According to the traditional account in the Mahabharata, the great battle fought at Kurukshetra lasted for how many days?

Introduction / Context:
The Kurukshetra war described in the Mahabharata is one of the most famous epic battles in world literature. It is often referred to in religious, cultural and historical discussions across South Asia. A commonly asked factual detail in examinations is the traditional duration of this war, measured in days of fighting between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Knowing this number helps you answer many simple recall questions based on the epic narrative.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question concerns the battle of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata. - The focus is the number of days the battle lasted. - Options given are 14 days, 16 days, 18 days and 20 days. - We assume the traditional epic narrative as the reference.

Concept / Approach:
According to the Mahabharata, the war at Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and the Kauravas lasted for eighteen days of intense fighting. Each day witnessed different strategic moves, duels and turning points, and many heroes on both sides were killed as the days progressed. This number, eighteen, is often highlighted in religious discourses and is easy to remember because the Mahabharata itself is divided into eighteen parvas or books, and the war is said to have lasted eighteen days. Therefore, when asked for the number of days, eighteen is the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the central war of the Mahabharata is presented as a climactic battle between the armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Step 2: Remember that traditional accounts describe this war as lasting eighteen days, with each day having its own narrative highlights. Step 3: Note the symbolic recurrence of the number eighteen in the epic: eighteen parvas in the Mahabharata and eighteen days of battle. Step 4: Compare this number with the options: 14, 16, 18 and 20 days. Step 5: Identify 18 days as the only option that matches the well known traditional account.

Verification / Alternative check:
Religious texts, commentaries and popular retellings consistently repeat that the Kurukshetra war lasted eighteen days. Many cultural references, including television serials and religious discourses, reinforce this number. Some question banks even ask separately how many parvas the Mahabharata has and how many days the war lasted, highlighting the repeated use of the number eighteen. This wide agreement across sources confirms that eighteen days is the correct duration to remember for exam purposes.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
14 days is wrong because there is no standard tradition that reduces the war to fourteen days; this number does not fit the epic narrative.

16 days is wrong, as the epic specifically emphasises an eighteen day sequence, not sixteen.

20 days is wrong because it extends the war beyond the traditional account; no major source presents a twenty day duration for the Kurukshetra battle.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may confuse the duration of the war with other numbers in the Mahabharata, such as the years of exile or other time periods, leading to incorrect guesses. Others might misremember eighteen as sixteen or twenty if they have not revised carefully. A helpful memory aid is to link the number of books in the Mahabharata and the number of days of battle: both are eighteen. This simple association will make it much easier to recall the correct answer under exam pressure.

Final Answer:
The battle of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata is traditionally said to have lasted for 18 days.