The Greatest Indian Epic - Mahabharath

Day 3 continues

The harsh words of Duryodhana created a deadly impact on the great Grandsire Bheeshma that he took control over the proceedings now .

And a dreadful river of blood began to flow


And in that combat Bhishma, with bow incessantly drawn to a circle, shot shafts of blazing points, resembling snakes of virulent poison. And shooting continuous line of arrows in all directions, that hero of rigid vows smote the Pandava car-warriors naming each beforehand, And displaying his extreme lightness of hands, and dancing (as it were) along the track of his car, he seemed, to be present everywhere like a circle of fire. And in consequence of the lightness of his movements, the Pandavas in that battle, along with the Srinjayas, beheld that hero, though really alone, as multiplied a thousand-fold. And every one there regarded Bhishma as having multiplied his self by illusion. Having seen him now on the east, the next moment they saw him on the west. And so having seen him on the north, the next moment they saw him on the south.

And the great Bheeshma was thus seen fighting in that battle. And there was no one amongst the Pandavas capable of even looking at him. What they all saw were only the innumerable shafts shot from his bow. And heroic warriors, beholding him achieve such feats in battle, and thus slaughtering their ranks, uttered many lamentations.
kings in thousands came in contact with Bheeshma, thus coursing over the field in a superhuman way, and fell upon that fire represented by the enraged Bhishma like flights of senseless insects upon a blazing fire for their own destruction. Not a single shaft of that light-handed warrior was futile, falling upon the bodies of men, elephants, and steeds, in consequence of the numbers . With a single straight shaft shot in that battle, he despatched a single elephant like hill riven by the thunderbolt. Two or three elephant-riders at a time, cased in mail and standing together, the Grandsire pierced with one shaft of sharp point. Whoever approached Bhishma, seen for a moment was, next beheld to fall down on the ground.

A vast host of king Yudhishthira , thus slaughtered by Bhishma of incomparable prowess, gave way in a thousand directions. And afflicted with that arrowy shower, the vast army began to tremble in the very presence of Vasudeva and Partha. And although the heroic leaders of the Pandava army made great efforts, yet they could not check the flight of (ven the great car-warriors of their side afflicted with the shafts of Bhishma.

BHEESHMA WAS AT HIS DESTRUCTIVE BEST AT THIS PHASE OF WAR

Day 3 to continue tomorrow........

Day 3 continues ...

On seeing the plight of the Pandava army running to every corner of the battle field & panicking , Krishna says now to Arjuna., 'The hour is now come, O Partha, which was desired by you. Strike Bhishma, O tiger among men, else, thou wilt lose the senses. O hero, formerly, in the conclave of kings, thou had said,--'I will slay all the warriors of Dhritarashtra's sons, headed by Bhishma and Drona--all in fact, who will fight with me in battle'. O son of Kunti, O chastiser of foes, make those words of thine true. Behold, O Vibhatsu, this army of thine is being routed on all sides. Behold, the kings in Yudhishthira's host are all flying away, seeing Bhishma in battle, who looketh like the Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth. Afflicted with fear, they are making themselves scarce like the weaker animals at sight of the lion.

for which Arjuna replies - Plunging through this sea of the hostile host, urge on the steeds to where Bhishma is. I will throw down that invincible warrior, the reverend Kuru grandsire'. Then Madhava urged those steeds of silvery hue to where, the car of Bhishma was, that car which, like the very sun, was incapable of being gazed at.

And beholding the mighty-armed Partha thus rushing to an encounter with Bhishma, the mighty army of Yudhisthira rallied for battle.

The battle resumes between the 2 again !

Bhishma, repeatedly roaring like a lion, quickly covered Dhananjaya's car with an arrowy shower. In a moment that car of his, with standard and charioteer, became invisible, shrouded with that arrowy downpour. Vasudeva, however, endued with great might fearlessly and summoning all his patience, began to guide those steeds mangled by Bhishma's shafts. Then Partha, taking up his bow, caused Bhishma's bow to drop down, cutting it off with his keen shafts. Bheeshma took up another and stringed it within the twinkling of the eye. And he stretched that bow whose twang resembled the roar of the clouds, with his two hands. But Arjuna, cut off that bow also of his. Bheeshma got thrilled & applauded that lightness of hand (displayed by Arjuna), saying--Excellent, O Partha, O thou of mighty arms, excellent, O son of Pandu. O Dhananjaya, such a mighty feat is, indeed, worthy of thee. I have been pleased with thee. Fight hard with me, O son.
And having applauded Partha thus, and taking up another large bow, Bheeshma shot his shafts at Partha's car. And Vasudeva then displayed his great skill in the guiding of chariot, for he baffled those shafts of his, by guiding the car in quick circles. Then, Bhishma with great strength pierced both Vasudeva and Dhananjaya with keen shafts all over their bodies. And mangled by those shafts of Bhishma, those two tigers among men looked like two roaring bulls with the scratches of horns on their bodies. And once again, excited with rage, Bhishma covered the two Krishnas on all sides with shafts in hundreds and thousands. And with those keen shafts of his, the enraged Bhishma caused shiver. And laughing loudly he also made Krishna to wonder.
Drona, and Vikarna, and Jayadratha, and Bhurisrava, and Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Srutayush and the ruler of the Amvashtas and Vinda and Anuvinda, Sudakshina and the westerners, and the diverse tribes of the Sauviras, the Vasatis, and the Kshudrakas, and the Malavas, all these, at the command of the royal son of Santanu, quickly approached Kiritin for battle. And the grandson of Sini saw that Kiritin was surrounded by many hundreds of horse, and infantry, and cars, and mighty elephants. And beholding both Vasudeva and Arjuna thus encompassed by infantry and elephants and horses and cars, on all sides, that foremost of all bearers of arms, viz., the chief of the Sinis, quickly proceeded to that spot. And that foremost of bowmen, the chief of the Sinis, quickly rushing at those troops, came to Arjuna's side .

KRISHNA GETTING UPSET & TAKING HIS SUDHARSHANA CHAKRA !


Though both fight with equal ferocity, Krishna however felt that Arjuna’s heart was still not clear on his arch rival . He gets really upset now & jumps from the chariot , whirling with his (right) arm his discus . And making the earth tremble under his tread, Krishna rushed impetuously towards Bhishma.

Beeshma however was not scared at all by this ! Instead, he says fearlessly :

Come, Come, O Lord of the gods, O thou that hast the universe for thy abode. I bow to thee, O thou that art armed with mace, sword and Saranga. O lord of the universe, forcibly throw me down from this excellent car, O thou that art the refuge of all creatures in this battle. Slain here by thee, O Krishna, great will be my good fortune both in this world and the next. Great is the respect thou payest me, O Lord of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas. My dignity will be celebrated in the three worlds.'

Hearing these words of Bheeshma, Krishna rushing impetuously towards him said, 'Thou art the root of this great slaughter on earth. Thou wilt behold Duryodhana slain to-day. A wise minister who treadeth in the path of righteousness should restrain a king that is addicted to the evil of gambling. That wretch again of his race who transgresseth duty should be abandoned as one whose intelligence hath been misdirected by destiny.-

Bhishma, hearing these words, replied , saying,--Destiny is all powerful. The Yadus, for their benefit, had abandoned Kansa. I said this to the king (Dhritarashtra) but he minded it not. The listener that hath no benefit to receive becometh, for (his own) misery, of perverted understanding through (the influence of destiny).

Meanwhile, jumping down from his car, Partha, himself quickly ran on foot after Krishna and seized him by his two hands succeeded with great difficulty. And when Krishna stopped, cheerfully bowed down to him and said, 'Quell this wrath of thine. Thou art the refuge of the Pandavas, O Kesava. I swear, O Kesava, by my sons and uterine brothers that I will not withdraw from the acts to which I have pledged myself. O younger brother of Indra, at thy command I will certainly annihilate the Kurus.'

Hearing that promise and oath of his, Krishna became gratified. And ever engaged as he was in doing what was agreeable to Arjuna--that best of the Kurus.--he once more, discus on arm, mounted on his car. And that slayer of foes once more took up those reins (that he had abandoned), and taking up his conch called Panchajanya, Saurin filled all the points of the compass and the welkin with its blare. And thereupon beholding Krishna decked with necklace and Angada and ear-rings, with curved eye-lashes smeared with dust, and with teeth of perfect whiteness, once more take up his conch the Kuru heroes uttered a loud cry. And the sound of cymbals and drums and kettle-drums, and the rattle of car-wheels and the noise of smaller drums, mingling with those leonine shouts, set forth from all the ranks of the Kurus, became a fierce uproar.

Thus the battle resumes after a brief exciting moment !

Day 3 continues tomorrow

Day 3 continues :

It seemed like Krishna actually wanted to trigger Arjuna’s ego ! & it worked very well for the Pandavas as Arjuna takes charge from this moment for the day & he was destructive .

Despite the dominant presence of stalwarts – Bheeshma, Drona, Aswathama , Kripa & other kings, none could control Arjuna’s onslaught as he was firing arrows after arrows to all parts of the battle field ferociously , with full of injured ego & anger .

Arjuna slains ten thousand car-warriors, and full seven hundred elephants,the Sauviras, Kshudrakas and the Malavas

And finally, as the day draws to a close, both armies gradually withdrew themselves, then entered their tents illuminated by thousands of torches, and beautified by innumerable lamps , took rest for the night , hearing some pleasant music

It was honours even for Day3 as the first part was won by Bheeshma while the 2nd was by Arjuna

Day 3 ends here………………………………….

Day 4 starts :

The day commences with Bheeshma leading the show as usual & this time Abimanyu advances towards him with shower of shafts !

Seeing his great grandson showing prowess, though the grandsire was happy, he avoids meeting him & moves towards his Father Arjuna ! who welcomes him with innumerable arrows . After fighting with Arjuna matching arrow with arrow, Bheeshma moves ahead to face others

Abimanyu gets surrounded by Drona, Ashwathama, Kripa , Salya & others but he gives them a thundering response that all of them withdraw backwards & they all get forced to defend themselves !

Once again, Duryodhana faced Bheema today .


Bhima, took up his mace & moved towards Duryodhana.

Duryodhana, however, urged the Magadha division consisting of ten thousand elephants . Accompanied by that elephant division and placing the ruler of Magadha before him, king Duryodhana advanced towards Bhimasena. Beholding that elephant division advancing towards him, Bheema, mace in hand, jumped down from his car, moves further towards his foe.

Then the sons of Draupadi, Abimanyu,Nakula and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna protecting Bhima's rear, rushed behind him, checking all by scattering their arrowy showers.

Then the ruler of the Magadhas, in that battle, urged his elephant , towards the car of Subhadra's son. Beholding that mighty elephant advancing towards him, Abimanyu slew it with a single shaft. And when the ruler of the Magadhas was thus deprived of his elephant, Abimanyu, then struck off that king's head with a broad-headed shaft .

Bhima, penetrated that elephant division, began to wander over the field, crushing those beasts around him . Bheema , in the process kills huge number of elephants

Day 4 continues...................

BEGININNING OF THE END OF DURYODHANA'S BROTHERS :



When that elephant division was blown away, Duryodhana urged his entire army, commanding the warriors to slay Bhima. The whole army , rushed towards Bhimasena who was uttering fierce shouts. With his mace, he fearlessly checked all those kings angrily rushing towards him.

Bhimasena speedily came towards him. However, Bheema, despite being a mismatch for Bheeshma, gave his best shot at. This made the Kauravas cheerless.

However, there was Bhurisravas, the son of Somadatta, quickly motivated them & proceeded towards Satyaki.

Duryodhana, accompanied by his brothers, surrounded Somadatta's son thus striving in battle. Similarly the Pandavas also, quickly surrounding Satyaki in that battle took up their positions around him.

Bhima, with mace upraised, encountered all the brothers of Duryodhana.

Nandaka, one of the Duryodhana’s brothers pierced Bhimasena of great might with keen-edged and sharp-pointed shafts

Duryodhana,, struck Bhimasena in the chest with nine shafts.
Bhima now said to his charioteer ,'These heroic and mighty sons of Dhritarashtra, all great car-warriors, are exceedingly angry with me and desirous of slaying me in battle. I will slay all these today in thy sight, without doubt. Therefore, O charioteer, guide my steed in battle with care.'

Having said this, Bheema pierced Duryodhana with sharp-pointed arrows. And he pierced Nandaka also . Then Duryodhana having pierced the mighty Bhima with six arrows earlier , pierced Bheema again with three other sharp arrows.

Now, Duryodhana once again pierces Bhima in the midst of his chest thereby causing terrible pain& this makes Bhima down on the terrace of his car. And while seated on he swooned away. Seeing this plight of Bhima, Abhimanyu could not bear it.
Immediately, he , showered on the Kauravas down-pour of fierce shafts.

Then Bhima, regaining consciousness, pierced Duryodhana at first with those shafts and then with five. Bheema also pierced Salya thereby making him blown away from the battle.

Now 14 sons of Dirudhirashtra - Senapati, Sushena, Jalasandha, Sulochana, Ugra, Bhimaratha, Bhima, Viravahu, Aolupa, Durmukha, Dushpradarsha, Vivitsu, Vikata, and Sama, then encountered Bhima.

A roaring Bhima cut off the head of Senapati with a shaft having a horse-shoe head.

SENAPATI WAS THE FIRST OF THE 100 SONS TO BE SLAINED

Delighted , Bhima, pierced Jalasandha with three arrows, despatched him to Yama's abode.

He then, smiting Sushena who also meets with his end.

With a single broad-headed shaft he felled on the ground the head, handsome as the moon, of Ugra

With seventy shafts, despatched Viravahu to yama’s abode.

Bhima despatched both the brothers Bhima and Bhimaratha also to Swarga. ( Interestingly, one of the Kauravas carried Bhima's name ! )

Bhima next killed Sulochana also

Then the rest of the sons all fled from battle from fear of Bhima.


Day 4 continues tomorrow

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Originally Posted by great

I have read the curses given to Karna one by brahman guru etc,

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That is true!

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Originally Posted by great

in the same way i heard even Bhooma devi cursed Karnan bcoz of this only his wheels broke and get struck during the war is it true.

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in fact, Karna has been cursed six times, without these curses Arjuna wouldn't have had a chance against karna!

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Originally Posted by great

It has been mentioned in the thread that shiva broke Arjuna ego same way there is also saying Arjuna thought he is supreme in archery and no one is near to him and to help crossing the lake arjuna would make a bridge with arrows. He would state no one has power to break this bridge but hanuman would break bridge made by arjuna, is it true .

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well this mentioned by me couple of pages back, where Ishwar will confront arjuna as hunter and demolish his EGO!, u don't mess around with Ishwar do you ? :wink:

But Hanuman was protectin Arjuna all the was, as he was sitting as statue on top of Arjuna's Ratha!!, once at the end of the war, Krishna would take arjuna alone to a place and tell Arjuna to get off the ratha, the minute they both get off, he will ask Hanuman to get off as and he will, and as soon as every one gets off, the ratha will blow up, and Krishna will say 'Partha did you see the power of Karna.it was Hanuman who was protecting you all the way, not your Kaandipam!

but I dont recall any incidents where Hanuman Confronts Arjuna, but he does confront Bheema to destroy bheema's ego in an OLD and weak monkey disguise!

Day 4 continues ......................


Bheeshma, on seeing the destruction caused by Bhima , that of having killed the brothers of Duryodhana , said,

Bhima is slaying sons of Dhritarashtra and other heroic car-warriors united together, whatever their knowledge of weapons, and whatever their bravery. Therefore, seize him.


Thus addressed, all the troops , rushed towards Bhima

And Bhagadatta, on his elephant , suddenly rushed where Bhimasena was stationed. And he shrouded Bhima with his shafts.

Those car-warriors of the Pandava army, could not bear that shrouding of Bhima (with the arrowy showers of Bhagadatta). They, therefore, surrounding Bhagadatta on all sides, poured on him their arrowy down-pours. And they pierced his elephant also with showers of shafts. And struck by all those mighty car-warriors with showers of fierce shafts of diverse kinds that elephant, the ruler of the Pragjyotishas with blood trickling down his body.

Bhagadatta, struck Bhimasena on his chest with a straight shaft.

Deeply pierced , Bhima sat down on his car, holding his flagstaff.

Seeing the plight of Bhima, Bhagadatta uttered a loud roar.

Unable to tolerate this act done to his father, Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, there and then disappeared from the view. creating a terrible illusion, he reappeared in a moment assuming a fierce form. Himself riding on an Airavata created by his powers of illusion, the other Dik-elephants, viz., Anjana, Vamana, and Mahapadma, followed him. And those three mighty elephants, ridden by Rakshasas, were of huge form, with juice profusely trickling down in three lines, and endued with great speed and prowess. Then Ghatotkacha urged his own elephant to battle, to target Bhagadatta with his elephant. And those other elephants, excited with fury and each endued with four tusks, urged by Rakshasas, fell from all sides upon Bhagadatta's elephant and afflicted him with their tusks. And the elephant of Bhagadatta, thus afflicted by those elephants, already struck with arrows and feeling great pain, uttered loud cries.

Hearing those terrible and loud cries of that roaring elephant, Bhishma, addressing Drona, Suyodhana and all the kings, said,

Bhagadatta is battling with that Asura & must be in great distress. Let us all go there for rescuing the king, for, if left unprotected, in battle, he will soon give up his life.

Hearing these words of Bhishma, all the kings headed by Ashwathama proceeded with great speed towards Bagadhathan.
On seeing the opponents marching , Yudhishthira, with his troops moved forward to support Gatotkacha. & the battle was too terrible to describe as the asur was growing from strengths to strengths as the day drew to a close.

Bhishma once again addressed Aswathama now ,

I do not like to fight to-day with the son of Bhima. Endued withgreat might and energy, he is at present well-supported. He is invincible now As regards ourselves, our animals are tired now. We have also been greatly mangled by Panchalas and the Pandavas. I do not like fresh encounter with the victorious Pandavas. Let the withdrawal of our army, therefore, be proclaimed today. Tomorrow we will fight with renewed energy.


Hearing these words of the grandsire, the Kauravas, afflicted with the fear of Ghatotkacha, and availing of the advent of night as a pretext, gladly did what the grandsire said.

And after the Kauravas had withdrawn, the Pandavas, crowned with victory uttered leonine roars, mingling them with the blare of conches and the notes of pipes. Thus did the battle take place that day

The Kauravas , vanquished by the Pandavas and overcome with shame, retired to their own tents when night came.

And the sons of Pandu, their bodies mangled with shafts, proceeded towards their encampment, with Bhimasena and Ghatotkacha, at their head.

Filled with great joy, the entire Pandaavas, worshipped the 2 heros of the day.

Duryodhana, cheerless at the death of his brothers, passed some time in thoughtfulness, overcome with grief and tears. Then making all the arrangements for his camp according to the rules of military science, he began to pass the hours in meditation, scorched with grief and afflicted with sorrow on account of his slain brothers.

DAY 4 ENDS NOW

DAY 5 OF THE WAR

Bhishma formed the shape of Makara.

Pandavas arranged their troops in the form of Syena.

In that fierce battle, Sikhandin rushed against Bhishma and Drona

However, Bhishma ( who had vowed earlier that he will not take up arms against a woman ) avoided him, remembering the femininity of his sex.

The day’s main feature was Aswathama battling Arjuna face to face & his deeds were appreciated by Arjuna himself

Now Arjuna says to Krishna :
This one is the son of my guru. He is especially a Brahmana, and, therefore, worthy of my regard.

Saying this, Arjuna leaves Aswathama & moves towards others.

Now Duryodhana meets Bhima . The fight went on for several hours with both matching stroke by stroke

This day was not that significant except that both armies lost considerable numbers but the loss to Gauravas was more .

Shikandin showed his skills

Arjuna as usual was destructive self

Bheeshma continued to torment the pandavas & wherever he was present, the Pandavas had little clue on how to tackle him

Burisiravas & Satyaki fought a terrible battle & both suffered bleeding injuries


As the Sun God completed his part for the day, the troops withdrew , anxiously looking for the much needed rest

Day 5 ends

DAY 6

Yudhishthira addressed Dhrishtadyumna to arrange in the array called Makara

In return, Bhishma arranged the vyuha in the form of a Crane.

Drona meets his childhood friend & now enemy Durupadha & makes him stunned totally with shower of arrows. Durupadha was no match for Drona & he leaves the battle. Drona having thus vanquished Drupada, blew his conch. And hearing the blare of his conch, all the Pandavas were struck with fear.


Earlier, Dhrishtadyumna fired a weapon called PRAMOHANA capable of depriving the senses which made a section of Kauravas swoon .
Drona rescues them now by taking up a weapon called PRAJNA which neutralizes Pramohana.

Drona now meets Dhrustadyumna & makes him absolutely wonderstruck by multiple arrows & also kills the charioteer in the process. Quickly Dhrushtadyumna takes another chariot & moves to safety

This created loud cheers onto the Kauravas

Duryodhana meets Bhima again & the arrows of Bhima hits him so hard that he swoons briefly but recovers quickly & began to resist Bhima with showers of arrows.

Bhimasena, excited , said these words,--

That hour has come which I have desired for so many years. I will slay u to-day if u does not abandon the battle. Slaying u I shall today dispel the sorrows of Kunti as also of Draupadi and the woes that were ours during our exile in the woods. Filled with pride, u had formerly humiliated the sons of Pandu. Behold, O son of Gandhari, the dire fruit of that sinful behaviour. Following the counsels of Karna as also of Suvala's son, and recking the Pandavas little, u had formerly behaved towards them as u had hinted. U had also disregarded Krishna who begged thee (for peace). With a joyous heart did u despatch Uluka (to us) with ur messages. For all these, I shall slay u to-day with all ur kinsmen, and thus avenge all those offences of urs of former days.

Having said these words, Bhima bending his bow and stretching it repeatedly, and taking up a number of terrible shafts

Duryodhana, deeply pierced by Bhimasena and feeling great pain, sat down on the terrace of that car.

Then Jayadratha, surrounded him on all sides with several thousands of cars , rescues Duryodhana

Bhishma , all through the day slaughtered Pandavas . And with his arrows he began to despatch the combatants of the Panchalas to the domains of Yama.

Having broken the ranks of Pandavas at last withdrew his troops and retired for the day

DAY 6 ENDS .....................

DAY 7 of the war

The day starts with Bhishma addressing Duryodhana , the follg words :

As regards myself, I shall, however, always do ur bidding. Either I shall vanquish the Pandavas in battle or they will vanquish me.

Having said these words, the grandsire gave him an excellent herb of great efficacy for healing his wounds.

Bhishma arrays a format called Mandala

Yudhishthira himself disposed his troops in the array called Vajra.

Ashwathama faced Shikandi

Salya faced his nephews Nakula & Sahadeva !

Arjuna faced the Tirigarthas

Drona faced Virata & make him run away from the scene

Drona , in the process kills Sanka, Virata’s son.

Ashwathama made Shikandin fall from his chariot & also destroys it. This makes Shikandi switch over to Satyaki’s chariot

Satyaki faced Alamyusha . Satyaki applied a special weapon , the mantras which were taught by Arjuna . This made Alamyusha retreat . This brings loud cheer on to the Pandava army.

Drishtadyumna faced Duryodhana & both a terrible war . While the former destroyed the chariot of the latter, filled with anger, Duryodhana rushed by foot towards Drishtadyumna with his gatha. However, Sakuni intervenes & takes him onto his chariot.

Bagadhatha faced Gatotkacha in a might exchange of weapons . However, the old man Bagadhatha emerged victorious & Gatotkacha had to retreat which caused a mild panic amongst a section of Pandavas.

Salya could not face his sister’s sons & at one stage swooned . Having achieved success , Nakula & Sahadeva proudly blew their counches which caused cheer amongst the pandavas.

Arjuna met Susarman, and said these words,

I know u to be foremost in battle, and a dire enemy (of ours) of old. Behold to-day the terrible fruit of that evil behaviour 4 I will today cause u to visit the manes of ury ancestors.'
Susarman, in return, said :

Well or ill.

Thus began a big battle between the 2. Then Arjuna, having vanquished all warriors headed by Susarman along with all their followers, in the midst of their division, ended the day on a victorious note & proceeded towards his tent.

All other respective warriors who survived the day, moved towards their tents .

Making arrangements for the protection of their brave warriors and disposing outposts according to rule, they plucked out the arrows from their bodies and bathed in diverse kinds of water.

Brahmans performed propitiatory rites for them

Bards sang their praises.

Men sported for a while in accompaniment with music both vocal and instrumental.

For a while the whole scene resembled heaven itself.

Day 7 ends

nakeera..its a better format...so that we can read

Day 8 of the war :


As soon as the day commenced, Bhishma, as he was well known for, started his demolishing act on Pandavas & they immediately panicked. The Pandavas were incapable of even looking at Bhishma excited with rage went on the rampage & it was Bhima who checked the onslaught .

Indeed, Bhima alone, approaching Bhishma, encountered him in battle. In that encounter , a fierce and terrible uproar arose among all the troops (of the Kauravas).

The Pandavas then, filled with joy, uttered leonine shouts.

Now, Duryodhana sensing danger to the Grandsire, surrounded by his brothers, protected Bhishma . Bhima, slew Bhishma's charioteer. Thereupon the steeds no longer controlled, ran away from the field with car.

Now Bhima faced the kaurava brothers.

Bhima with a sharp arrow cut off the head of Sunabha another brother of Duryodhana.

Now , 7 brothers of Duryodhana , Adityaketu , Vahvasin,
Kundadhara , Mahodara, Aparajita, Panditaka and Visalaksha, rushed against Bhima.

Bhima, however, did not bear these attacks .

He cuts the head of Aparajita.

Then with a big arrow, dispatched Kundadhara to death.

Another shaft kills Panditaka

A mighty arrow felled Visalaksha's head

Strikes Mahodara in the centre of the chest with a long shaft & kills him also.

& also eliminates Adityaketu

Not satisfied with this, he kills Vahvasin also.

Duryodhana, on seeing this, with great grief, went to Bhishma, and there, overcome with sorrow, he began to lament, saying,

My heroic brothers have been slain in battle by Bhimasena. Although, again, all our troops are fighting bravely, yet they also are failing. U seem to disregard us, behaving like an indifferent spectator, Alas, what course have I taken. Behold my evil destiny.

Hearing these cruel words of Duryodhana, Bheeshma with eyes filled with tears, said this unto him.

Even this was said by me before, as also by Drona, and Vidura, and the renowned Gandhari. O son, u did not then comprehend it. But having decided to wage a war, lets fight sincerely .
& the great warrior urged his troops to refocus on the war

At midday the battle became exceedingly awful and fraught with great carnage.

Day 8 continues............

Day 8 continues :

Now Iravat, the son of Arjuna shows his prowess.( Iravat was born to a woman who marries Arjuna when he visits the Nagaloka while in exile. I am avoiding the story of Iravat as this will occupy some space & will deviate from our main focus now )

Alamvusha , after great struggle , manages to kill Iravat .

Bhishma , with shafts capable of penetrating into the very vitals, slew many mighty car-warriors and caused the Pandava army to tremble . By him were slain many combatants in Yudhishthira's host, and many tuskers and cavalry-soldiers and car-warriors and steeds.

On seeing Iravat slain in battle, Ghatotkacha, the son of Bhimasena, uttered loud shouts.

Anticipating trouble, Duryodhana moved towards the Rakshasha
Seeing Duryodhana facing Gatotkacha, Yudhistira orders Bheema to proceed towards his son in support.

Duryodhana now encounters Bhima with powerful arrows & aiming a sharp crescent-shaped shaft he cut off Bhimasena's bow. With another shaft, he strikes Bhimasena in the chest. Deeply pierced with that arrow, and exceedingly pained, and licking the corners of his mouth, Bhimasena , sits in brief on his chariot . Now Gatotkacha comes to the rescue of his father !

The war becomes terrible as the Rakshasa gets powerful as the day progresses further. Duryodhana was forced to retreat & he reports everything to Bhishma about the loss .

In return, Bhishma advises Bagadhatta to fight with Bhima & the old king obliges immediately& showers Bhima like the clouds & covers him arrowy shower like the clouds afflicting the mountain & also pushed his elephant towards Bhima. That prince of elephants then, thus urged with the hook and the toe, caused huge destruction on the Pandvas. This day, Bagadhatha causes heavy human losses to the Pandava army & this makes Arjuna himself enter the scene.

At this moment, Bhima whispers to Arjuna, about the death of his son Iravat which makes Arjuna filled with great grief.

Cursing kauravas for not having given an inch of land for their living, Arjuna tells Krishna now that he has to kill the entire Kaurava army now .

Now Bhishma also joins the fray along with Drona & a big battle resumes here.

In course now, Bhima kills another Kaurava son by name Vyudoroska & another a rrow kills Kundalin

In the process, Bhima further eliminates the following sons of Dirudhirashtra:
-Anadhriti
-Kundabhedin
-Virata
-Dirghalochana
-Dirghavahu
-Suvahu
-Kanykadhyaja

Now Drona checks Bhima’s onslaught to some extent.

Bhishma along with Bagadhatha fought with Arjuna & Abimanyu & the battle went on for long until the day came to a close

Finally, after the combatants had been fatigued, routed, and crushed, dark night set in and the battle could no longer be seen.

Thereupon both the Kurus and the Pandavas withdrew their armies, when pitched darkness came. And having withdrawn their troops, both the Kurus and the Pandavas took rest for the night, retiring to their respective tents.

DAY 8 ENDS

SUMMARIZING THE FIRST 8 DAYS OF THE WAR :

Dear All

I thought , its time I do a recap of the first 8 days & how it progressed :


Those who have been following the war events might be wondering why the description is monotonous ?

Let me give a brief of how the war progressed .

The first 10 days of the war were dominated overall by Bheeshma .

Also, the 9 days were not that eventful in the sense, major losses were not registered in terms of well known personalities . All survived the first 8 days of the war except that Arjuna lost his son Iravat. Ofcourse, Duryodhana lost some of his brothers but their names are little known unlike Dushashan or Vikarna

Both sides faced frustration at various stages & angry exchanges with violent outbursts

Even Krishna could not control his anger atleast twice during the war that he himself challenged Bhishma with his Srichakra before Arjuna pleaded him to stay cool & just be a guide to the Pandavas & restrain from taking up arms. Such was the intensity of the war & the impact of terror unveiled by Bheeshma

It was only with the fall of Bheeshma that all dramas & wicked methods started flowing into both camps which resulted in innumerable deaths & precious loss of human beings

The great grandsire Bhishma , true to his reputation, stood like a colossus , controlled both the sides with his dominating presence , guided the course of the war for 10 days & maintained his credibility intact

Despite having possessed wealthy / immense knowledge on the usage of weapons & in his kitty, all the divine astras, Bheeshma was very much restrained & fought a conventional warfare only with his rivals

As mentioned , Bhima was another Yamadharma himself , killing many brothers of Duryodhana & frequently used his mace as a potent weapon

On the contrary, Duryodhana preferred bow & arrow & played a very supportive role , was always present with his rescue army whenever anyone was tired or was about to get overpowered .


None of the war rules were broken till now & it was the all pervading presence of the son of Ganga , Shri Bhishma which enabled decent warfare.

Bheeshma fought like a true champion warrior , unleashing terror in the minds of the Pandavas & wherever he was present, it sounded death bells & countless number of Pandavas were destroyed by him & created havoc amongst even the top ranked Pandava warriors

Satyaki, a relative of krishna played a very good supportive role , as a viable back up for Arjuna whenever trouble arose

As regards youth brigade is concerned, Abimanyu & Gatotkacha took the honours & earned wholesome praise from all seniors from both the sides

As every day passes through, both sides discussed strategies & counter strategies to neutralize the impact of top notch warriors

The fight between Duryodhana & Bheema was always very forceful & violent ( on expected lines ) . While twice Duryodhana made Bheema virtually swoon, once Duryodhana also had that when Bheema pounced on him with shower of arrows

However, both avoided a direct mace fight

The old King Bagadhathan showed his prowess at the very old age which stunned the Pandavas. His elephant also added force to his army & he was a nightmare to the enemies wherever he was present . He was skilled warrior & a veteran

Drona , played a supportive role to Bheeshma but was destructive self along with his son Ashwathama

Arjuna was mighty powerful during the entire war & he was the MAN OF CRISIS making a stormy presence whenever something went wrong amongst the pandavas & restored balance to the course of the war . whenever Arjuna & Bheeshma met eye to eye, the devas & rishis used to assemble to watch the magnificent display of their talent & mastery over archery .

My presentation was a fine tuned / edited version & honestly, it was just 1 % of what was actually described about the war .

I thought it would be boring if I had to describe word by word account like – the number of arrows shot at , the noof times the bow was brokes & the chariots getting destroyed etc etc will only reduce the speed of description of the important events.

All through the first few days, the war was fought with little use of DIVINE ASTRAS as the individual battles were fought with CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS

As the pressure mounted on both sides , each one started unleashing his reserve armoury which resulted in innumerable losses & sorrows which left both sides suffering heavily

However, the rules of war were first broken by the Pandavas from the 10th day onwards & how they started this will be described in the coming days of this week.

My description now moves to Day 9 of the war tomorrow

THE NIGHT OF DAY 8

Wish to highlight what transpired the night of day 8 as I feel its significant & also necessary for everyone to know .

The reason why I am very particular is simple - SOME IMPORTANT CLUES & CUES COME OUT FROM THE GREAT BHISHMA THROUGH HIS WORDS WHICH WILL HAVE RELEVANCE LATER.

Duryodhana never had any doubt over the capabilities of Bhishma or Drona as regards defeating any enemy , leave alone Pandavas but as everyday passed by, his frustration grew by leaps & bounds as in his very presence, his brothers fell dead one by one . This prompted him to have a chat with other Kauravas.

Duryodhana, Sakuni, Dussasana & Karna held a meeting ( of course without the presence of Bhishma & Drona )

While Duryodhana expressed his concern over why both Bhishma & Drona could not vanquish the Pandavas . Karna steps in now & pours his frustration Bhishma. He says the follg :

Do not grieve. Even I will do what is agreeable to u. Let Bhishma soon withdraw from the battle. I will slay Arjuna in the very sight of Bhishma. Beyond doubt, Bhishma shows mercy towards the Pandvas.

Now Duryodhana responds by saying :
I will consent with Bhishma, to agree to this & then I will, without delay, come to u. After Bhishma will have retired from the fight, u will smite the foe.

Now Duryodhana meets Bhishma at his tent & after paying respects , he expresses his concern :

Venerable grandfather , pls slay the Pandvas without any further hesitation. If you have any second thoughts on this now, pls permit Karna, to fight. He will vanquish in battle the Parthas with all their friends and kinsmen.

Hearing the words, Bhishma felt higly insulted & got filled with great grief.

Do you have any doubts over my sincerety ? It pains me a lot . And u have faith on Karna ? Remember, even Karna was defeated earlier by Arjuna who is really invincible in the war but I am doing my best for you & ready to give my life to you.
As regards myself, I will,say all the Somakas and the Panchalas assembled together, avoiding Sikhandin alone. Either they will die or I will. However, Sikhandin was born in Drupada's palace as female at first. She became a male in consequence of the grant of a boon. After all, however, she is Sikhandini. Him I will not slay even if I have to lose my life. She is the same Sikhandini that the Creator had first made her. Pass the night in happy sleep, Duryodhana.. Tomorrow I will fight a fierce battle about which men will speak as long as the world lasts.

Thus addressed by him, Duryodhana came away. And saluting his grandsire with a bow of the head, he came back to his own tent. Coming back, Duryodhana conveyed this to others & passed the night in sleep.

Day 8 night gets over

Nakeeran,

Where are you getting these infomation you are posting here?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raghu

Nakeeran,

Where are you getting these infomation you are posting here?

---

Raghu sir

Well. the process I follow is like this :

I am referring to various books & articles first.

Then, work out the events which have been mentioned commonly in them.

Then compile the same in readable format ( like what Nilavupriyar wished )

And finally post them.

U will realize now thats why for every day of the war, I am taking one or 2 days to describe :D

Apart from this, I also wish to cover what transpired in the night after the war on certain days. Not sure whether our hubbers are keen to hear that also ?

Nakeerare,

Pls dont call me Sir, Machi will do :-)

you are actually typing all these posts :shock:, i thought it was as all copy and paste, :-)

you are doing an excellent job, but i feel you are being biased towards the Pandavas, Please be as neutral as possible

nakeera :clap:

come on guys..post replies for his effort!

DAY 9 OF THE WAR :

When the 9th day’s war was about to start, Duryodhana immediately instructs Dushashana to give full protection to Bhishma .

The defining moment has come now & today we can witness carnage of the Pandavas as our Grandsire is furious & very eager to destroy them . Hence lets offer him all the support now. My great scare only is on that wolf Shikandi . If he appears before Bhishma, our grandfather will not take up arms as he had very clearly told me yesterday. Its foremost that he is covered well so that victory is assured .

Following the command of Duryodhana, the army moves to strengthen Bhishma.

Now , on seeing the Pandava army formation wherein Shikandi was placed very closely with Arjuna , Duryodhana once again instructs his army to ensure that Shikandi doesn’t dare to reach Bhishma .

Now Arjuna asks Dhrishtadyumna to place Shikandi well in front of Bhishma & assured him that he himself will secure Shikandi’s safety
Bhishma arranges his troops in a format called Sarvatobhadra.

Abimanyu meets Duryodhana in a fierce battle , shows his prowess that an admiring Duryodhana commented , he resembles another Partha ! . Then he sends Alamvusa to counter Abimanyu & after various exchanges, Alamvusa retreats .

Now Bhishma himself appears before Abimanyu & on seeing this, Arjuna rushes to rescue his son from the wrath of grandfather.
Ashwathama faces Satyaki & as the battle gets tougher, Drona enters the scene & rescues his son & destabilizes Satyaki.
Now Arjuna , on seeing his pupil suffering ( Satayaki learnt from Arjuna ) comes to his rescue also.

Here one has to appreciate Drona’s stand .

In battle Drona never recognises Partha as dear to himself. Partha also, keeping a Kshatriya's duty in view, recognises not in battle his preceptor.
In course , Arjuna fires a weapon called Vayavya which created a wave of winds. Drona counters this by shooting Saila.
Bhishma does his destructive act now & grinds the pandavas . To counter him Dhrishtadyumna ,Sikhandin , Virata and Drupada all attack him but Bhishma relentlessly dispatches them to all corners.

However as Shikandi starts his shooting, doesn’t respond back .
But quickly , he gets a protection through Duryodhana & his troops .

Day 9 continues...

Day 9 continues ......



Now everyone – Yudhishtira, Drishtadyumna, Bhima, Satyaki , Nakula , Sahadeva , all surround Bhishma but he gives a tremendous reception to each one that they were forced to withdraw.

The destruction caused by Bhishma was immense today that the Pandava army could not rally around but most of them flew away from the battle field.

Many combatants of the Pandava army, throwing aside their armour, were seen flying in all directions . Indeed, the Pandava troops looked like bulls running wild in fear, and no longer restrained by the yoke.

All these are being watched by Krishna who once again becomes restless & addresses to Partha to strike at Bhishma immediately.

Arjuna, inbetween who was forced to fight with another group of Susharma & his team, faces Bhishma who welcomes him with shower of arrows & covers Arjuna .

Arjuna cuts the bow of Bhishma twice which makes him appreciate in admiration – well done well done !

But the war once again takes a different direction as Bhishma continues to torment Arjuna & his troops .

Seeing the destruction caused by the Grandsire, Krishna , unable to control his anger , once again jumped from the chariot & rushed towards Bhishma with his chakra on !

Seeing Krishna march towards him, Bhishma with folded hands welcomes him by saying :

Come, come, O God of the gods, I bow to U.Throw me down today in this great battle. O god, slain by U, great will be the good done to me.
Arjuna quickly rushes behind him & in great speed takes him back to the chariot & the war resumes !

Arjuna pleads now to Krishna & assures him that he will definitely slay Bhishma

Krishna, however, spoke not a word, but in anger once more mounted upon the car.

Even after the resumption, the result proved to be the repeat of earlier as Bhishma continued to afflict fear on Pandavas.

TODAY BHISHMA ELIMINATED COUNTLESS NUMBER OF PANDAVAS WHICH MADE YUDHISTIRA TOTALLY SHAKEN & DEVASTATED.

As the sun was about to set , Yudhishtira quietly ordered the troops to withdraw & so they did .

And the Kauravas also withdrew in cheer .

Afflicted by the shafts of Bhishma and reflecting upon that hero's feats in battle, the Pandavas obtained no peace of mind.

Bhishma also, having vanquished a vast majority of the Pandavas , was worshipped by Duryodhana & his army men and glorified by them.

Accompanied by the rejoicing Kurus, the great Grandsire then entered his tent.

DAY 9 ENDS

DAY 9 NIGHT EVENTS :

Now lets peep into the Pandava tent & hear what discussions are going on .

In that hour of night , the entire Pandava chiefs sat together.

The reason for this emergency meeting was very simple .

The carnage & destruction created by Bhishma time & again on their ranks made them totally baffled & clueless as to how to deal with his onslaught for the next day as everyday , he was growing from strengths to strengths.

Each one came up with his suggestions.

Yudhishtira patiently listened to all & finally looked at Krishna & said the following :

O Krishna, Bhishma is crushing my troops & we dare not even look at him

I conclude now that Bhishma can never be killed by anyone , no not even Arjuna can go near him . He is invincible in a war.

I am totally shattered now & feel like retiring to the forests . No longer I have any desire now. All my brothers & dear ones are exceedingly afflicted with wounds .

I am really pained to see all our beloved ones ready to give their lives for the sake of me but lets put an end to it immediately.

Thus spoke Yudhishtira with great loss of morale.

Now its Krishna’s turn to speak :

Pl do not indulge in sorrow . Arjuna & Bhima are endued with immense energy & they are capable of destroying your foes.
BUT IF YOU WISH, I WILL SLAY BHISHMA IN BATTLE , IF ARJUNA DOESN’T WISH TO DO IT. On a single chariot, I will slay the entire Kauravas . Those who are enemies of Pandavas are my enemies too. Arjuna is my friend, relative & disciple.
Therefore command me, in what way I am to fight. Formerly, at Upaplavya, Partha had, in the presence of many persons, vowed, saying, he will slay the son of Ganga. These words of the intelligent Partha should be observed in practice. Indeed, if Partha requests me without doubt I will fulfill that vow. Or, let it be the task of Arjuna himself in battle.
What need be said of Bhishma, therefore, O king? Endued with great energy, Bhishma, is now of perverted judgment, of intelligence decayed, and of little sense, without doubt, he doesn’t know what he should do.

Hearing these words of Krishna, Yudhishthira said,

I know u can do anything for us but as promised before the war, you should not take up arms

However, I have a suggestion now. In this battle an agreement was made by me with Bhishma. He said - I will give u counsel, but fight I shall never for u, since I shall have to fight for Duryodhana's sake. Know this for truth. Therefore, Bhishma may give me sovereignty by giving me good counsel.
Hence, lets go & meet him & ALSO ASK HIM ABOUT THE MEANS OF HIS OWN DEATH
& I will do in battle what he will say.


Everyone now get convinced by this idea & the entire Pandavas brothers along with Krishna , all proceeded together towards the abode of Bhishma, casting aside their coats of mail and weapons and entering then his tent, they all bowed to him, bending their heads.

And sought his protection .

The night of Day 9 continues....................

The night of Day 9 continues ............


The great grandsire Bhishma was immensely pleased on seeing his grandchildren together & blessed them. Now Bhishma asks them –

what can I do now to enhance your joy. Even if it be exceedingly difficult of achievement, I will yet do it with all my soul.

Now Yudhishtira says :

How shall we obtain victory & how this destruction of creatures be stopped ? My Lord, pls tell us the means of ur own death.How shall we be able to bear U in battle?
Ur bow always seem to be drawn to a circle. No one is able to mark U & U resemble another Sun himself .
Tell me, O grandsire, the means by which we may vanquish U in battle, by which sovereignty may be ours, and lastly, by which my army may not have to undergo such destruction.

Hearing these words, Bhishma says the follg :

As long as I am alive, victory cannot be yours in battle. If, therefore, U desire victory in the battle, smite me down without delay. I give you permission to U all to strike me .

Yudhishtira once again pleads him -

Tell us the means by which we may vanquish U in battle as even the Devas & Asuras united cannot win u .

Bhishma said, True. With weapons, I may not be eliminated in a warfare.
If, however, I lay aside my weapons, even these car-warriors can slay me.
• One who has thrown away his weapons
• one who has fallen down
• one whose armour has slipped off
• one whose standard is down
• one who is flying away
• one who is frightened
• one who says--I am urs now
• ONE WHO IS A FEMALE & ONE WHO BENEATH THE NAME OF A FEMALE

WITH THE ABOVE SET OF PEOPLE, I DO NOT LIKE TO BATTLE. THIS IS MY RESOLVE.
That son of Drupada, who is known by the name of Sikhandin, was a female before but subsequently obtained manhood. How all this took place, we all know it truly.
Let Arjuna, keeping Sikhandin before him, attack me with his sharp shafts. When that inauspicious omen will be there, especially in the form of one that was a female before, I will never seek, though armed with bow and arrow, to strike him. Obtaining that opportunity, let Dhananjaya quickly pierce me on every side with his shafts.
Then the victory will be certain.


The Pandavas , having ascertained all this went back to their tents, saluting the Kuru grandsire.

But Arjuna, while coming back, THE TRUE WARRIOR THAT HE WAS, was burning with grief & face in shame ,said these words :

O Krishna . How am I going to fight with my own Grandsire with whose arms & thighs , I have played during my childhood days.
How can he be slain by me. Let my army perish. Whether, it is victory or death that I obtain I will never fight Bhishma.

For which Krishna responds :

Having vowed the slaughter of Bhishma before, U cannot abstain from slaying him, agreeably to the duties of a Kshatriya? Throw down from his car, O Partha, that Kshatriya who is invincible in battle. Victory can never be yours without slaying Ganga's son.
Bhishma is invincible & is like the destroyer. Slay Bhishma, without any anxiety.

Hearing those words, Arjuna partly gets convinced to prepare for the fateful next day

DAY 9 NIGHT ENDS NOW.

Tomorrow's coverage will be ON THE MOST SORROWFUL DAY OF THE ENTIRE MAHABARATHA EPIC :cry:

DAY 10 TO START NOW :

On expected lines, the Pandavas, placed Shikandi in front marched .

Bhima and Arjun became the protectors of his car-wheels.

And in his rear were the sons of Draupadi and Abhimanyu.

Satyaki became the protector of the last.

Behind them was Dhrishtadyumna protected by the Panchalas.

Next to Dhrishtadyumna, behind, marched Yudhishthira,
accompanied by Nakula & Sahadeva

Virata came behind further.

Next to him was Durupada



Now lets have a look at the Kaurava army formation :

Bhishma was placed at the head.

And the entire Duryodhana & his brothers followed him

Next behind them was Drona & Aswatthama.

Next behind was Bhagadatta surrounded by his elephant division.

Behind Bhagadatta were Kripa and Kritavarman.

Behind them were Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas, and
Jayatsena, the king of the Magadhas, and Suvala's son and Vrihadvala.

Now the war commences


Day 10 to continue .............

Hi All

I may be off for a week & hence pls excuse me & give me a break . Extremely sorry for this.

But I wish u all have discussions on the first 9 days of the war & other aspects also.

Will definitely try to join back as early as possible

Thank you, Nakeeran! Please, continue!

Hi all. Am back today :D

Wish to know if there are any queries on the description of the first 9 days of the war

Suggestions for improving - welcome :)

Raghu sir , I have been very neutral in giving the day by day account of the war & I have also mentioned that so far , the rules of the war were followed religiously as Bhishma was present .

Well, after his fall & other compulsions of the then prevailed situation forced many key participants to break the war rules which resulted in loss of precious lives.

From today, I will be resuming the coverage.

I will continue with description of the 10th day of the war ......................

Day 10 of the war takes off now :

( I have already detailed the army formation & the lines drawn by the respective sides in the earlier post )

Arjuna , placing Sikhandi in the van, proceeded against Bhishma

But Bhishma sprayed multiple arrows on the Pandavas & started his destruction for the day.

Now, the entire Pandavas rushed towards him with ferocity.

Now Bhishma consumed the army division of Shikandi. Shikandi responds by shooting 3 sharp arrows. Seeing him advance,

Bhishma says laughingly :
Whether U chose to strike me or not, I will never fight with U.

Sikhandin responds by shouting at Bhisma –

I am fully aware of your prowess but still I will today fight with U, O best of men. I will, of a certainty, slay U. I swear this before U.
Sikhandin pierced Bhishma with five straight shafts, having already pierced him with his wordy shafts. Hearing those words of his, Arjuna, regarding Sikhandin to be Bhishma's Destroyer, urged him on, saying,

I will fight behind U, routing the foe with my shafts. Rush against Bhishma

He will not be able to afflict U.

I will protect U, checking all the Kauravas.

Arjuna now forges ahead & penetrates the Kaurava forces.

However, the Kauravas surrounded Bhishma on all sides with a large force as a solid security wall.

Chitrasena resisted Chekitana

Kritavarman tackled Dhrishtadyumna

Somadatta's son managed Bhima

Vikarna stopped Nakula.

Kripa blocked Sahadeva.

Durmukha controlled Gatotkacha.

Duryodhana himself resisted Satyaki

Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamavojas, stopped Abhimanyu

Aswatthama tackled d Virata and Drupada

Drona fought with Yudhishtira.

Dussasana fought with Arjuna who was rushing with great speed, with Sikhandin before him

Dushashana fought a terrific battle today that Ajuna could not advance further.

DAY 10 continues.........

:clap: Very good work, Nakeeran.

What pictures could not picturise in my mind, your words have. The text somehow enables easy envisaging of the amazing and yet terrifying nature of the Great Indian War.

Love and Light.

Thanks Anbu Kathir :D


Day 10 of the war continues ................

Dushashan showed tremendous skills & resisted for a long while before Arjuna & other approaching pandavas.

Finally, Arjuna manages to penetrate Dushashana’s resistance & moves towards Bhishma.

Shikandi once again stepped forward & started firing arrows which pierced the chest of Bhishma but he didn’t react . He continues to shower arrows on Arjuna only.

Now, supported by Duryodhana, the tired Dushashan once again resumes his support for Bhishma strongly which pleases every kaurava.

But Arjuna continues to route the kauravas & this makes Bhishma take up a celestial weapon & rushed towards Arjuna. However, as planned , Shikandan moves forward further & on seeing this, Bhishma withdrew that weapon resembling fire (in effulgence and energy).

Bhishma continues to torment the pandavas & kills 10000 armymen besides killing Satanika, the brother of Virata.

Now, the entire pandava key armymen, the king of the Panchalas Dhrishtaketu, Bhimasena , Dhrishtadyumna , Nakula and Sahadeva, Chekitana, and the five Kaikaya brothers, Satyaki and Abimanyu, Ghatotkacha, and the sons of Draupadi, and Sikhandin, afflicted by the shafts of Bhishma, seemed to sink in an ocean of grief.
So severe was the intimidation caused by Bhishma at this moment. However Arjuna resuces them all.

The Pandavas, recoup once again & move towards Bhishma singleminded.

Now, Arjuna placed Shikandi before him, pierced Bhishma repeatedly.

Thus afflicted by many, his coat of mail was pierced everywhere.

But though pierced in every vital part, Bhishma felt no pain. On the other hand, he then seemed to his enemies to resemble in appearance the fire that rises at the end of Yuga. His bow and arrows constituted the blazing flames .

Disregarding Shikdandi , he penetrated into the midst of the Pandava army. He then pierced the six Pandava warriors, Satyaki, Bhima, Arjuna, Durupada , Virata & Dhrishtadyumna with many excellent arrows of great sharpness and dreadful whizz
However, the entire pandavas continue to target Bhishma together. Now, Drona, Kritavarma, Jayadratha , Bhurisravas, and Sala, and Salya, and Bhagadatta could not brook that act of Arjuna. Inflamed with rage, they rushed at him.

& the words which were screamed regularly at this moment was TAKE, PIERCE, CUT OFF.

Shikandi, once again pierces the chest of Bhishma with powerful arrows which makes him laugh at him . But Bhishma said the following :
With only a single bow I could slay all the Pandavas, if the mighty Vishnu himself had not been their protector. For two reasons, however, I will not fight with the Pandavas, their unslayableness, and the femininity of Sikhandi. Formerly, when my Father wedded Kali, he gave me two boons, .:
1. that I should be incapable of being slain in battle, and
2. that my death should depend on my own choice.
I should, however, now wish my own death, this being the proper hour.

Now the entire Rishis & other Devas assemble in the sky & watched the defining moment of the war with a tinge of sadness.

Suddenly, fragrant and auspicious breeze charged with particles of water, began to blow along a natural direction. Celestial cymbals of loud sounds began to beat. And a flowery shower fell upon Bhishma.

Bhishma now rushes towards Arjuna & other pandavas but Shikandi with rage , strikes Bhishma with 9 sharp arrows. Now Arjuna himself pierces Bhishma with 20 arrows. In the process , he also hits the vital parts of Bhishma with sharp arrows.r Bhishma pierced those others in return with great speed.

Now Bhishma tells Dushashana :
All these arrows have been shot by Arjuna. These are not Sikhandi's. Cutting me to the quick, piercing through even my hard coat of mail, and striking me with the force of mushalas, these arrows are not Sikhandi's.

Bhishma saying this, hurls a big weapon on Arjuna which he cuts it into pieces.

Bhishma, undettered, takes a sword but even before he could raise it, Arjuna cuts it into fragments.

By now, Bhishma’s body space didn’t have even a two fingers’ bredth that was not pierced with arrows.

FINALLY HE FALLS DOWN FROM HIS CHARIOT WITH HIS HEAD TO THE EAST.

BHISHMA NOW WAS LYING ON A BED OF ARROWS.

To conclude , despite the valiant support offered by the entire Kaurava army, the Pandavas managed to penetrate their fortress & marched towards Bhishma & finally achieved their objective for the day - that of placing Shikandi before Arjuna & Arjuna shooting arrows on Bhishma to make him down.


Day 10 of the war to continue tomorrow…………………………….

Thanks Anbu Kathir :D


Day 10 of the war continues ................

Dushashan showed tremendous skills & resisted for a long while before Arjuna & other approaching pandavas.

Finally, Arjuna manages to penetrate Dushashana’s resistance & moves towards Bhishma.

Shikandi once again stepped forward & started firing arrows which pierced the chest of Bhishma but he didn’t react . He continues to shower arrows on Arjuna only.

Now, supported by Duryodhana, the tired Dushashan once again resumes his support for Bhishma strongly which pleases every kaurava.

But Arjuna continues to route the kauravas & this makes Bhishma take up a celestial weapon & rushed towards Arjuna. However, as planned , Shikandan moves forward further & on seeing this, Bhishma withdrew that weapon resembling fire (in effulgence and energy).

Bhishma continues to torment the pandavas & kills 10000 armymen besides killing Satanika, the brother of Virata.

Now, the entire pandava key armymen, the king of the Panchalas Dhrishtaketu, Bhimasena , Dhrishtadyumna , Nakula and Sahadeva, Chekitana, and the five Kaikaya brothers, Satyaki and Abimanyu, Ghatotkacha, and the sons of Draupadi, and Sikhandin, afflicted by the shafts of Bhishma, seemed to sink in an ocean of grief.
So severe was the intimidation caused by Bhishma at this moment. However Arjuna resuces them all.

The Pandavas, recoup once again & move towards Bhishma singleminded.

Now, Arjuna placed Shikandi before him, pierced Bhishma repeatedly.

Thus afflicted by many, his coat of mail was pierced everywhere.

But though pierced in every vital part, Bhishma felt no pain. On the other hand, he then seemed to his enemies to resemble in appearance the fire that rises at the end of Yuga. His bow and arrows constituted the blazing flames .

Disregarding Shikdandi , he penetrated into the midst of the Pandava army. He then pierced the six Pandava warriors, Satyaki, Bhima, Arjuna, Durupada , Virata & Dhrishtadyumna with many excellent arrows of great sharpness and dreadful whizz
However, the entire pandavas continue to target Bhishma together. Now, Drona, Kritavarma, Jayadratha , Bhurisravas, and Sala, and Salya, and Bhagadatta could not brook that act of Arjuna. Inflamed with rage, they rushed at him.

& the words which were screamed regularly at this moment was TAKE, PIERCE, CUT OFF.

Shikandi, once again pierces the chest of Bhishma with powerful arrows which makes him laugh at him . But Bhishma said the following :
With only a single bow I could slay all the Pandavas, if the mighty Vishnu himself had not been their protector. For two reasons, however, I will not fight with the Pandavas, their unslayableness, and the femininity of Sikhandi. Formerly, when my Father wedded Kali, he gave me two boons, .:
1. that I should be incapable of being slain in battle, and
2. that my death should depend on my own choice.
I should, however, now wish my own death, this being the proper hour.

Now the entire Rishis & other Devas assemble in the sky & watched the defining moment of the war with a tinge of sadness.

Suddenly, fragrant and auspicious breeze charged with particles of water, began to blow along a natural direction. Celestial cymbals of loud sounds began to beat. And a flowery shower fell upon Bhishma.

Bhishma now rushes towards Arjuna & other pandavas but Shikandi with rage , strikes Bhishma with 9 sharp arrows. Now Arjuna himself pierces Bhishma with 20 arrows. In the process , he also hits the vital parts of Bhishma with sharp arrows.r Bhishma pierced those others in return with great speed.

Now Bhishma tells Dushashana :
All these arrows have been shot by Arjuna. These are not Sikhandi's. Cutting me to the quick, piercing through even my hard coat of mail, and striking me with the force of mushalas, these arrows are not Sikhandi's.

Bhishma saying this, hurls a big weapon on Arjuna which he cuts it into pieces.

Bhishma, undettered, takes a sword but even before he could raise it, Arjuna cuts it into fragments.

By now, Bhishma’s body space didn’t have even a two fingers’ bredth that was not pierced with arrows.

FINALLY HE FALLS DOWN FROM HIS CHARIOT WITH HIS HEAD TO THE EAST.

BHISHMA NOW WAS LYING ON A BED OF ARROWS.

To conclude , despite the valiant support offered by the entire Kaurava army, the Pandavas managed to penetrate their fortress & marched towards Bhishma & finally achieved their objective for the day - that of placing Shikandi before Arjuna & Arjuna shooting arrows on Bhishma to make him down.


Day 10 of the war to continue tomorrow…………………………….

Day 10 of the war AFTER THE FALL OF BHISHMA

By the time Bhishma was felled, the day almost reached its end but in some parts, unaware of the major upset, some were fighting but as the news spread amongst the ranks , all stopped their fights instantly .

As soon as Bhishma fell down , the Pandavas gave a huge sound resembling that of a lion . And it was the reflection of a MAJOR VICTORY , A STRATEGIC POINT SCORED OVER THEIR RIVALS.

Seeing the condition of their Supremo Bhishma, the entire Gauravas were shell shocked & were speechless . Kripacharya & Duryodhana wept openly & this grief remained for a long while
Bhima slapped his arms & uttered loud shouts which disturbed the kauravas further.

Dushashana goes & informs to Drona about the fall of Bhishma which makes him fall down from his chariot instantaneously & fells unconscious for a while.

Now all the key warriors, laying down their weapons rushed towards Bhishma

And they all stood in shame , hanging down their heads. Now everyone offered him their salutations. However, on seeing everyone togother, Bhishma smiles & welcomes them & says the following :

Its really nice to see you all coming together

As his head was hanging down , some tried to arrange for pillow but Bhishma refused all of them & just asked Arjuna to get the most befitting pillow. Arjuna with tears in his eyes , said -

U are the foremost amongst the Kurus. I am ur slave

Arjuna now shoots 3 strong arrows & creates a triangle shaped pillow of arrows which aptly fitted to Bhishma’s need.

Extremely pleased with this, Bhishma tells all present :

I will sleep on this bed till the Sun turns the northern direction. When the Sun will proceed towards the direction occupied by Vaisravana, I will yield my life

Duryodhana now summons all the skilled medical personnel with necessary appliances. But Bhishma refuses gently to them & requests him to be paid for their services for which Duryodhana immediately obliges .

Now the Pandavas & Kauravas, once again united together for once, saluted the Grandsire & retired for rest towards their own tents in the evening, their hearts plunged into grief and thinking of what they had seen.

Krishna now assembling the Pandavas appreciated Yudhishtira for the day.

As the night approached , maidens & assistants gently showered over Bhishma powdered sandal wood and fried paddy, and garlands of flowers. Women and old men and children, and ordinary spectators, all approached him.

Once again, after refreshing themselves, the key characters of both sides paid a visit to Bhishma together.

Bhishma cast his eyes on those kings and asked for water. Then those Kshatriyas, brought several vessels of cold water. Ignoring that water , Bhishma said,
I cannot use any article of human enjoyment! I am removed from the pale of humanity. I am lying on a bed of arrows. I am staying here, expecting only the return of the Moon and the Sun!

Having spoken these words and thereby rebuked those kings, he said,

I wish to see Arjuna!

Arjuna reverentially saluting the grandsire stood with joined hands, and said,--What shall I do?

Bhishma asks Arjuna to provide him that water which will please him forever.

Now Arjuna takes up his Kandiba & with mantras shot a weapon & pierced the earth & immediately arose, a water resembling nectar which gratified Bhishma. Now Bhishma’s thirst also got quenched.

Now Bhishma advises Duryodhana to give up the war & draw peace pact with Pandavas. Immediately, Duryodhana becomes cheerless & gets more upset.

Now the entire group return back to their quarters.

NOW U ALL MUST BE WONDERING ABOUT ONE SPECIAL CHARACTER – KARNA

THE EMOTIONAL MEETING BETWEEN BHISHMA & KARNA WILL BE NARRATED TOMORROW

The night of Day 10 - KARNA MEETING BHISHMA


On hearing the news, Karna paid a visit to Bhishma.

With voice choked in tears, fell at his feet & said :

Chief of Kurus, I am Radha’s son , who was everywhere looked upon by you with hate

Hearing the words, Bhisma slowly opened his eyes & embraced him with one hand with great affection & said :

Come, come! U are Kunti’s son & not Radha’s & your father is not Adhiratha . I am already been informed through Narada earlier & also through Krishna.

My son, pl understand that I never had any malice towards U. It was only for abating all Ur energy that U applied by speaking ill of the Pandavas.

I know your prowess as regards warfare & also your regard for charity & alms giving.

In the art of bowmanship, in aiming weapon, in lightness of hand and in strength of weapons, U are EQUAL TO ARJUNA HIMSELF.

You have already proved your worth to Duryodhana by singlehandedly beating the king of Kasi for getting a bride for your king

Even the mighty Jarasandha could not match with you in fight.

Above all, you are a student of Parasurama & you are totally conversant with the art of warfare & only Arjuna can match with you.

The wrath I cherished against U is gone now.

As the Pandavas are your blood brothers, unite them with Duryodhana & let these hostilities end with me. Let all the kings of Earth be today freed from destruction



Now Karna speaks :

Without doubt , I know all the facts that I am Kunti’s son & not the son of a Suta. However, I was abandoned by Kunti & I have been brought up by a Suta.

All these years, having enjoyed the wealth of Duryodhana, I dare not falsify it now. Like Krishna who is firmly resolved for the sake of the Pandavas, I also, am prepared to cast away my possessions, my body itself, my children, and my wife, for Duryodhana's sake.

I have always offended the Pandavas. This affairs is destined to take its course. It is incapable of being prevented. Who was there that would venture to overcome Destiny by exertion? Various omens indicating the destruction of the Earth, were noticed by U and declared in the assembly.

It is well known to me , Arjuna & Krishna are strong in warfare.

I will vanquish Arjuna in battle. This is my firm resolve.I am not capable, of casting off this fierce animosity that I cherish against the Pandavas

With a cheerful heart, and keeping the duties of my order before my eye, I will contend against Arjuna , my main rival. I am firmy resolved on this . Hence, pls grant permission to battle.
forgive me also any harsh words that I may have at any time uttered against U or any act that I may have done against U from anger

Please turn your gracious eyes towards me & bless me


Now Bhishma responds :

If U are unable to cast off this fierce animosity, I permit U to fight .
You have brought so many victories & pride to Duryodhana all these years.

Take charge of the army now as if its your own possession & guard them well. May you lead the Kauravas to victory.


Having taken the blessings of Bhishma, Karna forges towards the camp of Duryodhana, with a peace of mind , for further discussion on the plans to conduct the next day war

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nakeeran

The night of Day 10 - KARNA MEETING BHISHMA


On hearing the news, Karna paid a visit to Bhishma.

With voice choked in tears, fell at his feet & said :

Chief of Kurus, I am Radha’s son , who was everywhere looked upon by you with hate

Hearing the words, Bhisma slowly opened his eyes & embraced him with one hand with great affection & said :

Come, come! U are Kunti’s son & not Radha’s & your father is not Adhiratha . I am already been informed through Narada earlier & also through Krishna.

My son, pl understand that I never had any malice towards U. It was only for abating all Ur energy that U applied by speaking ill of the Pandavas.

I know your prowess as regards warfare & also your regard for charity & alms giving.

In the art of bowmanship, in aiming weapon, in lightness of hand and in strength of weapons, U are EQUAL TO ARJUNA HIMSELF.

You have already proved your worth to Duryodhana by singlehandedly beating the king of Kasi for getting a bride for your king

Even the mighty Jarasandha could not match with you in fight.

Above all, you are a student of Parasurama & you are totally conversant with the art of warfare & only Arjuna can match with you.

The wrath I cherished against U is gone now.

As the Pandavas are your blood brothers, unite them with Duryodhana & let these hostilities end with me. Let all the kings of Earth be today freed from destruction



Now Karna speaks :

Without doubt , I know all the facts that I am Kunti’s son & not the son of a Suta. However, I was abandoned by Kunti & I have been brought up by a Suta.

All these years, having enjoyed the wealth of Duryodhana, I dare not falsify it now. Like Krishna who is firmly resolved for the sake of the Pandavas, I also, am prepared to cast away my possessions, my body itself, my children, and my wife, for Duryodhana's sake.

I have always offended the Pandavas. This affairs is destined to take its course. It is incapable of being prevented. Who was there that would venture to overcome Destiny by exertion? Various omens indicating the destruction of the Earth, were noticed by U and declared in the assembly.

It is well known to me , Arjuna & Krishna are strong in warfare.

I will vanquish Arjuna in battle. This is my firm resolve.I am not capable, of casting off this fierce animosity that I cherish against the Pandavas

With a cheerful heart, and keeping the duties of my order before my eye, I will contend against Arjuna , my main rival. I am firmy resolved on this . Hence, pls grant permission to battle.
forgive me also any harsh words that I may have at any time uttered against U or any act that I may have done against U from anger

Please turn your gracious eyes towards me & bless me


Now Bhishma responds :

If U are unable to cast off this fierce animosity, I permit U to fight .
You have brought so many victories & pride to Duryodhana all these years.

Take charge of the army now as if its your own possession & guard them well. May you lead the Kauravas to victory.


Having taken the blessings of Bhishma, Karna forges towards the camp of Duryodhana, with a peace of mind , for further discussion on the plans to conduct the next day war

---

excellent, I still Recall the scene when Karna enters Bhisma's resting place, if I am correct, he goes alone, without any one some 1 pls clarify this.

Ragu Anne,

Unmai :D

Karna meets Bhishma alone only .

U know, the reason could be that he didnt want his original identity to be disclosed probably ( that he is Kunti's son & another Pandava ! )

But if anyone of the Pandavas would have got to hear that fact that Karna was their first brother, I think , the war would have taken a different direction

Kunti & Krishna ( ofcourse Bhishma ) maintained that secret within themselves :cry:

We all know the greatness of Arjuna & his Kandiba & his skills. Whenever, we talk of Arjuna, we also think of Karna & wonder what did he achieve ? Anything noteworthy ??

Before I could describe what transpires after Karna leaves from Bhishma , I wish to give some highlights on Karna’s prowess:

Karna earlier during those 14 years of exile by the Pandavas, vanquished the following kingdom :

Kambojas

Girivraja

Amvashthas

Videhas

Kiratas

Utpalas

Mekalas

Paundras

Kalingas

Andhras

Nishadas

Trigartas

Valhikas

were all defeated by Karna during those years & brought glory & extended Duryodhana’s boundaries .

Only twice Karna was defeated – 1 by Arjuna in disguise as a woman when the Kaurava army fight against Virata &
2 – When the Yakshas & Gandharvas defeat the Kauravas in a mini exchange

Technically, the 2 above cannot be classified as real war .

Overall, Karna’s contribution to Duryodhana’s fame was immense & he richly repaid the trust & faith imposed on him by Duryodhana when he was made the king of Anga instantly during the show of strength by the Pandavas & Kauravas, after they took training from Drona.

Again, it was the same Karna, who along with Shakuni, poisoned Duryodhana time & again developing more & more hatred towards Pandavas.

Over a period of time, both Karna & Duryodhana became more close in terms of friendship , nurturing mutual ambitions & aspirations.



Ok. Lets get back to our war details now

Karna now meets the Kaurava army who were filled with grief on the fall of Bhishma , having lost their morale . Karna consoles them with cheerful words.

I shall now protect you all . Pl do not worry. I shall dispatch the Pandavas to Yama’s abode .

Now Karna, riding on a wonderful chariot , cheerfully meets Duryodhana.

Day 11 of the war stars tomorrow ............................

Now Karna, riding on a wonderful chariot , cheerfully meets Duryodhana.

On seeing Karna back, the entire Kauravas headed by Duryodhana were filled with joy . They all received him with loud shouts.
Duryodhana , filled with immense happiness now says:

I think we have got a proper leader now . However, let us all discuss & decide who should lead . After the fall of Bhishma, our army looks for motivation .

Its Karna’s turn now :

All our army men are highly skilled & each one deserve to be the Commander. And all of them are equal in traits. Hence, making one as a leader may make others dissatisfied. However, Drona, venerable in years, warrior amongst the warriors deserve this & worthy of respect. Therefore, Drona should be made the leader.

Hearing the words of Karna, Duryodhana steps in & addresses to Drona :

For the superiority of the order of Ur birth, for the nobility of Ur parentage, for Ur learning, years and intelligence, for also Ur prowess, skill, invincibility, knowledge of worldly matters, policy, and self-conquest, there is none who can make so good a leader as U. Protect us from now. On seeing you, Arjuna will shiver. I will vanquish Yudishtira with all his followers.

Then, Drona addressed Duryodhana :

I will fight with the Pandavas. As regards the Pandavas, they will not fight with me with cheerful hearts. Definitely, I will give my heart & soul .

Now the entire Kaurava army got inspired by this & there was loud shouts with all the cheer back . The entire army looked motivated & charged up. Many said to one another:

With the command of Drona & the presence of Karna banded together, the Pandavas will never be able to stand in battle. The difference with Bhishma was that he never wished to kill them but Karna will not spare them.

Drona arranges the troups in the form of a Sakata ( Vehicle ) while the Pandavas arranged a vyuha called Krauncha ( resembling a crane )

Now Karna & Arjuna looked at each other in the battle for the first time.

Day 11 of the war takes off now

DAY 11 OF THE WAR


Now Duryodhana comes up with an interesting / strategic plan now & requests Drona to catch Yudhishtira alive.

Drona’s happiness was immeasurable now as in his thoughts also , it was never his intention to kill any of the Pandavas but only to defeat them comprehensively to fulfill the honour bestowed upon him by Dirudhirashtra.

Drona innocently appreciates Duryodhana saying

This precisely is the reason why Yudhishtira is called AJATASHATRU
The meaning is FOELESS.

Now Duryodhana reveals his intentions :

Acharya, if we kill Yudishtira in battle, the other Pandavas’ anger will compound & this will be counter productive only for us. Besides, if we catch Yudhishtira alive , the war will be declared as good as over & knowing Dharmaputhra’s goodness & his unflinching loyalty towards the established Kshatriya traditional code of conduct, HE WILL BE INVITED TO PLAY THE GAME OF DICE ONCE AGAIN. WE SHALL PIT OUR UNCLE SHAKUNI AS USUAL AND THE RESULTANT LOSS TO THEM ONCE AGAIN WILL MAKE THEM GO TO THE FORESTS FOR A LONGER TENURE.

Probably the effects of the first 10 days might have made Duryodhana to rethink his plans as both sides had suffered heavy losses in terms of man power & the way the war is shaping up, it is going to be no win situation for both armies. Even if one manages to win, they will be left high & dry & nothing to cherish !

Drona now realizes that he had been deceived smartly by Duryodhana & gets upset with him but comes up with a plan for achieving the objective.

He says :

So long as Arjuna is around him, Yudhishtira cannot be captured alive .Though Arjuna is my student , his capabilities are immeasurable & even I cannot hold on to him for long. Let Arjuna be diverted by whatever means , YOUR VICTORY IS ASSURED .

Duryodhana is joyful now as his plans have been taken care & addresses the troops accordingly .

Day 11 continues-----------------------