually referred to as the Pandava brothers.


title: Mahabharata

text: Dhritarashtra has a hundred sons, and one daughter—Duhsala—through Gandhari, all born after the birth of Yudhishthira. These are the Kaurava brothers, the eldest being Duryodhana, and the second Dushasana. Other Kaurava brothers were Vikarna and Sukarna. The rivalry and enmity between them and the Pandava brothers, from their youth and into manhood, leads to the Kurukshetra war.


title: Mahabharata

text: After the deaths of their mother (Madri) and father (Pandu), the Pandavas and their mother Kunti return to the palace of Hastinapur. Yudhishthira is made Crown Prince by Dhritarashtra, under considerable pressure from his courtiers. Dhritarashtra wanted his son Duryodhana to become king and lets his ambition get in the way of preserving justice.


title: Mahabharata

text: Shakuni, Duryodhana, and Dushasana plot to get rid of the Pandavas. Shakuni calls the architect Purochana to build a palace out of flammable materials like lac and ghee. He then arranges for the Pandavas and the Queen Mother Kunti to stay there, intending to set it alight. However, the Pandavas are warned by their wise uncle, Vidura, who sends them a miner to dig a tunnel. They can escape to safety and go into hiding. During this time Bhima marries a demoness Hidimbi and has a son Ghatotkacha. Back in Hastinapur, the Pandavas and Kunti are presumed dead.


title: Mahabharata

text: Whilst they were in hiding the Pandavas learn of a swayamvara which is taking place for the hand of the Pāñcāla princess Draupadī. The Pandavas disguised as Brahmins come to witness the event. Meanwhile, Krishna who has already befriended Draupadi, tells her to look out for Arjuna (though now believed to be dead). The task was to string a mighty steel bow and shoot a target on the ceiling, which was the eye of a moving artificial fish while looking at its reflection in oil below. In popular versions, after all the princes fail, many being unable to lift the bow, Karna proceeds to the attempt but is interrupted by Draupadi who refuses to marry a suta (this has been excised from the Critical Edition of Mahabharata as later interpolation). After this the swayamvara is opened to the Brahmins leading Arjuna to win the contest and marry Draupadi. The Pandavas return home and inform their meditating mother that Arjuna has won a competition and to look at what they have brought back. Without looking, Kunti asks them to share whatever Arjuna has won amongst themselves, thinking it to be alms. Thus, Draupadi ends up being the wife of all five brothers.


title: Mahabharata

text: After the wedding, the Pandava brothers are invited back to Hastinapura. The Kuru family elders and relatives negotiate and broker a split of the kingdom, with the Pandavas obtaining and demanding only a wild forest inhabited by Takshaka, the king of snakes, and his family. Through hard work, the Pandavas can build a new glorious capital for the territory at Indraprastha.


title: Mahabharata

text: Shortly after this, Arjuna elopes with and then marries Krishna's sister, Subhadra. Yudhishthira wishes to establish his position as king; he seeks Krishna's advice. Krishna advises him, and after due preparation and the elimination of some opposition, Yudhishthira carries out the "rājasūya yagna" ceremony; he is thus recognized as pre-eminent among kings.


title: Mahabharata

text: The Pandavas have a new palace built for them, by Maya the Danava. They invite their Kaurava cousins to Indraprastha. Duryodhana walks round the palace, and mistakes a glossy floor for water, and will not step in. After being told of his error, he then sees a pond and assumes it is not water and falls in. Bhima, Arjun, the twins and the servants laugh at him. In popular adaptations, this insult is wrongly attributed to Draupadi, even though in the Sanskrit epic, it was the Pandavas (except Yudhishthira) who had insulted Duryodhana. Enraged by the insult, and jealous at seeing the wealth of the Pandavas, Duryodhana decides to host a dice-game on Shakuni's suggestion. This suggestion was accepted by Yudhisthira despite the rest of the Pandavas advising him not to play.


title: Mahabharata

text: Shakuni, Duryodhana's uncle, now arranges a dice game, playing against Yudhishthira with loaded dice. Shakuni's dice had magic as they were made from the bones of his siblings. In the dice game, Yudhishthira loses all his wealth, then his kingdom. Yudhishthira then gambles his brothers, himself, and finally his wife into servitude. The jubilant Kauravas insult the Pandavas in their helpless state and even try to disrobe Draupadi in front of the entire court, but Draupadi's disrobe is prevented by Krishna, who miraculously make her dress endless, therefore it couldn't be removed.


title: Mahabharata

text: Dhritarashtra, Bhishma, and the other elders are aghast at the situation, but Duryodhana is adamant that there is no place for two crown princes in Hastinapura. Against his wishes Dhritarashtra orders for another dice game. The Pandavas are required to go into exile for 12 years, and in the 13th year, they must remain hidden. If they are discovered by the Kauravas in the 13th year of their exile, then they will be forced into exile for another 12 years.


title: Mahabharata

text: The Pandavas spend thirteen years in exile; many adventures occur during this time. The Pandavas acquire many divine weapons, given by gods, during this period. They also prepare alliances for a possible future conflict. They spend their final year in disguise in the court of the king Virata, and they are discovered just after the end of the year.


title: Mahabharata

text: At the end of their exile, they try to negotiate a return to Indraprastha with Krishna as their emissary. However, this negotiation fails, because Duryodhana objected that they were discovered in the 13th year of their exile and the return of their kingdom was not agreed upon. Then the Pandavas fought the Kauravas, claiming their rights over Indraprastha.


title: Mahabharata

text: The two sides summon vast armies to their help and line up at Kurukshetra for a war. The kingdoms of Panchala, Dwaraka, Kasi, Kekaya, Magadha, Matsya, Chedi, Pandyas, Telinga, and the Yadus of Mathura and some other clans like the Parama Kambojas were allied with the Pandavas. The allies of the Kauravas included the kings of Pragjyotisha, Anga, Kekaya, Sindhudesa (including Sindhus, Sauviras and Sivis), Mahishmati, Avanti in Madhyadesa, Madra, Gandhara, Bahlika people, Kambojas and many others. Before war being declared, Balarama had expressed his unhappiness at the developing conflict and leaves to go on pilgrimage; thus he does not take part in the battle itself. Krishna takes part in a non-combatant role, as charioteer (Sarathy) for Arjuna and offers Narayani Sena consisting of Abhira gopas to the Kauravas to fight on their side.


title: Mahabharata

text: Before the battle, Arjuna, noticing that the opposing army includes his cousins and relatives, including his grandfather Bhishma and his teacher Drona, has grave doubts about the fight. He falls into despair and refuses to fight. At this time, Krishna reminds him of his duty as a Kshatriya to fight for a righteous cause in the famous Bhagavad Gita section of the epic.


title: Mahabharata

text: Though initially sticking to chivalrous notions of warfare, both sides soon adopt dishonorable tactics. At the end of the 18-day battle, only the Pandavas, Satyaki, Kripa, Ashwatthama, Kritavarma, Yuyutsu and Krishna survive. Yudhisthira becomes King of Hastinapur and Gandhari curses Krishna that the downfall of his clan is imminent.


title: Mahabharata

text: After "seeing" the carnage, Gandhari, who had lost all her sons, curses Krishna to be a witness to a similar annihilation of his family, for though divine and capable of stopping the war, he had not done so. Krishna accepts the curse, which bears fruit 36 years later.


title: Mahabharata

text: The Pandavas, who had ruled their kingdom meanwhile, decide to renounce everything. Clad in skins and rags they retire to the Himalaya and climb towards heaven in their bodily form. A stray dog travels with them. One by one the brothers and Draupadi fall on their way. As each one stumbles, Yudhishthira gives the rest the reason for their fall (Draupadi was partial to Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva were vain and proud of their looks, and Bhima and Arjuna were proud of their strength and archery skills, respectively). Only the virtuous Yudhishthira, who had tried everything to prevent the carnage, and the dog remain. The dog reveals himself to be the god Yama (also known as Yama Dharmaraja) and then takes him to the underworld where he sees his siblings and wife. After explaining the nature of the test, Yama takes Yudhishthira back to heaven and explains that it was necessary to expose him to the underworld because (Rajyante narakam dhruvam) any ruler has to visit the underworld at least once. Yama then assures him that his siblings and wife would join him in heaven after they had been exposed to the underworld for measures of time according to their vices.


title: Mahabharata

text: Arjuna's grandson Parikshit rules after them and dies bitten by a snake. His furious son, Janamejaya, decides to perform a snake sacrifice ("sarpasattra") to destroy the snakes. It is at this sacrifice that the tale of his ancestors is narrated to him.


title: Mahabharata

text: The "Mahābhārata" mentions that Karna, the Pandavas, Draupadi and Dhritarashtra's sons eventually ascended to svarga and "attained the state of the gods", and banded together – "serene and free from anger".


title: Mahabharata

text: The "Mahābhārata" offers one of the first instances of theorizing about "dharmayuddha", "just war", illustrating many of the standards that would be debated later across the world. In the story, one of five brothers asks if the suffering caused by war can ever be justified. A long discussion ensues between the siblings, establishing criteria like "proportionality" (chariots cannot attack cavalry, only other chariots; no attacking people in distress), "just means" (no poisoned or barbed arrows), "just cause" (no attacking out of rage), and fair treatment of captives and the wounded.


title: Mahabharata

text: The first Bengali translations of the "Mahabharata" emerged in the 16th century. It is disputed whether Kavindra Parameshwar of Hooghly (based in Chittagong during his writing) or Sri Sanjay of Sylhet was the first to translate it into Bengali.


title: Mahabharata

text: A Persian translation of "Mahabharata", titled "Razmnameh", was produced at Akbar's orders, by Faizi and ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni in the 18th century.


title: Mahabharata

text: The first complete English translation was the Victorian prose version by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, published between 1883 and 1896 (Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers) and by M. N. Dutt (Motilal Banarsidass Publishers). Most critics consider the translation by Ganguli to be faithful to the original text. The complete text of Ganguli's translation is in the public domain and is available online.


title: Mahabharata

text: An early poetry translation by Romesh Chunder Dutt and published in 1898 condenses the main themes of the "Mahābhārata" into English verse. A later poetic "transcreation" (author's description) of the full epic into English, done by the poet P. Lal, is complete, and in 2005 began being published by Writers Workshop, Calcutta. The P. Lal translation is a non-rhyming verse-by-verse rendering, and is the only edition in any language to include all slokas in all recensions of the work (not just those in the "Critical Edition"). The completion of the publishing project is scheduled for 2010. Sixteen of the eighteen volumes are now available. Dr. Pradip Bhattacharya stated that the P. Lal version is "known in academia as the ‘vulgate'". However, it has been described as "not strictly speaking a translation".


title: Mahabharata

text: A project to translate the full epic into English prose, translated by various hands, began to appear in 2005 from the Clay Sanskrit Library, published by New York University Press. The translation is based not on the "Critical Edition" but on the version known to the commentator Nīlakaṇṭha. Currently available are 15 volumes of the projected 32-volume edition.


title: Mahabharata

text: Indian Vedic Scholar Shripad Damodar Satwalekar translated the Critical Edition of Mahabharata into Hindi which was assigned to him by the Government of India. After his death, the task was taken up by Shrutisheel Sharma.


title: Mahabharata

text: Indian economist Bibek Debroy also wrote an unabridged English translation in ten volumes. Volume 1: Adi Parva was published in March 2010, and the last two volumes were published in December 2014. Abhinav Agarwal referred to Debroy's translation as "thoroughly enjoyable and impressively scholarly". In a review of the seventh volume, Bhattacharya stated that the translator bridged gaps in the narrative of the Critical Edition, but also noted translation errors. Gautam Chikermane of "Hindustan Times" wrote that where "both Debroy and Ganguli get tiresome is in the use of adjectives while describing protagonists".


title: Mahabharata

text: Another English prose translation of the full epic, based on the "Critical Edition", is in progress, published by University of Chicago Press. It was initiated by Indologist J. A. B. van Buitenen (books 1–5) and, following a 20-year hiatus caused by the death of van Buitenen is being continued by several scholars. James L. Fitzgerald translated book 11 and the first half of book 12. David Gitomer is translating book 6, Gary Tubb is translating book 7, Christopher Minkowski is translating book 8, Alf Hiltebeitel is translating books 9 and 10, Fitzgerald is translating the second half of book 12, Patrick Olivelle is translating book 13, and Fred Smith is translating book 14–18.


title: Mahabharata

text: Many condensed versions, abridgments and novelistic prose retellings of the complete epic have been published in English, including works by Ramesh Menon, William Buck, R. K. Narayan, C. Rajagopalachari, K. M. Munshi, Krishna Dharma, Romesh C. Dutt, Bharadvaja Sarma, John D. Smith and Sharon Maas.


title: Mahabharata

text: Between 1919 and 1966, scholars at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, compared the various manuscripts of the epic from India and abroad and produced the "Critical Edition" of the "Mahabharata", on 13,000 pages in 19 volumes, over the span of 47 years, followed by the "Harivamsha" in another two volumes and six index volumes. This is the text that is usually used in current Mahābhārata studies for reference. This work is sometimes called the "Pune" or "Poona" edition of the "Mahabharata".


title: Mahabharata

text: Many regional versions of the work developed over time, mostly differing only in minor details, or with verses or subsidiary stories being added. These include the Tamil street theatre, terukkuttu and kattaikkuttu, the plays of which use themes from the Tamil language versions of "Mahabharata", focusing on Draupadi.


title: Mahabharata

text: Outside the Indian subcontinent, in Indonesia, a version was developed in ancient Java as Kakawin Bhāratayuddha in the 11th century under the patronage of King Dharmawangsa (990–1016) and later it spread to the neighboring island of Bali, which remains a Hindu majority island today. It has become the fertile source for Javanese literature, dance drama (wayang wong), and wayang shadow puppet performances. This Javanese version of the "Mahābhārata" differs slightly from the original Indian version. Another notable difference is the inclusion of the Punakawans, the clown servants of the main characters in the storyline. These characters include Semar, Petruk, Gareng, and Bagong, who are much-loved by Indonesian audiences. There are also some spin-off episodes developed in ancient Java, such as Arjunawiwaha composed in the 11th century.


title: Mahabharata

text: A Kawi version of the "Mahabharata", of which eight of the eighteen "parvas" survive, is found on the Indonesian island of Bali. It has been translated into English by Dr. I. Gusti Putu Phalgunadi.


title: Mahabharata

text: Bhasa, the 2nd- or 3rd-century CE Sanskrit playwright, wrote two plays on episodes in the "Marabharata", "Urubhanga" ("Broken Thigh"), about the fight between Duryodhana and Bhima, while "Madhyamavyayoga" ("The Middle One") set around Bhima and his son, Ghatotkacha. The first important play of 20th century was "Andha Yug" ("The Blind Epoch"), by Dharamvir Bharati, which came in 1955, found in "Mahabharat", both an ideal source and expression of modern predicaments and discontent. Starting with Ebrahim Alkazi, it was staged by numerous directors. V. S. Khandekar's Marathi novel, "Yayati" (1960), and Girish Karnad's debut play "Yayati" (1961) are based on the story of King Yayati found in the "Mahabharat". Bengali writer and playwright, Buddhadeva Bose wrote three plays set in Mahabharat, "Anamni Angana", "Pratham Partha" and "Kalsandhya". Pratibha Ray wrote an award winning novel entitled Yajnaseni from Draupadi's perspective in 1984. Later, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni wrote a similar novel entitled "" in 2008. Gujarati poet Chinu Modi has written long narrative poetry "Bahuk" based on character Bahuka. Krishna Udayasankar, a Singapore-based Indian author, has written several novels which are modern-day retellings of the epic, most notably the Aryavarta Chronicles Series. Suman Pokhrel wrote a solo play based on Ray's novel by personalizing and taking Draupadi alone in the scene.


title: Mahabharata

text: In Indian cinema, several film versions of the epic have been made, dating back to 1920. The "Mahābhārata" was also reinterpreted by Shyam Benegal in "Kalyug". Prakash Jha directed 2010 film Raajneeti was partially inspired by the "Mahabharata". A 2013 animated adaptation holds the record for India's most expensive animated film.


title: Mahabharata

text: In 1988, B. R. Chopra created a television series named "Mahabharat." It was directed by Ravi Chopra, and was televised on India's national television (Doordarshan). The same year as "Mahabharat" was being shown on Doordarshan, that same company's other television show, "Bharat Ek Khoj", also directed by Shyam Benegal, showed a 2-episode abbreviation of the "Mahabharata", drawing from various interpretations of the work, be they sung, danced, or staged. In the Western world, a well-known presentation of the epic is Peter Brook's nine-hour play, which premiered in Avignon in 1985, and its five-hour movie version " The Mahābhārata" (1989). In the late 2013 "Mahabharat" was televised on STAR Plus. It was produced by Swastik Productions Pvt.


title: Mahabharata

text: Uncompleted projects on the "Mahābhārata" include one by Rajkumar Santoshi, and a theatrical adaptation planned by Satyajit Ray.


title: Mahabharata

text: Every year in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, villagers perform the "Pandav Lila", a ritual re-enactment of episodes from the "Mahabharata" through dancing, singing, and recitation. The "lila" is a cultural highlight of the year and is usually performed between November and February. Folk instruments of the region, dhol, damau and two long trumpets bhankore, accompany the action. The actors, who are amateurs not pr, professionals, often break into a spontaneous dance when they are "possessed" by the spirits of their characters.


title: Mahabharata

text: Jain versions of "Mahābhārata" can be found in the various Jain texts like "Harivamsapurana" (the story of Harivamsa) "Trisastisalakapurusa Caritra" (Hagiography of 63 Illustrious persons), "Pandavacharitra" (lives of Pandavas) and "Pandavapurana" (stories of Pandavas). From the earlier canonical literature, "Antakrddaaśāh" (8th cannon) and "Vrisnidasa" ("upangagama" or secondary canon) contain the stories of Neminatha (22nd Tirthankara), Krishna and Balarama. Prof. Padmanabh Jaini notes that, unlike in the Hindu Puranas, the names Baladeva and Vasudeva are not restricted to Balarama and Krishna in Jain Puranas. Instead, they serve as names of two distinct classes of mighty brothers, who appear nine times in each half of time cycles of the Jain cosmology and rule half the earth as half-chakravartins. Jaini traces the origin of this list of brothers to the Jinacharitra by Bhadrabahu swami (4th–3rd century BCE). According to Jain cosmology Balarama, Krishna and Jarasandha are the ninth and the last set of Baladeva, Vasudeva, and Prativasudeva. The main battle is not the Mahabharata, but the fight between Krishna and Jarasandha (who is killed by Krishna as Prativasudevas are killed by Vasudevas). Ultimately, the Pandavas and Balarama take renunciation as Jain monks and are reborn in heavens, while on the other hand Krishna and Jarasandha are reborn in hell. In keeping with the law of karma, Krishna is reborn in hell for his exploits (sexual and violent) while Jarasandha for his evil ways. Prof. Jaini admits a possibility that perhaps because of his popularity, the Jain authors were keen to rehabilitate Krishna. The Jain texts predict that after his karmic term in the hell is over sometime during the next half time-cycle, Krishna will be reborn as a Jain Tirthankara and attain liberation. Krishna and Balrama are shown as contemporaries and cousins of 22nd Tirthankara, Neminatha. According to this story, Krishna arranged young Neminath's marriage with Rajemati, the daughter of Ugrasena, but Neminatha, empathizing with the animals which were to be slaughtered for the marriage feast, left the procession suddenly and renounced the world.


title: Mahabharata

text: In the "Bhagavad Gita", Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the "Gita" often being described as a concise guide to Hindu philosophy and a practical, self-contained guide to life. In more modern times, Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi and many others used the text to help inspire the Indian independence movement.


title: Mahabharata

text: It has also inspired several works of modern Hindi literature, such as Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's "Rashmirathi", which is a rendition of "Mahabharata" centered around Karna and his conflicts. It was written in 1952, and won the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 1972.


title: John David Washington

text: John David Washington (born July 28, 1984) is an American actor and former professional football player. He played college football at Morehouse College and signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Professionally, Washington spent four years as the running back for the United Football League's Sacramento Mountain Lions.


title: John David Washington

text: Washington shifted to an acting career like his father, Denzel Washington, and mother, Pauletta. He was part of the main cast of the HBO comedy series "Ballers" (2015–2019). His breakthrough came playing Ron Stallworth in Spike Lee's 2018 crime film "BlacKkKlansman", for which he received both Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. In 2020, he starred in Christopher Nolan's science fiction action-thriller film "Tenet", for which he won the Saturn Award for Best Actor.


title: John David Washington

text: Washington was born and raised in the Toluca Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. He is the oldest of four children born to actor Denzel Washington and actress and singer Pauletta Washington (née Pearson). John David, as a compound name, is his first name. At the age of seven he appeared as a student in a Harlem classroom in Spike Lee's 1992 feature film "Malcolm X", which starred his father, Denzel, in the title role.


title: John David Washington

text: Washington attended Campbell Hall School in Los Angeles, where he was a letterman in football, basketball, and track. He graduated from high school in 2002, and from Morehouse College in 2006.


title: John David Washington

text: As a Morehouse College senior, Washington led the conference in rushing with 1,198 yards (a school record). He also had a 5.6-yard average, nine touchdowns, and ten receptions for 69 yards. In his college career, Washington holds the school's single-game (242 yards) and career (3,699 yards) rushing records.


title: John David Washington

text: After going undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft, Washington was signed by the St. Louis Rams on May 1, 2006, as an undrafted free agent. Washington was released by the Rams on August 31. Three days later, the Rams re-signed him to their practice squad. Washington played in NFL Europe for the Rhein Fire in the 2007 offseason.


title: John David Washington

text: Washington was drafted by the California Redwoods (later the Sacramento Mountain Lions) of the United Football League in the UFL Premiere Season Draft in 2009. He signed with the team on August 18. Washington stayed with the team after their move to Sacramento, playing for the Mountain Lions until 2012, when the league abruptly folded that October.


title: John David Washington

text: Washington began acting in 2015 in the role of Ricky Jerret in the HBO drama series "Ballers". The series was well received by critics, and continued on for five seasons through 2019.


title: John David Washington

text: In September 2017, Washington was cast in the lead role of detective Ron Stallworth in Spike Lee's thriller "BlacKkKlansman", which was based on Stallworth's memoir. The film premiered on May 14, 2018, at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. "BlacKkKlansman" did not win the Palme d'Or, but was awarded the Grand Prix by the festival jury. The film began a U.S. theatrical release on August 10, 2018, a date chosen to coincide with the one year anniversary of the Charlottesville rally. The film was a commercial success, earning Washington both Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. In 2018, Washington also starred in the films "Monsters and Men" and "Monster", both of which screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. He also appeared in "The Old Man & the Gun", which was released on September 28, 2018, by Fox Searchlight Pictures.


title: John David Washington

text: After seeing Washington's work in "BlacKkKlansman", director Christopher Nolan hand-picked him to anchor his thriller film "Tenet". Nolan said of the actor, "[He's] just one of the greatest collaborators I've worked with: extraordinarily hard-working, very, very thoughtful, and very considerate of everybody around him in the most wonderful way." Released in September 2020, "Tenet" received mixed reviews. Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" praised Washington's "star-in-the-making" performance, writing, "A former football running back, the actor brings a natural athletic grace to the stunts and hand-to-hand combat that forge a visceral bond between his character and the audience." For his performance, Washington won the Saturn Award for Best Actor.


title: John David Washington

text: Washington starred alongside Zendaya as the titular characters in the drama film "Malcolm & Marie" (2021), which had been filmed in secret during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was released to mixed reviews but Washington’s performance received praise. He is set to appear in the period film "Amsterdam", directed by David O. Russell and scheduled for a November 2022 release. Washington is set to perform in a Broadway revival of August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson" beginning in September 2022 and reprise his role in a film adaptation of the play. He is attached to appear in Gareth Edwards' film "True Love".


title: Braveheart

text: Braveheart is a 1995 American historical drama film directed and produced by, and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson portrays Sir William Wallace, a late-13th century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England. The film also stars Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan and Catherine McCormack. The story is inspired by Blind Harry's 15th century epic poem "The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace" and was adapted for the screen by Randall Wallace.


title: Braveheart

text: Development on the film initially started at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) when producer Alan Ladd Jr. picked up the project from Wallace, but when MGM was going through new management, Ladd left the studio and took the project with him. Despite initially declining, Gibson eventually decided to direct the film, as well as star as Wallace. "Braveheart" was filmed in Scotland and Ireland from June to October 1994 with a budget around $65–70 million. The film, which was produced by Gibson's Icon Productions and The Ladd Company, was distributed by Paramount Pictures in North America and by 20th Century Fox internationally.


title: Braveheart

text: Released on May 24, 1995, "Braveheart" was praised for its action, drama, and romance, though it was criticized for its numerous historical deviations. Nonetheless, the film was successful both critically and commercially. A legacy sequel, "Robert the Bruce", was released on June 28, 2019, with Angus Macfadyen reprising his role.


title: Braveheart

text: In 1280, King Edward "Longshanks" invades and conquers Scotland following the death of Alexander III of Scotland, who left no heir to the throne. Young William Wallace witnesses Longshanks' execution of several Scottish nobles, suffers the deaths of his father and brother fighting against the English, and is taken abroad on a pilgrimage throughout Europe by his paternal uncle Argyle, who has Wallace educated.


title: Braveheart

text: Years later, Longshanks grants his noblemen land and privileges in Scotland, including "jus primae noctis". Meanwhile, a grown Wallace returns to Scotland and falls in love with his childhood friend Murron MacClannough, and the two marry in secret. Wallace rescues Murron from being raped by English soldiers, but as Wallace fights off the soldiers Murron is captured and publicly executed. In retribution, Wallace leads his clan to fight the English garrison in his hometown and sends the surviving garrison back to England with a message of rebellion for Longshanks.


title: Braveheart

text: Longshanks orders his son Prince Edward to stop Wallace by any means necessary while he visits the French King to secure England's alliance with France. Alongside his friend Hamish, Wallace rebels against the English, and as his legend spreads, hundreds of Scots from the surrounding clans join him. Wallace leads his army to victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge where he decapitates the English commander Cheltham, and sacks York after Prince Edward fails to send reinforcements there, killing Longshanks' nephew whose severed head is sent to the king. Wallace seeks the assistance of Robert the Bruce, the son of nobleman Robert the Elder, a contender for the Scottish crown. Robert is dominated by his leper father, who wishes to secure the Scottish throne for his son by submitting to the English. Worried by the threat of the rebellion, Longshanks sends his son's wife Isabella of France to try to negotiate with Wallace as a distraction for the landing of another invasion force in Scotland.


title: Braveheart

text: After meeting him in person, Isabella becomes enamored of Wallace. She warns him of the coming invasion, and Wallace implores the Scottish nobility to take immediate action to counter the threat and take back their country, asking Robert the Bruce to lead. Leading the English army himself, Longshanks confronts the Scots at Falkirk. During the battle, Scottish noblemen Mornay and Lochlan, having been bribed by Longshanks, withdraw their men, resulting in Wallace's army being routed and the death of Hamish's father, Campbell. Wallace is further betrayed when he discovers Robert the Bruce was fighting alongside Longshanks; after the battle, seeing the damage he helped do to his countrymen, Robert reprimands his father and vows never to be on the wrong side again.


title: Braveheart

text: Wallace kills Lochlan and Mornay for their betrayal and wages a guerrilla war against the English assisted by Isabella, with whom he eventually has an affair. Robert sets up a meeting with Wallace in Edinburgh, but Robert's father conspires with other nobles to capture and hand over Wallace to the English. Learning of his treachery, Robert disowns and banishes his father. Isabella exacts revenge on the now terminally ill Longshanks, who can no longer speak, by telling him that his bloodline will be destroyed upon his death as she is pregnant with Wallace's child and will ensure that Prince Edward spends as short a time as possible on the throne before Wallace's child replaces him.


title: Braveheart

text: In London, Wallace is brought before an English magistrate, tried for high treason, and condemned to public torture and beheading. Even whilst being hanged, drawn and quartered, Wallace refuses to submit to the king. The watching crowd, deeply moved by the Scotsman's valor, begin crying for mercy on Wallace's behalf. The magistrate offers him one final chance, asking him only to utter the word, "Mercy", and be granted a quick death. Wallace instead shouts, "Freedom!", and his cry rings through the square, the dying Longshanks hearing it. Before being beheaded, Wallace sees a vision of Murron in the crowd, smiling at him.


title: Braveheart

text: In 1314, Robert, now Scotland's king, leads a Scottish army before a ceremonial line of English troops on the fields of Bannockburn, where he is supposed to formally accept English rule. Instead, he invokes Wallace's memory, imploring his men to fight with him as they did with Wallace. Hamish throws Wallace's sword point-down in front of the English army, and he and the Scots chant Wallace's name as Robert leads them into battle against the English, winning the Scots their freedom.


title: Braveheart

text: Producer Alan Ladd Jr. initially had the project at MGM-Pathé Communications when he picked up the script from Wallace. When MGM was going through new management in 1993, Ladd left the studio and took some of its top properties, including "Braveheart". Gibson came across the script and even though he liked it, he initially passed on it. However, the thought of it kept coming back to him and he ultimately decided to take on the project. Terry Gilliam was offered to direct the film but he declined. Gibson was initially interested in directing only and considered Brad Pitt in the role of Sir William Wallace, but Gibson reluctantly agreed to play Wallace as well.


title: Braveheart

text: Gibson and his production company, Icon Productions, had difficulty raising enough money for the film. Warner Bros. was willing to fund the project on the condition that Gibson sign for another "Lethal Weapon" sequel, which he refused. Gibson eventually gained enough financing for the film, with Paramount Pictures financing a third of the budget in exchange for North American distribution rights to the film, and 20th Century Fox putting up two-thirds of the budget in exchange for international distribution rights.


title: Braveheart

text: Principal photography on the film began on June 6, 1994. While the crew spent three weeks shooting on location in Scotland, the major battle scenes were shot in Ireland using members of the Irish Army Reserve as extras. To lower costs, Gibson had the same extras, up to 1,600 in some scenes, portray both armies. The reservists had been given permission to grow beards and swapped their military uniforms for medieval garb. Principal photography ended on October 28, 1994. The film was shot in the anamorphic format with Panavision C- and E-Series lenses.


title: Braveheart

text: Gibson had to tone down the film's battle scenes to avoid an NC-17 rating from the MPAA; the final version was rated R for "brutal medieval warfare". Gibson and editor Steven Rosenblum initially had a film at 195 minutes, but Sherry Lansing, who was the head of Paramount at the time, requested Gibson and Rosenblum to cut the film down to 177 minutes. According to Gibson in a 2016 interview with "Collider", there is a four-hour version of the film and he would be interested in reassembling it if both Paramount and Fox are interested.


title: Braveheart

text: The score was composed and conducted by James Horner and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. It is Horner's second of three collaborations with Mel Gibson as director. The score has gone on to be one of the most commercially successful soundtracks of all time. It received considerable acclaim from film critics and audiences and was nominated for a number of awards, including the Academy Award, Saturn Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Award.


title: Braveheart

text: "Braveheart" premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 18, 1995, and received its wide release in U.S. cinemas six days later.


title: Braveheart

text: On its opening weekend, "Braveheart" grossed $9,938,276 in the United States and $75.6 million in its box office run in the U.S. and Canada. Worldwide, the film grossed $210,409,945 and was the thirteenth-highest-grossing film of 1995.


title: Braveheart

text: On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 75% and an average score of 7.20/10 based on 125 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Distractingly violent and historically dodgy, Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" justifies its epic length by delivering enough sweeping action, drama, and romance to match its ambition." On Metacritic the film has a score of 68 out of 100 based on 20 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A- on scale of A to F.


title: Braveheart

text: Caryn James of "The New York Times" praised the film, calling it "one of the most spectacular entertainments in years." Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 stars out of four, calling it "An action epic with the spirit of the Hollywood swordplay classics and the grungy ferocity of "The Road Warrior"." In a positive review, Gene Siskel wrote that "in addition to staging battle scenes well, Gibson also manages to recreate the filth and mood of 700 years ago." Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" felt that "though the film dawdles a bit with the shimmery, dappled love stuff involving Wallace with a Scottish peasant and a French princess, the action will pin you to your seat." The depiction of the Battle of Stirling Bridge was listed by CNN as one of the best battles in cinema history.


title: Braveheart

text: Not all reviews were positive, Richard Schickel of "Time" magazine argued that "everybody knows that a non-blubbering clause is standard in all movie stars' contracts. Too bad there isn't one banning self-indulgence when they direct." Peter Stack of "San Francisco Chronicle" felt "at times the film seems an obsessive ode to Mel Gibson machismo." In a 2005 poll by British film magazine "Empire", "Braveheart" was No. 1 on their list of "The Top 10 Worst Pictures to Win Best Picture Oscar". "Empire" readers had previously voted "Braveheart" the best film of 1995.


title: Braveheart

text: In 1996, the year after the film was released, the annual three-day "Braveheart Conference" at Stirling Castle attracted fans of "Braveheart", increasing the conference's attendance to 167,000 from 66,000 in the previous year. In the following year, research on visitors to the Stirling area indicated that 55% of the visitors had seen "Braveheart". Of visitors from outside Scotland, 15% of those who saw "Braveheart" said it influenced their decision to visit the country. Of all visitors who saw "Braveheart", 39% said the film influenced in part their decision to visit Stirling, and 19% said the film was one of the main reasons for their visit. In the same year, a tourism report said that the ""Braveheart" effect" earned Scotland £7 million to £15 million in tourist revenue, and the report led to various national organizations encouraging international film productions to take place in Scotland.


title: Braveheart

text: The film generated huge interest in Scotland and in Scottish history, not only around the world, but also in Scotland itself. At a "Braveheart" Convention in 1997, held in Stirling the day after the Scottish Devolution vote and attended by 200 delegates from around the world, "Braveheart" author Randall Wallace, Seoras Wallace of the Wallace Clan, Scottish historian David Ross and Bláithín FitzGerald from Ireland gave lectures on various aspects of the film. Several of the actors also attended including James Robinson (Young William), Andrew Weir (Young Hamish), Julie Austin (the young bride) and Mhairi Calvey (Young Murron).


title: Braveheart

text: "Braveheart" was nominated for many awards during the 1995 Oscar season, though it was not viewed by many as a major contender such as "Apollo 13", "", "Leaving Las Vegas", "Sense and Sensibility", and "The Usual Suspects". It wasn't until after the film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director at the 53rd Golden Globe Awards that it was viewed as a serious Oscar contender. When the nominations were announced for the 68th Academy Awards, "Braveheart" received ten Academy Award nominations, and a month later, won five including Best Picture, Best Director for Gibson, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Makeup. "Braveheart" became the ninth film to win Best Picture with no acting nominations and is one of only three films to win Best Picture without being nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, the other being "The Shape of Water" in 2017 and followed by "Green Book" the following year. The film also won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay. In 2010, the Independent Film & Television Alliance selected the film as one of the 30 Most Significant Independent Films of the last 30 years


title: Braveheart

text: Lin Anderson, author of "Braveheart: From Hollywood To Holyrood", credits the film with playing a significant role in affecting the Scottish political landscape in the mid-to-late 1990s. Peter Jackson cited "Braveheart" as influence in making the "Lord of the Ring"s film trilogy.


title: Braveheart

text: Sections of the English media accused the film of harbouring Anti-English sentiment. "The Economist" called it "xenophobic", and John Sutherland writing in "The Guardian" stated that: ""Braveheart" gave full rein to a toxic Anglophobia". In "The Times", Colin McArthur said "the political effects are truly pernicious. It's a xenophobic film." Ian Burrell of "The Independent" has said, "The "Braveheart" phenomenon, a Hollywood-inspired rise in Scottish nationalism, has been linked to a rise in anti-English prejudice".


title: Braveheart

text: In 1997, a , sandstone statue depicting Mel Gibson as William Wallace in "Braveheart" was placed in the car park of the Wallace Monument near Stirling, Scotland. The statue, which was the work of Tom Church, a monumental mason from Brechin, included the word 'Braveheart' on Wallace's shield. The installation became the cause of much controversy; one local resident stated that it was wrong to "desecrate the main memorial to Wallace with a lump of crap".


title: Braveheart

text: In 1998, someone wielding a hammer vandalized the statue's face. After repairs were made, the statue was encased in a cage every night to prevent further vandalism. This only incited more calls for the statue to be removed, as it then appeared that the Gibson/Wallace figure was imprisoned. The statue was described as "among the most loathed pieces of public art in Scotland". In 2008, the statue was returned to its sculptor to make room for a new visitor centre being built at the foot of the Wallace Monument.


title: Braveheart

text: Randall Wallace, who wrote the screenplay, has acknowledged Blind Harry's 15th-century epic poem "The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie" as a major inspiration for the film. In defending his script, Randall Wallace has said, "Is Blind Harry true? I don't know. I know that it spoke to my heart and that's what matters to me, that it spoke to my heart." Blind Harry's poem is not regarded as historically accurate, and although some incidents in the film that are not historically accurate are taken from Blind Harry (e.g. the hanging of Scottish nobles at the start), there are large parts that are based neither on history nor Blind Harry (e.g. Wallace's affair with Princess Isabella).


title: Braveheart

text: Elizabeth Ewan describes "Braveheart" as a film that "almost totally sacrifices historical accuracy for epic adventure". It has been described as one of the most historically inaccurate modern films.


title: Braveheart

text: Sharon Krossa noted that the film contains numerous historical inaccuracies, beginning with the wearing of belted plaid by Wallace and his men. In that period "no Scots [...] wore belted plaids (let alone kilts of any kind)." Moreover, when Highlanders finally did begin wearing the belted plaid, it was not "in the rather bizarre style depicted in the film". She compares the inaccuracy to "a film about Colonial America showing the colonial men wearing 20th century business suits, but with the jackets worn back-to-front instead of the right way around." In a previous essay about the film, she wrote, "The events aren't accurate, the dates aren't accurate, the characters aren't accurate, the names aren't accurate, the clothes aren't accurate—in short, just about nothing is accurate." The belted plaid ("feileadh mór léine") was not introduced until the 16th century. Peter Traquair has referred to Wallace's "farcical representation as a wild and hairy highlander painted with woad (1,000 years too late) running amok in a tartan kilt (500 years too early)."


title: Braveheart

text: Irish historian Seán Duffy remarked that "the battle of Stirling Bridge could have done with a bridge."


title: Braveheart

text: In 2009, the film was second on a list of "most historically inaccurate movies" in "The Times". In the humorous non-fictional historiography "An Utterly Impartial History of Britain" (2007), author John O'Farrell claims that "Braveheart" could not have been more historically inaccurate, even if a Plasticine dog had been inserted in the film and the title changed to ""William Wallace and Gromit"".


title: Braveheart

text: In the DVD audio commentary of "Braveheart", Mel Gibson acknowledges the historical inaccuracies but defends his choices as director, noting that the way events were portrayed in the film was much more "cinematically compelling" than the historical fact or conventional mythos.


title: Braveheart

text: Edward Longshanks is shown invoking "Jus primae noctis" in the film, allowing the lord of a medieval estate to take the virginity of his serfs' maiden daughters on their wedding nights. Critical medieval scholarship regards this supposed right as a myth: "the simple reason why we are dealing with a myth here rests in the surprising fact that practically all writers who make any such claims have never been able or willing to cite any trustworthy source, if they have any."


title: Braveheart

text: The film suggests Scotland had been under English occupation for some time, at least during Wallace's childhood, and in the run-up to the Battle of Falkirk Wallace says to the younger Bruce, "[W]e'll have what none of us have ever had before, a country of our own." In fact, Scotland had been invaded by England only the year before Wallace's rebellion; prior to the death of King Alexander III it had been a fully separate kingdom.


title: Braveheart

text: As John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett writes, "Because [William] Wallace is one of Scotland's most important national heroes and because he lived in the very distant past, much that is believed about him is probably the stuff of legend. But there is a factual strand that historians agree to", summarized from Scots scholar Matt Ewart:


title: Braveheart

text: A. E. Christa Canitz writes about the historical William Wallace further: "[He] was a younger son of the Scottish gentry, usually accompanied by his own chaplain, well-educated, and eventually, having been appointed Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland, engaged in diplomatic correspondence with the Hanseatic cities of Lübeck and Hamburg". She finds that in "Braveheart", "any hint of his descent from the lowland gentry (i.e., the lesser nobility) is erased, and he is presented as an economically and politically marginalized Highlander and 'a farmer'—as one with the common peasant, and with a strong spiritual connection to the land which he is destined to liberate."


title: Braveheart

text: Colin McArthur writes that "Braveheart" "constructs Wallace as a kind of modern, nationalist guerrilla leader in a period half a millennium before the appearance of nationalism on the historical stage as a concept under which disparate classes and interests might be mobilised within a nation state." Writing about "Braveheart"s "omissions of verified historical facts", McArthur notes that Wallace made "overtures to Edward I seeking less severe treatment after his defeat at Falkirk", as well as "the well-documented fact of Wallace's having resorted to conscription and his willingness to hang those who refused to serve." Canitz posits that depicting "such lack of class solidarity" as the conscriptions and related hangings "would contaminate the movie's image of Wallace as the morally irreproachable "primus inter pares" among his peasant fighters."


title: Braveheart

text: Isabella of France is shown having an affair with Wallace after the Battle of Falkirk. She later tells Edward I she is pregnant, implying that her son, Edward III, was a product of the affair. In reality, Isabella was around three years old and living in France at the time of the Battle of Falkirk, was not married to Edward II until he was already king, and Edward III was born seven years after Wallace died. The breakdown of the couple's relationship over his liaisons, and the menacing suggestion to a dying Longshanks that she would overthrow and destroy Edward II mirror and foreshadow actual facts; although not until 1326, over 20 years after Wallace's death, Isabella, her son Edward, and her lover Roger Mortimer would invade England to depose - and later murder - Edward II.


title: Braveheart

text: Robert the Bruce did change sides between the Scots loyalists and the English more than once in the earlier stages of the Wars of Scottish Independence, but he probably did not fight on the English side at the Battle of Falkirk (although this claim does appear in a few medieval sources). Later, the Battle of Bannockburn was not a spontaneous battle; he had already been fighting a guerrilla campaign against the English for eight years. His title before becoming king was Earl of Carrick, not Earl of Bruce. Bruce's father is portrayed as an infirm leper, although it was Bruce himself who allegedly suffered from leprosy in later life. The actual Bruce's machinations around Wallace, rather than the meek idealist in the film, suggests the father-son relationship represent different aspects of the historical Bruce's character. In the film, Bruce's father betrays Wallace to his son's disgust, acknowledging it as the price of his crown, although in real life Wallace was betrayed by the nobleman John de Menteith and delivered to the English.


title: Braveheart

text: The actual Edward I was ruthless and temperamental, but the film exaggerates his negative aspects for effect. Edward enjoyed poetry and harp music, was a devoted and loving husband to his wife Eleanor of Castile, and as a religious man, he gave generously to charity. The film's scene where he scoffs cynically at Isabella for distributing gold to the poor after Wallace refuses it as a bribe would have been unlikely. Furthermore, Edward died on campaign two years after Wallace's execution, not in bed at his home.


title: Braveheart

text: The depiction of the future Edward II as an effeminate homosexual drew accusations of homophobia against Gibson.


title: Braveheart

text: In response to Longshanks' murder of the Prince's male lover Phillip, Gibson replied: "The fact that King Edward throws this character out a window has nothing to do with him being gay ... He's terrible to his son, to everybody."


title: Braveheart

text: "MacGregors from the next glen" joining Wallace shortly after the action at Lanark is dubious, since it is questionable whether Clan Gregor existed at that stage, and when they did emerge their traditional home was Glen Orchy, some distance from Lanark.


title: Braveheart

text: Wallace did win an important victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, but the version in "Braveheart" is highly inaccurate, as it was filmed without a bridge (and without Andrew Moray, joint commander of the Scots army, who was fatally injured in the battle). Later, Wallace did carry out a large-scale raid into the north of England, but he did not get as far south as York, nor did he kill Longshanks' nephew.


title: Braveheart

text: The "Irish conscripts" at the Battle of Falkirk are unhistorical; there were no Irish troops at Falkirk (although many of the English army were actually Welsh).


title: Braveheart

text: The two-handed long swords used by Gibson in the film were not in wide use in the period. A one-handed sword and shield would have been more accurate.


title: Braveheart

text: The depiction of English cavalry and infantry soldiers using uniform dress and armor is historically inaccurate. In the feudal armies of the late 13th and early 14th century, cavalry would have been made up of nobility and knights all in their self-purchased armour and displaying their coat of arms on surcoats and shields. Also the armour shown in the movie, i.e. small metal plates sewn on a fabric did not exist and would have been ineffective since it could have been easily pierced by swords, spears, arrows etc. Indeed, knights of that time period would have worn mail chausses to protect their legs, a mail hauberk over a patted gambeson to protect the upper body and arms as well as a mail coif and a great helm to protect the head. Another layer of protection, the coat-of-plates would have been worn over the hauberk, but under the surcoat. Infantry would have looked very diverse utilizing any kind of armor they could obtain and afford. The Scottish fighters would have been dressed and armed in the same way as their English opponents. Kilts appeared only in the 16th century, so two centuries after the events in the movie. However, the cavalry charge depicted at the battle of Stirling bridge (which did not take place at this battle) is a rare example where a movie maker correctly depicts the knights charging towards their enemies with laid in lances rather than drawn swords.


title: Braveheart

text: "Braveheart" was released on DVD on August 29, 2000. It was released on Blu-ray as part of the "Paramount Sapphire Series" on September 1, 2009. It was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray as part of the 4K upgrade of the "Paramount Sapphire Series" on May 15, 2018.


title: Braveheart

text: On February 9, 2018, a sequel titled "Robert the Bruce" was announced. The film will lead directly on from "Braveheart" and follow the widow Moira, portrayed by Anna Hutchison, and her family (portrayed by Gabriel Bateman and Talitha Bateman), who save Robert the Bruce, with Angus Macfadyen reprising his role from "Braveheart". The cast includes Jared Harris, Patrick Fugit, Zach McGowan, Emma Kenney, Diarmaid Murtagh, Seoras Wallace, Shane Coffey, Kevin McNally, and Melora Walters. Richard Gray directed the film, with Macfadyen and Eric Belgau writing the script. Helmer Gray, Macfadyen, Hutchison, Kim Barnard, Nick Farnell, Cameron Nuggent, and Andrew Curry produced the film. Filming took place in 2019 and was completed with a limited cinematic release the same year.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Benjamin David Simmons (born 20 July 1996) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the LSU Tigers, after which he was named a consensus first-team All-American and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. Simmons was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. After sitting out a year due to an injured right foot, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018 and was selected three times to the NBA All-Star Game. As the result of a holdout from the 76ers following the 2020–21 season, which led him to be traded to the Nets, Simmons is the most-fined player in NBA history.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Simmons attended Box Hill Senior Secondary College in his hometown of Melbourne, Victoria, before moving to the United States to attend Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. In his only season in college, LSU began the season with high expectations, but they failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Simmons left school to enter the NBA draft, becoming the third Melbourne-born number one overall pick (following Andrew Bogut and Kyrie Irving) in 11 years. Simmons is the son of an American-born father, Dave, who played professional basketball in Australia. A dual citizen of Australia and the United States, Simmons has played for the Australian national team.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Simmons was born in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy to father Dave and mother Julie. His father is an African-American expatriate who became a naturalised citizen of Australia, and his mother is a white Australian. He was raised alongside five brothers and sisters—Melissa, Emily, Liam, Sean and Olivia—the first four being from his mother's previous marriage. His father played college basketball for Oklahoma City University in the United States before turning professional with the Melbourne Tigers in Australia's National Basketball League in 1989.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Simmons was raised in Newcastle from the age of 18 months while his father played and coached in the city. Simmons began playing basketball at the age of seven in the Newcastle Hunters' under-12 representative team and played two more years for Lake Macquarie and Newcastle. While in Newcastle, he also played junior rugby league.


title: Ben Simmons

text: At age 10, Simmons returned to Melbourne and began playing junior basketball for the Knox Raiders. Along with basketball, he also played Australian rules football at the junior level. In year 7, while attending Whitefriars College, Simmons was named MVP after he helped Whitefriars win the Year-7 Division 1A Basketball premiership.


title: Ben Simmons

text: As a teenager, Simmons was torn between his two loves of basketball and Australian rules football, but he eventually decided to focus on basketball. In year 9, at the age of 15, Simmons played basketball for Box Hill Senior Secondary College at the 2011 Australian Schools Championships before taking up a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport in 2012. Later that year, Simmons made his first appearance in the United States at the renowned Pangos All-American Camp for basketball prospects. Despite being only 15 years old, he was chosen to represent Australia at the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship.


title: Ben Simmons

text: In January 2013, Simmons moved to the U.S. to compete against boys of comparable size and athleticism. He attended Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, where he immediately started playing. In April 2013, he helped Montverde rally from a 16-point deficit to beat New Jersey's St Benedict's 67–65 in the final of the High School National Tournament. After competing in the Jordan Brand Classic International Game, he returned to Melbourne where he joined the Bulleen Boomers of the Big V competition in June 2013. He played six games for Bulleen while averaging 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. On 14 October 2013, Simmons committed to Louisiana State University, picking LSU over other offers from Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Simmons returned to Montverde Academy for his junior season in 2013–14. On the season, Simmons averaged 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 69 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. He recorded 88 blocks as well. Montverde finished the season with a 28–0 record, closing with a 71–62 victory over Oak Hill Academy in the High School National Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Simmons had 24 points and 12 rebounds as he earned MVP honours. Following the season, he was named America's top high school junior and was voted MVP at the National Basketball Players' Association Top 100 camp.


title: Ben Simmons

text: On 12 November 2014, Simmons signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for LSU. On 12 December 2014, Simmons scored 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assist in a 78–64 win against Ivan Rabb and Bishop O'Dowd High School. On 20 December 2014, Simmons put up 37 points and 18 rebounds in a 62–59 victory over St. Francis. On 19 January 2015, Simmons scored 36 points and 9 rebounds in a 76–57 win over Bishop Gorman.


title: Ben Simmons

text: On 28 January 2015, Simmons was named as a starter for the East team to compete in the 38th annual McDonald's All-American Game. On 10 March 2015, he was named the Morgan Wootten Award winner, given annually to the best male McDonald's All-American player who exemplifies outstanding character, exhibits leadership, and embodies the values of being a student-athlete in the classroom and in the community. In doing so, he became just the second player from a Florida high school to win the award behind Austin Rivers in 2011. He was then named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year on 12 March and the Gatorade National Player of the Year on 24 March after leading the Eagles to a 28–1 record and a berth in the High School National Tournament for the third straight year. In 29 regular season games, he averaged 28.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.6 steals per game while shooting 70.7 percent from the field and recording 24 double-doubles.


title: Ben Simmons

text: After competing in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Game on 1 April, Simmons led Montverde Academy to a third consecutive High School National Tournament title with a 70–61 win over Oak Hill Academy on 4 April at Madison Square Garden. He again earned MVP honours after recording 58 points and 35 rebounds over the three-day tournament. He then competed in the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit for the World Team on 11 April and scored 13 points in a 103–101 win over Team USA.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Considered a five-star recruit by ESPN.com, Simmons was listed as the No. 1 power forward and the No. 1 player in the nation in 2015.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Entering his freshman year of college, Simmons began his career on a four-stop national tour in Australia with the LSU Tigers. In this opportunity to play basketball in his home country, Simmons made his debut for LSU on 15 August in an 89–75 win over the Newcastle All-Stars in the first game of LSU's preseason Australia trip. His double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds led the way for the Tigers, playing at the Newcastle Basketball Stadium where his father played professionally for the Newcastle Falcons in the late 1990s. The Tigers completed their five-game Australian tour with a 3–2 record, and over the five games, Simmons averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game to lead the team in all major statistical categories. Upon returning to the United States, Simmons was featured on the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook 35th-anniversary cover, was named the SEC's Preseason Player of the Year, and earned Associated Press preseason All-America team honours. His Preseason Player of the Year honour made him just the second freshman to earn the award, joining Kentucky's Julius Randle in 2013, and his All-America team honour made him just the fourth freshman to be honoured on the preseason team.


title: Ben Simmons

text: On 13 November 2015, Simmons made his college debut in LSU's season opener, recording a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds as a starter in a win over McNeese State. He helped LSU start the season 3–0 before recording 21 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals in a loss to Marquette on 23 November. On 2 December, he helped LSU break a three-game losing streak by recording 43 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals, and 3 blocks in a 119–108 win over North Florida. His 43 points were the most for a Tigers player since Shaquille O'Neal had 43 against Northern Arizona on 28 December 1991. After recording 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Kentucky on 5 January 2016, Simmons was dubbed the best all-round player since LeBron James by NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. On 11 February, he was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy. Nine days later, Simmons came off the bench for the first time after being removed from LSU's starting line-up for their game against Tennessee due to academic reasons. Following the conclusion of the regular season, Simmons was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference and the league's Freshman of the Year on the 2016 Coaches SEC voting. He was also named to the eight-player All-SEC Freshman team.


title: Ben Simmons

text: The team's regular season was largely regarded as a disappointment. After ranking No. 21 in the preseason AP Top 25 vote, LSU finished the regular season with an 18–13 record, including 11–7 in SEC play.


title: Ben Simmons

text: As the fourth seed in the 2016 SEC tournament, Simmons helped LSU (18–13) defeat Tennessee in the quarter-finals to move on to the semi-finals where they faced first-seeded Texas A&M. LSU bowed out of the tournament with a demoralising 71–38 loss to the Aggies, as Simmons was unsuccessful in leading the Tigers to an NCAA tournament berth. Simmons completed the 2015–16 season having played in 33 games with 32 starts. He led the team in all major statistical categories except three-point and free throw shooting, finishing with averages of 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game while shooting 56.0 percent from the field, 1-of-3 (.333) from three-point range, and 67.0 percent from the free throw line. In the SEC, he ranked fourth in points, first in rebounds, third in field goal percentage, fifth in assists, and second in steals.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Following the announcement of the NCAA tournament field, with LSU failing to earn a bid, Tigers head coach Johnny Jones announced that the team would not play in any postseason tournament. On 21 March 2016, Simmons declared for the 2016 NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility. He withdrew from school at the conclusion of the season with plans to move immediately to Phoenix, Arizona in advance of the NBA draft. He also signed with American sports agency Klutch Sports, which is primarily owned by Rich Paul.


title: Ben Simmons

text: In the week leading up to the 2016 NBA draft, Simmons' attitude and character were questioned by a number of NBA media analysts. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown, former Australian national team coach and a friend of the Simmons family, repudiated the claims being made and was content with Simmons' pre-draft behaviour. On 23 June, he was selected by Brown and the 76ers with the number one overall pick in the 2016 draft, becoming the third Melbourne-born number one overall pick in 11 years (Andrew Bogut in 2005 and Kyrie Irving in 2011). He was also the first college player in the modern era to be selected with the first overall pick despite never playing in the NCAA tournament.


title: Ben Simmons

text: On 3 July 2016, Simmons signed his rookie scale contract with the 76ers and joined the team for the 2016 NBA Summer League. While he shot the ball poorly during his first three Summer League games, Simmons was praised for his court awareness and passing ability for a big man. He went on to be named in the All-Las Vegas Summer League First Team, and in six Summer League games, he averaged 10.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.


title: Ben Simmons

text: On 30 September 2016, Simmons rolled his right ankle during the 76ers' final training camp scrimmage. After receiving an X-ray and MRI of the foot and ankle, it was determined that Simmons had fractured the fifth metatarsal bone of his right foot and was estimated to miss three to four months. On 24 February 2017, he was ruled out for the entire 2016–17 NBA season after tests revealed that his broken right foot had not fully healed.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Some pundits doubted his strength, fitness, and scoring prowess after a full season on the sidelines, with only an outside chance for Rookie of the Year. In his NBA debut on 18 October 2017, Simmons had 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 120–115 season-opening loss to the Washington Wizards. In his third game, on 21 October, Simmons recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in a 128–94 loss to the Toronto Raptors, joining Oscar Robertson as the only players ever to post 10-plus points, 10-plus rebounds, and 5-plus assists in their first three NBA games. In his fourth game, on 23 October, Simmons recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 97–86 win over the Detroit Pistons, becoming the third rookie after Robertson (1960) and Art Williams (1967) to record a triple-double in his first four games. He went on to become the only player in NBA history to begin a season with at least 170 points, 100 rebounds, and 80 assists in his team's first 10 games. On 29 November, he had 31 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a 118–113 win over the Wizards. On 22 February, he scored a career-high 32 points, making two free throws with 5.6 seconds left to complete Philadelphia's rally from five points down in the final minute as the 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 116–115. On 15 March against the New York Knicks, Simmons recorded his second consecutive triple-double and joined Robertson and Magic Johnson as the third rookie in NBA history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists. His triple-double against the Knicks was his eighth of the season, thus entering second place for most triple-doubles in a rookie season, trailing only Robertson (26). On 19 March against the Charlotte Hornets, Simmons recorded 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists, and he became the third rookie to have 0 turnovers in a triple-double game. On 24 March, he recorded his 10th triple-double of the season with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 120–108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On 26 March, he had 11 assists in a 123–104 win over the Denver Nuggets, topping Allen Iverson (567) to set the team rookie record for assists. On 6 April, he had 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 132–130 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading the 76ers to their 13th straight win. He was subsequently named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday 2 April to Sunday 8 April. In the 76ers' penultimate game of the regular season on 10 April, the 76ers set a franchise record with their 15th consecutive victory following a 121–113 win over the Atlanta Hawks, with Simmons recording 13 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. The 76ers finished the regular season with a 16th straight win to earn the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed in the playoffs. Their record of 52–30 set the best team mark since 2001, when they went 56–26. At the conclusion of the regular season, Simmons was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in March and April, earning the award for the third consecutive month and the fourth time overall.


title: Ben Simmons

text: In his NBA playoff debut in game 1 of the 76ers' first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Simmons had 17 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds in a 130–103 win. In game 4, Simmons helped the 76ers take a 3–1 lead in the series with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 106–102 win. He became the first rookie since Magic Johnson in 1980 to have a playoff triple-double, and became the fifth rookie with a triple-double in the playoffs, joining Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry Lucas and Tom Gola. Simmons helped the 76ers move on to the second round of the playoffs with a 4–1 defeat of the Heat, as he recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 104–91 win in game 5. The 76ers went on to lose in five games to the Boston Celtics in the second round, with Simmons recording 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in a 114–112 loss in game 5. At the season's end, Simmons was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honours.


title: Ben Simmons

text: In September 2018, Simmons announced that during the off-season he began working to improve his shooting with his brother Liam Tribe-Simmons, former assistant coach for University of California, Riverside Highlanders men's basketball team and Southwest Baptist Bearcats men's basketball team, and would continue to do so for the remainder of the season. In the 76ers' season opener on 16 October 2018, Simmons recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists in a 105–87 loss to the Boston Celtics. Two days later, he had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 127–108 win over the Chicago Bulls. He reached his 13th career triple-double with 2:34 left in the third and became the first Sixer to ever get one in a home opener. On 2 January, he scored 29 points in a 132–127 win over the Phoenix Suns. On 5 January, he recorded his sixth triple-double of the season with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 106–100 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On 11 January, he had 23 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 123–121 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Two days later, he had 20 points, 22 rebounds, and nine assists in a 108–105 win over the New York Knicks. On 15 January, with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Simmons became the second fastest player in NBA history to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists, trailing only Oscar Robertson. Simmons reached this milestone in 125 games, which is 9 games faster than Magic Johnson and 33 games faster than LeBron James. On 23 January, he had 21 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 122–120 win over the San Antonio Spurs. On 31 January, he received his first All-Star selection as an Eastern Conference reserve, becoming the first Australian to receive the honour. On 28 February, he recorded his ninth triple-double of the season with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 108–104 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Two days later, he had 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 120–117 loss to the Golden State Warriors. In game two of the 76ers' first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets, Simmons had his second career postseason triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds to lead Philadelphia to a 145–123 win. In game three of the series, Simmons scored a postseason career-high 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting in a 131–115 win over the Nets, putting the 76ers up 2–1 in the series.


title: Ben Simmons

text: On 23 October 2019, in the 2019–20 NBA season opener against divisional rivals the Boston Celtics, Simmons scored 24 points on 68 percent shooting and recorded nine assist and eight rebounds in a 107–93 win. On 22 November, Simmons recorded his first triple-double of the season and his 24th of his career after recording 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 115–104 win over the San Antonio Spurs. On 7 December, Simmons scored a career-high 34 points, while making 12 out of 14 shots in a 141–94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, which included his second NBA career three-pointer. On 23 December, Simmons recorded yet another triple-double this time completing the feat while recording a career high 17 assists in a win over the Detroit Pistons.


title: Ben Simmons

text: On 20 January 2020, Simmons scored 34 points and recorded 12 assists and 12 rebounds in a 117–111 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On 30 January, it was announced Simmons had been awarded with his second All-Star appearance. Simmons was drafted by Team LeBron and went on to score 17 points, 5 assists, and 6 rebounds in a Team LeBron win. In a 22 February game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Simmons left the game in the first quarter with an apparent lower back injury. It was revealed Simmons had a nerve impingement in his lower back and the team listed him as "out for an extended period of time". Simmons was sidelined until the NBA returned after pausing play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Simmons returned to play on 1 August 2020 during the NBA Bubble where he scored 19 points along with 13 rebounds and 4 assists in a loss to the Indiana Pacers. Simmons sat out the playoffs due to a knee injury, and the 76ers were eliminated 4–0 by the Boston Celtics.


title: Ben Simmons

text: At the end of the season, Simmons was the 2020 NBA steals leader, and he was named to the All-NBA Third Team and the NBA All-Defensive First team.


title: Ben Simmons

text: On 15 February 2021, Simmons recorded a double-double with a career-high 42 points and 12 assists in a 134–123 loss to the Utah Jazz. He finished the season averaging 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.


title: Ben Simmons

text: During the playoffs, Simmons struggled at the free-throw line and became the worst free-throw shooter in postseason history with at least 67 attempts (34.2 percent), surpassing both Wilt Chamberlain (38 percent) and Shaquille O'Neal (37.4 percent). Following a Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, Simmons came under heavy scrutiny due to his inability to shoot and lack of aggressiveness on offense. Simmons did not attempt a single shot in the final quarter in five out of the seven games, which many attributed to his lack of confidence in shooting free throws. He averaged 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game and shot 60 percent from the field and 33 percent (15-for-45) from the free throw line against the Hawks.


title: Ben Simmons

text: After the 76ers' Game 7 loss in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Joel Embiid cited Simmons' decision to pass up an open dunk as the turning point in the game. A reporter asked 76ers coach Doc Rivers if Simmons could be a point guard on a championship team, to which Rivers responded: "I don't even know how to answer that right now."


title: Ben Simmons

text: In response to this and other factors, Simmons, despite having four years left on his contract, decided in August 2021 that he no longer wanted to be a member of the team. He declared his intentions to be traded, and noted that he was willing to miss training camp to enforce his trade demand. Simmons and company had also indicated that his play did not mesh effectively with that of Embiid and that their time as teammates had run its course. Embiid's public comments in response included calling Simmons' holdout and trade demands "borderline ... disrespectful" to the team, and that team management had built rosters around Simmons.


title: Ben Simmons

text: Simmons, as he had indicated, missed training camp. He also did not play in the preseason and even placed his Philadelphia home on the market for $3.1 million. His absence led to the 76ers organisation reportedly withholding and putting in escrow $8.25 million that would have otherwise been owed to him on October 1, signifying over a quarter of the $31.59 million owed to him for the 2021–22 season.