Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It was composed by sage Vyasa. The most important characters of Mahabharata can be said to be Krishna, the Pandavas; Yudhishthira, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, Draupadi, the Kauravas (who were a hundred brothers), led by the eldest brother, Duryodhana; the important characters were Bhishma, Karna, Dronacharya, Shakuni, Dhritrashtra, Gandhari and Kunti. Some pivotal characters who also played a key role are, Balarama, Subhadra, Vidura, Abhimanyu, Kripacharya, Pandu, Satyavati, Ashwatthama, Amba, etc. Deities including Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Ganga, Indra, Surya and Yamraj played significant roles in the epic.