My 12 year-old daughter and I are reading the Mahabharata together. I made this diagram to help us remember the characters. Click on the image to enlarge. Please let me know if I have made any mistakes and I will correct them.
See my other posts on the Mahabharata here.
Triangulations 
Excellent idea.
Peter Brooks did an excellent teleplay of the Mahabharata. If i remember correctly its well over 4, or maybe even 5 hours.
What translation are you using with your daughter?
Wow! Your really good at this kind of stuff.
I am a big fan of J.R.R.Tolkien’s Middle Earth history with all its characters, don’t suppose you want to make a diagram of all those characters, huh? 🙂
I’ll be honest I have no clue about Mahabharata, but you have, indeed, kindled my curiosity.
@ john zande,
Yeah, I just posted my bibliography — you’ll see it there – thanx, I’ve heard it is good. I want my daughter use to the plot, the ideas and the damn sanskrit names before she sees it! 🙂
@ console,
Bhoothalingam, Mathuram. Sons of Pandu. Dolton Publications, 1966. (Amazon, 122 pg). See my bibliography I just reposted.
I am starting with Bhoothalingam’s short, illustrated version and then I have goals of some other interesting versions in the future for my daughter (and me) including: Pattanaik, Devdutt. Jaya: an illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata and Amar Chitra Katha’s comic series (just bought them).
Personally, I’ve only read Buck’s retelling before this, though living in India, I heard and saw pieces of it all the time.
Why do you ask. Do share — what are your exposures?
@ Called,
Thanx! It is fun. Yeah, Tolkien apparently needs the same. If you search google images for “Tolkien chart” or “Tolkien character” you may find what you like. I’ve not read or watched Tolkien yet — tried when I was younger but it was too much for me then. They say Dostoyevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov” can be the same.
Maybe when someone makes a religion from those stories, I’ll read them. 😉
I have read a majority of both Tolkien and Dostoyevsky.
I am a pretty avid fan of Tolkien’s books, so much so, I may just take you up on your idea, and make a religion out of it yet. 🙂
Tolkienanity: followers of Tolkien; the creator and messiah. May Tolkien bless you all or send you to Mordor. 😉
Sabio… definitely finish the text first. Fortunately, the actors are fantastic and the mystic nature of their performances shouldn’t ruin what impressions she forms from reading the hymns first.
@Sabio
I haven’t read any Asian literature. My intentions when I have the money and time is to read the great literary, religious, and philosophical works of China, India, Japan, and Middle Eastern Literature.
@ consoled,
Well, I can recommend Buck’s version of the Mahabharata but I will be reading two more versions in the future. So ask me again when you want to get one.
The Mahabharata is essentially a story about a war. But over thousands of years, it had hundreds of other subplots, sermons and morals glued in its pages so that the story became a vehicle for other folk info — THAT is the very best part of the Mahabharata to me.
Very interesting site, and I hope your year of reading this great epic to your daughter has been rewarding. Couldn’t help noticing that you have Kripa and Kripi as Drona’s children on your genealogy; I believe Asvatthama was his son by the sage Kripacharya’s sister, Kripi.
Kripa kripi are not children of drona. Kripi is wife of drona and kripa is Brother of kripi