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END OF DRONA
Krishna quickly called up Yudhishthira & said,
If Drona fights even for half a day, I tell U truly, Ur army will be totally wiped out. Save us from Drona .Under such circumstances, falsehood is better than truth. By telling an untruth for saving a life, one is not touched by sin. There is no sin in untruth spoken unto women, or in marriages, or for saving king, or for rescuing a Brahmana.
I COULD SEE DRONA SOON WILL BE TAKING THE MOST POTENT WEAPON – BRAMASTRA , WHICH WILL VANQUISH THE ENTIRE PANDAVA ARMY.REMEMBER THAT BRAMASTRA IS THE WEAPON OF THE CREATOR OF HUMAN BEINGS, SRI BRAHMA & U CAN NEVER COUNTER IT.
While Krishna and Yudhishthira were thus talking with each other, Bhima quickly sums up what he did to Drona . Now urged by Krishna, Yudhishtira moves few steps forward towards Drona. Drona , on seeing Yudishtira, asks the question whether Ashwathama is really dead ?
Yudhishthira made up his mind to say what he desired. Fearing to utter an untruth, but earnestly desirous of victory,
Yudhishthira distinctly said that Aswatthaman was dead, adding indistinctly the world elephant ,after the name.
TO PUT IT IN SANSKRIT, YUDHISHTIRA SAID – ASWATHAMA HATHAHA………… KUNJARAHA ( IN A MILD TONE )
Before this, Yudhishthira's car had stayed at a height of four fingers' breadth from the surface of the earth. After however, he had said that untruth, his (vehicle and) horses touched the earth.
Now Bhima pours his frustration on Drona by harsh words reminding him that Drona failed to perform the duties of a Brahman & because he took this profession of killing everyone & having rejected his dharma, all bad things have happened .
Hearing this, Drona’s pain & agony was compounded further & lost all interest in war.
Drona laid aside his bow. And he also screams loudly :
Karna, Kripa, Duryodhana, I tell you repeatedly, exert yourselves carefully in battle. Let no injury happen to you from the Pandayas. As regards myself, I lay aside my weapons.
He now devoted himself to Yoga posture.
Capitalizing on that opportunity, Dhrishtadyumna mustered all his energy. Laying down on the car his bow, with arrow fixed on the bow-string, he took up a sword, and jumping down from his vehicle, rushed quickly against Drona. All creatures, human beings and others, uttered exclamation of woe, beholding Drona thus brought under Dhrishtadyumna's power. Loud cries of Oh and Alas were uttered.
Despite cries & shouts from the 5 Pandavas, Drishtadyumna yet casting his eyes on the lifeless Drona's head, he began to drag it. With his sword, then, he lopped off from his foe's trunk that head.
Having slain Drona, Dhrishtadyumna was filled with great joy, and uttered leonine shouts, whirling his sword.
None of the Pandavas vouched for this act of Drishtadyumna.
Arjuna, in particular, melted with pity, had cried out repeatedly.
Meanwhile Drona, ascending the skies, entered the stellar path & there was a flash of light which moved from Drona’s body upwards to the sky.
THUS ENDS THE LIFE OF ACHARYA DRONA.
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EARLY MORNING OF DAY 15 :
AFTER THE DEATH OF DRONA :
Ashwathama , unaware of the entire sequence of events that lead to his Father’s death, came back to Duryodhana after defeating his opponents & finds Duryodhana & Kripa in tearful mood.
While Duryodhana was full of tears & sorrow , unable to speak anything, Kripa narrates the whole events .
Drona's son was filled with grief and rage.
Ashwathama was very upset by the manner in which Drona was killed .
So he takes a terrible oath now that he will vanquish the Pandavas & Panchalas by WHATEVER MEANS POSSIBLE.
Despite the whole army being tired, Aswathama urges Duryodhana to continue the war & singlehandedly takes up the challenge.
He reveals a mighty weapon which he was holding in secret all these years:
Formerly on one occasion, Sri Vishu, assuming the form of a Brahmana, came to my father. Bowing unto him, my father presented his offerings unto him in due form. Taking them himself, He offered to give him a boon. My father then solicited that supreme weapon called Narayana. Sri Vishnu, said, No man shall ever become Ur equal in battle. This weapon, however, should never be used in haste. It never comes back without effecting the destruction of the foe. Therefore, it should not be used without the greatest deliberation.
This mighty weapon, should never be hurled upon persons that abandon their cars or weapons in battle, or upon those that seek for quarter or those that wield themselves up. He who seek to afflict in battle the unslayable with it, is himself exceedingly afflicted by it!
My Father thus received that weapon.
Now I will apply this divine Narayana weapon which will rout and wipe out the entire Pandavas.
Having said those words, Aswathama touched water and invoked the celestial weapon called the Narayana Astra.
When the weapon was invoked, violent winds began to blow with showers of rain, and peals of thunder were heard although the sky was cloudless. The earth trembled, and the seas swelled up in agitation. The rivers began to run in a contrary course. The summits of mountains, began to split.
The gods and the Gandharvas, trembled with fear.
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NARAYANA ASTRA
Let us also parallely run through what happens with the pandavas immediately after Drona was killed .
Arjuna was totally against Yudhishtira uttering a falsehood earlier.
Now on seeing his Guru been killed in a very treacherous manner, his sorrows compounded . He was all in tears & feared disaster through Ashwathama .
Drishtadyumna interrupts & speaks some harsh words about Drona & his past which angers Satyaki. A furious Satyaki lambasts Drishtadyumna & challenged him that if he continues with such words about Drona, Satyaki himself will slay Dristadyumna & added that he should feel ashamed to be called a Kshatriya for his sinful act.
An enraged Drishtadyumna continued with his Drona bashing again which further ignited the already sensitive situation.
Drishtadyumna also added further by teasing Satyaki by the manner in which he killed Burisiravas when he was in yoga posture. Satyaki now charged towards Drishtadyumna with his sword & bow with an intention to kill him. However, a timely intervention by Bhima & Krishna saved a big fight between the two.
Sahadeva steps in & pleads to everyone to stand united & face the war & then the Pandavas resumed the war.
As Ashwathama let loose that NARAYANA ASTRA, innumerable number of maces, discs, razor all appeared in the air & it killed those who tried to resist against those weapons. And those multiple weapons destroyed a large chunck of Pandavas & those who tried to resist.
Krishna now quickly addresses the Pandavas :
Speedily lay down your weapons, all of you, and alight from your vehicles. Even this is the means ordained by Narayana himself for baffling this weapon. Come down on the earth, all of you from your elephants and steeds and cars. If you stand weaponless on the earth, this weapon will not slay you. In those places where you will fight for quelling the force of this weapon the Kauravas will become more powerful than you. Those men, however, that will throw down their weapons and alight from their vehicles, will not in this battle, be slain by this weapon. They, however, that will, even in imagination, contend against this weapon, will all be slain even if they seek refuge deep beneath the earth
The warriors of the Pandava army, threw their weapons and drove away from their hearts all desire of battle.
However, Bhima comes up to take the challenge by saying :
None should lay down his weapons here. I shall, with my shafts, oppose this weapon of Drona's son. With this heavy mace of mine, I will destroy this weapon.There is no man here that is equal to me .
Even while Bhima tried to challenge the weapon, the weapon with exceeding energy fell upon the head of Bhima.
However, Krishna rushes to the rescue of Bhima & chides him to put down all his arms & stand without fighting. But for Krishna, Bhima would have lost his life at that moment.As Bhima reluctantly did it, the Narayana weapon, became pacified.
Duryodhana urges Ashwathama to fire the Narayana weapon again but he refuses by saying that it will be counter productive if it is applied again.
Cheerlessly, the Kaurava army finally move towards their tents for rest
AND FINALLY THAT DREADFUL 14TH DAY OF THE WAR CAME TO A CLOSE
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15TH DAY OF THE WAR :
KARNA TAKES CHARGE
KARNA LETS NAKULA
Having passed the short time restlessly, Duryodhana came out for battle, having made Karna their generalissimo by tying the auspicious thread round his wrists, and gifts to brahmanas, by presents of vessels of curds, clarified butter, coins of gold, jewels and gems, and costly robes, to pray for their victory, and having caused heralds and musicians, to adore them with hymns about victory.
An auspicious time was also chosen while making him the Commander .
The Pandavas also, , having gone through their morning rites, issued from their camp, resolved on battle.
Besides, the Pandavas especially Yudhishtira & Arjuna were fully consicious now on the fact that unlike Bhishma or Drona, this Karna will go all out to defeat them & this made them come out with concrete plans to counter his offensive.
Duryodhana firmly believed that Karna will definitely vanquish the Pandavas , especially Arjuna as in the opinion of Duryodhana, neither Bhishma nor Drona had any intentions to kill the 5 Pandavas & instead, they showed mercy on them . Else the war would have ended long back even by killing one of the 5 pandavas.
The facial expression & body language displayed by Karna was enough to convince the Kaurava army that here is a person who finally has the heart to achieve victory & will repay his commitment to Duryodhana for having bestowed upon faith.
Having arrayed the troops in the makara array, Karna proceeded against the Pandavas.
Yudhishthira seeing Karna & his formation addresses Arjuna now :
The hour has come atlast Arjuna & Karna is the last of the great Commanders of the Kauravas. If U eliminate him today, victory is ours. This will put an end of all our sufferings all these years.
Arjuna arranges the army in the fom of a half moon.
Krana focused on the Panchalas & Srinjayas & destroyed a majority of them.
Nakula encountered Karna.
Karna did a repeat of what he did to Sahadeva earlier. Karna, after a brief fight, kills the horses, the Charioteer & also destroys the chariot of Nakula.
Karna also wipes out all the bows of Nakula & doesn’t even leave his sword & the mace.
Deprived of all his weapons Nakula now stood armless without any support like an orphan.
Karna didn’t stop firing his missles at Nakula. However, Karna took care not to afflict him greatly. Thus struck in that battle by Karna heavily , Nakula fled away from the battle field .
Laughing repeatedly, Karna placed his bow around the neck of the retreating Nakula & said the following :
O child, fight with them that are Ur. equals. Do not, feel any shame for it. Return home or go thither where Krishna and Arjuna are.
Thus Karna spares Nakula who actually was within the jaws of death.
Recollecting the words of Kunti, Karna let Nakula go.
Nakula speedily proceeded towards Yudhishthira's car in great shame & reports to him the sequence of events that happened with karma.
DAY 15 CONTINUES
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KARNA Vs Arjuna,
Oh yes
:redjump: :redjump: :yes: :yes: :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup:
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CONTINUATION OF DAY 15
Karna, after letting Nakula, proceeds towards the Panchalas.
Karna made a great massacre there at that hour when the Sun had reached the meridian.Many Pancala car-warriors borne away from the battle on their steedless and driverless cars with broken wheels and broken axles and with standards and pennons also that were broken and torn.Many elephants were seen to wander there in all directions with limbs scorched by arrows.
Many car-warriors also were seen there, wandering all around, deprived of their cars and scorched with the shafts of Karna.
Kripa fights a terrible battle with Drishtadyumna & would have killed him at one stage as Drishtadyumna was rendered armless .
Drishtadyumna himself was stunned by Kripa’s might & greatly stupified, knew not what to do.
A frightened Drishtadyumna was forced to flee towards the sight where Bhima was stationed.
Kritavarma encounters Shikandi & the resultant fight makes Shikandi swoon .
Arjuna encountered the Trigartas, the Sivis, the Kauravas& the Salwas.
Duryodhanan met Yudhishtira. As the going was very tough for him, Karna & Aswathama & Kripa rush to provide security cover to him . Yudhishtira severely wounds Duryodhana today.
Now Satyaki, Shikandi, Yudhishtira & others surround Karna but they were all forced to retreat by the impact of Karna’s sharp arrows.
Arjuna himself steps in to counter Karna’s onslaught .
Arjuna vanquishes huge number of Kauravas today.
Both armies lose heavily in terms of manpower.
As the day draws to a close, both armies , already tired & eagerly looking for a complete rest, rushed to their camps .
END OF DAY 15
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KARNA - ARJUNA CONTROVERSY :
Dear All,
B.R.Chopra's teleserial Mahabarath shows a situation on Day 15 like Karna coming very close to Killing Arjuna .
Let me describe the picturisation :
Karna finally meets Arjuna eye to eye at the evening of Day15. After both displaying terrific skills, Karna shoots some powerful arrows which locks Arjuna's both hands to the back of the Chariot & Arjuna loses everything & a worried Krishna's face is also being shown
HOWEVER, WHILE KARNA WAS ABOUT TO SHOOT HIS FINAL ARROW TO KILL ARJUNA , THE SUN SETS FOR THE DAY AND KARNA , ABIDING BY THE WAR RULES, STOPS FROM FIRING THAT ARROW WHICH COULD HAVE KILLED ARJUNA INSTANTLY.
AS THE SUN SETS , KARNA PULLS BACK HIS WEAPON REALZING THAT THE ARROW WOULD NOT REACH BEFORE SUNSET .
While queried by Duryodhana after they retire to their camps, Karna gives an explanation that :
I spared Arjuna today in the battle because my final killing arrow not reach Arjuna before sunset (sunset marking end of the day's battle).
Besides, I would adhere to the rules as a commander so that the coming generations don't complain that Sutaputra Karna killed Kshatriya Arjuna by cheating.
And the episode doesnt end here . It also shows Arjuna later in the night exchanging his surprise with Krishna over why Karna didnt kill him when he had the best of the opportunity at that moment.
For which Krishna responds by saying that Karna wants to set an example by following the war code & he engages in deep thoughts .
The authenticity of this event is disputed, though.
Despite reading various authenticated books on Mahabarath & also checked with knowledeable persons on epic, I am unable to present the facts of this version.
Anyone of our hubbers can throw more light on this incident please
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THE NIGHT OF DAY 15:
The night of 15th saw Karna, Duryodhana , Shakuni & Dushashan having a meeting on how to handle the next day.
Karna comes out with his thoughts :
Tomorrow, I will use the special Bow called Vijaya . Let me explain to U about its greatness. It was made by Vishvakarma for Indra. With that bow, Indra vanquished the Asuras & later he gave it to Sri Parasurama my Guru. I obtained it from him.
However, lets not forget the fact that Arjuna’s success in this war was influenced to significant extent by the tactful driving of Krishna who is a skilled charioteer. To match with Krishna in chariot driving, I request Sri Salya.
I request for Salya to be my charioteer & in this art, Salya is as good as Krishna as he is well acquainted with horselore.
Tomorrow is the most important day for me as I plan to fight Arjuna face to face for a do or die fight & only one of us will survive .
Its imperative that I need the services of Salya as a Charioteer.
As suggested by Karna, Duryodhana himself requests Salya to support Karna by becoming his Charioteer at this most crucial moment of the war.
Salya didn’t take this positively & he was very upset with this development.
Salya says :
It’s a big insult on me . Karna is in no way superior to me . You are only humiliating me by doing this.
Salya needlessly also reminds Duryodhana about various castes that prevail in the world & screams that a Suta is a servant of a Kshatriya . And he goes on further asking Duryodhan to make him fight bytaking the lead instead of being made a driver to a son of a Driver.
Here Duryodhana behavies wisely .He pleads to Salya & convinces him finally to take up that role which Salya reluctantly says yes.
Karna requests Duryodhana to have a word with Salya again.
Now Duryodhana :
Salya, Karna thinks that he should fight with Arjuna tomorrow. Hold the reins of Karna's steeds in battle. Having slain all the other warriors Karna desires to slay Arjuna tomorrow.
Salya accedes to Duryodhana’s request.
NIGHT EVENTS OF DAY 15 COMPLETES
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DAY 16TH OF THE WAR :
KARNA LETS YUDHISHTIRA ALIVE
When Karna glowing like a Sun , came out with his wonderful chariot , the warriors of the Kuru army were filled with joy.
Now the Earth trembled and made a loud noise. The planets including the Sun seemed to proceed against one another . Meteoric showers became noticeable and all the quarters seemed ablaze. Thunders fell from a cloudless sky, and fierce winds began to blow. Animals and birds in larger numbers kept the army to their right, foreboding great calamities. After Karna had set out, his steeds tumbled down on the Earth. A frightful shower of bones fell from the sky.
In short, all bad omens were visible.
But as the war was at a very sensitive stage – in the sense, both armies having lost a sizeable chunk of armymen neither had any clue on what could be conclusion of all these bad omens .
Once again, Salya poured his frustration to Karna by uttering some unpleasant words which upsets Karna a lot. A timely intervention by Duryodhana restores normalcy .
Karna started the day with focus on Yudhishtira & seeing his intentions, Bhima, Satyaki & Drishtadyumna try to support him.
Yudhishtira’s became furious on seeing Karna & after exchanging some challenging words, both start unleashing their weapons.
Midway, a powerful arrow whose whizz resembled the noise of the thunder, suddenly pierced Karna. Deeply afflicted by the violence of that stroke, Karna , almost swoon , his bow dropping from his hand. However, he quickly recovers & fires missiles on Yudhishtira .
Karna ruthlessly tames Bhima, Satyaki & Drishtadyumna .
With continuous downpour of arrows, Karna annihilates Yudhishtira to zero by killing his horses, charioteer & laughingly inflicted a deep cutting wound on Yudhistira’s body & totally weakens him.
Now a trembling Yudhishthira begin to retreat. His driver had been slain. He became exceedingly cheerless and unable to stay before Karna.
Karna pursuing Yudhishthira, cleansed himself by touching him in the shoulder with his hand and desired to seize him by force.
He then remembered the words of Kunti.
Karna now , laughing in mockery, addressed Yudhishtira :
How, indeed, born in a noble race, and observant though art of Kshatriya duties, would U leave the battle in fear, desiring to save Ur. life?
Do not, fight again, and do not again approach brave warriors. Do not use harsh language towards heroes and do not come to great battles.
Go back to Ur. quarters, or seek shelter where Arjuna is.
Having spoken the above words, Karna sets Yudhishtira free & continues to slaughter the Pandava army.
Yudhishtira quickly fled away.
THUS KARNA LETS YUDHISHTIRA ALIVE
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DAY 16 CONTINUES :
Karna after tormenting Yudhishtira with pinching words, Karna now focuses on Bhima.
Duryodhana sends some more of his brothers to support Karna . They were :
Srutarvan
Durddhara
Kratha
Vivitsu
Vikata
Soma
Nishangin
Kavashin
Pasin
Nanda
Upanandaka
Duspradharsha
Suvahu
Vatavega
Suvarchasas
Dhanurgraha
Durmada
Jalasandha
Sala
Saha
Bhima kills all the above .
