Pandav Side
All five Pandavs are incarnation of five out of seven Indra.
King of Heaven or King of Devine Abode or Swarga Loka
- Vasudeva Shri Krishna :- Vasudeva [Shri Krishna] endued with the great valour, was among men a portion of him called Narayana--the god of gods--eternal.
- Yudhisthira :- Partial Incarnation of Dharmdeva
- Vidura : - Partial Incarnation of Yamdeva.
- Bhimasena : - Partial Incarnation of Vayudeva.
- Arjuna : -
- Partial Incarnation of current(7th) Indradeva (Shakra/Purindara).
- Arjuna was also incarnation of Nara.
- Arjuna was "Nara" & Shri Krishna was "Narayana" in their previous life during first 10,00,000 years of Satya Yuga.
- Shahdeva & Nakula : - Partial Incarnation of two Ashwini Kumara
- Draupadi : -
- Full Incarnation of Shachi/Paulomi who is Indrani (consort of Indra dev, the King of Heavenly gods)
- Partial Incarnation of three Supreme Godess.
- Godess Saraswati,
- Shri (Godess Maha Laxmi),
- Godess Maha Kali.
- Dhrishtadhyumana :- Incarnation of Agni Dev
- Shikhandi : - Sikhandin who was at first a female, was (the incarnation of) a Rakshasa.
- Abhimanyu :-
- Arjuna and Subhadra's son Abhimanyu was an incarnation of Varchas, son of Chandra the moon god, and the reason he died so early is that Chandra didn't want him to be gone too long.
- According to Aadi Parva of Mahabharata, he who was known as the mighty Varchas, the son of Soma, became Abhimanyu of wonderful deeds, the son of Arjuna. And before his incarnation, O king, the god Soma had said these words to the celestials, 'I cannot give (part with) my son. He is dearer to me than life itself. Let this be the compact and let it be not transgressed. The destruction of the Asuras on earth is the work of the celestials, and, therefore, it is our work as well. Let this Varchas, therefore, go thither, but let him not stay there long.
- Upa-Pandavas :- The Upapandavas were incarnations of the Vishwadevas. Their names were Pritivindhya, Sutasoma, Srutakirti, Satanika and Srutasena endued with mighty energy.
- Dristadyumna :- Dhrishtadhyumana was an incarnation of Agni deva.
- Satyaki :- Incarnation of the Marut
- Drupada :- Incarnations of the Marut
- Virata :- Incarnation of the Marut
- Shalya :-
- Salya was incarnation of Samhlada, the younger brother of Vishnu Bhakt Prahlada (Son of Hiranyakashipu).
Kaurava Side :-
- Duryodhna : -
- Duryodhana was the incarnation of Kali (the demon of the Kali Yuga) and his brothers were incarnations of Rakshasas.
- According to Aadi Parva of Mahabahrata The evil-minded and wicked king Duryodhana, the destroyer of the fair fame of the Kurus, was born of a portion of Kali on earth. He it was who caused all creatures to be slain and the earth to be wasted; and he it was who fanned the flame of hostility that ultimately consumed all. They who had been the sons of Pulastya (the Rakshasas) were born on earth among men of Duryodhana's brothers, that century of wicked individuals commencing with Duhasasana as their first.
- Duryodhana's 99 brothers :- Dussasana and other all Kaurava brothers were Rakshasha of Sage Pulatsya (Shri Lanka's King Ravana's Rakshasha).
- Karna :-
- He was partial incarnation of Surya Dev.
- He was Dambhod-bhava or Shahashtra-kavach named demon in his previous life.
- He was killed by Nara (Arjuna) and Narayana (Sri Krishna) in Satyayug. He did Penace of Suryadeva for 1,000 years but Karna was portion of Sun God so he was radiant like Sun and he was the mightiest donor.
- Shakuni : - Incarnation of Dwaparyayuga (embodiment of the Dwapara Yuga)
- Kripacharya :- Kripacharya was an incarnation of the Rudras.
- Bhisma : -
- Incarnations of Dhyaus Pita or Prabhash or Dhyaus named vasu (The eldest vasu from one of the eight vasu).
- The eight Vasus were incarnated of Ganga by her husband Santanu. The seven were killed by Ganga before Bhishma's birth and the youngest of them was Bhishma.
- Ashwatthama :-
- According to Shiva Purana he was an incarnation of Shiva.
- Aswatthaman was born on earth, of the united portions of Mahadeva, Yama, Kaama, and Krodha.
- King Bhagadatta : King Bhagadatta was incarnation of Asura Vashkala.
If we talk about those who didn't participated in Mahabharata War : -
- Kansa :- Kansa was incarnation of Danava Kalanemi
- Rukmiv and Eklavya :- They were born of the Asura class called Krodhavasa
- Ugrasena :- Ugrasena was incarnation of Asura Swarbhanu.
- Jarasandha was incarnation of Danava Viprachitti (Father of Raahu, Husbund of Sinhika, Brother in Law of Daity King Hiranyakashipu)
- Sisupala :-
- Sisupala was incarnation of Jaya (God Vishnu's gate keeper)
- Hiranyakasipu (first birth)
- Ravana (second birth)
- Sisupala (third birth)
- Kunti and Madri :- The two goddesses Siddhi and Dhriti became Kunti and Madri.
- Gandhari :- Mati became Gandhari.
- Rukmini :- Rukmini was the portion of Shri (Godess Maha Lakshmi).
- Satyavasti :-
- Shantanu's second wife Satyavati, who was the daughter of the king Uparichara Vasu but raised by fishermen, was the next birth of Acchoda, mind-born daughter of the Pitris or ghosts of departed ancestors. (I discuss another mind-born daughter of the Pitris). Acchoda was caught admiring Uparichara Vasu, so the Pitris gave her the following curse, as described in the Harivamsa.
- According to Harivamsa Puran, when Uparichara-Vasu takes birth in human world, then Satyavati will become his daughter. While remaining a virgin Satyavati will deliver the son of Sage Parashara (who is son of Sage Shakti, Grand son of Sage Vashishtha)
- According to Harivamsa Puran, the son of Satyavati will be Sage Shri Krishna Dwaipayana Veda-Vyasa (partial incarnation of God Maha Vishnu himself). Shri Krishna Dwaipayana Veda Vyasa is Gyaan Avatar of God Maha Vishnu. He will ramify the Veda canons. Still remaining a virgin Satyavati will return to her own divine abode, that which is unachievable otherwise Later Satyavati will auspiciously give rise to two sons of King Maha-Bhishak, namely king shantanu; one boy will be the glorious Vichitravirya, while the other will be the righteous Chitrangada; and later, on Satyavati will return to her divine abode; thus she have to undergo this wretched life on earth because Satyavati sidestepped from the morals of manes will become the daughter of that king vasu through lady Maadrika. All of this happens in twenty-eight dwapara yuga.
- Dhitrashtra :- Dhritarashtra was incarnation of Hansa (the monarch of the Gandharvas and son of Arishta).
- Pandu :-
- Sage Shri Krishna Dwaipayana Veda Vyasa's son King Pandu was apparently the incarnation of the god of Purity, while Vidura was the incarnation of Yama god of death, as described in the Adi Parva of the Mahbharata.
- Pandu was incarnation of Hansa's (the monarch of the Gandharvas and son of Arishta) younger brother
- Shantanu :-
- He was Ikshvaku (Suryavanshi) King Maha-Bhishak in his previous life and he was ruling during 64th Chandravanshi King Kuru-1.
- Kuru-1 was ruling in King Puru's linage.
- King Shantanu was born 51 generation after Chandravanshi King Kuru-1.
- During the ruling time of King Kuru-1, King Maha-Bhishak was died and he was in Swarga Loka.
- After Mahabhisha died, he went to Devaloka, where on one occasion he stared at the goddess Ganga when her white robe slipped by accident. As a result, he was cursed by God Brahma to be born on earth and to be tormented by Ganga, as described in the Adi Parva of the Mahbharata.
- One day the celestials had assembled together and were worshipping God Brahman. Many royal sages and king Mahabhishak also were present on the spot. And Ganga, the queen of rivers, also came there to pay her adorations to the Grandsire. And her garments white as the beams of the moon was displaced by the action of the wind. And as her person became exposed, the celestials bent down their heads. But the royal sage Mahabhishak rudely stared at the queen of rivers. He was gazzing to the belly, navel, waist of Ganga. And Mahabhisha was for this cursed by Brahman, who said, 'Wretch, as thou hast forgotten thyself at the sight of Ganga, thou shalt be re-born on earth. But thou shall again and again attain to these regions. And she, too, shall be born in the world of men and shall do thee injuries. But when thy wrath shall be provoked, thou shalt then be freed from my curse.'
- King Shantanu requested to be borned in lineage of Chandravanshi King Kuru-1.
- He is partial incarnation of Varuna deva. (Godess Ganga was Varuni named wife of Varunadeva in one of her previous birth).
- Vasudev (Anak Dundhubhi) : -
- He was Maharshi Kashyap in his previous life.
- Devaki :-
- She was Aditi (mother of Devatas) in her previous life.
- Revati : -
- She was Kadru (mother of 7 Serpents) in her previous life.
- Kadru was mother of 7 Naaga.
- Takshaka
- Aadi Shesha/Ananta Shesha
- Kaali
- Padmnaabha
- Karkotaka
- Vasuki
- Balarama : -
- He was full incarnation of Shesha Naaga and According to Shrimad Bhagavat Purana partial incarnation of God Vishnu by Sankarshana.
- He was Laxmana (Shri Rama's younger brother) in his previous life.
- Pradhyummna :-
- He was incarnation of Kaamdeva (Gandharva).
Nara-Narayana : -
- Arjuna was Nara and Shri Krishna was Narayana.
- They both were son of Dharmdeva.
- Nara and Narayana were doing Tapashya at the modern Badri-Kedar Nath (Himalayan).
- In actual name of that place was only Kedarnatha, but by seeing her husband is doing penance hard since a too long, Godess Maha Laxmi incarnate in form of Badri (means tree of fruite Badri) to provide shelter to Nara-Narayana.
- The King of Heavenly Abode Indra-deva sent 8 Apsaras to break their penance.
- Rambha
- Menaka
- Chitralekha
- Manjusha
- Alam-Usha
- Tilottama.
- Greedhachi
- Punjanikasthala
- Nara-Narayana knew the statergy of Indra.
- Narayana by upper portion of his Thy created an Apsaras named Urvashi.
- Apsara Urvashi is the most beautifull and the hieghest skilled dancer.
- Narayana gifted her to the Indradeva and complete their Penance of 10,00,000 years.
- God Shiva pleased Nara-Narayana and made Jyotirlinga which is still exist at the Badri Kedarnath.
Mahabharat Characters in their previous life ?