Mahabharata Meets Tarot: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life

The Mahabharata is packed with demi-gods and awe-inspiring characters that rival anything you’ve seen in Game of Thrones. Kings, warriors, seers, and queens whose choices shaped destiny, their stories still echoing through every challenge we face today.

If you grew up in India, you know the Mahabharata isn’t just another story.

It’s part of the air we breathe. The conversations over chai - tea. The cautionary tales our grandmothers whispered before bed. It’s also something we groaned about during school.

I still remember sitting in my Grade 8 classroom, the disinterested classmates, when our teacher would announce we were reading the Mahabharata that day. All of us would let out a collective groan, pulling out our thick NCERT textbooks, flipping to the next section of yet another war scene, a dharma debate, or a family betrayal. I’d doodle in the margins, counting how many minutes until lunch. If you had told that sleepy 13-year-old that one day she would create an entire Mahabharata Tarot deck and guidebook, she would have laughed. Loudly. Yet here we are.

Because as I grew up, I began to see the Mahabharata not as a boring school text, but as a living guide for the spiritual journey. It’s India’s history, yes, but more than that, it’s India’s spiritual heritage. Karma. Dharma. The struggle between what we want and what is right. The heartbreak of loss and the courage it takes to keep going.

Even though I don’t consider myself religious, the Mahabharata has offered me spiritual concepts that shape how I live, how I parent, and how I hold space for clients in my tarot practice.

And it can do the same for you.

This card is the Wheel of Fortune—reminding you that life’s currents carry you exactly where you need to be, even when the waters feel wild.Think of Karna as a baby, set adrift on a river he didn’t choose. Every wave seemed like it might drown him, but each swell carried him closer to the family and purpose waiting for him downstream. His journey wasn’t easy, but it was destined. Life, like that river, has surges and turns we can’t control. The Wheel of Fortune asks you to trust the flow. Every twist, every challenge, is part of your story. Karna’s trials shaped his courage and generosity, reminding us that fate doesn’t just happen to us—it shapes us. If you’re facing uncertainty, remember Karna’s journey from stormy waters to safe shores. Let today’s challenges be the tide that strengthens you. Trust that each wave is bringing you home to yourself, reminding you that you are, and have always been, a masterpiece in the making.

Why the Mahabharata Still Matters Today

The Mahabharata isn’t just about war, betrayal, and gods. It’s about you and me. It’s about the choices we make every single day.

Will we do what is easy or what is right? Will we act from fear or trust? Will we cling to anger or learn to let go?

The Mahabharata shows us that good people make terrible mistakes. It shows us that sometimes, there are no clear answers, only the next right step. It shows us that dharma, or living in alignment with your truth and purpose, is a path of courage, not perfection.

And in a world where it’s easy to get lost in noise, the Mahabharata offers a mirror to see ourselves honestly.

Tarot and the Mahabharata: A Surprising Friendship

So why bring tarot into the conversation?

Because tarot is another tool for self-awareness and spiritual growth.

If you’ve ever pulled a tarot card, you know that feeling. You pause, you breathe, you flip over the card, and for a moment, everything else falls away. You see yourself reflected back, clear and raw.

Now imagine pairing that clarity with the depth of the Mahabharata.

The tarot’s 78 cards are like a map of the soul’s journey. We start as The Fool, full of innocence and curiosity. We meet challenges, experience transformation, and finally find mastery. The Mahabharata is like this too. Characters like Arjuna, Draupadi, and Karna show us what it means to struggle, to choose, and to grow. By combining tarot with the Mahabharata, we get a practical, soulful guide for living with intention.

Characters, Karma, and Your Daily Choices

Arjuna – Maharaja (The Emperor), reminds you to stand firm in your truth and lead with clear purpose. Like Arjuna on the battlefield, trust your inner guidance and take decisive action, knowing that true power comes from aligning with your dharma.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna is frozen on the battlefield, torn between fighting his family and fulfilling his dharma as a warrior. Sound familiar? Maybe not the war part, but the feeling of being stuck between what your heart wants and what you know you need to do.

Or think of Karna, the warrior with a heart of gold who struggles with loyalty, pride, and belonging. Or Draupadi, who embodies dignity and power even in moments of deep injustice.

These characters aren’t just stories. They are archetypes that live in us.

Every time you pull a tarot card, you can ask yourself, “Which Mahabharata character am I channeling right now?”

The Mahabharata teaches us about karma, the consequences of our actions, and dharma, the path that aligns with our highest truth. Tarot helps us check in with where we are on that path.

Together, they make a powerful pair.

Life’s Ups and Downs: The Wheel of Fortune and the Mahabharata

The Wheel may look random, but it’s a wheel of consequences. Every turn is tied to past choices, hidden patterns, and unseen karmas shaping your path. Today, trust that what feels like chance is actually divine timing at work, guiding you exactly where you need to be.

Ever feel like life is a rollercoaster?

One moment you’re up, the next you’re down. That’s the Wheel of Fortune in tarot, reminding us that change is the only constant.

The Mahabharata is filled with these cycles. Kings lose their kingdoms and gain them back. Warriors fall only to rise again in new forms. Even Krishna, the divine guide, leaves the world, showing that even the highest must bow to the cycles of time.

Both the Mahabharata and the tarot teach us to ride these waves with humility, faith, and resilience.

Shadow Work and the Stories We Avoid

Tarot isn’t just for manifesting dreams. It’s also for looking at the parts of ourselves we would rather ignore.

The Mahabharata is the same. It shows us what happens when envy, pride, and anger take over. Duryodhana’s jealousy, Karna’s complex loyalty, Draupadi’s rage—these are not villains’ stories. They are human stories.

When we read the Mahabharata, we can ask, “Where am I letting envy guide my choices?” “Where is my pride stopping me from making peace?” “What grief am I holding onto that needs to be released?”

This is shadow work in its most accessible form.

Using the Mahabharata in Your Tarot Practice

You don’t have to know the entire Mahabharata by heart to use it with tarot.

Next time you pull a card, ask:

What is my dharma in this situation?

Who is my inner Krishna guiding me?

What am I being asked to release so I can transform?

What challenge is my personal Kurukshetra right now?

You can also use characters as archetypes for your tarot cards. For example, The Chariot can remind you of Arjuna’s determination. The Tower can feel like the collapse of illusions during the war. The Hermit can reflect the wisdom of Vyasa, who steps back to see the bigger picture.

This Isn’t About Perfection. It’s About Practice.

Here’s the thing. Neither the Mahabharata nor tarot will give you all the answers.

They will give you better questions.

They will help you reflect, pause, and choose with awareness.

They will remind you that life is not about avoiding mistakes but learning from them.

And they will guide you to align your actions with your values.

Bringing Cultural Roots Into Spiritual Practice

If you are Indian or reconnecting with Indian heritage, using the Mahabharata with tarot can feel deeply grounding. It turns tarot from something that might feel disconnected from your roots into a practice that feels familiar and culturally resonant.

It brings together the best of both worlds: the reflective practice of tarot and the rich wisdom of the Mahabharata.

A Sacred Companion for Your Journey

Whether you’re new to tarot or have been reading for years, pairing it with the Mahabharata can add layers of depth to your spiritual practice.

Both are about the human journey. About the struggle to live in alignment with truth. About finding grace in the messiness of life.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your spiritual practice, bringing in the Mahabharata might just reignite your connection.

And if my Grade 8 teacher ever finds out that I created a Mahabharata tarot deck and guidebook, she’ll probably be shocked. Or maybe she would smile knowingly, for so many teachers know, the seeds they plant - sprout in their own time. More than anyone, it is the teacher who understands divine timing!! But I think for sure, my 8th grade Hindi Teacher who taught us the Sanshep Mahabharata (Abridged Mahabharata) would agree—these stories are too powerful to stay locked in dusty textbooks. They belong in our daily lives, guiding us toward clarity, courage, and conscious living.

Want to Start Using the Mahabharata in Your Tarot Practice?

Pick a card today and ask yourself:

Which Mahabharata character does this card remind me of?

What lesson from the Mahabharata applies to this situation?

How can I align with my dharma today?

Start there. Keep it simple. See what shifts.

You might be surprised at how much guidance is already within you, waiting for you to listen.

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