The Greatest Indian Epic - Mahabharath

[Raghu]

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But he accepted him as his friend rather than blindly following the advices / misguidance from elders like Kirubaacharya or others that being a king he should not do that. Hope I am clear. I think Duryodhana excelled here in breaking the tradition here :)

indeed, Karna and Dhuriyodhana friendship TRULY the greatest

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[Nakeeran]

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But he accepted him as his friend rather than blindly following the advices / misguidance from elders like Kirubaacharya or others that being a king he should not do that. Hope I am clear. I think Duryodhana excelled here in breaking the tradition here :)

indeed, Karna and Dhuriyodhana friendship TRULY the greatest

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Raghu Sir

No doubt the friendship between Karna & Duryodhana was an epic by itself

One small digression here :

Rama with Guhan ( not a king )

What is your opinion ?

[srivatsan]

HI all wait wait....I hear lot of voices, saying Arjuna is inferior almost to all. One says, Arjuna inferior to Karna, Arjuna inferior to Ashwathama, Arjuna inferior to Ekalvya...what is happening here.....enna du idu siru pulla thanamaa irukku,,,....?:)

Ok fun apart.....B.R. Chopra's Mahabharatha shd not be taken as a good source of Bharatham. Vyasa Bharatham translation or Cho's Mahabharatham pesugirathu will be a best bet...

I am not a great fan of Arjuna. If you wanna ask me , I am fan of SriKrishna the super hero, Bhishma the great and Drona the great, who incidentally happens to be my ancestor.

First addressing the 5 curses of Karna....(please refer Raghu's post) Karna's defeat to Arjuna (without the direct aid of Krishna) was before getting these 5 curses. So Arjuna still fairs well.

Karna' s unleash havoc on the last 5 days of war, was not very considerable. I dont say, he was a dummy. Karan was indeed and equally good warrior as Arjuna so, he did what Arjuna could have done or a bit less. But the real Havoc was done by Bhishma and more from Drona.

The beauty in Mahabharatham is that Arjuna never considered Karna as his enemy, but an opponent. But Karna considered Arjuna as his enemy.

Regarding Karna and Dhuryodhana friendship....media, films and poets have exaggerted this issue so much. Many thinks that Dhuryodhana offered out of his greatness....as per Bharatham, it was not. Actually on the show-day of kauravas and Pandavas, by all means, Arjuna's and Bhima's valour were exemplary and people seemed to enjoy it very much. When Karna came in to challenge, Krupa told that that was not an open competetion and it was exclusively for the scions of Kuru vamsam, to show their people and parents what they have learnt, and it was not becuz of castiest semtiemtns or something....

Out of jeolousy, Dhuryodhana was already dying and he badly wanted someone to counter Pandavas. Karna came at the right time and Dhuryodhana used him and moreover, he believed that Karna is one power unit to counter Arjuna, which is indeed truth, and that is why he wanted Karna to be on the Top...

We should give notice to an issue here....When Karna was made the king of Anga, the elders in the family accpeted him. This is to ascertain that in olden days, Varna was praticed according to Job and not by birth!

[Raghu]

Dear Srivatsan

If Karna and Duryodhana friendship was exaggerated, so is Arjuna's skills, yes, I agree Bhishma Pithama and Dronacharya created more havoc than Karna.

But There is No way Arjuna would have won the war without Killing Karna in a Yuth Adharma, all these 6 curses on Karna , Favoured Arjuna.

The other yuth adharma is the killing of Abhimanyu by the Kauravas, including Angakraj Karna!

Then as matter of revenge Karna's son was killed by Arjuna in Yuth adharma way..

The Entire Pandavas won the battle by deceit and wickedness, They moral behind this is to ' To keep Dharma alive, there is nothing wrong in using adharma to keep dharma in Control'.

[srivatsan]

If Karna and Duryodhana friendship was exaggerated, so is Arjuna's skills,
Mr. Raghu, I take "Jaya" written by Vysa as my reference....and not poems. Defintely, as per Mahabharatham, Karna is not all that herioc when compared to Arjuna. Arjuna was a real hero, and Vyasa has not exeggerated any one's character, including that of Sri Krishna


But There is No way Arjuna would have won the war without Killing Karna in a Yuth Adharma, all these 6 curses on Karna , Favoured Arjuna. .................................................. ..............................The other yuth adharma is the killing of Abhimanyu by the Kauravas, including Angakraj Karna!

Is it Yudha Dharma or yudha Adharma,....was it intentional....or typo? Ok Arjuna wouln't have won Karna sans these 6 curses.But according to MahaBharatham, even with those 6 powers that Karna had lost, Karna couldn't have won Arjuna



Then as matter of revenge Karna's son was killed by Arjuna in Yuth adharma way..
I dont think, Arjun killed Karna's So in an Adharmic way....if, So plz show proof from Vyasam Bharatham...
Infact, even when Karna's chariot was struck, Arjuna stopped fighting., It is Krishna who confused Arjuna to kill him, reminding Arjuna of Karna's role in Abhimnyu!


The Entire Pandavas won the battle by deceit and wickedness, They moral behind this is to ' To keep Dharma alive, there is nothing wrong in using adharma to keep dharma in Control'.
Sorry...I dont accept this stmt fully. I accept that they had to chose the Adharmic way to defeat big shots like Bhishma or Drona., but not as whole.

[Nakeeran]

Srivatsan

If you have doubts on the way the Pandavas eliminated / annihilated the Kauravas,
well I can write an essay on this.

Take a sample :

While Karna was trying to lift the chariot wheel which was dug deep ( dont say that it was a curse & all ), under instructions from his Master Krishna, Arjuna cut Karna's head

ITS A SHAME ON THE PART OF A KSHATRIYA . DISGUSTING

The way Jayathratha was killed is another classic case of deceit

How Drona was silenced to Yogic posture is history and well known to all.
The greed for land made Dharmaputra ( of all the persons ) to utter a falsehood which made Drona lose all his interest in life

Srivatsan

I have just given a few examples

[Nakeeran]

="srivatsan
[quote="Raghu"]The Entire Pandavas won the battle by deceit and wickedness, They moral behind this is to ' To keep Dharma alive, there is nothing wrong in using adharma to keep dharma in Control'.
Sorry...I dont accept this stmt fully. I accept that they had to chose the Adharmic way to defeat big shots like Bhishma or Drona., but not as whole.[/quote:c0009f8031]

WHAT :twisted:

Read Mahabaratha again back home dude :evil:

Right from the great grandsire Bheeshma to Duryodhana, the ridiculous Pandavas resorted to ADHARMIC MEANS / INGLORIOUS MEANS TO ELIMINATE KAURAVAS

The list is huge :

1. Bheeshma
2. Drona
3. Karna
4. Poorisiravas
5. Duryodhana

[srivatsan]

Srivatsan

The way Jayathratha was killed is another classic case of deceit

If Jayathratha can hide himslef the whole day as coward, then the tactics Krishna used can also be employed. Moreover, Jayathratha doesn't qualify for a "Veera" looking at his hisotry on those 10 days of war.

I second your opinion about the way, Karna, Drona and Bhisma were eliminated...the argument is, Pandavaas, dint go by Adhrmic way in the whole of the war. After-all why shd Krishna Stand with them all along, becuz they had Dharmam with them......So one cant say, it was a wholly adharmic war.

[srivatsan]

Read Mahabaratha again back home dude :evil:

Right from the great grandsire Bheeshma to Duryodhana, the ridiculous Pandavas resorted to ADHARMIC MEANS / INGLORIOUS MEANS TO ELIMINATE KAURAVAS
.......5. Duryodhana

Cool dude.....regarding Dhuryodhana....Bheema, vowed to break his ties in the war...remember on the day of Drowpathi's vastrabharanam....Bheema said, he will break Dusshasana's heart and Dhuryodhana's ties...unfortunately, it is against Gadhayudha rules....but...rest of 99 kauravas were killed in a fair fight only....

I rpt Nakkeeran....I dont say Pandavas won the war in a purely Dharmic way...they did follow Adharmic ways...but that doeasn't mean they dont have valour....

[Nakeeran]

Srivatsan

THE COWARD PANDAVAS WOULDNT HAVE WON THE WAR BUT FOR KRISHNA's GUILES & THE NEGATIVE ( ADHARMIC ) METHODS ADOPTED BY THEM TO ELIMINATE THEIR ARCH RIVALS

Are you aware ,Drona was about to use Brahmastra & this made the Pandvas to utter falsehood

I REPEAT, THE PANDVAS WOULDNT HAVE BEATEN THE KAURAVAS ON DIRECT COMBAT .

AFTER HAVING SUFFERED HEAVILY FOR 9 DAYS AGAINST BHEESHMA , THEY HAD TO RESORT TO WICKED WAYS ( YOU MAY SAY ITS SMART WAY )

Again, on Duryodhana's end, the whole world knows that he was the best amongst the lot on Mace fight & even his guru Balarama had acknowledged it

It was Krishna who signalled to Bheema by reminding his vow. Else Bheema would have been finished shortly.

FOR ALL THE EVILS OF THE KAURAVAS, AS THEY FOUGHT AND DIED LIKE TRUE KSHATRIYAS, THEY WERE SENT TO HEAVEN

[srivatsan]

Srivatsan

THE COWARD PANDAVAS WOULDNT HAVE WON THE WAR BUT FOR KRISHNA's GUILES & THE NEGATIVE ( ADHARMIC ) METHODS ADOPTED BY THEM TO ELIMINATE THEIR ARCH RIVALS

Haha Just by yelling you can't make false a truth...Indeed Krishna's guidane helped pandavas to win the war. Pandava's valour gave them easy go to Rajasooya yoagam.


Are you aware ,Drona was about to use Brahmastra & this made the Pandvas to utter falsehood

So, do you think, Arjuna do not know to use Brahmasthra or to counter the one Drona fires...?


I REPEAT, THE PANDVAS WOULDNT HAVE BEATEN THE KAURAVAS ON DIRECT COMBAT

Refer Vana parva, when Arjuna alone defeated the entire Kauravas, which included Drona and Bhisma....


AFTER HAVING SUFFERED HEAVILY FOR 9 DAYS AGAINST BHEESHMA , THEY HAD TO RESORT TO WICKED WAYS ( YOU MAY SAY ITS SMART WAY )

I accept man...no dispute....include Drona also in the list...


Again, on Duryodhana's end, the whole world knows that he was the best amongst the lot on Mace fight & even his guru Balarama had acknowledged it)

Hahaha....Balaramar was Dhuryodhana's guru....But no where he declared Dhuryodhana was best in mace....Pleas quote the sloka, if there is anything.......

Man if that was the case, why Dhuryodhana dint appear in front of Bhima right on the first day....? He conveniently avioded Bhima on the whole 18 days or was behind Bhishma or Drona or Karna, whom Bhima can't handle....Read MahaBharatham as Mahabharatha,,,,not for your fancies....and why the "so-called best amongst the lot on Mace fight " hid under-water on the 18th day....fearing death....? :lol:

[Nakeeran]

[quote=Nakeeran]Srivatsan

THE COWARD PANDAVAS WOULDNT HAVE WON THE WAR BUT FOR KRISHNA's GUILES & THE NEGATIVE ( ADHARMIC ) METHODS ADOPTED BY THEM TO ELIMINATE THEIR ARCH RIVALS

Haha Just by yelling you can't make false a truth...Indeed Krishna's guidane helped pandavas to win the war. Pandava's valour gave them easy go to Rajasooya yoagam.

Dont deviate from the issue. My point is that THE PANDAVAS WOULDNT HAVE WON THE WAR BY WAR RULES . THEY COULD NOT MATCH WITH BHEESHMA FOR 10 LOOONG DAYS . THEY WERE FORCED TO BRING IN SIKANDI
SAME ALSO THE CASE OF DRONA. THEY HAD TO UTTER FALSEHOOD TO SILENCE DRONA.
EVEN BEFORE KARNA COULD MAKE HIS WHEEL COME UP, HE WAS KILLED ( AGAINST WAR RULES )

Hey, when I am saying this facts, you are taking a shelter KRISHNA'S GUIDANCE etc.

ANSWER ME STRAIGHT MANNN

Whether the Pandvas could have won the war through WAR RULES ??

ANSWER STRAIGHT . DONT GO IN CIRCLES





Are you aware ,Drona was about to use Brahmastra & this made the Pandvas to utter falsehood

So, do you think, Arjuna do not know to use Brahmasthra or to counter the one Drona fires...?

It was Krisha who feared disaster if Drona had ventured into it & this forced him to go to the pandavas to do something which can upset Drona.
READ READ READ AGAIN




I REPEAT, THE PANDVAS WOULDNT HAVE BEATEN THE KAURAVAS ON DIRECT COMBAT

Refer Vana parva, when Arjuna alone defeated the entire Kauravas, which included Drona and Bhisma....

I too am aware of this when Arjuna defeated as a woman in disguise but be aware it was not a real war but a small battle.
Indeed everyone lost including Karna but it doesnt mean that they were inferior

Look ,in a war, one day you lose , another day you win but when it comes to eliminating a person, the pandavas couldnt do anything to their ARCH / KEY RIVALS.





Again, on Duryodhana's end, the whole world knows that he was the best amongst the lot on Mace fight & even his guru Balarama had acknowledged it)

Hahaha....Balaramar was Dhuryodhana's guru....But no where he declared Dhuryodhana was best in mace....Pleas quote the sloka, if there is anything.......

Man if that was the case, why Dhuryodhana dint appear in front of Bhima right on the first day....? He conveniently avioded Bhima on the whole 18 days or was behind Bhishma or Drona or Karna, whom Bhima can't handle....Read MahaBharatham as Mahabharatha,,,,not for your fancies....and why the "so-called best amongst the lot on Mace fight " hid under-water on the 18th day....fearing death....? :lol:

This shows your lack of knowledge on war . ALWAYS A KING IS BEING PROTECTED BY ALL MEANS . ITS THE GENERALS WHO LEAD THE WAR WHILE THE KING WILL ALWAYS BE BEHIND .

No wonder Duryodhana was shielded by his commanders at all times

There were instances when Bheema & duryodhana had come across . Once he was hit by an arrow ( I mean Duryodhana ) & was wounded a bit also.

Ultimately, Duryodhana was not hiding under water. He was cooling himself from the wounds & also to buy time to regain strength.
Duryodhana was not a fool to run away from the battle field.

If Duryodhana was not a true warrior, THE DEVAS WOULDNT HAVE SHOWERED HIM WITH FLOWERS AFTER HE WAS SLAIN.

THIS HAPPENED TWICE RIGHT INFRONT OF KRISHA & PANDAVAS

DURYODHANA, DESPITE HIS WICKED ATTIDUE, DIED LIKE A TRUE KSHATRIYA IN A WAR WHILE THE INGLORIOUS PANDVAS , LIVED LONG REPENTING FOR THE LOSS OF THEIR DEAR ONES

[srivatsan]

Direct Answers for your questions!

Without Krishna, Pandavas couldn't have won the war against Kauravas. But without Bheeshma, Drona and Kripa, Kauravas woldn't have the nerve to face a war, including Karna.

Ah! what did you say....?

Look ,in a war, one day you lose , another day you win
But even in that heyday you cant win by dancing...you have to show your might,valour...got it...?So Arjuna showed it....and he won.


There were instances when Bheema & duryodhana had come across . Once he was hit by an arrow ( I mean Duryodhana ) & was wounded a bit also
Ummmm.....On the 3rd day of the war, Dhuryodhana went unconscious, as Bhima stuck him hard in a duo and Bhima, as per the war norms, stopped attacking him, turned towards other forces.....Kaurava's forces, to be precise Dhurqyodhana's forces scattered here and there when they know their master was defeated...

Onhearing this, Bhishma and Drona came to the rescue of the forces and they tried very hard to control Bhima, but it was too late. Dhuryodhan after getting his consciousness, insulted Bhishma, in his usual tone.

At once Bhishma, worked havoc on Pandava forces and within a span of 3 hrs he wiped one half of an "Akshowhini" of Pandavas forces....So Arjuna had to come again to stop Bhishma...

My friend, do you know one thing.....right from the 4th day of the war, Kaurava had a plan of arresting Yudhishtira to end the war abruptly...This plan was proposed by Bhishma himslef on the night of third day, becuz, everyone feared that it was very very difficult to face Bhima and Arjuna just for 3 days.....days....Ironically, they tried to do this till the 15th day and it was impossible. The only reason for the impossibility was Arjuna, only Arjuna.

Infact after the fall of Bhishma, Drona was very angry and he was very veyr particular in arresting Yudhishtira, the only condition he laid was this, "Make sure Arjuna is not around".

Man Arjuna's valour is un-paralleled. You can shout whatever you want. Facts are facts...Nakkerare, ellavatrilum kuttram Kaana iyaladhu....whether you want it or not, Arjuna was a great hero, equal to Drona or Bhisma...

Annd dont give childish explanations as Dhuryodhana was cooling his body and messaging his body and all......

If you want, I am ready to discuss each and every day of the war individually...are you ready...?

[srivatsan]

Pithaamagar - 10 Days
Dhronaacharyar - 5 Days
Karna - 2 Days
Salliyan - 1 Day
Total - 18 Days ! Please correct me if I am wrong.
.

I remember, Ashwathama was the Commander-in-Chief for the last day....I am not sure anyway....

[kannannn]

Is it just me, or does the page look squeezed to one side for everyone?

[srivatsan]

Is it just me, or does the page look squeezed to one side for everyone?

Even for me Kannannn! any idea why? :lol:

[kannannn]

Ah! It's ok now. Please continue this very interesting discussion. I am learning quite a lot.

[pizzalot]

NO!!! Duryodhana was NEVER Virtuous at all, it was KARNA who is VIRTUOUS, Duryodhana was cunning, he wanted some warrior who can challenge Arjuna in Archery and some one who can defeat Arjuna, he found this Karna , hence he made him a King, but Karna was NEVER aware of Duryodhana's Cunningness!


Jai Dhuryodhana !

Pizza, dont make a fuss here. This is one of the serious threads going on in this forum.....Talk with some sense and dont throw whatever you feel like....

Srivatsan, as a newbie hubber, I do not really want to get into hurting ANYONE. I was really serious in everything I wrote. I adore Dhuryodhana's charecter in Mahabharath for all the reasons I mentioned earlier. I have not typed so much for nothing.

Those were my views right from my childhood. I did not go to any Guru Kul and "learn" Mahabaratha. I "read" it with a free mind. I did not watch a single episode of the TV serial too. So I get to think about it not in any religious context. I just saw and analyzed the charectors of Mahabharata in the current stream of thoughts and developments around the world. I really want this Great Epic to stand the test of time. Or else we cannot call it a Great Epic at all. Please do not jump-in and conclude that "I am non-sense". You may not agree with my views and so will I not agree with you. But atleast we both should be able to understand that we do not agree with each other.

Thanks Suddhamma, for promoting free democratic discussion.

Raghu , Sudhamma, can you please tell me if what I believe that all Kauravas went to Heaven after their death and the Pandavas went to Hell is true or not. This is the central point that made me consider Kauravas as good and Pandavas as evil. Have anyonelse heard about it or is it just me. If it is not true can someone tell me how this story came into existence ?

[pizzalot]

Is it just me, or does the page look squeezed to one side for everyone?

Even for me Kannannn! any idea why? :lol:

Someone opened an HTML tag but forgot to close it. That is why.

[johntony]

Oh god,

Thanks a lot,

To give a chance,

To live in the country of Shri Mahabharat.

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:4cff53aedf]Srivatsan

Nice to see that you have accepted most of the points :)

Well I am ready to have a go at the war DAY BY DAY. Pl start your version. I will chip in with my views if you deviate from any facts .

Your contention is that Arjuna was a great warrior. My counter to you is that DID HE STAND UP TO HIS REPUTATION ? THE ANSWER WILL BE A BIG NO ONLY
AS HE COULD NOT KILL ANY OF HIS ARCH RIVALS BHEESHMA OR DRONA OR KARNA THROUGH CONVENTIONAL WAR METHODS.ARE YOU AWARE OF ANOTHER SHAMEFUL ACT OF ARJUNA. HE SHOT AN ARROW AT PURISIRAVAS WHO WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT TO KILL SATYAKI

By any stretch of imagination, can you justify this BRAVERY OF ARJUNA ??

This was another instance of Arjuna breaking war rules

IMO, A TRUE WARRIOR IS ONE WHO REMAINS A WARRIOR TO THE LAST WORD BY DISPLAYING HIS SKILLS WHICH ARE AS PER WAR RULES.

Here Arjuna miserably fails as a true warrior ( whatever may his background of being a skillful warrior. I know he could use both his hand simultaneously to shoot arrows )

This is my counter . Well if you still stand firm , so be it because the whole world knows how Arjuna eliminated the above 3 stalwarts .

As regards Duryodhana cooling himself under water, if you still have doubts , pl refer to Vyasar virundhu written by the great Rajaji ( I think Rajaji was more knowledgeable than you atleast ! ). Nowhere he mentions that Duryodhana ran away from the scene .
Don’t write your own Mahabaratha here.
THERE ARE SOME SINCERE GUYS HERE WHO ARE REALLY INTERESTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MAHABARATHA .

Are you aware that Yudhistira offered a option to Duryodhana to select any one of the pandavas to fight with mace & he chose Bheema . He could have chosen any other guy . This proves his valour as a true warrior.

If you still feel that ARJUNA WAS MORE VALOROUS , CAN YOU JUSTIFY WHY DID THE PANDAVAS USE SIKANDI ?
WHY DID THEY UTTER LIE TO DRONA ?
WHY DID ARJUNA KILL KARNA WHILE HE WAS LIFTING THE WHEEL ?
WHY DID ARJUNA SHOT AN ARROW AT PURISIRAVAS WHEN HE WAS FIGHTING SATYAKI ?

WHY ARJUNA COULD NOT ELIMINATE ANY OF THE 3 GREAT GENERALS ??

Looking forward to your answers



[/tscii:4cff53aedf]

[srivatsan]

Ok Nakkeeran....The deal is set! Here we start. But before that I have few conditions that all of us who are going to participate in this 18 days discussion should follow! I don't know whether the rules were followed on those 18 days, but we have to follow this...

First of all, when we discuss Mahabharatha, I do not refer anything other than Straight MahaBharatha, written by Vyasa in the name, Jaya and I do not accpet anything including Rajagopla chary's Vyasar Virundu. If you have a version of line-by-line translation, then we go by it.

So, I need some time, to get my original version of "Jaya" from my home. I am in Montreal and it has to come from India. Well, I will look for some online versions, in Samskrutham, if it is available. In addition ot this, I have my own academic commitments! So there might be some lag or something! :) . But I will try my best to present my vire in time....in uniform interval!

Second, no hero worship in between discussions. We are going to discuss just the events as events.

MahaBharatha is not a myth or a comic story. It is real history, with flush and blood. Irrespective of what our fantacy is, what has happened is happened. We are going to discuss this here and that is all. NO personal attacks or rediculing!

No interim judgement before the end of 18th day! At the end of 18 days, the observers will deciede who was chivalrous!

Before that I wish to make my stand very very clear regarding the war. The warriors who fought were extremely powerful and they were real veeras, including Sakuni! So I have no ill-feeling or hatred against any one single personality (except Jayathratha, who was always cheap, even at times when there was no battle; in short he was a "pedi payal")

It is becoming of Tamizh Nadu that, calling the popular figures of history, as villains and vice versa, becuz of the notorious dravidian movement. I am against this! Just becuz, Arjuna went off the rules few times, he can't be called a coward and all his opponents as Maha veeras! This is a ridiculous stmt.

Who din't went off the rules in war?..almost everyone, including my dear ancestor, the great Drona! So I am not ready to take sides.

So what we are going to do is just translate the versions of Vyasa and analyze. That is all!If you accept this, here we start!

[johntony]

8-)

[podalangai]

So, I need some time, to get my original version of "Jaya" from my home. I am in Montreal and it has to come from India. Well, I will look for some online versions, in Samskrutham, if it is available.
In this wonderful internet age the Sanskrit version and a complete English translation are both available online.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm
Arambinga anne! I am looking forward to a good potti.

[srivatsan]

So, I need some time, to get my original version of "Jaya" from my home. I am in Montreal and it has to come from India. Well, I will look for some online versions, in Samskrutham, if it is available.
In this wonderful internet age the Sanskrit version and a complete English translation are both available online.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm
Arambinga anne! I am looking forward to a good potti.

Thanks a lot Podalangai...I shall go thru' this! You have saved my money..hi hi hi :D

[Sudhaama]

...
Mahabharatha... a Battle between...TRUTH Vs REALITY.!

Well... Glad, it is taking a New Trend... of Second time Hot- discussions ...

...starting right from the Origin and Rudimentary factors of Mahabharatha.

...which I want to ENJOY reading both the sides of arguments ... in a HEATHY APPROACH... of Open-mindedness.

So I don't want to interfere in between....as far as possible. But I hope...

...some of the Basic points I put forth herebelow may be helpful to both the sides...

...which I highlight here in the Common angle of mutual interests.

(1) What is Mahabharatha?... An Epic of True Events as part of Indian History....

...Irrespective of Religious aspect in it... since named as the FIFTH VEDA...

... there are imbued Lessons of high Moral Values... applicable for the Overall Mankind.... it is so asserted by Common Scholars. How?

We get the answers by observing deeply on several Breakthroughs and serious Violations on the Conventional Codes of practice... especially on the War-Norms of those days....

... And the greatest wonder or even mystery lies.. that the so called God-incarnation, Krishna was either instrumental or a silent witness for such events...

... contrary to stipulated Dharmas. If God Himself was encouraging Adharma.. how does it qualify to be called as DHARMA-YUDDHAM?....

If Krishna wanted, he could have killed those Wickeds or Enemies to Pandavas... by other easy means. Whereas He has taken a ROUND-ABOUT ROUTE.... to achieve His Goal!...Why?

(2) The Kurukshethra War... starts with NOT WITH WEAPONS... as is the Normal practice.... but with PREACHING A SERMON, Bhagawad Geetha ....which does not talk of War predominantly... but on LIFE-CODES... Common to Mankind.!

... and the War is the "Practical-Annexure" to God's Sermon, Geetha...DRAMATISED by the antagonistic forces... towards Justice.

(3) The first word of the Gospel, Bhagawad Geetha... is DHARMA-KSHETHRAE...How? and Why?

(4) While that Sloka was uttered as a Question to Sanjaya by "Dhrithrashtra"... the embodiment of Selfishness backed by Wickedness...

... Still it has formed part of the Gospel Geetha. Even without that Sloka, Sanjaya could have started narrating or the Question could have been omitted from the Gospel... allowing the readers to gues the Question. But was not done so! Why?

(5) In brief... Mahabharatha is a Life-Drama to show the posterity...

...as to what will happen if the wickeds come to power...

... and that even if the wicked fights with the supports of the Nobles and Superlative war-mights ...

...God's support will not go towards that side, simply because of Nobles form part of Antagonists to Righteousness.

(6) It is an exemplary lesson directed by God to Humanity... the Greatness of REALITY OVER TRUTH...

...when the Righteous man is innocently caught in dilemma.

Indulging in utter Cheating, Unethical Domination, Breach of Trust, Transgressing even the basic Morality of a King towards any woman towards modesty and dignity ...

...coupled with Jealousy and Inhuman Hegemony... to overiride the Wisdom and Righteousness on the other side...

...If and when a group of Wicked Dogs occupy the Throne...

... the Righteous People as victims have to BARK FOR JUSTICE... That is Mahabharatha.!!!
...

[Nakeeran]

Srivatsan

Great ! :D All your conditions accepted !

Looking forward to day by day account of the war.

Just one suggestion. Shall we analyse the pros & cons of the war atleast after that particular day was covered ? then we may move over to the next day . What do you feel ?

Just one small mention about Jayathradha. As per Vyasar virundhu, Rajaji mentions that he was also a valiant warrior & was fighting hard with Arjuna till the fag end of the day & it was Krishna who became restless.
I am aware how Arjuna successfully broke all barriers & marched towards Jayathratha. The first move itself was a masterstroke by his mentor Krishna requesting him to seek permission to his Guru Drona to fullfill his mission by pleading that you are my Guru . Noone can beat you on warfare . Pl allow me !

Ok lets move on now pls :D

[Nakeeran]

Srivatsan

Before the war day 1 , pl also list out the various forces like charioteers, elephants, infantry , Athirathas etc & then proceed towards Day 1

Bye

[srivatsan]

Srivatsan

Great ! :D All your conditions accepted !

Looking forward to day by day account of the war.

Just one suggestion. Shall we analyse the pros & cons of the war atleast after that particular day was covered ? then we may move over to the next day . What do you feel ?

Hi Nakkeran, I really want to accrpt your condition, for you have accpeted all of mine! But I am afraid that the analysis may not allow us to proceed to the next day! Well, if you still feel it is better, we shall go by it!


Just one small mention about Jayathradha. As per Vyasar virundhu, Rajaji mentions that he was also a valiant warrior & was fighting hard with Arjuna till the fag end of the day & it was Krishna who became restless.
I am aware how Arjuna successfully broke all barriers & marched towards Jayathratha.
It has something to do with one of the pre-war event, when Jayathratha was so much insluted by Pandavas, during their Vana Vasam, Jayatharatha meditated on Lord Shiva and asken him the boon of defeating Arjuna in war!

Lord Shiva said that it was impossible for him and he gave the boon of standing up against Arjuna on atleast one day and that boon was fatal for Abhimanyu!

Well, I am happy that lot of people are going to learn Mahabharatha by this discussion....and here we start with the blessings of all divine sages! :)

[Nakeeran]

srivatsan
[quote="Nakeeran"]Just one small mention about Jayathradha. As per Vyasar virundhu, Rajaji mentions that he was also a valiant warrior & was fighting hard with Arjuna till the fag end of the day & it was Krishna who became restless.
I am aware how Arjuna successfully broke all barriers & marched towards Jayathratha.
It has something to do with one of the pre-war event, when Jayathratha was so much insluted by Pandavas, during their Vana Vasam, Jayatharatha meditated on Lord Shiva and asken him the boon of defeating Arjuna in war!

Lord Shiva said that it was impossible for him and he gave the boon of standing up against Arjuna on atleast one day and that boon was fatal for Abhimanyu![/quote:bab06bdc66]

Hi Srivatsan,

The bold one above . I think Jayathradha used that boon on that fateful day when chakravyuga was formed by Drona & poor Abimanyu pierced & stormed inside but could not come out as he was not taught . The guy who repaired the breach was Jayathradha & was invincible that day ( the boon was used that day ) . None of the Pandavas could overtake him ( Arjun was dragged to another corner by the Thirigarthas- the suicide squad !! ) & in the process Abi was isolated .

PL START WITH THE DETAILS OF RESPECTIVE SIDES , FOLLOWED BY THE ARMY STRENGTH & THEN DAY 1 :D

[Badri]

Hmm, that something had to do with Jayadratha himself. He forcibly abducted Draupadi. This happened during the time in exile. JD lusted after Draupadi and hence when the Pandavas were not in their forest abode, kidnapped her to ravish her. The Pandavas learnt of this, gave chase and defeated him in battle, after routing his entire army. Bhima kicked him and shaved his hair off, and declared him a slave of the Pandavas.

Draupadi entreats on his behalf actually, seeking he be spared, for he was married to Dushala, the only sister of the Kauravas so as to not make her a widow.

Insulted by this he then prayed to Shiva, as mentioned in the posts above. I suppose JD got what he deserved, and his further carrying on the vengeance was in no way ethical or just. He was the one who started it all, so it should have ended when he was defeated. Instead, he took further umbrage and prayed to Shiva for the boon to defeat the Pandavas. When that was refused by Shiva, as it was well nigh impossible, he asks for a boon to at least hold them all at bay for one day at battle. Even then, Shiva says it is not possible for him to defeat Arjuna for even a day, but he would be able to hold off the rest for a day.

As posted by Nakeeran, Arjuna was otherwise engaged that day when Abhimanyu pierced the vyuha and was killed

[johntony]

8-)

[viggop]

Duryodhana was very well prepared for the fight with Bheema.When the pandavas were in vanavasam , he practiced mace with a iron statue of Bhima for all the 14 years.Balarama was guro to both Bhima and duryodhana.Duryodhana also tried to poison and kill Bhima when they were just kids!!! I am not sure why he hated the pandavas right from his childhood days

[viggop]

Dronacharya also practised lot of adharmas too.It was he who forced Karna to go behind abhimanyu and break abhimanyu's bow from behind.taunted by duryodhana that he is partial towards Pandavas, he let loose brahmaastras on normal ordinary warriors and killed them mercilessly.

[Nakeeran]

taunted by duryodhana that he is partial towards Pandavas, he let loose brahmaastras on normal ordinary warriors and killed them mercilessly.

Did you write any mahabaratha or what ? you seem to be a creative thinker :lol:

[Raghu]

Dronacharya also practised lot of adharmas too.It was he who forced Karna to go behind abhimanyu and break abhimanyu's bow from behind.taunted by duryodhana that he is partial towards Pandavas, he let loose brahmaastras on normal ordinary warriors and killed them mercilessly.

Yes that is true!

[Nakeeran]

Dronacharya also practised lot of adharmas too.It was he who forced Karna to go behind abhimanyu and break abhimanyu's bow from behind.taunted by duryodhana that he is partial towards Pandavas, he let loose brahmaastras on normal ordinary warriors and killed them mercilessly.

Yes that is true!

Raghu Sir

Are you vouching for Viggop's theory that Drona used Bramastras on normal ordinary warriors ?

[viggop]

Nakeeran
I did read that Drona used Brahmas Astram on normal warriors.He did this because of constant taunting from Duryodhana that he is favouring Pandavas because arjuna is close to him.

[Nakeeran]

Nakeeran
I did read that Drona used Brahmas Astram on normal warriors.He did this because of constant taunting from Duryodhana that he is favouring Pandavas because arjuna is close to him.

Impossible.

Pl give references / quotes.

When he was about to use this, Krishna played a ploy by asking one of the Pandavas to say that Ashwathama is dead.

Before this, Drona didnt use it

[viggop]

Nakeeran
I dont have any references to give you.sorry

[Nakeeran]

Nakeeran
I dont have any references to give you.sorry

Its ok. I asked you because you mentioned on the affirmative . thats why.

Drona never used Bramastra . He was about to use it & at that time only his attention was diverted by Bheema upon killing an elephant Aswathama , he went & told Drona that he killed Aswathama ( but lowered his head in shame )

What followed you are all aware :cry:

[Raghu]

Nakeeran
I dont have any references to give you.sorry

Its ok. I asked you because you mentioned on the affirmative . thats why.

Drona never used Bramastra . He was about to use it & at that time only his attention was diverted by Bheema upon killing an elephant Aswathama , he went & told Drona that he killed Aswathama ( but lowered his head in shame )

What followed you are all aware :cry:

Bheema never told this, it was Yudishtra, v all know abt Yudishtra's dharma, he never lies, even after Krsihna tells him, he would refuse , in the battle field, he would say 'Aswathama the Elephant has died', but as soon as he finish saying Aswathama, Krishna will blow the Conch to distract Drona, so he will not hear the remainder of the words from Yudishtra, this is how Dronarcharya was cheated!

[Nakeeran]

Raghu Sir

Incorrect

Its this way . Pl read this sequentially :

The war reaches a very sensitive stage . Drona was about to use Brahmastra . Fearing disaster, Krishna rushes to the Pandavas ( wonder how he had ample time to discuss and convince Pandavas )

1. Bheema kills an elephant by name Ashwathama
2. Bheema goes in front of Drona & shouts at him saying that he has killed Ashwathama ( but as he was a true warrior, he realised his shameful act & lowered his head in shame )
3. Drona didnt believe this version of Bheema
4. Drona seeks the version of Yudhiistira to reconfirm whether what Bheema said was true
5. Yudhishtira now tells A LIE THAT ASHWATHAMA HAS BEEN KILLED

The sanskrit wording here is :

ASHWATHAMA ATHAHA..... KUNJARAHA ( but in a mild tone )

Drona already upset , was not in a position mentally to hear any other news.

On hearing the words WHICH CAME OUT FROM YUDHISHTIRA , WHO OF ALL THE PERSONS , WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FOLLOWER OF TRUTH AND DHARMA,

Drona believes his words & drops his arms & everything as by now he had lost all interest in life as for him Ashwathama was everything in life

To summarise the above :

IT WAS BHEEMA WHO FIRST WILL GO AND TELL DRONA THAT HE HAD KILLED ASHWATHAMA

AND HIS VERSION WAS CONFIRMED BY YUDHISTIRA WHEN DRONA CROSS CHECKS WITH HIM

What happened after this, you all know !

[Raghu]

1. Bheema kills an elephant by name Ashwathama
2. Bheema goes in front of Drona & shouts at him saying that he has killed Ashwathama ( but as he was a true warrior, he realised his shameful act & lowered his head in shame )
3. Drona didnt believe this version of Bheema
4. Drona seeks the version of Yudhiistira to reconfirm whether what Bheema said was true


Correct, i remember it now



5. Yudhishtira now tells A LIE THAT ASHWATHAMA HAS BEEN KILLED


Sorry, I dont think so, he never lied, Yudhistra will never lie, he will be saying that Aswathama the Elephant has died, b4 he says Elephant Krishna would do some leela to hide the last words (elephant) , i have a feeling that Krsihna was blowing the Shangu(conch)

My knowledge is based on Ramanad Saagar's TV Serial 'Krishna'.

[S.Balaji]

1. Bheema kills an elephant by name Ashwathama
2. Bheema goes in front of Drona & shouts at him saying that he has killed Ashwathama ( but as he was a true warrior, he realised his shameful act & lowered his head in shame )
3. Drona didnt believe this version of Bheema
4. Drona seeks the version of Yudhiistira to reconfirm whether what Bheema said was true


Correct, i remember it now



5. Yudhishtira now tells A LIE THAT ASHWATHAMA HAS BEEN KILLED


Sorry, I dont think so, he never lied, Yudhistra will never lie, he will be saying that Aswathama the Elephant has died, b4 he says Elephant Krishna would do some leela to hide the last words (elephant) , i have a feeling that Krsihna was blowing the Shangu(conch)

My knowledge is based on Ramanad Saagar's TV Serial 'Krishna'.


Raghu dear ! How are you

It seems its round 2 now ! great . I will also take part soon.

The words, KUNJARAHA will be uttered in a mild tone in such a way that Drona will not be able to hear this.
Drona will conclude that his son is dead & immediately loses all his interest.

After this, what Nakeeran says is perfect

Pl continue. I will join you all soon

[Raghu]

1. Bheema kills an elephant by name Ashwathama
2. Bheema goes in front of Drona & shouts at him saying that he has killed Ashwathama ( but as he was a true warrior, he realised his shameful act & lowered his head in shame )
3. Drona didnt believe this version of Bheema
4. Drona seeks the version of Yudhiistira to reconfirm whether what Bheema said was true


Correct, i remember it now



5. Yudhishtira now tells A LIE THAT ASHWATHAMA HAS BEEN KILLED


Sorry, I dont think so, he never lied, Yudhistra will never lie, he will be saying that Aswathama the Elephant has died, b4 he says Elephant Krishna would do some leela to hide the last words (elephant) , i have a feeling that Krsihna was blowing the Shangu(conch)

My knowledge is based on Ramanad Saagar's TV Serial 'Krishna'.


Raghu dear ! How are you

It seems its round 2 now ! great . I will also take part soon.

The words, KUNJARAHA will be uttered in a mild tone in such a way that Drona will not be able to hear this.
Drona will conclude that his son is dead & immediately loses all his interest.

After this, what Nakeeran says is perfect

Pl continue. I will join you all soon

I am ok, Balaji anNe, not feeling well :( any way...

the point i was trying to make is Yudhistra NEVER lied!

take care anNe

[Sudhaama]

1. Bheema kills an elephant by name Ashwathama
2. Bheema goes in front of Drona & shouts at him saying that he has killed Ashwathama ( but as he was a true warrior, he realised his shameful act & lowered his head in shame )
3. Drona didnt believe this version of Bheema
4. Drona seeks the version of Yudhiistira to reconfirm whether what Bheema said was true


Correct, i remember it now



5. Yudhishtira now tells A LIE THAT ASHWATHAMA HAS BEEN KILLED


Sorry, I dont think so, he never lied, Yudhistra will never lie, he will be saying that Aswathama the Elephant has died, b4 he says Elephant Krishna would do some leela to hide the last words (elephant) , i have a feeling that Krsihna was blowing the Shangu(conch)

My knowledge is based on Ramanad Saagar's TV Serial 'Krishna'.


Raghu dear ! How are you

It seems its round 2 now ! great . I will also take part soon.

The words, KUNJARAHA will be uttered in a mild tone in such a way that Drona will not be able to hear this.
Drona will conclude that his son is dead & immediately loses all his interest.

After this, what Nakeeran says is perfect

Pl continue. I will join you all soon

Mahabharatha is called as FIFTH VEDA...applicable exclusively for Dwaapara and Kaliyugas...

...when only, the WORST SINNERS, the Wicked come to power and seriously try to DEFEAT RIGHTEOUSNESS on Earth.

Rather it was a challenge... which state of affairs exists even in the present days.!

Then How to face it?... Lord Krishna shows the way... by getting it done through others... instead of by Himself.

When CUNNINGNESS by the Wicked persons on Throne ...dominate the Righteous Nobles on the other side...

...Trying to defeat Dharma or Righteousness... the Counter-challenging might against Cunningness is TACT.

Thiefs and other Criminals commit crimes by Cunningness...

...which nefarious plans are thwarted or defeated by the Police...through TACT...Not called Cunningness.

When Drona was possessing unusual Life-might to die at his own will...

...which Sacred might he was allowed to possess as a Noble Guru.

But when he tried to MISUSE that super-human power towards the undue advantage of Wicked Intentions, it had to be got over-powered by Tact and REALITY.

The Main Lesson of Mahabharatha is to conduct Life based on REALITY...

...Not by Truth directly... since in case of Dilemma Truthful approach will be misleading, as was the case of Arjuna who refused to fight basing on Truth.

Then after Krishna's clarifications that REALITY must be the basis for decisions...and Not by Truth...Arjuna gets convinced and

...thus gets saved from ILLUSORY BELIEFS...unduly based on Truth in a Life-battle.

This is One of the Best examples on the Value of Reality over Truth..when the Wicked opponents try to exploit the Nobles and Righteous Stipulations to their Selfish interests...

...killing the Basic Law of ...Sathyam Eva Jayathe...

Under such circumstances... direct resorting to truthful means will not help. .. but a Tactful path through REALITY... which ultimately takes us towards the Goal of Truth i8n Life.

This Episode of TACT to defeat Drona ... goes thus...

When the Reality is such that Drona can be made to die only at his will after hearing his Son Aswathdhaama's death...Krishna gets an Elephant named as Aswaththaama and then asked Bheema to kill it. Accordingly Bheema hurls his Gadhaayudha and kills it.

Then Krishna asked Bheema to declare loudly that Aswathdhaama has died... so he does, but was NOT BELIEVED...by Drona.

Krishna asked Yudhishtra (Dharmaputhra) to repeat the same. But he hesistates, claiming it a Lie, which he will never utter.

"If You mention it as... an elephant... can it be called a Lie?"

Dharma agrees and declares aloud... as dictated by Krishna...

... "ASWATHDHAAMA HATHAHA...KUNJARAHA"... which means... Aswathdhaama died... Elephant"

But in REALITY... Krishna momentarily blows up his Victory Conch... synchronising with the utterance of the Word... KUNJARAHA(Elephant))... by Dharma.

Krishna's conch Sound level was so forceful that the utterance of Kunjaraha was not audible to Drona.

Drona believed since Dharmaputhra himself declares... it must be true... further confirmed by Krishna's victory conch sound, since Krishna too is Trustworthy.

When a mighty weapon bestowed to a Saadhu saint, with an intention to safeguard him...

...if misused by him for Robbery, Murder and such other worst Crimes....

The Police snatches the weapon from him by any and all means... which cannot be classified under illegal or unlawful.

One Killer... is killed by the King as a Punishment.

But the King should not be deemed as another KILLER at par with the Criminal...

...Other than a Protector of Law of Righteousness.... So is the case here.
...

[srivatsan]

Raghu Sir

The sanskrit wording here is :

ASHWATHAMA ATHAHA..... KUNJARAHA ( but in a mild tone )


What happened after this, you all know !

Nakkeran Sir:

It is ASHWATHAMA HATAHA KUNJARA: which means, an elephant by name Aswathama has been killed nd Krishna played hi counch when Kunjaraha: was said by Yudhisthra!

[Raghu]

... "ASWATHDHAAMA HATHAHA...KUNJARAHA"... which means... Aswathdhaama died... Elephant"

But in REALITY... Krishna momentarily blows up his Victory Conch... synchronising with the utterance of the Word... KUNJARAHA(Elephant))... by Dharma.

Krishna's conch Sound level was so forceful that the utterance of Kunjaraha was not audible to Drona.

Drona believed since Dharmaputhra himself declares... it must be true... further confirmed by Krishna's victory conch sound, since Krishna too is Trustworthy.


...Thank you Sudhama Sir, this is EXACATLY what I have been trying to say all day :(

[Nakeeran]

Raghu Sir

The sanskrit wording here is :

ASHWATHAMA ATHAHA..... KUNJARAHA ( but in a mild tone )


What happened after this, you all know !

Nakkeran Sir:

It is ASHWATHAMA HATAHA KUNJARA: which means, an elephant by name Aswathama has been killed nd Krishna played hi counch when Kunjaraha: was said by Yudhisthra!

Srivatsan

Naan oru siruvan . Sir vendam pls :oops:

Thuvakkunga unga first episode on the great War ASAP.

Sudhama Sir

Thanks a lot for your post. You have beautifully summarised the events & also the reasoning for why Drona had to be eliminated !

Looks like we are in for a second innings ! :D

[selvakumar]

Sudhamma and others :

I have the same doubt that Nakeeran had. What I read in Rajaji's Mahabharatha is:

Yudistra did lie. considering the circumstances and other things, It was indeed a lie. Rajaji says that due to this, the Charriot of Dharma which always maintains a bit of height from the soil without touching it, touched the soil since Dharma himself committed the mistake. Earlier it was maintaining that height just to save the pure soul or Dharma from the sins of the soil. (Soure: Rajaji)

Because of this, When Dharma goes to the heaven, he was made to see the hell sometime for that mistake :D

correct me if I am wrong :)

[Raghu]

Sudhamma and others :

I have the same doubt that Nakeeran had. What I read in Rajaji's Mahabharatha is:

Yudistra did lie. considering the circumstances and other things, It was indeed a lie. Rajaji says that due to this, the Charriot of Dharma which always maintains a bit of height from the soil without touching it, touched the soil since Dharma himself committed the mistake. Earlier it was maintaining that height just to save the pure soul or Dharma from the sins of the soil. (Soure: Rajaji)

Because of this, When Dharma goes to the heaven, he was made to see the hell sometime for that mistake :D

correct me if I am wrong :)

Selva Machi,

I really Dont think Yudhistra lied, I remember in the Tents where the Pandavas rest during night time, in Gurshestra. Krishna will tellthe matter prior to facing Dronarchayra on the next day to lie about this Incident, Yudishtra will Fume over this and will never agree, and he never lies on the batlle field at all!

[selvakumar]

Selva Machi,

I really Dont think Yudhistra lied, I remember in the Tents where the Pandavas rest during night time, in Gurshestra. Krishna will tellthe matter prior to facing Dronarchayra on the next day to lie about this Incident, Yudishtra will Fume over this and will never agree, and he never lies on the batlle field at all!

Raghu machi ! I am not sure about this. But I am sure that I read about the landing of his car in the soil when he utters this. But not sure whether this was the same with the sanskrit version too. :roll:

Those who have concrete sources on this can give that and we can know more on that same :D

[Sudhaama]

Selva Machi,

I really Dont think Yudhistra lied, I remember in the Tents where the Pandavas rest during night time, in Gurshestra. Krishna will tellthe matter prior to facing Dronarchayra on the next day to lie about this Incident, Yudishtra will Fume over this and will never agree, and he never lies on the batlle field at all!

Raghu machi ! I am not sure about this. But I am sure that I read about the landing of his car in the soil when he utters this. But not sure whether this was the same with the sanskrit version too. :roll:

Those who have concrete sources on this can give that and we can know more on that same :D

Yes Mr Selva is correct. Yudhishtra's Ratha-wheels never used to touch the GROUND...

... but used to move at a little higher level from the ground.

That was the phenomenal Recognition offered by Dharma-devatha to Dharmaputhra for his strict adherence to utter truth only.

But immediately after he said..."Aswathdhaama hathaha Kunjaraha" ... A CONCEALED LIE... Deceptive Truth...

...his Chariot-wheels dropped down to the ground... says Vyasa in Mahabharatha.

So to say... it is a Symbolic indication... that although logically Dharma's uttereance was not a Lie...

...Dharma-devatha treated it as a lie, since it was aimed at Drona, who got cheated by this statement from an acclaimed Truth follower.

However Lord Krishna played it so... to make the world know of the due Life- code during such sick circumstances.

The proper Confronting-strategy against Cunningness or Cheating by taking undue Advantage of a Noble might by an Enemy...

...is only TACT... conforming to REALITY... based on INDIRECT TRUTH ...

...which is Contrary to DIRECT TRUTH... since deceptive and suicidal by its Negative Result.... defeating Rihgteousness.

Thus it conforms to Valhlhuvar....

Poymaiyum Vaiymai idaththa
Purhai theerndha Nanmai payakkum yenin.

Reality fetches... PURHAI THEERNDHA NANMAI
.

[Raghu]

But immediately after he said..."Aswathdhaama hathaha Kunjaraha" ... A CONCEALED LIE... Deceptive Truth...

...his Chariot-wheels dropped down to the ground... says Vyasa in Mahabharatha.

So to say... it is a Symbolic indication... that although logically Dharma's uttereance was not a Lie...
...Dharma-devatha treated it as a lie, since it was aimed at Drona, who got cheated by this statement from an acclaimed Truth follower.

.

Thank you Sudhama Sir, this is what i was trying to say here :D

[Nakeeran]

Mr. Sudhama

Once again you have come up with a very meaningful explanation combining the actual event with a philosophical touch !
thanks

One fact however is that whenever the Pandavas reach a stage where they didnt have any solution to overcome their rivals, they have resorted to deceit & breaking the war rules
I will not get into the nitigrity of whether the Gauravas followed th e war rules as they were expected to follow their original behavioural pattern but not the same kind of attitude by the Pandvas as they are know for following dharma

Srivatsan

Pl make a start today :D

[pizzalot]

Is everyone here really seriously believing all this crap ? I thought you were just having a good entertainment. I am hearing a lot of "truth", "reality","actual event" etc etc around the "flying ratha". I think you guys really need some psychological help.

Help is on the way !

[Sudhaama]

Is everyone here really seriously believing all this crap ? I thought you were just having a good entertainment. I am hearing a lot of "truth", "reality","actual event" etc etc around the "flying ratha". I think you guys really need some psychological help. Help is on the way !

Mahabharatha relates to the previous era of Dwapara-Yuga...prior to the present Kaliyuga.

In those yugas...Bows and arrows and Sasthras were used as Weapons which were driven by chanting MANTHRAS.

For those who are able to understand and believe such a totally different state of affairs... of MANTHRA-AGE then...

...the Events of Flying-Chariot or Hiding-Sun or the like.. will not appear FUNNY or INCREDIBLE...

But for others who are unable to imagine beyond the present SCIENTIFIC AGE formula ...

...it can neither be perceived nor they can be convinced.

However let such people take Mahabharatha as a Mythology....or a Cock & Bull Story

But the RICH LESSONS and the high HUMAN MORALS inherent behind.... are INVALUABLE... and UNPARALLEL.

... invariably APPLICABLE even for the present MODERN days.. of SCIENTIFIC AGE.

[pizzalot]

Is everyone here really seriously believing all this crap ? I thought you were just having a good entertainment. I am hearing a lot of "truth", "reality","actual event" etc etc around the "flying ratha". I think you guys really need some psychological help. Help is on the way !

Mahabharatha relates to the previous era of Dwapara-Yuga...prior to the present Kaliyuga.

In those yugas...Bows and arrows and Sasthras were used as Weapons which were driven by chanting MANTHRAS.

For those who are able to understand and believe such a totally different state of affairs... of MANTHRA-AGE then...

...the Events of Flying-Chariot or Hiding-Sun or the like.. will not appear FUNNY or INCREDIBLE...

But for others who are unable to imagine beyond the present SCIENTIFIC AGE formula ...

...it can neither be perceived nor they can be convinced.

However let such people take Mahabharatha as a Mythology....or a **** & Bull Story

But the RICH LESSONS and the high HUMAN MORALS inherent behind.... are INVALUABLE... and UNPARALLEL.

... invariably APPLICABLE even for the present MODERN days.. of SCIENTIFIC AGE.

Well, if you are talking about lessons it is one thing. If you are "believing" the flying things, it is another.

How many of you really believe it all really happened ?

[Sudhaama]

Is everyone here really seriously believing all this crap ? I thought you were just having a good entertainment. I am hearing a lot of "truth", "reality","actual event" etc etc around the "flying ratha". I think you guys really need some psychological help. Help is on the way !

Mahabharatha relates to the previous era of Dwapara-Yuga...prior to the present Kaliyuga.

In those yugas...Bows and arrows and Sasthras were used as Weapons which were driven by chanting MANTHRAS.

For those who are able to understand and believe such a totally different state of affairs... of MANTHRA-AGE then...

...the Events of Flying-Chariot or Hiding-Sun or the like.. will not appear FUNNY or INCREDIBLE...

But for others who are unable to imagine beyond the present SCIENTIFIC AGE formula ...

...it can neither be perceived nor they can be convinced.

However let such people take Mahabharatha as a Mythology....or a **** & Bull Story

But the RICH LESSONS and the high HUMAN MORALS inherent behind.... are INVALUABLE... and UNPARALLEL.

... invariably APPLICABLE even for the present MODERN days.. of SCIENTIFIC AGE.

Well, if you are talking about lessons it is one thing. If you are "believing" the flying things, it is another.

How many of you really believe it all really happened ?

My dear Friend,

May I know...In what way such a STATISTICS is goig to help you?

I believe you are quite Smart enough...... even if you are totally BLANK on this Topic.

... and so look forward WISE-QUESTIONS from persons like you...

...thus make this dais for a LIVELY DISCUSSION... interesting for all, including you...

...conforming to the Healthy Scope of this Thread meant for EXCHANGING MUTUAL KNOWLEDGE.

...instead of such of your Dry, Redundant, Gossip, Personal analysis, Deviations and SIDE-TRACKING Questions...

...which can only lead to Misunderstandings amongst the Friendly Hubbers...

...KILLING THEIR ENTHUSIASM towards adding Knowledge.

Dear Friend... Do you want such a NEGATIVE OUTCOME?...Intend so?
...

[pizzalot]

My dear Friend,

May I know...In what way such a STATISTICS is goig to help you?

I believe you are quite Smart enough...... even if you are totally BLANK on this Topic.

... and so look forward WISE-QUESTIONS from persons like you...

...thus make this dais for a LIVELY DISCUSSION... interesting for all, including you...

...conforming to the Healthy Scope of this Thread meant for EXCHANGING MUTUAL KNOWLEDGE.

...instead of such of your Dry, Redundant, Gossip, Personal analysis, Deviations and SIDE-TRACKING Questions...

...which can only lead to Misunderstandings amongst the Friendly Hubbers...

...KILLING THEIR ENTHUSIASM towards adding Knowledge.

Dear Friend... Do you want such a NEGATIVE OUTCOME?...Intend so?
...

No. I do not mean to kill the enthusiasm.

Any discussions on literature can happen for two reasons:

1. Discuss in appreciation of the imaginative genious of the authors of those days which calls you for understanding things going back to Dwarpa-Yuga. We do not need to actually believe in the flying rathas nor do we need to agree upon who is wrong and who is right. Simply we will experience it for the pleasure reading it. An inter-preter in this case performs the role of a mere translator and nothing more. There is not "why" or "how" questions asked.

2. The second way is to look at a piece of literature as a morale exemplenaire. If we choose to do so, we must see it from what is applicable and understandable in the present context, which is the Kali-Yuga. This approach calls for being critical of anything that is described in the literature which cannot be applied today or cannot happen today. Here the inter-preter plays the role of a defender of the literature, and has to explain both the "whys" and "hows", while others are critical about it. If a flying ratha is not possible today, other ideas of the literature are not applicable too.

This thread looked for me a bit more serious to be described as pursuing the first approach. But it did not 100% fit the second approach too. A lot of "why" questions were asked as if it mattered a lot, but no "how" questions have come-up so far. To me, if the "hows" are not explained in literature, then there is no need for anyone to be seriously asking a "why" question.

With many "whys" and no "hows" in this thread, I was confused. That is "why" I asked.

[Badri]

Haha, till a couple of hundred years ago, people would have laughed if they were told you could actually fly over the Atlantic Ocean to the New World!!!!

And yet, airplanes are part and parcel of today's world.

Architectural engineers still marvel at the genuis that went into the creation of the Egyptian pyramids, the Mayan pyramids and the Sumerian ziggurats - monuments that were constructed 3000 years ago!

Can you explain all those, pizzalot, that you are trying to undermine the flying ratha?

[pizzalot]

Haha, till a couple of hundred years ago, people would have laughed if they were told you could actually fly over the Atlantic Ocean to the New World!!!!

And yet, airplanes are part and parcel of today's world.

Architectural engineers still marvel at the genuis that went into the creation of the Egyptian pyramids, the Mayan pyramids and the Sumerian ziggurats - monuments that were constructed 3000 years ago!

Can you explain all those, pizzalot, that you are trying to undermine the flying ratha?

They still marvel at the Pyramid not because they cannot build it themselves. They marvel because the Pharoh's built them 3000 years before. 1000 such pyramids can be built year with today's technology. Why we do not do that is we do not have a pharoh to burry into it.

So there are people who really believe there were flying rathas and they came down when someone said a lie. I thought you guys understood it in some metaphoric sense !

As I said, help is on the way ! The Doctor is putting his tool kits together ! :rotfl:

[Sudhaama]

Dear Mr Pizzalot,

Please do not deviate from the Topic... towards the General sense pertinent to Overall Culture and History of the ancient days....

...where in the course of discussions or arguments, we may have to touch several subjects of not only Epics of Mahabharatha, Ramayana, but also the Ancient Indian History, Literatures and Culture too.

... whereas this Thread is relevant only to one Concentrated Topic of Single Epic, Mahabharatha.

If you intend such an Overall discussion... please open a separate thread... and speak out clearly whatever you have to say...

in a HEALTHY AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING manner... conforming to wisdom and Gentlemanly norms.

Let us continue here... ONLY ON MAHABHARATHA... and Not beyond.

[Raghu]

[tscii:c26143a946]All I can say is Ignorance is a bliss, pls don’t deviate from such enlighten discussions v had here, Sudhamma Sir MUST be treated with MOST RESPECT here, :twisted:

Let's put a stop to it and continue with serious discussions!!

Dear Sudhama Sir and Others.

We have not talked much about Nakula and Sahadeva amongst the Pandavas, can we pls discuss their talents and skills they posses?
thanks [/tscii:c26143a946]

[Sudhaama]

[tscii:12ebc1df45]

..... ..... Dear Sudhama Sir and Others.

We have not talked much about Nakula and Sahadeva amongst the Pandavas, can we pls discuss their talents and skills they posses?
thanks [/tscii:12ebc1df45]

Dear Raghu,

Not so. I have replied earlier at length to the series of questions about Nakula...

...whom many consider as a Redundant Character for Mahabharatha...

...at par with Sathrugna of Ramayana... equally deemed so.

Whereas both these characters were important for the specific roles in the relevant Epic.

If any of you want to quote those postings here on NAKULA, once again and raise some questions afresh, I welcome.

But no doubt... You are correct to say that we have not talked much about Sahadeva, which part, we can take up subsequently... after Nakula.

[pizzalot]

[tscii:85511bc94a]//pls don’t deviate from such enlighten discussions v had here ..//

What makes you think I am not serious ?

Mr.Sudhama, please kindly refrain from drawing analogy of the present to Mahabharath like the below:

//...when only, the WORST SINNERS, the Wicked come to power and seriously try to DEFEAT RIGHTEOUSNESS on Earth. Rather it was a challenge... which state of affairs exists even in the present days.! //

A lot of people like me will have to jump into fray. Any such discussion is too important to be left to a few people. A lot of Pandavas and Krishnas are in politics. It becomes too important an issue to be left un-argued.

For example consider this statement :

"Police thwart the theif with tact and we must not call it cunningness."
Agreed. But who is with the Government ? Police. Who is against ? Thieves.
Who was with the Government? Dhuryodhana. Who was against ? Pandavas. So who was "cunning" ? Who was trying to be "tactful" ?

Please continue the discussion based on what was stated only. You may quote someone as good and someone as bad, but only as stated in the version of Mahabharath, per Srivatsan's proposal, to which everyone agreed I believe. Any citation to present or analogies will invite controversies. A big war is out there between the Pandavas and Kauravas in politics.

//Sudhamma Sir MUST be treated with MOST RESPECT here//

I do not understand how I disrespected him. Everyone should be given utmost respect. [/tscii:85511bc94a]

[Raghu]

Dear Sudhama Sir,

I have one question, who actually prescribed the auspicious day to start the War, when Duryodhana went to Pandavas to ask for the auspicious day to start the war, so that he can win that war?

And vaguely remember the incident when Krishna does some trick to come the 'Pournami' or 'Amaavasai' day to come forward than, the day described in the Vedic Panchangam?

Can you pls elaborate on this a bit more, thank you?

[Sudhaama]

//quote: raghu: Sudhamma Sir MUST be treated with MOST RESPECT here.

quote: pizzalot: I do not understand how I disrespected him. Everyone should be given utmost respect.//

Yes. Yes. Yes...Thanks a lot to Mr Raghu for his high regards on me.

But I am not interested as to how many here, respect me and how many others decry me... since I have come here to make use of My time happily and usefully.... alongside spreading the same spirit amongst my friends who reciprocate with me so.... Nothing beyond.

Dear Mr Pizzalot,

Welcome.... For your information, I respect and duly honour you... whether you agree or differ with me on any point or aspect...and irrespective of other Hubbers individual views...

Thank you for raising wise Questions enabling me to throw more light on a USEFUL SUBJECT for our present day life.

So please feel free to speak out whatever you have in mind, in a dignified manner conforming to the Spirit of Discussion-Forum. But I request you NOT TO GET EMOTIONAL. I assure I will not say anything provocative nor will allow so from others too.

Whatever I say, please take it in the direct sense... of healthy Heart and Discerning-Wisdom..

// [...when only, the WORST SINNERS, the Wicked come to power and seriously try to DEFEAT RIGHTEOUSNESS on Earth. Rather it was a challenge... which state of affairs exists even in the present days.! ]

A lot of people like me will have to jump into fray. Any such discussion is too important to be left to a few people. A lot of Pandavas and Krishnas are in politics. It becomes too important an issue to be left un-argued.

For example consider this statement :

"Police thwart the theif with tact and we must not call it cunningness."
Agreed. But who is with the Government ? Police. Who is against ? Thieves.

Who was with the Government? Dhuryodhana. Who was against ? Pandavas. So who was "cunning" ? Who was trying to be "tactful" ?//

By saying "which State of affairs exist even in the present days"... I mean some of the present day Families amongst the Brothers too.

The purpose of documenting by our Ancestors... the Epics like Mahabharatha... deemed as part of Indian-Heritage...is to impart its Worthy Lessons for the advantage of the Posterity

... irrespective of the Events and Characters, True or Fiction... (left to the individuals own evaluation)... although believed as the FIFTH VEDA by the Hindus

The dispute here is NOT BETWEEN A CULPRIT with the Police and the GOVERNMENT.

But amongst the Two groups of Brothers ... possessing logical RIGHT for the claim.

...And also it was a Moral-Battle between the Humane RIGHTEOUSNESS Vs. Bestial DOMINATION backed by Selfishness, Jealousy, Wickedness, Cheating and such other nefarious means....

... taking the support of Nobles and Mights with Embarassment... to beat out Dharma...the Doctrines of Righteousness.

We have several points to talk in favour of Kauravas too... so called Duryodana-side...

...but whose Intentions was appreciable?... If Pandavas were defeated, what would have resulted in?

The Neighbours' Jackal tries to kill the innocent Cow...at its own house !

No doubt. that is the most interesting factor and Beauty in Mahabharatha unlike any other Epic of the world.

... since in some cases it is a Conflict between two equally worthy Dharmas or Doctrines of Righteousness.

But according to circumstances of Dilemma, which one is to be preferred... is the point of discernment here.

The most important point of overall impression is... that the whole story develops on the faults or blunders of one or more characters on both the sides....

The worst BLUNDERER was Bheeshma.... due to his Inconsistency and Self-contradictions.

Apart from Krishna... there are Two most noble Characters in this Epic... who were misused by the Dominating Wicked forces

... but they gain our high Respects, Appreciation and Sympathy for their INNOCENTLY getting trapped due to their Emotional decisions..... under Complex-situations of Dharma-Sangatam.... LIFE- CHALLENGES

Such IMMACULATE characters are VIDHURA and KARNA... who were innocent Victims of Circumstances.... especially Karna..

We can have No SYMPATHIES for Drona, Kripa, and Bheeshma too... because they deserve such a PUNISHMENT.

// Please continue the discussion based on what was stated only. You may quote someone as good and someone as bad, but only as stated in the version of Mahabharath, per Srivatsan's proposal, to which everyone agreed I believe.//

Such Episodes are intended to emulate towards our right decisions in our lives.... as Lessons.

For example, when we tell Crow and Fox story to our child... he applies his Wisdom and understands the Lesson behind for life... of his own accord by means of Wisdom application.

Similarly for Tough Life-lessons... especially in embarassing situations of dilemma... if and when humans are placed... we get the Advanced Lessons from such Epics.

So Mahabharatha is meant for our development of Thoughts by Wisdom.... towards our own Life- Advancements !!!

[Raghu]

Dear sudhama sir,

Pls answer my query above, thank you

[pizzalot]

Dear Mr Pizzalot,
So please feel free to speak out whatever you have in mind, in a dignified manner conforming to the Spirit of Discussion-Forum. But I request you NOT TO GET EMOTIONAL. I assure I will not say anything provocative nor will allow so from others too.



Thanks Sudhama Sir. Thanks for being patient and bearing with me. You surely stand apart from Srivatsan and lot. You are knowledgeable and wise indeed. No doubt about it.


But my believes and understanding contradicts yours. I look forward to hear your contentions. I may not agree with you. But we still will respect each other correct ? But anywhere if I had misquoted Mahabharath please correct me.


The following points sum-up views. If you find it too abstract, please let me know and I will explain elaborately.



First, Is the story of Mahabharatha applicable today ?
I feel that not everything in Mhabharatha is applicable today. First of all the story is not about "us". It is a story about "them". "They" do not even mean "all the people" who lived in the countries that were supposed to have existed those days. It is simply about "some brothers" who faught against an establishment or civilization to gain a luxurious life for themselves. I simply cannot understand how they can be venerated as heroes and their story as applicable and followed todate. Today the world regimes are supposed to be people centric. That belief is not emphasised in Mahabharath. They did not fight for the people, but only for themselves. The story ends as the greatest tragedy of all times. No one is happy in the end. If there is something we must learn from Mahabharath, it is only how evil can Monarchy go. These monarchs call for innocent people's sacrifices as their dury. Rule of dynasties in India today is still tolerated in India perhaps because of these old stories religously re-told even today. This story is just the selfish aspirations of some xyz family and feuds between them. Nothing more seems to be in its core theme. They might have served as valuable lessons for other monarchs but not for ordinary men like us. So I believe this story should be read simply for the sake of pleasure of reading it but not as a source for morals. So I am afraid you can call it Fifth Veda, as Vedas are supposed to be universal in space and time.



Simply about brothers who faught and killed for the throne and not for people's welfare:
The establishment the Pandavas faught against happened to be headed by their own cousins. The result was destruction and death everywhere. The people who faught and lost their lives in the war, can only be fools or their salves who must obey the commands of their bosses. There is no mention in Mahabharath that people suffered during Dhuryodhan's or Dhridhirashtra's rule. Dhuryodhan is not mentioned as an "unjust king" anywhere. Pandavas did not for the people's liberation or something.



Pandavas were not that honorable :
What Dhuryodhan was NOT is, he was NOT cunning like Arjuna. If he was so, he could have very well made Arjuna a Yeghalaiv. Since they were fatherless orphans with no money, Dhuryodhan could have ordered Dhrona to collect his guru dhakshana from the Pandavas as thumb, fingers or legs. But he or his family did not do that. They simply paid for the Pandava's education and growth, which was their only mistake. They had forgotten that they were themselves the descendants of a fisher-woman. Dhuryodhan had passed on that memory by making Karna as King Of Angh.



The Pandavas were smart and wicked not to do so. They called the nanny and demanded the thumb of Yeghaiva through Dhrona. Did Dhrona did that cruel act for himself? Did he want the thumb as a souveneir for himself ? Was it not the Pandavas' greed and selfish nature behind this gruesome act? Were they "tactful" or "cunning" with Yeghaliv ? They had also called the nanny when Karna won the swyamwara cermony. Here you cannot say it was Draupadi who refused Karna. If that was so, how did she accept five Pandavas as husbands when her mother-in-law suggested ? So she was not an all-independent woman. I suspect the the Pandava lobby to have played a big-role in Karna's denial of Draupadi.



Pandavas' lack of virtue was the main reason for Kauravas hatred :
Such gruesome attitude of the Pandavas should have been the main cause for the hatred Dhuryodhana developed in his childhood. Duryodhana's family paid for the Pandava's education only for them to destroy their family after they grew-up. Contrast them with the nature and attitude of Karna or Yeghalaiv. Look at their devoted, unconditional loyalty to the King. But he never saw that unconditional devotion from the Pandavas. As orphans, Dhuryodhana and Co paid for their food and education. Even otherwise, according to the Dharma of those days, one cannot insult the King. These orphans had insulted the Prince several times during the Guru Kula. Well, orphans living at the expense of someone and dis-respecting them ! So his hatred to them is justifiable.

Who was the rightful heir to the throne ? The Pandavas or Kauravas ?


First of all people are not a King's belongings as described in Mahabhrath. They are not slaves to be owned and ruled. The current view about the Head Of The State as the First Servant is far superior to the views given in Mahabharath where the King owns the people. Husbands owned their wives. Compare that to the modern trend that people own the servant and the women count no less than men to decide who will rule and who will not. In modern view, no one has the right to gamble and lose the country or wife. So much was the Pandava'sr love for their people and women, they gambled them. And we are venerating them as heroes ! So be it. Even then, are the Pandavas really the heir to the throne ?



Are the Pandavas heirs on moral grounds ?
Sorry for going all over the place. Ok. Coming to the point. Even if we accept (little hard for me though ?) the old-age idea that men and women could be owned, sold or gambled, how can the Pandavas be the rightful heirs of Bharath ? It was Bhishma who was the real heir morally speaking. (And you call him wicked too! ) Pandavas' forefathers had taken the Kingdom though treachery, selfishness and seduction. So morally, he deserved to be the King. But he himself was, till the end, loyal to Dhuryodhan, however bad he might have been. So on ethical grounds Pandavas should not have claimed for the Kingdom against Bhishma's own wishes. When Bhishma himself serves Dhridhrashtr how can can they claim the throne on moral grounds ?



Are Pandavas heirs on legal grounds ?


So we all understand ethics and Pandavas do not go together ? So let us consider who is the legal heir. The Dhridh's father had some three sons. Dhridh was the oldest. So he was the legal heir. Though he was blind, he was quite an able administrator unlike Pandu who was not capable of ruling owing to health reasons. So Dhridh was THE KING. Period. And it is upto him and his son to give the Kingdom to Pandavas or not. (Remember it is not a living space that they were denied. They were denied the right to rule. Is it so difficult for them to live a ordinary man's life ?)

So if Dhridh and Co. wished not to give a pin-head space to the Pandavas to rule, so must it be. Period. Simply that was the law of the land those days. I feel Dhuryodhan should have been a little tactful and eliminated the siblings of Pandu even when they were kids. But the benevolent Dhuryodhan did not do that. Had it been the Pandavas in his position, they would have given horrible deaths to the Kaurava kids. After-all see how they took the thumb of Yeghaliva when they saw him as a potential threat !



Pandavas' lived at the mercy of Dhuryodhan; Paid by the poor for their luxories, in Indraprast:
During the time they were given the rule of Indra-Prastha how did they live ? Lazy and luxurious. Their palace was more luxurious than the one at Hastinapur. Dhuryodhan, the King Of Kings, at Hastinapur, the capital of Bharath, did not live such a life ! What does it ring in your head ? Could not the Emperor Dhuryodhan who owned the Pandavas themselves, built 100 such palaces a year if he wanted ? Could it not be Dhuryodhan's people-centric tendency that could have prompted him to plan and take back Indraprastha from them ? It was not from the Central Hastinapur's funds, so the only other way they could have got is by extorting the poor people of Indraprasta.



As if that was not enough, they insulted the rightful heir of the empire, when he made a visit to Indraprast. If the President of India is insulted in Punjab will you not consider it as an act of rebellion or Raj drogh ? Does this not stand as a proof of their rebellious intentions ? And what did you expect Dhuryodhana to do with them ? The orphans had repaid the mercy showered upon them by insulting the benevolent Dhuryodhana and Co.



If you lose something in gamble, can you call nanny and ask it back ?
In anycase, after losing their Kingdom and Wife to Kauravas in the gamble, what right they had got to ask for it after 14 years ? If you lose something in gambling, will you ask for it after umpteen years ? Did they pledge their belongings just for 14 years ? They had pledged it forever isn't it ? So Dhuryodhan had the right to keep them out of the Kingdom forever. It is shame and unethical on Pandavas to expect they will be given back the Kingdom they had lost so they can live a lavish life forever afterwards.



Who started the bloody war ?
Dhuryodhana did not start the war.The war was called-upon by Pandavas. He could have killed them when they were kids. But he did not. Thus he had proved he was virtuous. But see what they did to him. They killed each one of the Kauravas and his supporters, including Bhishma, who was the moral heir to the throne.



Dhuryodhana was a great leader:
See the loyalty Dhuryodhana secured from his brothers and others. Everyone of them was a patriot. They knew who was a better King and a person. A cunning, greedy and jealous person can never command loyalty of the people to their death. A cunning person will not be able to secure the support of his own brothers. Simply his leadership was amazing and adorable. The image and nature of the leader is very vital for the morale of his people. See how Karna, Bhishma, Dhrona, Shakuni and Kripacharya one by one laid their life for the Charismatic Dhuryodhana. Simply Pandava and Co. did not demonstrate that leadership or adorability anywhere in Mahabharath.



On Krishna's support to Pandavas :He sided the Pandavas owing to the relationship he had with Arjuna through Subhatra. Not really based on righteousness. Remember, his brother was siding Dhuryodhana for the same reason. So also was Shakuni. In anyway you see, it was an internal fratricidal feud. Nothing was for the cause of "righteousness".



Winners are always "good" in history :In short it is really the winning of the war seems to have made the Pandavas heroes. Was any winner of war ever was bad in history ? Just because the pento-group won, they were acclaimed as heroes subsequently. Who would have paid the bills for Vyasa if he was sitting and praising the lost Kauravas ? But today, we are not in any compulsion to acknowledge them as heroes . So why are we praising them and condemning Kauravas ?


Mahabharatha, the greatest tragedy ever told:
You call a drama as "tragedy" based on who you consider as a hero. Here Dhuryodhan should be the hero. That way Mahabharatha is the greatest tragedy ever told, todate.

Pandavas need to be seen as anti-establishment elements and nothingelse. The bad men can be forgiven. But no one will forgive us if we condemn and curse the good. For the Pandavas , Kauravas & Co were bad. But not for the common people of those days and today correct ? Why should we curse Dhuryodhana and praise the Pandavas ? If anything, we must do vice-a-versa.

[S.Balaji]

Pizzalot

All your points are with substance ! You have done a threadbare analysis it seems !

Mr. Sudhama & others :

I think we should respect Pizzalot's message & give a convincing reply as his points are genuine IMHO.

Lets not get into a verbal war & instead lets analyze in detail once again.

Looking forward :D

[S.Balaji]

One positive aspect of Duryodhana was THAT HE ADMINISTERED HIS SUBJECTS WELL.

This fact was confirmed in Vyasar Virundhu by Rajaji that he took care of his people well during the period when the Pandavas were in exile .

[Rohit]

Pizzalot,
You have excellently captured a fourteen-point analytical criticism of the epic. It is indeed a remarkable work. All your points are perfectly valid and justified in light of evolving nature of human cognition and the growing ability of more and more people to spot selfish, deceiving and/or erroneous moral judgements of the past, which can only be admitted and not denied by those who are wise and could discern well and judge well.

Only a complete denial of such gradual shifts in people's ability to make conscience oriented moral judgements could counter the well-analysed criticism you have just issued above. Bravo! Well done, Pizzalot.
:clap: :thumbsup: :clap:

[S.Balaji]

Pizzalot,
You have excellently captured a fourteen-point analytical criticism of the epic. It is indeed a remarkable work. All your points are perfectly valid and justified in light of evolving nature of human cognition and the growing ability of more and more people to spot selfish, deceiving and/or erroneous moral judgements of the past, which can only be admitted and not denied by those who are wise and could discern well and judge well.

Only a complete denial of such gradual shifts in people's ability to make conscience oriented moral judgements could counter the well-analysed criticism you have issued above. Bravo! Well done, Pizzalot.
:clap: :thumbsup: :clap:

Exactly !!

Infact its a remarkable analysis !

Mr. Sudhama , Mr. Badri & all others....

A request again.......

Definitely Pizzalot's posting deserves a logical / convincing response........

Lets have constructive exchanges like this.......

[Raghu]

First, Is the story of Mahabharatha applicable today ?


Pls be precise, and start from a scenario, v should really talk abt the moral behind the story rather than the characters,

so start from scenario, and v shall continue....

[Rohit]

Exactly !!

Infact its a remarkable analysis !

Mr. Sudhama , Mr. Badri & all others....

A request again.......

Definitely Pizzalot's posting deserves a logical / convincing response........

Lets have constructive exchanges like this.......
Dear S. Balaji, I am impressed with your openness; and I hope, your sincerity draws the deserved impact. :thumbsup:

[Raghu]

I am awaiting some1 to pick up a chracter from the epic, so that v can analyse, whether, it is applicable 2 2days world or not!

Rohit ji

how are u, long time no c? :-)

[Rohit]

I am fine, dear Raghu. Thank you. How are you my friend? Hope you and your loved ones are doing fine. :)

[Rohit]

I am awaiting some1 to pick up a chracter from the epic, so that v can analyse, whether, it is applicable 2 2days world or not!
Dear Raghu,
Let us have a full constructive response on Pizaalot's analytical criticism; and then come to what you have just asked. Let us approach the issue methodically. I hope you will understand that this (the request for a methodicall approach) is not something to agree or disagree about. :)

[Sudhaama]

Dear Mr Pizzalot,
So please feel free to speak out whatever you have in mind, in a dignified manner conforming to the Spirit of Discussion-Forum. But I request you NOT TO GET EMOTIONAL. I assure I will not say anything provocative nor will allow so from others too.



Thanks Sudhama Sir. Thanks for being patient and bearing with me. You surely stand apart from Srivatsan and lot. You are knowledgeable and wise indeed. No doubt about it.


But my believes and understanding contradicts yours. I look forward to hear your contentions. I may not agree with you. But we still will respect each other correct ? But anywhere if I had misquoted Mahabharath please correct me.


The following points sum-up views. If you find it too abstract, please let me know and I will explain elaborately.



First, Is the story of Mahabharatha applicable today ?
I feel that not everything in Mhabharatha is applicable today. First of all the story is not about "us". It is a story about "them". "They" do not even mean "all the people" who lived in the countries that were supposed to have existed those days. It is simply about "some brothers" who faught against an establishment or civilization to gain a luxurious life for themselves. I simply cannot understand how they can be venerated as heroes and their story as applicable and followed todate. Today the world regimes are supposed to be people centric. That belief is not emphasised in Mahabharath. They did not fight for the people, but only for themselves. The story ends as the greatest tragedy of all times. No one is happy in the end. If there is something we must learn from Mahabharath, it is only how evil can Monarchy go. These monarchs call for innocent people's sacrifices as their dury. Rule of dynasties in India today is still tolerated in India perhaps because of these old stories religously re-told even today. This story is just the selfish aspirations of some xyz family and feuds between them. Nothing more seems to be in its core theme. They might have served as valuable lessons for other monarchs but not for ordinary men like us. So I believe this story should be read simply for the sake of pleasure of reading it but not as a source for morals. So I am afraid you can call it Fifth Veda, as Vedas are supposed to be universal in space and time.



Simply about brothers who faught and killed for the throne and not for people's welfare:
The establishment the Pandavas faught against happened to be headed by their own cousins. The result was destruction and death everywhere. The people who faught and lost their lives in the war, can only be fools or their salves who must obey the commands of their bosses. There is no mention in Mahabharath that people suffered during Dhuryodhan's or Dhridhirashtra's rule. Dhuryodhan is not mentioned as an "unjust king" anywhere. Pandavas did not for the people's liberation or something.



Pandavas were not that honorable :
What Dhuryodhan was NOT is, he was NOT cunning like Arjuna. If he was so, he could have very well made Arjuna a Yeghalaiv. Since they were fatherless orphans with no money, Dhuryodhan could have ordered Dhrona to collect his guru dhakshana from the Pandavas as thumb, fingers or legs. But he or his family did not do that. They simply paid for the Pandava's education and growth, which was their only mistake. They had forgotten that they were themselves the descendants of a fisher-woman. Dhuryodhan had passed on that memory by making Karna as King Of Angh.



The Pandavas were smart and wicked not to do so. They called the nanny and demanded the thumb of Yeghaiva through Dhrona. Did Dhrona did that cruel act for himself? Did he want the thumb as a souveneir for himself ? Was it not the Pandavas' greed and selfish nature behind this gruesome act? Were they "tactful" or "cunning" with Yeghaliv ? They had also called the nanny when Karna won the swyamwara cermony. Here you cannot say it was Draupadi who refused Karna. If that was so, how did she accept five Pandavas as husbands when her mother-in-law suggested ? So she was not an all-independent woman. I suspect the the Pandava lobby to have played a big-role in Karna's denial of Draupadi.



Pandavas' lack of virtue was the main reason for Kauravas hatred :
Such gruesome attitude of the Pandavas should have been the main cause for the hatred Dhuryodhana developed in his childhood. Duryodhana's family paid for the Pandava's education only for them to destroy their family after they grew-up. Contrast them with the nature and attitude of Karna or Yeghalaiv. Look at their devoted, unconditional loyalty to the King. But he never saw that unconditional devotion from the Pandavas. As orphans, Dhuryodhana and Co paid for their food and education. Even otherwise, according to the Dharma of those days, one cannot insult the King. These orphans had insulted the Prince several times during the Guru Kula. Well, orphans living at the expense of someone and dis-respecting them ! So his hatred to them is justifiable.

Who was the rightful heir to the throne ? The Pandavas or Kauravas ?


First of all people are not a King's belongings as described in Mahabhrath. They are not slaves to be owned and ruled. The current view about the Head Of The State as the First Servant is far superior to the views given in Mahabharath where the King owns the people. Husbands owned their wives. Compare that to the modern trend that people own the servant and the women count no less than men to decide who will rule and who will not. In modern view, no one has the right to gamble and lose the country or wife. So much was the Pandava'sr love for their people and women, they gambled them. And we are venerating them as heroes ! So be it. Even then, are the Pandavas really the heir to the throne ?



Are the Pandavas heirs on moral grounds ?
Sorry for going all over the place. Ok. Coming to the point. Even if we accept (little hard for me though ?) the old-age idea that men and women could be owned, sold or gambled, how can the Pandavas be the rightful heirs of Bharath ? It was Bhishma who was the real heir morally speaking. (And you call him wicked too! ) Pandavas' forefathers had taken the Kingdom though treachery, selfishness and seduction. So morally, he deserved to be the King. But he himself was, till the end, loyal to Dhuryodhan, however bad he might have been. So on ethical grounds Pandavas should not have claimed for the Kingdom against Bhishma's own wishes. When Bhishma himself serves Dhridhrashtr how can can they claim the throne on moral grounds ?



Are Pandavas heirs on legal grounds ?


So we all understand ethics and Pandavas do not go together ? So let us consider who is the legal heir. The Dhridh's father had some three sons. Dhridh was the oldest. So he was the legal heir. Though he was blind, he was quite an able administrator unlike Pandu who was not capable of ruling owing to health reasons. So Dhridh was THE KING. Period. And it is upto him and his son to give the Kingdom to Pandavas or not. (Remember it is not a living space that they were denied. They were denied the right to rule. Is it so difficult for them to live a ordinary man's life ?)

So if Dhridh and Co. wished not to give a pin-head space to the Pandavas to rule, so must it be. Period. Simply that was the law of the land those days. I feel Dhuryodhan should have been a little tactful and eliminated the siblings of Pandu even when they were kids. But the benevolent Dhuryodhan did not do that. Had it been the Pandavas in his position, they would have given horrible deaths to the Kaurava kids. After-all see how they took the thumb of Yeghaliva when they saw him as a potential threat !



Pandavas' lived at the mercy of Dhuryodhan; Paid by the poor for their luxories, in Indraprast:
During the time they were given the rule of Indra-Prastha how did they live ? Lazy and luxurious. Their palace was more luxurious than the one at Hastinapur. Dhuryodhan, the King Of Kings, at Hastinapur, the capital of Bharath, did not live such a life ! What does it ring in your head ? Could not the Emperor Dhuryodhan who owned the Pandavas themselves, built 100 such palaces a year if he wanted ? Could it not be Dhuryodhan's people-centric tendency that could have prompted him to plan and take back Indraprastha from them ? It was not from the Central Hastinapur's funds, so the only other way they could have got is by extorting the poor people of Indraprasta.



As if that was not enough, they insulted the rightful heir of the empire, when he made a visit to Indraprast. If the President of India is insulted in Punjab will you not consider it as an act of rebellion or Raj drogh ? Does this not stand as a proof of their rebellious intentions ? And what did you expect Dhuryodhana to do with them ? The orphans had repaid the mercy showered upon them by insulting the benevolent Dhuryodhana and Co.



If you lose something in gamble, can you call nanny and ask it back ?
In anycase, after losing their Kingdom and Wife to Kauravas in the gamble, what right they had got to ask for it after 14 years ? If you lose something in gambling, will you ask for it after umpteen years ? Did they pledge their belongings just for 14 years ? They had pledged it forever isn't it ? So Dhuryodhan had the right to keep them out of the Kingdom forever. It is shame and unethical on Pandavas to expect they will be given back the Kingdom they had lost so they can live a lavish life forever afterwards.



Who started the bloody war ?
Dhuryodhana did not start the war.The war was called-upon by Pandavas. He could have killed them when they were kids. But he did not. Thus he had proved he was virtuous. But see what they did to him. They killed each one of the Kauravas and his supporters, including Bhishma, who was the moral heir to the throne.



Dhuryodhana was a great leader:
See the loyalty Dhuryodhana secured from his brothers and others. Everyone of them was a patriot. They knew who was a better King and a person. A cunning, greedy and jealous person can never command loyalty of the people to their death. A cunning person will not be able to secure the support of his own brothers. Simply his leadership was amazing and adorable. The image and nature of the leader is very vital for the morale of his people. See how Karna, Bhishma, Dhrona, Shakuni and Kripacharya one by one laid their life for the Charismatic Dhuryodhana. Simply Pandava and Co. did not demonstrate that leadership or adorability anywhere in Mahabharath.



On Krishna's support to Pandavas :He sided the Pandavas owing to the relationship he had with Arjuna through Subhatra. Not really based on righteousness. Remember, his brother was siding Dhuryodhana for the same reason. So also was Shakuni. In anyway you see, it was an internal fratricidal feud. Nothing was for the cause of "righteousness".



Winners are always "good" in history :In short it is really the winning of the war seems to have made the Pandavas heroes. Was any winner of war ever was bad in history ? Just because the pento-group won, they were acclaimed as heroes subsequently. Who would have paid the bills for Vyasa if he was sitting and praising the lost Kauravas ? But today, we are not in any compulsion to acknowledge them as heroes . So why are we praising them and condemning Kauravas ?


Mahabharatha, the greatest tragedy ever told:
You call a drama as "tragedy" based on who you consider as a hero. Here Dhuryodhan should be the hero. That way Mahabharatha is the greatest tragedy ever told, todate.

Pandavas need to be seen as anti-establishment elements and nothingelse. The bad men can be forgiven. But no one will forgive us if we condemn and curse the good. For the Pandavas , Kauravas & Co were bad. But not for the common people of those days and today correct ? Why should we curse Dhuryodhana and praise the Pandavas ? If anything, we must do vice-a-versa.

Well-done Dear Mr. Pizzalot,

You have raised some wise Questions... towards LIVELY DISCUSSIONS
of Common interests....

I am glad .. you have IGNITED THE SPARK OF MY WISDOM ...

.... and OPENED THE DOOR OF RICH KNOWLEDGE.... on the Art of Life confronting Challenging circumstances..

Thus you have Inaugurated this Second-session of BRAIN-STORMING analysis on Mahabharatha

My Answer in brief is... most of these Questions have already been raised by one or the other characters within that Epic itself, even as a debate... evolving the convincing answer complying to Wisdom and compatible to God's Law of Righteousness

Rather there already exists SEEDS OF ANSWERS within... which we will have to develop by our wisdom application.... to get the Ultimate Truth behind.

Right from my boyhood, most of these Questions I too have raised with my Grand-father and other elders as well as several Scholars too... apart from the Seminars, Journals and Books.....

... and got well-clarified to my entire satisfaction...

...so as to present the INHERENT TRUTH AND LIFE-CODE ideal for Mankind ....

... ETERNALLY APPILCABLE...in any Country of any Religion or Faith.

So I believe... everyone of us here... will have something to put forth.. conforming to the individual perception on this Great Moral-Document.

Before I reply ... I am anxious to hear what my other Friends have got to say on these opposite views..

Dear Friends... Please come forward to put forth ... your reply, point by point.

Thanking you all With Best Wishes,
Sudhaama.

[pizzalot]

Thank you Rohit and Balaji. Thank you Sudhama Sir.

Sudhama:
//My Answer in brief is... most of these Questions have already been raised by one or the other characters within that Epic itself, even as a debate... //

Correct Sudhama Sir. As an example, one charecter, compelled by his conscience, asks several moral questions. All of them were answered but none of them could convince him (even him!). He still kept questioning. Then he was shown the Vishwaroopa as an answer.

Hope you will give us a different answer here, Sudhama Sir.

[Badri]

Finally, a good approach!

First, Is the story of Mahabharatha applicable today ?

Only certain parts of the MB are applicable in today'w world. The MB may be taken as a historical rendering of certain events that occurred between a royal family of cousins. The right and the wrong as depicted in that story were all applicable perhaps during that time and age. They can certainly not all be relevant to this age. The most commonest example of such irrelevancy that springs to mind is the classic case of Draupadi.

Now, that said, people who are genuinely interested in learning would sift the untruth from the truth and seek to adopt only that which is true, helpful, relevant. Now, what are these that are relevant? To answer that, maybe some of other Pizzalot's questions might actually help.


Are the Pandavas heirs on moral grounds ?

Dritharasthra, by virtue of being the eldest son must have become king. Because he was blind, the kingdom went to Pandu and on Pandu's death, again Dritarashtra got the kingdom. However, he only ruled a part of the kingdom established in Hastinapura. The Pandavas created another seperate kingdom with its capital as Indraprastha. This they created and established by their own efforts. The Kauravas are said to have given barren tracts of land to the Pandavas for them to rule over. The Pandavas by their effort transformed that arid region into a beautiful kingdom called Indraprastha.

They did not covet Hastinapura. They were happy to be in Indraprastha. Duryodhana however, became jealous of the Pandavas' success in creating Indraprastha and hence wanted to drive them out of that land too. It was this that precipitated the war. The Pandavas were the rightful heir to Indraprastha, not to Hastinapura. And as between any two kings, if one king (in this instance, Duryodhana) eyes the kingdom of another (in this case, Pandavas), war is inevitable.

Will discuss the rest of Pizzalot's questions one by one. Undoubtedly, others would have things to add too in the meanwhile

[Badri]

While coming into work today, I saw this ad on a billboard at the station. It has the face of a sad man and the words said,

"Has gambling taken over your life? Call this number for help"

It was a gambling helpline.

That was a lesson embedded in the MB! Yudhistra's attraction to the game proved to be the undoing of the Pandavas. That lesson is relevant to this day.

[pizzalot]

While coming into work today, I saw this ad on a billboard at the station. It has the face of a sad man and the words said,

"Has gambling taken over your life? Call this number for help"

It was a gambling helpline.

That was a lesson embedded in the MB! Yudhistra's attraction to the game proved to be the undoing of the Pandavas. That lesson is relevant to this day.

Yup! This I agree. It is sad that some get addicted to the dopomine production that occurs during gambling. The help might give some drugs to negate the dopomine and so you become indifferent to gambling.

However, my contention was, do they deserve the Kingdom back after losing it in the game. Did they pledge the Kingdom for just 14 years or forever ? Is it just on the part of the society to ask Dhuryodhana to give the kingdom back ?

My another question was, does the King have any rights to gamble his Kingdom ? Was that act of pledging the Kingdom condemned by Lord Krishna anywhere in Mahabharath or Gita ?

[pizzalot]

The Kauravas are said to have given barren tracts of land to the Pandavas for them to rule over.

Why should they give them even that ?

[Badri]

Was that act of pledging the Kingdom condemned by Lord Krishna anywhere in Mahabharath or Gita ?

Yes, in the original MB that I read some 5 years ago, Krishna severely upbraides Yudhistra for the act. There were 2 gambling games, which is really pathetic, for Yudishtra hadnt learnt the lesson the first time.

The whole staking the kingdom, brothers and wife happens during the first round. Draupadi is dishonored during this, and she, full of fury, curses the Kauravas. Afraid of the curse of a chaste woman, Gandhari and Dritharashtra intervene, admonish their sons, return everything back to the Pandavas and bid them go back to their kingdom.

Angered by the turn of events, Duryodhana, with the connivance of Sakuni invites Yud to another round of the dice game, this time the stakes are if the Pandavas lose, they would have to go to the forest for 14 years, of which the last one year would be living incognito. If they succeed in this, they will get everything back. If their disguise is penetrated and they are discovered before the last year is fully up, they will have to undergo the entire routine again of 13 + 1 years.


However, my contention was, do they deserve the Kingdom back after losing it in the game. Did they pledge the Kingdom for just 14 years or forever ?

I think the above would sort of answer your question. That was the rules and the stake at the game.

But, was Yudhistra right in pledging his kingdom in the first place?
A Big NO. The kingdom does not belong to the king, who is supposed to be a servant of the people, according to Manu.

The ending of the MB is the best lesson of all. Everyone made their mistakes, and finally had to face the results of their deeds, including the Pandavas. The Pandavas and Draupadi were left with none of their sons alive. The only heir to the entire race was Parikshit, the grandson.

Wasn't that punishment enough for them? If you really look at it, the Pandavas probably ruled for another 10-12 years after the war, that is all, for they crown Parakshit when the lad is quite young (I think 13, not very sure) and they leave.


Isn't that lesson enough to all of us that if brothers decide to fight for property, no one wins?
Doesn't MB teach us then that jealousy leads to ruin?
That gambling, no matter how great a soul you are, makes your life absolutely miserable?
That where woman are not treated with respect, there can be no peace and prosperity? (It was their dishonoring Draupadi that triggered the war, really, what with her and Bhima's terrible vows. )
If anything, MB teaches us the futility of war.


Take these lessons then Pizzalot. MB is of relevance to this day. Do not judge the characters. They were as faulty as you and I are, but through their lives and actions, they left us a message of what to do and what not to.

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:1158f62058]Digression here pls :

Can someone clarify on how realistic the following incidents would have :

1.Krishna giving Geetha to Arjuna in the midst of the war

2.While Drona was about to use Brahmastra, Krishna urging the Pandavas to say that Ashwathama has been killed

My question is :

Where did he have the time to give a full lecture on Geetha . I doubt whether he had this session with Arjuna may be before the war …but may not be on the battlefield….. I don’t think others would have waited for this session to get completed

Probably Arjuna must have been very upset the previous day & Krishna must have comforted him by highlighting the realities in life & what dharma is all about

How come Krishna had ample time to convince the Pandavas when Drona was about to use the Bramastra ? Is it probably that chanting that divine mantra will take more time or what ??
[/tscii:1158f62058]

[Raghu]

[tscii:20d44a671b]
My question is :

Where did he have the time to give a full lecture on Geetha . I doubt whether he had this session with Arjuna may be before the war …but may not be on the battlefield….. I don’t think others would have waited for this session to get completed

,

Nakeeran,

Gita was told to Partha on the battlefield of Gurusheshtra.. Not b4 that. Krishna actually froze(the entire war zone) but not Arjuna, then he will preach gita, once this is done, he will defreeze the entire war zone, and at the same time, Arjuna would have 4gottn th whole scenario.[/tscii:20d44a671b]

[johntony]

:D

[pizzalot]

Agreed Rohit. Nice point. But we have to remember Gita was not a part of original Mahabharat by Vyas. It was an insert at a later stage.

Is anyone going to convince me on the points I raised ?

[Badri]

Is anyone going to convince me on the points I raised ?

No one can convince anyone, pizzalot. One can at best place before you facts, interpretations and theories. Whether you choose to be convinced or not is your call, not any other's.

Besides, I am quite positive that none of us have been born for the express purpose of convincing you on the points you have raised! That, I am sure, is not the overachieving destiny of our lives.

[Sudhaama]

Is anyone going to convince me on the points I raised ?

No one can convince anyone, pizzalot. One can at best place before you facts, interpretations and theories. Whether you choose to be convinced or not is your call, not any other's.

Besides, I am quite positive that none of us have been born for the express purpose of convincing you on the points you have raised! That, I am sure, is not the overachieving destiny of our lives.

Yes. Yes. Yes... I radically agree with Mr. Badri on this point.

The Scope and Purpose of this Forum is only as a DISCUSSION DAIS ...

...and Neither a Debate-Forum... which no doubt brings out and enlightens the hidden sides...

...but it cannot be the Common-dais for all of various standards of Knowledge on the subject...

...Nor this can be a COURT OF ARGUMENT...where two or more sides indulging... are NOT OPEN-MINDED...

...since have already DECIDED TO DIFFER with other sides of even Valid-points

But only an OPEN-FORUM OF DISCUSSIONS... by Mutual-Exchange of Knowledge and Thoughts... irrespective of one's own personal Principles and Faith.

...Rather a HEALTHY OPPORTUNITY for One and All here.... inviting Open-mindedly ...

... since commonly available to each and every segment of the multifareous hues of the GLOBAL-SOCIETY

... comprising of either the highly knowledged Experts or the Mediocres or even for a totally ignorant...or even a Boy, the School-student.

So all of us must ensure mutual-respect... by not only words but also by the Sense of approach..

..Not trying to exhibit one's own acclaimed versatile Smartness...

...Nor trying to beat out others in a Forum... which is Neither a Race-ground nor a Battlefield.

So I join with Mr. Badri to ASSERT that we are NOT INTERESTED to CONVINCE anyone...

... that they are WRONG to infer or contend different from us...

..Nor INTERESTED TO GET CONVINCED by others... that we are Wrong...

..since we are sure that we have adequate sense of Perception and Introspection too.

Even at my present Senior-citizens age... of last chapter of my Life... I am anxious to learn and learn further and thus add up my knowledge on any and every subject on Earth.... irrespective of my Engineering profession...

...right from my Boyhood...making me go in search of Knowledged Elders, Extraneous Scholars... Books, Seminars and the like... with an OPEN-MIND, Curiosity and Zeal ... extensively...

...because I have learnt one important Truth in Life... ascertained by means of my vast Experience.... that...

... KNOWLEDGE IS STRENGTH / POWER... the most meaningful for Mankind.

...Knowledge is the GREATEST EARNING AND TREASURE.... with PLEASURE

Such a sort of Healthy pursuit in Life... coupled with Kindled Wisdom ...

...and Hearty approach with others... towards gaining added circle of Friends in the Global arena...

... alone can cause and preserve a LIVELY AND WORTHY DISCUSSION. ..

...in this Rare Forum of opportunity of Common interest to all... ensuring Human-oulook towards our Overall benefit.

So let us all conserve here such a HEALTHY SPIRIT only...Nothing beyond.
...

[kannannn]

So I join with Mr. Badri to ASSERT that we are NOT INTERESTED to CONVINCE anyone...

... that they are WRONG to infer or contend different from us...

..Nor INTERESTED TO GET CONVINCED by others... that we are Wrong...

..since we are sure that we have adequate sense of Perception and Introspection too.

Even at my present Senior-citizens age... of last chapter of my Life... I am anxious to learn and learn further and thus add up my knowledge on any and every subject on Earth.... irrespective of my Engineering profession...
Dear Mr. Sudhaama, happy to know that you are anxious to learn further. So are many of us, I am sure. But is not any discussion futile if none of us are prepared to be convinced. And for anyone to be unconvinced, there are only two possibilities: one, they are stubborn in their views, unprepared to see the possibility of truth in others' arguments and two, the arguments are simply unconvincing. As for pizzalot's questions, there have not been sufficient answers to arrive at the conclusion that he is unprepared to see others' point of view. So, that only leaves the second possibility.

[Sudhaama]

So I join with Mr. Badri to ASSERT that we are NOT INTERESTED to CONVINCE anyone...

... that they are WRONG to infer or contend different from us...

..Nor INTERESTED TO GET CONVINCED by others... that we are Wrong...

..since we are sure that we have adequate sense of Perception and Introspection too.

Even at my present Senior-citizens age... of last chapter of my Life... I am anxious to learn and learn further and thus add up my knowledge on any and every subject on Earth.... irrespective of my Engineering profession...
Dear Mr. Sudhaama, happy to know that you are anxious to learn further. So are many of us, I am sure. But is not any discussion futile if none of us are prepared to be convinced. And for anyone to be unconvinced, there are only two possibilities: one, they are stubborn in their views, unprepared to see the possibility of truth in others' arguments and two, the arguments are simply unconvincing. As for pizzalot's questions, there have not been sufficient answers to arrive at the conclusion that he is unprepared to see others' point of view. So, that only leaves the second possibility.

Dear Mr. Kannan,

Well.. You have a point. But such of your healthy approach... when we do not find in case of anybody we have to REACT DIFFERENTLY.

Please note his NEGATIVE SENSE OF APPROACH conveyed by words....

// "... But we have to remember Gita was not a part of original Mahabharat by Vyas. It was an insert at a later stage.

Is anyone going to convince me on the points I raised ?//

Is it not a PERVERSION?.... A SURMISE?...

He is attacking the RUDIMENTARY TRUTH in this open forum, by which we the Devotees of Faith on Mahabharatha feel HURT.

Even if he says... "I doubt whether Geetha was an subsequent Insertion"... I would have tolerated and tried to CONVINCE HIM putting forth the other side, the valid points.

We don't relish anybody's THRUSTING HIS / HER PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS.

"Well... if it is your Conclusion... very well you can have it so." we will think and keep off the DRY ARGUMENT.

Why should we bother to correct others?.... even if they were wrong?? ... Nobody here is either a Teacher or Student or Acharyas....

...We are just Friends interested in Mutual-Exchange of Thoughts and Knowledge...

...Not even for ARGUMENTS and ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUTH OR FACTS ...

And the most important factor is.... this Forum is Not meant for only the two or a few under dispute...

...but for the sake of the whole lot of SILENT VIEWERS mainly.

It is better such Gentlemen like Mr. Pizzalot... study intensively the Books of REAL WORTH ... and then come to a conclusion...

... INSTEAD OF SUCH LOOSE TALK ...OF PERVERTED OUTLOOK...

...on a Great indian Heritage of Global appreciation...

...by the OPEN-MINDED AND UNBIASED SCHOLARS

Even if anybody believes..."There is No God"... we are not interested to Contradict... because it is his personal faith....

We are interested ONLY IN HEALTHY DISCUSSIONS...

...and Not in PROVING the Dubious Veracity and Ill-worth of OTHERS PERSONAL FAITHS AND BELIEFS...

...even if Contrary to ours which is based on WELL-FOUNDED TRUTH justifiable by WISDOM
...

[Raghu]

Dear Sudhamma sir,

Can you please write up some info about Sahadeva, amongs the Pandavas and his role in the war, not a lot were mentioned about these two (Nakula/Shahadeva) and their bravery in the war, Mostly Arjuna and Bheema were talked much...

[Nakeeran]

I feel now that this thread is going in different directions :cry:

Earlier we thought of analyzing the day by day account of war & Srivatsan said he will cover it but till now has not started it

Pizzalot's big posts also need to be addressed.

Can someone , probably Moderator Mr. Badri or Mr. Sudhama show us the right direction pls ? :(

[Sudhaama]

I feel now that this thread is going in different directions :cry:

Earlier we thought of analyzing the day by day account of war & Srivatsan said he will cover it but till now has not started it

Pizzalot's big posts also need to be addressed.

Can someone , probably Moderator Mr. Badri or Mr. Sudhama show us the right direction pls ? :(

Yes please. we are looking forward towards Mr. Srivatsan's presentations on the day to day Battle...

...on which all of us can have adequate points to discuss.

Then I will take up the subject... totally in a different angle...

...a Schoolboy's approach on high values... towards Human-worth..

...which too can be made quite lively and interesting...

... by means of congregation of several divergent brains on a single task.
...

[Raghu]

sudhamma sir,

again and again you are ignoring my request

[kannannn]

Please note his NEGATIVE SENSE OF APPROACH conveyed by words....

// "... But we have to remember Gita was not a part of original Mahabharat by Vyas. It was an insert at a later stage.

Is anyone going to convince me on the points I raised ?//

Is it not a PERVERSION?.... A SURMISE?...

He is attacking the RUDIMENTARY TRUTH in this open forum, by which we the Devotees of Faith on Mahabharatha feel HURT.
Even if he says... "I doubt whether Geetha was an subsequent Insertion"... I would have tolerated and tried to CONVINCE HIM putting forth the other side, the valid points.

We don't relish anybody's THRUSTING HIS / HER PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS.

"Well... if it is your Conclusion... very well you can have it so." we will think and keep off the DRY ARGUMENT.

Why should we bother to correct others?.... even if they were wrong?? ... Nobody here is either a Teacher or Student or Acharyas....

...We are just Friends interested in Mutual-Exchange of Thoughts and Knowledge...
Mr. Sudhaama, if you had been hurt by his views, you could have said so first. Maybe he could have posed his question differently. My point is, Pizzalot was never given a chance in this discussion. His questions still remain unanswered.


...Not even for ARGUMENTS and ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUTH OR FACTS ...

And the most important factor is.... this Forum is Not meant for only the two or a few under dispute...

...but for the sake of the whole lot of SILENT VIEWERS mainly.
For all we know, a majority of such silent viewers may be waiting for answers to his questions.


... INSTEAD OF SUCH LOOSE TALK ...OF PERVERTED OUTLOOK...

...on a Great indian Heritage of Global appreciation...

...by the OPEN-MINDED AND UNBIASED SCHOLARS

Even if anybody believes..."There is No God"... we are not interested to Contradict... because it is his personal faith....

We are interested ONLY IN HEALTHY DISCUSSIONS...

...and Not in PROVING the Dubious Veracity and Ill-worth of OTHERS PERSONAL FAITHS AND BELIEFS..

...even if Contrary to ours which is based on WELL-FOUNDED TRUTH justifiable by WISDOM
...
Open-mindedness doesn't jump to the conclusion that an assertive view represents a perverted outlook, just because it doesn't agree with their perspective. And I am interested to know how you came to the conclusion that his views don't constitute a healthy discussion. The sentences in bold surprised me. Does it mean that all views contrary to your own are of 'ill-worth and dubious veracity'? Does it mean that all your views are 'well-founded truth justifiable by wisdom'? There is nothing for us to learn then..

I am sorry for my outburst, but couldn't help noting that you were offended by the tone of a single post and chose not to answer any of his questions.

[Sudhaama]

sudhamma sir,

again and again you are ignoring my request

My Dear Mr. Raghu,

I am NOT IGNORING your request.

I have already replied on your point... that about NAKULA and SAHADEVA....

....I had detailed in my Old-postings.... under this thread itself... more elaborately too...

... especially in reply to a question from our Moderator Mr. Thiru.

Please find out such of my Old postings and ask me further if any point specifically you want me to clarify. I need not repeat the same matter once again now...especially under the same Thread. ...Is it Not?
...

[Sudhaama]

We are interested ONLY IN HEALTHY DISCUSSIONS...

...and Not in PROVING the Dubious Veracity and Ill-worth of OTHERS PERSONAL FAITHS AND BELIEFS..

...even if Contrary to ours which is based on WELL-FOUNDED TRUTH justifiable by WISDOM
...

By the word.... "others" ...here I mean... only the person whom I am referring about.

Not.... ALL OTHERS... as a Sweeping generalisation.

Questions with HEALTHY INTENTIONS... I Welcome for my reply.
I am not interested to continue further argument on this Personal considerations.

If OTHERS are interested to answer such "others"... it is left to them.
...

[Nakeeran]

Ok. Let me make a beginning on the great war

To start with, lets list the representatives from both sides

Soon, I will do the posting :D

[Nakeeran]

The Pandava army :

The Pandava army was organized into seven divisions. Each of these divisions were led by Drupada, Virata, Dhristadyumna, Shikhandi, Satyaki, Chekitana and Bhima. After consulting his commanders, the Pandavas appointed Dhristadyumna as the supreme commander of the Pandava army.

Interestingly , kingdoms from all over ancient India supplied troops or provided logistic support on the Pandava side. Some of these were: Kekaya, Pandya, Cholas, Keralas, Magadha, and many more.

[Nakeeran]

The Kauravas :

Duryodhana requested Bhishma to command the Kaurava army. Bhishma accepted on the condition that while he will fight the battle sincerely, he will however not harm the five Pandava brothers. He also said that Karna was opposed to his leadership and perhaps Duryodhana should consider making Karna the commander. Karna had declared that he will not fight under Bhishma and had withdrawn from the army. Duryodhana however agreed to Bhishma's conditions and made him the supreme commander of the Kaurava army.

The army was divided into eleven divisions. Apart from the one hundred Kaurava brothers, headed by Duryodhana himself and his brother Dushasana, the second son of Dhritarashtra, the Kauravas were assisted in the battlefield by Drona and his son Ashwathama, Kripacharya , Shakuni, and many more who were bound by their loyalty towards either Hastinapura or Dhritarashtra.

The kingdom of Vidarbha and its King Rukmi were the only neutrals in this war

[harishkumar09]

I do not understand why the tamil brain always works in such an abnormal fashion.But its good that tamils think differently .

[Nakeeran]

Army divisions and weaponry:

Each army consisted of several divisions; the Kauravas had eleven

Pandavas controlled seven.

A division (akshauhini) includes 21,870 chariots and chariot-riders, 21,870 elephants and riders,
65,610 horses and riders,
109,350 foot-soldiers (in a ratio of 1:1:3:5).

The combined number of warriors and soldiers in both armies was approximately four million.

Each Akshohini was under a commander or a general, apart from the Commander in chief or the generallisimo who was the head of the entire army.

During the Kurukshetra war, several weapons were used. The weapons, and their most notable users, included the Bow and arrows, the weapon of choice for Arjuna, Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Abhimanyu, the Mace, chosen by Bhima and Duryodhana apart from the Spear and the Dagger / Sword.

This war was perhaps the bloodiest war in history as most of the warriors and soldiers perished during the brief period of only eighteen days.

Arjuna, in a fit of extreme anger over the death of his son Abhimanyu, alone killed one akshauhini of Kaurava soldiers in a single day.

The war left an extremely large number of widows and orphans

[Nakeeran]

Military formations

At various times during battle, the supreme commander of either army ordered special formations ("vyuhas").

Each formation had a specific purpose; some were defensive while others were offensive. Each formation had its specific strengths and weaknesses.

Mahabharata list the following :
1.Krauncha vyuha (heron formation)
2.Makara vyuha (crocodile formation)
3.Kurma vyuha (tortoise or turtle formation)
4.Trishula vyuha (the trident formation)
5.Chakra vyuha (wheel or discus formation)
6.Kamala vyuha or Padma vyuha (Lotus formation).

It is not clear what the formations actually indicate. They may be formations bearing resemblance to animals, or they may be names given to strategies and formations

[Nakeeran]

WAR RULES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWED !

WHAT HAPPENED ACTUALLY WAS ABSOLUTE BREAKAGE OF WAR RULES

Lets go through the rules :

The two supreme commanders met and framed "rules of ethical conduct", dharmayuddha, for the war. The rules included:

1.Fighting must begin no earlier than sunrise and end exactly at sunset.
2.Multiple warriors may not attack a single warrior.
3.Two warriors may "duel," or engage in prolonged personal combat, only if they carry the same weapons and they are on the same mount (no mount, a horse, an elephant, or a chariot).
4.No warrior may kill or injure a warrior who has surrendered.
5.One who surrenders becomes a prisoner of war and a slave.
6.No warrior may kill or injure an unarmed warrior.
7.No warrior may kill or injure an unconscious warrior.
8.No warrior may kill or injure a person or animal not taking part in the war.
9.No warrior may kill or injure a warrior whose back is turned away.
10.No warrior may attack a woman.
11.No warrior may strike an animal not considered a direct threat.

The rules specific to each weapon must be followed. For example, it is prohibited to strike below the waist in mace warfare.
Warriors may not engage in any "unfair" warfare whatsoever.

Unfortunately , many of these laws were broken at least once by both sides.

I will try to give examples of who & how the above rules were broken during the war once we start running through the day by day account of the war :D

[pizzalot]

[tscii:89c7a1e287]Sudhama Sir, in a forum set-up, there could be others joining the thread with exactly opposite views. Some of the members can really be very assertive and may not be telling the truth according to others. But what is important is their sincerity of expression. And how sincerely others contend them. Sometimes the outcome will seem nothing but that may not be true. Each of us or the silent observers will carry home a balanced view which is what the outcome is. Even Buddha is said to have told not to argue with a contender, but you must remember he himself argued with rational explainations when the time came. His disciples also contended and waged intellectual wars in proper forum for reasons they believed was good.

My views may be different and you might feel they are perverted and am messed-up, but alas, be it, if that is what you think I am. But atleast I will know if any others share my views. This is what I expect in forums like this, at a minimum. Feeling connected.

That being said, I sincerely wish someone contends my views.

Raghu's thirst about Nakula and Sahadev have been quenched in your previous posts. His duty is to think proactively of other ideas to place in front of us.

Nakeeran is coming-up with great list war rules broken in Mahabharath. (Nakeeran, please also be able to tell us how the people of those days reacted when such rules were broken. Especially Sri Krishna's reactions).

So our job is to think proactively and keep issues at hand to discuss while simultaneously contending others' views.

In you we saw a person reacting and contending our views. And you ARE important here. If not you someonelse should play this role. Otherwise who are we talking to ? That is what I meant when I said "convince me". So you see, how we respect and need your presence ?

Kannannn rescues me when I was branded perverted and obnoxious element and not worthy of reply.

Badri, as usual refrains from taking sides as behaving as a true moderator.

You see, everyone's presence is vital here. More people the better. And contradictions=liveliness.

I unintentionally included one other contentious point to my long list that “Gita Upnanishad is a later-insert and not a part of Vyas Mahabharath”. It may be a belief out of ignorance, but explain otherwise so several others who are messed-up also know the truth. I am not here to "silence" or drive away others with my "assertions". I like them to be vocal so we can feel connected even though we might be thousands of miles apart physically.

If we do not contend with each other sincerely, any thread will be boring and die. Do other's agree ?
[/tscii:89c7a1e287]

[pizzalot]

WAR RULES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWED !
WHAT HAPPENED ACTUALLY WAS ABSOLUTE BREAKAGE OF WAR RULES
Lets go through the rules :


Was there a rule like "only men of similar ranks can fight each other" ..? This point might justify why Dhuryodhan, The Great, sacked Bhishma when he refused to kill the Pandavas. If he was not going to, howelse Arjuna , The Menace could be killed in the war ?

[dsath]

[tscii:6f5e0f5463]Sudhama Sir, in a forum set-up, there could be others joining the thread with exactly opposite views. Some of the members can really be very assertive and may not be telling the truth according to others. But what is important is their sincerity of expression. And how sincerely others contend them. Sometimes the outcome will seem nothing but that may not be true. Each of us or the silent observers will carry home a balanced view which is what the outcome is. Even Buddha is said to have told not to argue with a contender, but you must remember he himself argued with rational explainations when the time came. His disciples also contended and waged intellectual wars in proper forum for reasons they believed was good.

My views may be different and you might feel they are perverted and am messed-up, but alas, be it, if that is what you think I am. But atleast I will know if any others share my views. This is what I expect in forums like this, at a minimum. Feeling connected.

That being said, I sincerely wish someone contends my views.

Raghu's thirst about Nakula and Sahadev have been quenched in your previous posts. His duty is to think proactively of other ideas to place in front of us.

Nakeeran is coming-up with great list war rules broken in Mahabharath. (Nakeeran, please also be able to tell us how the people of those days reacted when such rules were broken. Especially Sri Krishna's reactions).

So our job is to think proactively and keep issues at hand to discuss while simultaneously contending others' views.

In you we saw a person reacting and contending our views. And you ARE important here. If not you someonelse should play this role. Otherwise who are we talking to ? That is what I meant when I said "convince me". So you see, how we respect and need your presence ?

Kannannn rescues me when I was branded perverted and obnoxious element and not worthy of reply.

Badri, as usual refrains from taking sides as behaving as a true moderator.

You see, everyone's presence is vital here. More people the better. And contradictions=liveliness.

I unintentionally included one other contentious point to my long list that “Gita Upnanishad is a later-insert and not a part of Vyas Mahabharath”. It may be a belief out of ignorance, but explain otherwise so several others who are messed-up also know the truth. I am not here to "silence" or drive away others with my "assertions". I like them to be vocal so we can feel connected even though we might be thousands of miles apart physically.

If we do not contend with each other sincerely, any thread will be boring and die. Do other's agree ?
[/tscii:6f5e0f5463]
<digression>
Good one pizza. Your sincerity is to be certainly appreciated and your views respected. :thumbsup:
<end digression>

[podalangai]

Nakeeran is coming-up with great list war rules broken in Mahabharath. (Nakeeran, please also be able to tell us how the people of those days reacted when such rules were broken. Especially Sri Krishna's reactions).
Pizzalot, I think you are looking for something in the Mahabharatam that traditionally Hindus do not see in it. You are looking at it as if it is a moral guide. I don't know how the northern-revivalist Hindu schools treat it, but in traditional orthodox Hinduism in Tamil Nadu at least it has not had that status. I come from a traditional Vaishnavite background. When we were children, we were taught to keep people like Alavandar, Kurattazhwar, Cherachakravarthi Kulasekara Perumal and other devotees as our role models. For every great devotee there was some quality we were taught to emulate, but we were never told to behave like Yudhistiran or Arjunan or Vimasenan.

For us the importance of the Mahabharata is not that its characters conduct shows morality but that the story as a whole holds many religious and spiritual truths. An itihasam comes in nyanakandam, not karmakandam. I think Badri pointed out that the Mahabharatam shows that in Kali Yuga nobody can be perfectly righteous, because everybody in the Mahabharata has their flaws. The deeper lesson in this is that righteousness based purely on the old texts of the Dharmasutras will by itself not get you beyond a point in the Kali Yuga. Ultimately, in the end even Duryodhanan can argue that he has lived by the letter of the shastras. The only true source of righteousness in the Kali Yuga is the righteousness that comes when you surrender completely to God and let him guide your conduct. For those who have not reached that stage, the only true guide is following the conduct of those who have. Because they did not do this the result of the Shastric conduct of the Pandavas and Kauravas was that they brought destruction on everybody around them including their subjects who they were supposed to protect. This is the only moral lesson that can be learnt from the conduct of the parties.

We do not look for moral lessons in the deeds of Sri Krishnaperumal. It is not like the role of Lord Buddha or the imitation of Christ. Their significance is different. We are taught that the two avatarams at the time of the Mahabharatam demonstrate the difference between an avataram for the earlier yugams and for the Kali yugam. Balaraman is the former - he is disgusted by the war and refuses to take part in it, and he condemns immoral conduct on both sides. But Krishnaperumal's conduct is different because his avataram is a manifestation of God's role in the Kaliyugam. The avataram is not understood from the revelation of the Gita or the killing of Kamsan, but by the moment when Krishnaperumal walks as a humble messenger to the Kauravas. For us this is a very profound revelation about the relationship between a soul and God when it takes refuge in God. Traditionally, we did not even look for moral lessons in the deeds of Sri Ramachandran though because of north Indian influence some now do. The captivity of Sitaiammal had more religious significance in the Ramayanam in traditional orthodox interpretation.

I do not like to discuss my religion here because it is very personal and it is not good to talk about it in a place like this, but since you have been asking these questions for a while I felt it would be rude not to try to answer. I hope I have not upset or offended anybody. Sorry.

[Sudhaama]

[quote=pizzalot][tscii]Sudhama Sir, in a forum set-up, there could be others joining the thread with exactly opposite views. Some of the members can really be very assertive and may not be telling the truth according to others. But what is important is their sincerity of expression. And how sincerely others contend them. Sometimes the outcome will seem nothing but that may not be true. Each of us or the silent observers will carry home a balanced view which is what the outcome is....

.. My views may be different and you might feel they are perverted and am messed-up, but alas, be it, if that is what you think I am.

But atleast I will know if any others share my views. This is what I expect in forums like this, at a minimum. Feeling connected.

Dear Mr pizzalot,

Please look back my SUPPORTIVE STATEMENTS on your Opposite thoughts...

...which was UNWELCOME BY OTHERS HERE.... and after my Intervention... others kept silent, stopped opposing you... because of the personal regards they have on me.

How I had appreciated and defended your DIVERGENT VOICE... even though RADICALLY OPPOSITE to mine...

... as also CONTRARY TO TRUTH... please think awhile... before expressing DISPLEASURE ON ME NOW.

.. My vociferous objection... was and is... NOT ON YOUR OPPOSITE VIEWS...

...but your CHANGE OF DIRECTION... personalising the discussions ... as if others are bound to convince you... more than REFUTING on the matter.

Now You are coolly commenting as if I do not tolerate your Opposite Views or Stand.

Have I not thanked you, for giving us THUS a BETTER OPPORTUNITY to bring to light several hidden truth of high values?

Have I not appreciated for your INAUGURATING THE SECOND SESSION on this Topic?

Dear Pizzalot... Still I continue to be your well-wisher.. irrespective of your Views, Beliefs and Faith... as I am with others too here.

So I reiterate that I feel HURT by another point also... by your loose-comment... that Geetha was a subsequent insertion.

You are at Lioberty to raise your doubt if you feel so... and NOT AS A CONCLUSION... in this Common Forum.

Bhagawad Geetha is our GOSPEL...similar to Bible for Christians and Koran for Muslims.

So please DON'T INJURE US ANYMORE...even if you feel you are Correct to conclude so.

Please do not justify on such BLACK-SPOTS in the course of a Lively discussion.

I wish you to continue your discussions further... in a HEALTHY APPROACH...

...duly honouring the Sentiments of others empathetically

...even though DIVERGENT, CONTRADICTORY and COMBATIVE.
...

[nilavupriyan]

-deleted-

i read it in a weekly magazine..sorry if i had hurt anyone's feelings!

nakeera..u do a good job..continue!

[Nakeeran]

Nilavu

I havent heard your version & hence I request other dfers to clarify you . OK :)

Pizzalot, I will certainly answer all your queries relating to the war . However, I am not a philosophical analyst / thinker & hence what is Dharma or adharma , I request the senior hubbers - Mr. Badri & Mr. Sudhama to chip in & share their thoughts !

After all, they have been the driving force to this thread all these days :D


While I could see arguments & counter arguments on several fronts within our dfers, I wish to proceed WITH MY MISSION - that of narrating the Day by Day account of the war & then look forward to some healthy discussion on that :D




The great Kurukshetra war lasted eighteen days.

The war was fought only during daylight hours and fighting ceased at sunset.

The armies met on a vast field in Kurukshetra and each day of the battle was characterised by numerous indiviual combats as well as mass raids against entire enemy divisions.

The victor or the vanquished on each day was determined not by any territories gained, but by the body count.

This was a war to the death.

The victor was the survivor.

[Nakeeran]

Nakeeran, please also be able to tell us how the people of those days reacted when such rules were broken. Especially Sri Krishna's reactions).[/tscii]

Pizzalot !

Straight answer to you here - SRI KRISHNA HIMSELF WAS THE CENTRIFUGAL FIGURE TO MOST OF THE WAR RULES GETTING BROKEN ( EITHER THROUGH CONVENTIONAL METHODS OR UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS )

In other words, what Krishna advised, was followed religiously by the Pandavas to annihilate their great arch rivals :D

However, I will explain at every stage , what Krishna did to change the course of the war & how the Pandavas followed his orders :D

Bye

[Sudhaama]

Duplicacy DELETED

[Sudhaama]

Duplicacy DELETED

[Sudhaama]

Duplicacy DELETED

[Sudhaama]

...
Chea...Chea... CHEAP ... and FALSE STORY.!... INSULT.!!!

Dear Mr. Nilavupriyan

// Was sahadevan the only guy to have gnana dhrishti??//

From where you got this false story?...FICTION?...CONCOCTION?

It does not form part of Mahabharatha...

...either of Vyasa in Sanskrit or Villi-puthooraar in Tamil.

Such a FILTHY STORY... let NOT BE SPREAD amongst the Society.

There are several such fictions and imaginary stories by several authors... like MAYIL-RAVANA....RAMA-ANJANEYA-YUDDHAM...and the like... totally deviating from the basic Epics...

...and so disegarded by the public especially the Scholars.

Above all such STORIES.... Your story is NAUSATING and INJURIOUS as well as SERIOUS INSULT

... to this Great Indian Heritage Treasure of India.

Will you please DELETE YOUR POST?...I feel much Hurt and Wounded.
...

[Sudhaama]

-deleted-

i read it in a weekly magazine..sorry if i had hurt anyone's feelings!

nakeera..u do a good job..continue!

Dear Mr. NILAVU PRIYAN,

Very many thanks. You have proved yourself as a Gentleman.

With Best Wishes,
Sudhaama

[Sudhaama]

...
War-Rules:SPECIAL / BREAKTHROUGH for Mahabharatha?.


WAR RULES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWED !

WHAT HAPPENED ACTUALLY WAS ABSOLUTE BREAKAGE OF WAR RULES

Lets go through the rules :

The two supreme commanders met and framed "rules of ethical conduct", dharmayuddha, for the war. The rules included:

1.Fighting must begin no earlier than sunrise and end exactly at sunset.
2.Multiple warriors may not attack a single warrior.
3.Two warriors may "duel," or engage in prolonged personal combat, only if they carry the same weapons and they are on the same mount (no mount, a horse, an elephant, or a chariot).
4.No warrior may kill or injure a warrior who has surrendered.
5.One who surrenders becomes a prisoner of war and a slave.
6.No warrior may kill or injure an unarmed warrior.
7.No warrior may kill or injure an unconscious warrior.
8.No warrior may kill or injure a person or animal not taking part in the war.
9.No warrior may kill or injure a warrior whose back is turned away.
10.No warrior may attack a woman.
11.No warrior may strike an animal not considered a direct threat.

The rules specific to each weapon must be followed. For example, it is prohibited to strike below the waist in mace warfare.
Warriors may not engage in any "unfair" warfare whatsoever.

Unfortunately , many of these laws were broken at least once by both sides.

I will try to give examples of who & how the above rules were broken during the war once we start running through the day by day account of the war :D

Glad and Thanks... Mr. Nakkeeran...Welcome. You have taken good amount of efforts and pains to gather much informations. Please continue.

But I find several FALSE INSERTIONS too... in between. Please check up and delete such parts only....

... by referring to AUTHORITATIVE DOCUMENTARY VERSIONS on this Great Epic.

For example... No special War-Codes were framed...DEVIATING THE BASIC YUDDHA-SASTHRA... prevalent in those days, before and after Mahabharatha extending to Ramayana period too. We have to remember the War-Codes then were FAR DIFFERENT from that of the Present days.

...Whereas you are basing some of your arguments, indirectly taking the War-Codes of the present days as your YARDSTICK?

(1) There was NO Category of PRISONERS OF WAR (P.O.W) in those days. Only Two Categories : Friend or Foe. The War should decide it by means of Combative Valour. So the aim of every Warrior was to weaken and disarm the Enemy, especially the Commanders, ultimately making him TOTALLY DISARMED AND HELPLESS...

...forcing him towards only Two Options...

...Either accept the Defeat by Surrender to become a SLAVE or DIE in the Battlefield..

So if any Warrior refused to surrender... even after his helpless state as Totally Disarmed... HE USED TO BE KILLED.

Lord Rama is highly praised mainly because He was MAGNANIMOUS to grant exception to His Enemy...

...by asking him to return on the next day....either to confess or better prepared to confront and DIE. in the Battle.

If Rama would have killed Ravana in his disarmed state... Nobody could have found fault with him...ACCORDING TO THE WAR-RULES of those days....of both these Epics.

The Law Banning the attack on an Un-armed person...was applicable only amongst the Civilians... and NOT IN THE BATTLEFIELD.

... Whereas DISARMING is DIFFERENT from UNARMEDNESS....

"Intentional" DISARMING was THE RUDIMENT OF WAR...in those days.

Rather the purpose of Disarming is to make him realise his Combative incapability, failing in the Supremacy amongst the Combatants...

...Ultimately FORCING HIM to a Dilemma in the Battle... either to SURRENDER or DIE....No other Choice.

Even the acceptance of Surrender... by the Enemy, was left to the Discretion of the Dominant.

EVEN THE SURRENDERER could be killed in the Battlefield due to Distrust by the Winner...

... Treating him as a Traitor...WORSE THAN AN ENEMY...Or as a Future MIGHTIER ENEMY.

...War-Law could find No flaw in either sorts of decisions.

More To continue... after Discussions on this part.
...

[pizzalot]

Pizzalot, I think you are looking for something in the Mahabharatam that traditionally Hindus do not see in it. You are looking at it as if it is a moral guide. I don't know how the northern-revivalist Hindu schools treat it, but in traditional orthodox Hinduism in Tamil Nadu at least it has not had that status. I come from a traditional Vaishnavite background. When we were children, we were taught to keep people like Alavandar, Kurattazhwar, Cherachakravarthi Kulasekara Perumal and other devotees as our role models. For every great devotee there was some quality we were taught to emulate, but we were never told to behave like Yudhistiran or Arjunan or Vimasenan.

For us the importance of the Mahabharata is not that its characters conduct shows morality but that the story as a whole holds many religious and spiritual truths. An itihasam comes in nyanakandam, not karmakandam. I think Badri pointed out that the Mahabharatam shows that in Kali Yuga nobody can be perfectly righteous, because everybody in the Mahabharata has their flaws. The deeper lesson in this is that righteousness based purely on the old texts of the Dharmasutras will by itself not get you beyond a point in the Kali Yuga. Ultimately, in the end even Duryodhanan can argue that he has lived by the letter of the shastras. The only true source of righteousness in the Kali Yuga is the righteousness that comes when you surrender completely to God and let him guide your conduct. For those who have not reached that stage, the only true guide is following the conduct of those who have. Because they did not do this the result of the Shastric conduct of the Pandavas and Kauravas was that they brought destruction on everybody around them including their subjects who they were supposed to protect. This is the only moral lesson that can be learnt from the conduct of the parties.

We do not look for moral lessons in the deeds of Sri Krishnaperumal. It is not like the role of Lord Buddha or the imitation of Christ. Their significance is different. We are taught that the two avatarams at the time of the Mahabharatam demonstrate the difference between an avataram for the earlier yugams and for the Kali yugam. Balaraman is the former - he is disgusted by the war and refuses to take part in it, and he condemns immoral conduct on both sides. But Krishnaperumal's conduct is different because his avataram is a manifestation of God's role in the Kaliyugam. The avataram is not understood from the revelation of the Gita or the killing of Kamsan, but by the moment when Krishnaperumal walks as a humble messenger to the Kauravas. For us this is a very profound revelation about the relationship between a soul and God when it takes refuge in God. Traditionally, we did not even look for moral lessons in the deeds of Sri Ramachandran though because of north Indian influence some now do. The captivity of Sitaiammal had more religious significance in the Ramayanam in traditional orthodox interpretation.

I do not like to discuss my religion here because it is very personal and it is not good to talk about it in a place like this, but since you have been asking these questions for a while I felt it would be rude not to try to answer. I hope I have not upset or offended anybody. Sorry.

Thanks Mr. Podalangai. It is really interesting how things are different in different parts of India though we all read the same text basically.

I come from a back-ground and understanding that Mahabharath is all about good vs evil. I believe Sudhama Sir too was setting a similar tone. So my contentions on behalf of Dhuryodhan revolved around proving that it was oppurtunism that drove the war and not for the purpose of upholding moral values.

With this explanation of yours ( and if everyone agrees to it ), that Mahabharath was not an idealistic follow-path, or not a fifth-veda, I have no point left to disagree. I was only saying that Dhuryodhan should not be considered as an embodiment of all-evil. For his mis-doings on earth were considered very minor, to the extent that he served only 40 years in hell and thence-forward became a permanent resident in heaven even before Yudhistr` arrived there !!

[Badri]

Well said Podalangai!

And thanks to Pizzalot's efforts in kickstarting this discussion that these other viewpoints have emerged. As I had stated, both the parties had their flaws and they reapeed the results of their wrongful deeds. That, is the only lesson one might learn from this whole story.

To divinise the Pandavas as has been done traditionally and call them perfect is narrow-minded and bigoted.

They certainly didn't lead very happy lives either, and paid for their deeds.

As Krishna summarizes in the Gita, as you do, so you reap, and the only way to get out of this cycle is to give up the fruits of your actions.

In some ways, if one looks deep enough, the entire MB can be seen as setting the stage for the Gitopanishad! The word "Kuru" also means "action". Thus, both Pandavas and Kauravas are descendents of Kuru (or action).

And their attachment to the fruits of their action leads them into the cycle of suffering and enjoyment. To get out, the only way is Nishkamaa Karma or desireless action.

[pizzalot]

For example... No special War-Codes were framed...DEVIATING THE BASIC YUDDHA-SASTHRA... prevalent in those days, before and after Mahabharatha extending to Ramayana period too. We have to remember the War-Codes then were FAR DIFFERENT from that of the Present days.


Sudhama Sir, even if there was no explicit listing of rules we can still understand the rules of those days seeing the reactions of neutral characters.

Nakeeran, please assert your point with proof. We hope you are going to cover them in your day by day account of war.

[Nakeeran]

Sudhama : Whereas you are basing some of your arguments, indirectly taking the War-Codes of the present days as your YARDSTICK?


Mr. Sudhama !

I have not even started describing the war events . How did you conclude that I have based my arguments ?

I will ensure that the post of mine is with facts & adequate reliable documents :D as I have taken this task as a God sent mission to share with everyone about the great war & its consequences.

Thanks :D


Now, I am working ON THE EXACT TIME & PERIOD DURING WHICH THE WAR MIGHT HAVE TOOK PLACE .

I will be presenting this first before moving to the war .

[Nakeeran]

When the war was about to commence, suddenly Yudhistira , dropping his arms & ammunition, proceeded towards the Kaurava army alone & by foot !!

This made every Pandava worried - why our Chief is going alone towards the enemy without informing anything to us ?
Right from Arjuna to Sahadeva , the entire Pandavas got terribly confused by his approach .

However, Krishna quicky assessing the mindset of Dharmaputhra told Arjuna that your brother is going to seek the blessings of all elders !

Thus proceeded Yudhistira first towards the great Grandsire , the ultimate warrior on the earth - THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE KAURAVA ARMY & HIS GRANDFATHER - BHEESHMA

Saluting to him, Dharmaputhra requests him for his blessings that he should win the war ! Bheeshma , on his part, blessed him that Dharma will always win

Then, Yudhistira takes the blessings of Drona & Kripa & finally goes back to his troops.

Atlast, the Pandavas heaved a sigh of relief on seeing their chief coming back !

[Nakeeran]

When the war was about to commence, suddenly Yudhistira , dropping his arms & ammunition, proceeded towards the Kaurava army alone & by foot !!

This made every Pandava worried - why our Chief is going alone towards the enemy without informing anything to us ?
Right from Arjuna to Sahadeva , the entire Pandavas got terribly confused by his approach .

However, Krishna quicky assessing the mindset of Dharmaputhra told Arjuna that your brother is going to seek the blessings of all elders !

Thus proceeded Yudhistira first towards the great Grandsire , the ultimate warrior on the earth - THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE KAURAVA ARMY & HIS GRANDFATHER - BHEESHMA

Saluting to him, Dharmaputhra requests him for his blessings that he should win the war ! Bheeshma , on his part, blessed him that Dharma will always win

Then, Yudhistira takes the blessings of Drona & Kripa & finally goes back to his troops.

Atlast, the Pandavas heaved a sigh of relief on seeing their chief coming back !

[nilavupriyan]

how come parasuram and krishna be in same era?..

confusing..isnt parasuram an avatar of vishnu..

or the saint has the name of lord parasurama?

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:d155f64979]
how come parasuram and krishna be in same era?..

confusing..isnt parasuram an avatar of vishnu..

or the saint has the name of lord parasurama?

True Nilavupriyare

The same Parasurama ( the 6th avatar of Sri Vishnu ) was present even during Ram avatar & also Krishna avatar .

Parasurama meets Ram while Ram was coming back to Ayodhya after his marriage. There will be couple of exchanges before Parasurama realizes who Rama actually is & goes away after admiring him…


Parasurama surfaces in Mahabarath at various stages :

1.First when he fights with Bheeshma upon request from Amba

2.Teaches Karna believing that he is not a Kshatriya

3.Curses Karna upon realizing that he uttered a falsehood

4.Teaches Drona all the warfare including the divya astras. This happens when Parasurama was donating all his accumulation . When Drona met him, he had only the knowledge of warfare & hence he offered. Drona also learnt the art in the process.

Each one of the above 4 has a lengthy story behind it !

But one thing, Parasurama & Krishna never met eye to eye I think


[/tscii:d155f64979]

[kannannn]

Nakeeran, I have a query. Gita says that whenever there is a fall in righteousness, God takes an avatar ("Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya.."). If Parasuram was indeed an avatar of Vishnu living through Rama's and Krishna's period, there must have been a huge fall in morals and ethics during these two periods, to warrant the presence of two avatars at the same time. Am I right? Or is there another reason for their simultaneous presence?

[Nakeeran]

Nakeeran, I have a query. Gita says that whenever there is a fall in righteousness, God takes an avatar ("Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya.."). If Parasuram was indeed an avatar of Vishnu living through Rama's and Krishna's period, there must have been a huge fall in morals and ethics during these two periods, to warrant the presence of two avatars at the same time. Am I right? Or is there another reason for their simultaneous presence?

Kannan....

Let me give a brief of what was Sri Parasurama's original objective -

He was born on earth to end the oppressive rule of the Kshatriyas, who had become dominant and were not only dominating the other castes but were increasingly becoming a threat to the Gods.

MahaVishnu was born as the son of Jamadagni, a pious sage

After fulfilling his mission , that of decimating the uncontrollable Kshatriyas, Parasurama lived the life of a hermit virtually .

I think the significance of Parasurama avatar ends here itself though Parasurama plays a very little role in Ramayanam.

The role of Parasurama in Mahabarath has been listed by me in my previous post.

You will realize now that Parasurama didnt play any major role in the following avatars of Vishnu .

The active roles played by Ram - that of eliminating a big group of asuras &

Krishna - another huge list like Kamsa, Jarasandha , Sisupala & the Kauravas etc

Parasurama didnt play any major role IMO.

Another interesting aspect of this avatar - Parasuram is immortal while Ram & Krishna died human deaths to free the God to return to His heaven !

[selvakumar]

Nakeeran, I have a query. Gita says that whenever there is a fall in righteousness, God takes an avatar ("Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya.."). If Parasuram was indeed an avatar of Vishnu living through Rama's and Krishna's period, there must have been a huge fall in morals and ethics during these two periods, to warrant the presence of two avatars at the same time. Am I right? Or is there another reason for their simultaneous presence?

I have read an explanation for this query in Rajaji's "Sakkaravarthi thirumagan"

He says that the PURPOSE OR THE DIVINE NATURE ASSOCIATED WITH A PARTICULAR AVATAR VANISHES THE MOMENT its purpose is fulfilled.

That is why Parasurama after having fulfilled his goal, becomes a common Saint / human being.

He also says that even in Ramayana, the DIVINE nature and BAGAVAN'S WORK vanishes the moment the goal of that avatar is fulfilled.

He goes to explain further that.. It is because of this only Rama tests Sita, then again runs into relationship troubles, fights with his own sons etc (He says he becomes Rama - the human being here and not BAGAVAAN)

:D

BTW.. These are comments by Rajaji.. Forgive if it is not clear :D

[Sudhaama]

...
...Uniqueness of Parasurama Awathara

Thanks dear friends... You all have beautifully analysed and made the topic QUITE INTERESTING to think further...

...especially Nakkeeran has very well detailed about Parasurama.

And a few more to add...

Out of 24 Awatharas of Vishnu, only 10 is considered important...

...and even out of those 10... some are named AMSA AWATHARAS, ....

... taken up for certain Specific Time-relevant purposes only...

... one of which is Parasurama ... which is the only Awathara... far Unique comparatively...

... UNLIKE ALL OTHER AWATHARAS.... including Rama and Krishna...

... PARASURAMA ONLY continues to be a CHIRANJEEVI... IMMORTAL with Eternal Life and Existence.

When Geetha says as the Gods words... "Whenever the degree of Dharma, Righteousness declines beyond the tolerable limit... I take birth on Earth, time to time (Reincarnation)... to set it right"...

But God felt... one Awathara as CONCURRENTLY Inevitable for Three Vital purposes ...

(a) To set right the Imbalance immediately ... confined to certain aspects only.

(b) To pose a constant Threat to the Enemies of Dharma... by just existence similar to the Police Guards and Frontier Military-forces.

(c) For Psychological-support to Humanity as a Guard...similar to Fire-fighting Squad on CONSTANT ALERT...instilling Confidence for the Public.

Thus, after completing His main mission on the first two objectives...He chose to exist in disguise... by creating a piece of land for Himself... which is the present Kerala State, where the people worship him with highest reverence, compared to other states.

And so the whole India, including the Central ministers... identify Kerala... as the GOD'S LAND.

His main Missionary Objectives ...

(1) Recognition and Regards for the Father in every Family... whose words must be sincerely followed by the Family-members, he being the Head of the Family. Inculcation of such an Ideal and healthy spirit alone, can develop into a Discipline to obey the commands of the Social- Leader as well as the Ruler of the land.

(2) Kings are considered as the Representatives of God, committed to GOVERN the part of land assigned for... as his duty...

.. and the Kingdom is NOT THE KING'S PERSONAL RIGHT or Property ...

...Nor an Exclusive prevelege for his ENJOYMENT alone... IGNORING THE PEOPLE.
...

[kannannn]

Thanks Nakeeran, Selva and Sudhaama for the explanations :D. I have certain other doubts, but will save it for later. Let me not interfere with flow of Nakeeran's recount of the war.

[nilavupriyan]

Nakeeran, I have a query. Gita says that whenever there is a fall in righteousness, God takes an avatar ("Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya.."). If Parasuram was indeed an avatar of Vishnu living through Rama's and Krishna's period, there must have been a huge fall in morals and ethics during these two periods, to warrant the presence of two avatars at the same time. Am I right? Or is there another reason for their simultaneous presence?

I have read an explanation for this query in Rajaji's "Sakkaravarthi thirumagan"

He says that the PURPOSE OR THE DIVINE NATURE ASSOCIATED WITH A PARTICULAR AVATAR VANISHES THE MOMENT its purpose is fulfilled.

That is why Parasurama after having fulfilled his goal, becomes a common Saint / human being.

He also says that even in Ramayana, the DIVINE nature and BAGAVAN'S WORK vanishes the moment the goal of that avatar is fulfilled.

He goes to explain further that.. It is because of this only Rama tests Sita, then again runs into relationship troubles, fights with his own sons etc (He says he becomes Rama - the human being here and not BAGAVAAN)

:D

BTW.. These are comments by Rajaji.. Forgive if it is not clear :D

thanks for the reply everyone!

selva's reply(rajaji's)is more convincing...

i accept that rama and krishna had their stoppage time in theirera...but did parasuramar avatar live as human being after his goal fulfilled...because as a human being how did he live for eras..only as a devine power he can continue to live this much period!

[Sudhaama]

selva's reply(rajaji's)is more convincing...

i accept that rama and krishna had their stoppage time in theirera...but did parasuramar avatar live as human being after his goal fulfilled...because as a human being how did he live for eras..only as a devine power he can continue to live this much period!

Dear Nilavupriyan,

Did you read my posting?...UNIQUE PARASURAMA AWATHARA.

You are welcome to ask questions based on my posting there.

Rajaji used to raise several disputable and Controversial points like the above here ...

.. and subsequently, either of his own accord or after series of oppositions and debate with the Scholars, he used to change his inferences.

So Rajaji's own version... a SURMISE...or Personal NOTION...need not be accepted as authentic... nor FINAL.

...even though Rajaji is one of the Great Intellectuals of India.

For example, he changed his conclusion on the controversial Rama of Uthara-Ramayana...

... after the intervention and Convincing Answers from the Scholars.
...

[nilavupriyan]

read it sudhaama sir/madam?!thank u..convincing really!

:D

[Sudhaama]

...

DUPLICACY ... Deleted.

[Sudhaama]

read it sudhaama sir/madam?!thank u..convincing really! :D

Dear Nilavupriyan,

I am NOT AMMA... But My name here is SUDHAAMA ( Su+Dhaama)... another name of KUCHELA

kannannn wrote:

//Nakeeran, I have a query. Gita says that whenever there is a fall in righteousness, God takes an avatar ("Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya.."). If Parasuram was indeed an avatar of Vishnu living through Rama's and Krishna's period, there must have been a huge fall in morals and ethics during these two periods, to warrant the presence of two avatars at the same time. Am I right? Or is there another reason for their simultaneous presence?//

Further to my earlier posting: UNIQUENESS OF PARASURAMA AWATHARA ...

Both these Awatharas were Co-ordinatory ... of independant approach to carry out a particular mission each of its own.

Contrary to Krishna-awathara, whose Sayings and Morals are EVER APPLICABLE to the posterity of Humanity...

.... Parasurama being an Amsa-Awathara... .. took up certain TIME- RELEVANT Factors only.... as I had detailed before.

Balarama also is another concurrent Awathara during Mahabharatha... whose approach was far more different...

...sometimes totally Contradictory to His own other Awathara by name Krishna...

...and practically, He was more in favour of Kauravas...Duryodana's side...while Krishna was supporting the opponents, Pandavas.

Many reasonable Questions and Doubts on the actions and approach of Krishna... were raised by Balarama., and their debate on Situations of Dharma-Sangatam (Dilemma)... renders abundant and palpable clarifications for us.

Same Vishnu of Two awatharas ...OPPOSING EACH OTHER.!...Concurrently.!!!.???

Thus One and the Same Person... in the Guise of THREE on the Action- Stage.!

We get an opportunity to get clarified on many intricate and imperceptible Justifications and Decree based on Righteousness..the Ultimate GOD'S LAW....which Humans are bound to adopt in cases of such or similar Dilemmaa...Dharma-Sangatam.. in our lives.

But in spite all such endeavour by God...Nothing Substantial could be achieved upto His satisfaction, commensurate with the extent and degree of His Total God- might... towards His Children, the Human-beings.

So He stopped taking further awatharas after Krishna... but directed His Devotees to complete the implementation of His Objectives...

So the continuation of His task was taken up by the Great Acharyas and Devotees like, Sankara, Ramanuja, Krishna-Chaithanya, Alwars, Tukaram , Meera...

... all of them had to quote Mahabharatha.... to simplify the Reasoning of Dharma, Righteousness....

...applicable under Complicate Situations and Dilemma...probable in cases of future lives too.

...Since such predicaments are quite possible.. in Kaliyuga, the last Era..

... when the Animals, Vicious Creatures and Criminals too of previous births... take the Advanced Birth as Humans... bestowed with highest degree of Opportunities with Wisdom and Soul...

... although they may be UNQUALIFIED for....!

...because of GOD'S MERCY towards His Creations who became Stagnant... even after several Rebirths ..

...thus UNDULY continuing as Sub-standard Lives or as the Worst Criminals too in Kaliyuga,

...the last Opportunity.!... for Uplift and Emancipation. !!!
...

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:a2bf271b49]Mr. Sudhama

This precisely is the reason why your active presence & Mr. Badri’s is needed – clarifying with perfect & rationale reasoning on various intricate & tricky issues & questions .

You will face more such questions from us . Pl continue to guide & enlighten us .

Thanks once again for a detailed explanation on Nilavu’s query.


Yes, Parasurama’s avatar was one which gave the highest respect to parents . In fact THAHDHAI SOLMIKKA MANDHIRAMILLAI is a sentence which can be a permanent tag of both Parasurama & Rama !

Parasurama , as per the legend, was asked by his Father to axe his Mother for a momentary lapse in her virtues . But I believe, the same Parasurama, as soon as he axed his mother requested Jamadagni to restore the life of her again !


Back to Mahabaratha war now :

Dirudhirashtra, wished to have an online account of the entire war. Sanjaya, his trusted assistant was given divine vision to give full description of the war .

So , even Vyasa gives the details of the war through the vision & words of Sanjaya !!

And finally, the war starts .
[/tscii:a2bf271b49]

[Nakeeran]

Now a question from Dirudhirashtra :

Who struck first ?? The Kauravas or the Pandavas ??

From now Sanjaya takes over :

Dhritarashtra said, 'When the divisions of both my side and the foe were thus arrayed, who struck first, the Kurus or the Pandavas?'
Sanjaya said, "Hearing the command of his (elder) brother, your son Dussasana advanced with his troops, with Bhishma at their head, and the Pandavas also advanced with cheerful hearts, desiring battle with Bhishma, having Bhimasena at their head.

Then shouts, and clamorous uproars and the noise of the blare of cow-horns, and the sound of drums and cymbals and tabors, arose in both armies.

And the warriors of the foe rushed against us, and we also (rushed) against them with loud shouts. And the uproar (caused by this rush) was deafening.

The vast hosts of the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, in that awfully murderous encounter shook in consequence of that uproar of conches and cymbals, like forests shaken by the wind.

And the din made by those hosts teeming with kings, elephants, and steeds, rushing against one another in that evil hour, was as loud as that of oceans agitated by the tempest. And when that din, loud and causing the hair to stand on end, arose, the mighty-armed Bhimasena began to roar like a bull. And those roars of Bhimasena rose above the clamour of conches and drums, the grunts of elephants, and the leonine shouts of the combatants. Indeed, the shouts of Bhimasena transcended the noise made by the thousands of chargers neighing in (both) the armies. And hearing those shouts of Bhimasena who was roaring like the clouds, shouts that resembled thunder, thy warriors were filled with fear. And at those roars of the hero, the steeds and elephants all ejected urine and excreta like other animals at the roar of the lion. And roaring like a deep mass of clouds, and assuming an awful form, that hero frightened thy sons and fell upon them. Thereupon the brothers, your sons Duryodhana, and Durmukha and Dussaha, and that mighty car-warrior Dussasana, and Durmarshana, O king, and Vivingsati, and Chitrasena, and the great car-warrior Vikarna and also Purumitra, and Jaya, and Bhoja, and the valorous son of Somadatta, shaking their splendid bows like masses of clouds exhibiting the lightning's flashes, and taking out (of their quivers) long arrows resembling snakes that have just cast off their sloughs, surrounded that mighty bowman rushing (towards them) covering him with flights of arrows like the clouds shrouding the sun. And the (five) sons of Draupadi, and the mighty car-warrior Saubhadra, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, rushed against (those) Dhartarashtras, tearing them with whetted shafts like summits of mountains with the impetuous bolts of heaven. And in that first encounter characterised by the awful twang of bow-strings and their flapping against the leathern fences (of the warriors) no combatant, either on thy side or that of the foe, turned back.
And, O bull of Bharata's race, I beheld the lightness of hand of the disciples of Drona (in particular), who, shooting innumerable arrows, O king, always succeeded in hitting the mark. And the twang of sounding bowstrings ceased not for a moment, and the blazing arrows shot through (the air) like meteors (falling) from the firmament. And all the other kings, O Bharata, stood like (silent) spectators witnessing that interesting and awful encounter of kinsmen. And then those mighty car-warriors, with wrath excited and remembering the injuries sustained at one another's hands, strove in battle, O king, challenging one another. And the two armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, teeming with elephants, steeds and cars, looked exceedingly beautiful on the field of battle like painted figures on a canvas. And then the (other) kings all took up their bows. And the Sun himself was shrouded by the dust raised by the combatants. And they fell upon one another, at the heads of their (respective) troops, at the command of thy son. And the loud uproar made by the elephants and the chargers of those kings rushing to the combat, mingled with the leonine shouts of the combatants and the din made by the blare of conches and the sounds of drums. And the uproar of that ocean having arrows for its crocodiles, bows for its snakes, swords for its tortoises, and the forward leaps of the warriors for its tempest, resembled the din made by the (actual) ocean when agitated.

And kings in thousands, commanded by Yudhishthira, with their (respective) troops fell upon the ranks of thy son. And the encounter between the combatants of the two hosts was fierce in the extreme. And no difference could be perceived between the combatants of our side or that of the foe, while battling, or retreating in broken array or rallying again to the fight.
In that terrific and awful battle, thy father (Bhishma) shone, transcending that countless host.


Day 1 continues.............

[Nakeeran]

Day 1 continues :

On the forenoon of that awful day, the terrible battle that mangled the bodies of (so many) kings commenced. And the loud shouts, resembling leonine roars of the Kurus and the Srinjayas, both desirous of victory in battle, made both the welkin and the earth resound therewith. And a tumultuous uproar was heard mingled with the flaps of leathern fences and the blare of conches. And many were the leonine roars that rose there of men shouting against one another. The sound of bowstrings stretched by (hands cased in) fences, the heavy tread of infantry, the furious neigh of chargers, the falling of sticks and iron hooks (on the beads of elephants), the clash of weapons, the jingle of bells of elephants rushing against one another, and the clatter of cars resembling the roar of clouds, mingled together, produced a loud uproar making one's hair stand on end. And all the Kuru warriors, reckless of their very lives and with cruel intentions, rushed, with standards upraised, against the Pandavas. And Santanu's son himself, taking up a terrible bow that resembled the God of Death, rushed, on the field of battle, against Dhananjaya. And Arjuna also, endued with great energy, taking up the bow Gandiva celebrated overall the world, rushed, on the field of battle, against Ganga's son. And both those tigers among the Kurus became desirous of slaying each other. The mighty son of Ganga however, piercing in battle the son of Pritha could not make him waver. Even Arjuna also could not make Bhishma waver in battle.

And bowman Satyaki rushed against Kritavarman. And the battle between these two was fierce in the extreme and made the hair (of onlookers) stand on end. And Satyaki afflicted Kritavarman, and Kritavarman afflicted Satyaki, with loud shouts and each weakened the other. And pierced all over with arrows those mighty warriors shone like two blossoming Kinsukas in spring adorned with flowers.

The prince charm Abhimanyu battled with Vrihadvala. Soon, however, in that encounter, the ruler of Kosala cut off the standard and overthrew the charioteer of Subhadra's son. The son of Subhadra then upon the overthrow of his charioteer, was filled with wrath and pierced Vrihadvala, With nine shafts, and with a couple of sharp arrows that grinder of foes also cut off (Vrihadvala's) standard, and with one (more) cut off one of the protectors of his car-wheels and with the other his charioteer. And those chastisers of foes continued to weaken each other with sharp arrows.

Bhimasena struggled in battle with Duryodhana, proud and inflated, who had injured (the sons of Pandu). Both of those foremost (princes) among the Kurus, are tigers among men and mighty car-warriors. And they covered each other, on the field of battle, with their arrowy showers. And beholding those high-souled and accomplished warriors conversant with all modes of warfare, all creatures were filled with amazement of Bharata.
Dussasana, rushing against car-warrior Nakula, pierced him with many sharp arrows capable of penetrating into the very vitals. The son of Madri, then, laughing the while, cut off, with sharp arrows (of his), adversary's standard and bow, and then he struck him with five and twenty small-headed arrows. In that fierce encounter the steeds of Nakula and cut off his standard.
Durmukha rushing against Sahadeva battling in that terrific encounter, pierced him with a shower of arrows. The heroic Sahadeva then, in that fearful battle, overthrew Durmukha's charioteer with an arrow of great sharpness. Both of them, irrepressible in fight, approaching each other in combat, and each attacking the other and desirous of warding off the other's attack, began to strike terror into each other with terrible shafts.

Day 1 continues ............... :D

[Nakeeran]

Day 1 continues :

On the forenoon of that awful day, the terrible battle that mangled the bodies of (so many) kings commenced. And the loud shouts, resembling leonine roars of the Kurus and the Srinjayas, both desirous of victory in battle, made both the welkin and the earth resound therewith. And a tumultuous uproar was heard mingled with the flaps of leathern fences and the blare of conches. And many were the leonine roars that rose there of men shouting against one another. The sound of bowstrings stretched by (hands cased in) fences, the heavy tread of infantry, the furious neigh of chargers, the falling of sticks and iron hooks (on the beads of elephants), the clash of weapons, the jingle of bells of elephants rushing against one another, and the clatter of cars resembling the roar of clouds, mingled together, produced a loud uproar making one's hair stand on end. And all the Kuru warriors, reckless of their very lives and with cruel intentions, rushed, with standards upraised, against the Pandavas. And Santanu's son himself, taking up a terrible bow that resembled the God of Death, rushed, on the field of battle, against Dhananjaya. And Arjuna also, endued with great energy, taking up the bow Gandiva celebrated overall the world, rushed, on the field of battle, against Ganga's son. And both those tigers among the Kurus became desirous of slaying each other. The mighty son of Ganga however, piercing in battle the son of Pritha could not make him waver. Even Arjuna also could not make Bhishma waver in battle.

And bowman Satyaki rushed against Kritavarman. And the battle between these two was fierce in the extreme and made the hair (of onlookers) stand on end. And Satyaki afflicted Kritavarman, and Kritavarman afflicted Satyaki, with loud shouts and each weakened the other. And pierced all over with arrows those mighty warriors shone like two blossoming Kinsukas in spring adorned with flowers.

The prince charm Abhimanyu battled with Vrihadvala. Soon, however, in that encounter, the ruler of Kosala cut off the standard and overthrew the charioteer of Subhadra's son. The son of Subhadra then upon the overthrow of his charioteer, was filled with wrath and pierced Vrihadvala, With nine shafts, and with a couple of sharp arrows that grinder of foes also cut off (Vrihadvala's) standard, and with one (more) cut off one of the protectors of his car-wheels and with the other his charioteer. And those chastisers of foes continued to weaken each other with sharp arrows.

Bhimasena struggled in battle with Duryodhana, proud and inflated, who had injured (the sons of Pandu). Both of those foremost (princes) among the Kurus, are tigers among men and mighty car-warriors. And they covered each other, on the field of battle, with their arrowy showers. And beholding those high-souled and accomplished warriors conversant with all modes of warfare, all creatures were filled with amazement of Bharata.
Dussasana, rushing against car-warrior Nakula, pierced him with many sharp arrows capable of penetrating into the very vitals. The son of Madri, then, laughing the while, cut off, with sharp arrows (of his), adversary's standard and bow, and then he struck him with five and twenty small-headed arrows. In that fierce encounter the steeds of Nakula and cut off his standard.
Durmukha rushing against Sahadeva battling in that terrific encounter, pierced him with a shower of arrows. The heroic Sahadeva then, in that fearful battle, overthrew Durmukha's charioteer with an arrow of great sharpness. Both of them, irrepressible in fight, approaching each other in combat, and each attacking the other and desirous of warding off the other's attack, began to strike terror into each other with terrible shafts.

Day 1 continues ............... :D

[Nakeeran]

Day 1 continues :

On the forenoon of that awful day, the terrible battle that mangled the bodies of (so many) kings commenced. And the loud shouts, resembling leonine roars of the Kurus and the Srinjayas, both desirous of victory in battle, made both the welkin and the earth resound therewith. And a tumultuous uproar was heard mingled with the flaps of leathern fences and the blare of conches. And many were the leonine roars that rose there of men shouting against one another. The sound of bowstrings stretched by (hands cased in) fences, the heavy tread of infantry, the furious neigh of chargers, the falling of sticks and iron hooks (on the beads of elephants), the clash of weapons, the jingle of bells of elephants rushing against one another, and the clatter of cars resembling the roar of clouds, mingled together, produced a loud uproar making one's hair stand on end. And all the Kuru warriors, reckless of their very lives and with cruel intentions, rushed, with standards upraised, against the Pandavas. And Santanu's son himself, taking up a terrible bow that resembled the God of Death, rushed, on the field of battle, against Dhananjaya. And Arjuna also, endued with great energy, taking up the bow Gandiva celebrated overall the world, rushed, on the field of battle, against Ganga's son. And both those tigers among the Kurus became desirous of slaying each other. The mighty son of Ganga however, piercing in battle the son of Pritha could not make him waver. Even Arjuna also could not make Bhishma waver in battle.

And bowman Satyaki rushed against Kritavarman. And the battle between these two was fierce in the extreme and made the hair (of onlookers) stand on end. And Satyaki afflicted Kritavarman, and Kritavarman afflicted Satyaki, with loud shouts and each weakened the other. And pierced all over with arrows those mighty warriors shone like two blossoming Kinsukas in spring adorned with flowers.

The prince charm Abhimanyu battled with Vrihadvala. Soon, however, in that encounter, the ruler of Kosala cut off the standard and overthrew the charioteer of Subhadra's son. The son of Subhadra then upon the overthrow of his charioteer, was filled with wrath and pierced Vrihadvala, With nine shafts, and with a couple of sharp arrows that grinder of foes also cut off (Vrihadvala's) standard, and with one (more) cut off one of the protectors of his car-wheels and with the other his charioteer. And those chastisers of foes continued to weaken each other with sharp arrows.

Bhimasena struggled in battle with Duryodhana, proud and inflated, who had injured (the sons of Pandu). Both of those foremost (princes) among the Kurus, are tigers among men and mighty car-warriors. And they covered each other, on the field of battle, with their arrowy showers. And beholding those high-souled and accomplished warriors conversant with all modes of warfare, all creatures were filled with amazement of Bharata.
Dussasana, rushing against car-warrior Nakula, pierced him with many sharp arrows capable of penetrating into the very vitals. The son of Madri, then, laughing the while, cut off, with sharp arrows (of his), adversary's standard and bow, and then he struck him with five and twenty small-headed arrows. In that fierce encounter the steeds of Nakula and cut off his standard.
Durmukha rushing against Sahadeva battling in that terrific encounter, pierced him with a shower of arrows. The heroic Sahadeva then, in that fearful battle, overthrew Durmukha's charioteer with an arrow of great sharpness. Both of them, irrepressible in fight, approaching each other in combat, and each attacking the other and desirous of warding off the other's attack, began to strike terror into each other with terrible shafts.

Day 1 continues ............... :D

[Sudhaama]

[tscii:5a20477efc]
quote: Nakeeran

// Mr. Sudhama ...This precisely is the reason why your active presence & Mr. Badri’s is needed – clarifying with perfect & rationale reasoning on various intricate & tricky issues & questions .

You will face more such questions from us . Pl continue to guide & enlighten us //

Thanks my dear Nakkeera....

Yes, I am with you. Will take active part here...as long as you all wish.

// Parasurama’s avatar was one which gave the highest respect to parents . In fact THAHDHAI SOLMIKKA MANDHIRAMILLAI is a sentence which can be a permanent tag of both Parasurama & Rama !

Parasurama , as per the legend, was asked by his Father to axe his Mother for a momentary lapse in her virtues . But I believe, the same Parasurama, as soon as he axed his mother requested Jamadagni to restore the life of her again ! //

Yes Yes... You are TOTALLY CORRECT

Your NARRATIVE PICTURISATION of the Battle-field is quite Unique and LIVELY.. unusual and uncommon anywhere else...

...especially with so much of analytical minute detail of the warfare ...

Quite INTERESTING... Please carry on.
... [/tscii:5a20477efc]

[Nakeeran]

Day 1 continues .........

YUDHISHTIRA faced the ruler of the Madras ( Name not known ) . The chief of the Madras then in his very sight cut off in twain Yudhishthira's bow. Thereupon the son of Kunti, throwing aside that broken bow, took up another that was stronger and capable of imparting a greater velocity. The king then, with straight arrows, covered the ruler of the Madras, and in great wrath said, 'wait, wait'.
DHRISHTADYUMNA faced DRONA. ( this was a much awaited battle as the son of Durupadha was destined to kill Drona as per the Yaga which he performed earlier after he was defeated by Drona through Arjuna earlier ) And Drona, then, in great wrath, cut off in that encounter the hard bow of the prince of Panchala that was capable of always taking the lives of foes. And at the same time he shot in that conflict a terrible arrow that was like a second rod of Death. And the arrow shot penetrated the body of the prince. Taking up then another bow and fourteen arrows, the son of Drupada pierced Drona in that encounter. And enraged with each other, they battled on fiercely.
SANKHA encountered SOMADATTA'S son who was equally impetuous in battle and addressed him, saying 'wait, wait'. and then pierced his right arm in that combat. And thereupon the son of Somadatta struck Sankha on the shoulders. And the battle that ensued between those two proud heroes, soon became as terrible as a combat between the gods and the Asuras.
DHRISHTAKETU was pitted against VALHIKA who roared like a lion weakened Dhrishtaketu with innumerable arrows. The king of the Chedis, however, exceedingly provoked, quickly pierced Valhika in that encounter with nine arrows. Like an infuriate elephant against an infuriate elephant, in that combat they roared against each other repeatedly, both exceedingly enraged. And they encountered each other with great wrath and looked like the planets Angaraka and Sukra.

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:db631c9c17]GHATOTKACHA ( the Rakshasha son of Bheema ) encountered the Rakshasa ALAMVUSHA & pierced that infuriate and powerful Rakshasa with ninety keen-edged shafts. And Alamvusha also in that combat pierced the mighty son of Bhimasena in many places with straight arrows .Mangled with arrows they shone in that encounter.

SIKHANDI , Durupadha’s son rushed against Drona's son, ASWATTHAMAN, . Aswathama, a highly skilled warrior , deeply pierced the angry Sikhandi with a keen-edged shaft, caused him to tremble, Sikhandin also, smote Drona's son with a sharp-whetted shaft of excellent temper. And they continued in that encounter to strike each other with various kinds of arrows.

BHAGADATTA , the second oldest warrior after Bhishma faced VIRATA, the commander of a large division, rushed impetuously and then commenced (their) combat. Virata, exceedingly provoked, poured on Bhagadatta an arrowy shower like,the clouds showering rain on the mountain breast. But Bhagadatta, speedily enveloped Virata in that encounter (with arrows) like the clouds enveloping the risen sun.

KRIPA, the son of Saradwat, rushed against VRIHADKSHATRA, the ruler of the Kaikeyas. And Kripa, enveloped him with a shower of arrows. Vrihadkshatra also shrouded the infuriate son of Gautama with an arrowy downpour. And those warriors, then, having slain each other's steeds and cut off each other's bows, were both deprived of their cars. And exceedingly enraged, they then approached each other for fighting with their swords. And the combat which then took place between them was terrible in aspect and unparalleled.

DRUPADA, faced JAYADRATHA, Sindhu Naresh . who cheerfully waiting (for battle). The ruler of the Sindhus pierced Drupada in that combat with three shafts, and Drupada pierced him in return. And the battle that took place between them was terrible and fierce, and productive of satisfaction in the hearts of all the

The virtuous VIKARNA, THE BEST OF THE KAURAVAS faced SUTASOMA and the combat between them commenced. Vikarna, however, although he pierced Sutasoma with many arrows, failed to make him waver. Neither could Sutasoma make Vikarna waver. And that appeared wonderful .

SUSARMAN ( WHO LATER WAS USED AS A SUICIDE SQUAD TO DIVERT ARJUNA , THE DAY WHEN HE WAS TARGETTING JAYATHRADHA ) , pitched against CHEKITANA , rushed in exceeding wrath for the sake of the Pandavas. And Susarman also, in that encounter checked the advance of that mighty car-warrior Chekitana with plentiful shower of arrows. And Chekitana also, greatly provoked, showered on Susarman, in that terrible conflict, a shower of arrows like a mighty mass of clouds showerng rain on a mountain .

SAKUNI, endued against PRATIVINDHYA ,the son of Yudhishthira, in exceeding wrath, mangled Suvala's son in that combat, with sharp arrows, like Maghavat (mangling) a Danava. And Sakuni also, in that fierce conflict, pierced Prativindhya in return and mangled that warrior of great intelligence with straight arrows.

SRUTAKARMAN faced SUDAKSHINA , the ruler of the Kamvojas. Sudakshina, piercing the bow of the son of Sahadeva, failed to make him waver. Thereupon Srutakarman, exceedingly provoked, weakened the king of kambojas with innumerable arrows and mangled him in every part of his body.

IRAVAN, battled against SRUTAYUSH. The powerful son of Arjuna, then slaying the steeds of his adversary, set up a loud roar, and thereupon, All the warriors who saw the feat praised him greatly. And Srutasena also, exceedingly provoked, slew in that conflict the steeds of Falguni's son with a powerful mace, and the battle between them continued.


[/tscii:db631c9c17]

[Nakeeran]

VINDA and ANUVINDA, those two princes of Avanti, approached in battle against KUNTIBHOJA at the head of his troops accompanied by his son. And wonderful was the prowess shown by the those two princes on that occasion, for they fought on very cooly though battling with a large body of troops. And Anuvinda hurled a mace at Kuntibhoja, but Kuntibhoja quickly covered him with a shower of arrows. And the son of Kuntibhoja pierced Vinda with many arrows, and the latter also pierced him in return. And the combat looked very wonderful.

The Kekaya brothers, at the head of their troops, encountered in battle the five Gandhara princes with their troops.

Another Kaurava VIRAVAHU battled with UTTARA, the son of Virata and pierced him with nine arrows. And Uttara also pierced that hero with sharp-edged arrows.

The ruler of the CHEDIS, rushed in battle against ULUKA. And he pierced Uluka with a shower of arrows, and Uluka also pierced him with sharp arrows furnished with excellent wing. And the combat that took place between them, was fierce in the extreme, for unable to vanquish each other, they mangled each other terribly.

AND THUS IN THAT GENERAL ENGAGEMENT THOUSANDS OF SINGLE COMBATS TOOK PLACE BETWEEN MEN ON CAR, WARRIORS ON ELEPHANTS AND HORSEMEN, AND FOOT-SOLDIERS, OF THEIR SIDE AND THINE. FOR A SHORT WHILE ONLY THAT ENGAGEMENT OFFERED A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT. OON, HOWEVER, IT BECAME FURIOUS AND NOTHING COULD BE DISCOVERED. IN THE BATTLE (THAT ENSUED) ELEPHANTS RUSHED AGAINST ELEPHANTS, CAR-WARRIORS AGAINST CAR-WARRIORS, STEED AGAINST STEED AND FOOT-SOLDIER AGAINST FOOT-SOLDIER. THE CONFLICT THEN BECAME CONFUSED AND FIERCE IN THE EXTREME, OF HEROES RUSHING AGAINST EACH OTHER IN THE MELEE. AND THE CELESTIAL RISHI, AND SIDDHAS AND CHARANAS, THAT WERE PRESENT THERE, BEHELD THAT TERRIFIC BATTLE TO RESEMBLE THE COMBAT OF THE GODS AND THE ASURAS. AND ELEPHANTS IN THOUSANDS, AND CARS ALSO IN THOUSANDS, AND VAST BODIES OF INFANTRY, SEEMED TO ALTER THEIR CHARACTER. ALSO, IT WAS SEEN THAT CARS AND ELEPHANTS AND STEEDS AND INFANTRY FOUGHT WITH EACH OTHER REPEATEDLY ON THE SAME PLACES.


Oopsssssssssssss !!!!

Now only, I could complete the list of the great warriors & princes who were pitted against each other !

From now, the EVENTFUL FIRST DAY WAR DETAILS WILL FOLLOW TOMORROW :D

Day 1 was won by Kauravas !!

[Nakeeran]

VINDA and ANUVINDA, those two princes of Avanti, approached in battle against KUNTIBHOJA at the head of his troops accompanied by his son. And wonderful was the prowess shown by the those two princes on that occasion, for they fought on very cooly though battling with a large body of troops. And Anuvinda hurled a mace at Kuntibhoja, but Kuntibhoja quickly covered him with a shower of arrows. And the son of Kuntibhoja pierced Vinda with many arrows, and the latter also pierced him in return. And the combat looked very wonderful.

The Kekaya brothers, at the head of their troops, encountered in battle the five Gandhara princes with their troops.

Another Kaurava VIRAVAHU battled with UTTARA, the son of Virata and pierced him with nine arrows. And Uttara also pierced that hero with sharp-edged arrows.

The ruler of the CHEDIS, rushed in battle against ULUKA. And he pierced Uluka with a shower of arrows, and Uluka also pierced him with sharp arrows furnished with excellent wing. And the combat that took place between them, was fierce in the extreme, for unable to vanquish each other, they mangled each other terribly.

AND THUS IN THAT GENERAL ENGAGEMENT THOUSANDS OF SINGLE COMBATS TOOK PLACE BETWEEN MEN ON CAR, WARRIORS ON ELEPHANTS AND HORSEMEN, AND FOOT-SOLDIERS, OF THEIR SIDE AND THINE. FOR A SHORT WHILE ONLY THAT ENGAGEMENT OFFERED A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT. OON, HOWEVER, IT BECAME FURIOUS AND NOTHING COULD BE DISCOVERED. IN THE BATTLE (THAT ENSUED) ELEPHANTS RUSHED AGAINST ELEPHANTS, CAR-WARRIORS AGAINST CAR-WARRIORS, STEED AGAINST STEED AND FOOT-SOLDIER AGAINST FOOT-SOLDIER. THE CONFLICT THEN BECAME CONFUSED AND FIERCE IN THE EXTREME, OF HEROES RUSHING AGAINST EACH OTHER IN THE MELEE. AND THE CELESTIAL RISHI, AND SIDDHAS AND CHARANAS, THAT WERE PRESENT THERE, BEHELD THAT TERRIFIC BATTLE TO RESEMBLE THE COMBAT OF THE GODS AND THE ASURAS. AND ELEPHANTS IN THOUSANDS, AND CARS ALSO IN THOUSANDS, AND VAST BODIES OF INFANTRY, SEEMED TO ALTER THEIR CHARACTER. ALSO, IT WAS SEEN THAT CARS AND ELEPHANTS AND STEEDS AND INFANTRY FOUGHT WITH EACH OTHER REPEATEDLY ON THE SAME PLACES.


Oopsssssssssssss !!!!

Now only, I could complete the list of the great warriors & princes who were pitted against each other !

From now, the EVENTFUL FIRST DAY WAR DETAILS WILL FOLLOW TOMORROW :D

Day 1 was won by Kauravas !!

[Nakeeran]

Now, lets focus on the son of Ganga !

Durmukha and Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Salya, and Vivinsati, urged by Duryodhanan approached Bhishma and began to protect him. And protected by those five , that great car-warrior penetrated the Pandava host. And the palmyra standard of Bhishma was seen to glide continually through the Chedis, the Kasis, the Karushas, and the Panchalas. And that hero, with broad-headed shafts of great swiftness which were again perfectly straight, cut off the heads (of foes) and their cars with yokes and standards. Bhishma seemed to dance on his car as it coursed along its track. And some elephants, struck (by him) in their vital parts, shrieked in agony.

Now Abhimanyu rushed towards Bhishma's car. And striking with a keen-edged shaft the standard of the palmyra-bannered (warrior), that hero engaged in battle with Bhishma and those other 5 who protected him. Piercing Kritavarman with one arrow, and Salya with five, he weakened his great-grandsire with nine arrows. And with one arrow well shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, he cut off (his adversary's) standard adorned with pure gold. And with one broad-headed shaft capable of penetrating every cover, which was perfectly straight, he cut off from his body the head of Durmukha's charioteer. And with another keen-edged arrow he cut in twain the gold-decked bow of Kripa. And them also, with many sharp-pointed shafts, seeming to dance (the while). And in consequence of Abhimanyu's sureness of aim, all the car-warriors headed by Bhishma regarded him to be possessed of the capacity of his illustrious Father himself. And his bow, emitting a twang like that of Gandiva, while stretched and re-stretched, seemed to revolve like a circle of fire. Bhishma then, that slayer of hostile heroes, rushing on him impetuously, speedily pierced the son of Arjuna in that combat with nine arrows. And he also, with three broad-headed shafts, cut off the standard of that warrior of great energy. Bhishma also struck his (adversary's) charioteer. And Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Salya also, piercing Arjuna's son, all failed to make him waver, for he stood firm And the heroic son of Arjuna, though surrounded by those big names of the Kauravas, still showered on those five car-warriors arrowy downpours. And baffling their mighty weapons by his arrowy showers, and pouring on Bhishma his shafts, the powerful son of Arjuna set up loud shout.
And struggling in the battle thus and afflicting Bhishma with (his) arrows, the strength we saw of his arms then was very great. But though endued with such prowess Bhishma also shot his arrows at him. But he cut off in that combat the arrows shot from Bhishma's bow. And then that heroic warrior of arrows that were never lost, cut off with nine arrows, in that combat, the standard of Bhishma. And at that feat the people there set up a loud shout. Decked with jewels and made of silver, that tall standard bearing the device of the palmyra, cut off, by the shafts of Subhadra's son, fell down on the earth. That standard failing in consequence of the shafts of Subhadra's son, the proud Bhima set up a loud shout for cheering the son of Subhadra. Then in fierce combat, the mighty Bhishma caused many celestial weapons of great efficacy to appear. And the great grandsire of immeasurable soul then covered Subhadra's son with thousands of arrows. And at this, ten great bowmen of the Pandavas, quickly rushed on their cars for protecting the son of Subhadra. And those were Virata with his son, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, and Bhima, the five Kekaya brothers, and Satyaki also. And as they were falling upon him with great impetuosity, Bhishma the son of Santanu, in that conflict, pierced the prince of Panchala with three arrows, and Satyaki with ten. And with one winged arrow, whetted and sharp-edged as a razor, and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, he cut off the standard of Bhimasena. And the standard of Bhimasena, made of gold and bearing the device of a lion, cut off by Bhishma, fell from the car. And Bhima then, piercing Santanu's son Bhishma in that combat with three arrows, pierced Kripa with one, and Kritavarman with eight. And Uttara also, the son of Virata, on a tusker with upraised trunk, rushed against the ruler of the Madras.

day 1 continues ...........

[Nakeeran]

Salya, however, succeeded in checking the unparalleled impetuosity of that prince of elephants rushing quickly towards his car. That prince of elephants, in great wrath, placing his leg upon the yoke of (Salya's) car, killed his four large steeds of excellent speed. The ruler of the Madras then, staying on that car whose steeds had been slain, hurled a dart, all made of iron, and resembling a snake, for slaying Uttara outright. The latter's coat of mail being cut through by that dart, he became totally deprived of his senses and fell down from his elephant's neck, with the hook and the lance loosened from his grasp. And Salya then, taking up his sword and jumping down from his excellent car, and putting forth his prowess, cut off the large trunk of that prince of elephants. His coat of mail pierced all over with a shower of arrows, and his trunk cut off, that elephant uttered a loud shriek and fell down and expired. Achieving such a feat, the ruler of the Madras speedily mounted on the splendid car of Kritavarman. And beholding his brother Uttara slain and seeing Salya staying with Kritavarman, Virata's son Sweta blazed up in wrath, like fire (blazing up) with clarified butter. Stretching his large bow , rushed with the desire of slaying Salya . Surrounded on all sides with a mighty division of cars, he advanced towards Salya's car pouring an arrowy shower. And beholding him rush to the fight with prowess equal to that of an infuriate elephant, seven car-warriors of thy side surrounded him on all sides, desirous of protecting the ruler of Madras who seemed to be already within the jaws of Death.
And those seven warriors were Vrihadvala the ruler of the Kosalas, and Jayatsena of Magadha, and Rukmaratha, who was the valourous son of Salya, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Sudakshina the king of the Kamvojas, and Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus and the kinsman of Vrihadkshatra. And the stretched bows of those warriors, decorated with diverse colours, looked like the lightning's flashes in the clouds. And they all poured on Sweta's head ceaseless showers of arrows like the clouds tossed by the wind dropping rain on the mountain breast on the expiry of summer. That bowman and commander of the forces, enraged at this, with seven broad-headed arrows of great impetuosity, struck their bows, and then continued to grind them. And those bows were cut off, and thereupon they all took up, within half the time taken up in a wink of the eye, other bows. And they then shot at Sweta seven arrows.
And once again Sweta, with seven fleet shafts, cut off those (other) bows of these bowmen. Those warriors then, whose large bows had been cut off, swelling (with rage), grasping (seven) darts, set up a loud shout.

They hurled those seven darts at Sweta's car. And those blazing darts which coursed (through the air) like large meteors, with the sound of thunder, were all cut off, before they could reach him, that warrior conversant with mighty weapons, by means of seven broad-headed arrows. Then taking up an arrow capable of penetrating into every part of the body, he shot it, at Rukmaratha. And that mighty arrow, surpassing (the force of) the thunder-bolt, penetrated into the latter's body. Then, forcibly struck by that arrow, Rukmaratha sat down on the terrace of his car and fell into a deadly swoon. His charioteer then, without betraying any fear, bore him away, senseless and in a swoon, in the very sight of all. Then taking up six other (arrows) adorned with gold, the mighty-armed Sweta cut off the standard-tops of his six adversaries. And that chastiser of foes then, piercing their steeds and charioteers also, and covering those six warriors themselves with ceaseless shafts, proceeded towards the car of Salya. And beholding that generalissimo of the (Pandava) forces proceeding quickly towards Salya's car, a loud uproar of oh and alas arose in thy army.

Then Duryodhana , with Bhishma at the head, and supported by heroic warriors and many troops, proceeded towards Sweta's car. And he thus rescued the ruler of the Madras who had already entered the jaws of Death.

Day one continues tomorrow ........................

[Nakeeran]

Now commenced a battle, terrific and making the hair stand on end, in which cars and elephants all got mixed up in confusion. And upon Subhadra's son and Bhimasena, Satyaki, and upon the ruler of the Kekayas, and Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishatas' race, all brave and mighty car-warriors, placing the generalissimo Sweta in the van, and displaying their strength. Duryodhana, desired to rescue (Sweta).

The Chariot warrios rushed towards Bhishma's chariot desirous of slaying him. And the battle that ensued then was terrible.

Bheeshma made the terraces of many cars empty, (for) that best of car-warriors showering (his) arrows, cut off many heads. He covered the very Sun with his arrows. And he removed his enemies from around him in that combat like the rising Sun dispelling the darkness around. Arrows were shot by him in hundreds and thousands that were powerful and possessed of great impetuosity and that took in that conflict the lives of numberless Kshatriyas. And in that combat he felled heads, by hundreds, of heroic warriors and elephants cased in thorny mail, like summits of mountains (felled) by heaven's bolt. And a car might be seen upon another car, and a steed upon another steed. With swords and quivers attached (to their persons) and coats of mail loosened (from their bodies), hundreds of warriors, deprived of life, lay on the ground, sleeping on beds (worthy) of heroes. Rushing against one another, falling down and rising up again and rushing again having risen up, the combatants fought hand to hand. Afflicted by one another, many rolled on the field of battle. Infuriate elephants rushed hither and thither, and car-warriors by hundreds were slain. And car-warriors, along with their cars, were crushed on all sides. And some warriors fell upon his car, slain by another with arrows. And a mighty car-warrior might be seen to fall down from high, his charioteer (also) having been slain. A thick dust arose, and thereupon unto the warrior struggling in battle, the twang of the (hostile) bow indicated the struggling adversary before. From the pressure also on their bodies, combatants guessed their foes. And the warriors, fought on with arrows, guided by the sound of bow-strings and (hostile) division. The very hiss of the arrows shot by the combatants at one another could not be heard. And so loud was the sound of drums, that it seemed to pierce the ears. And in that tumultuous uproar making the hair stand on end, the name of the combatant uttered in the battle, while displaying his prowess, could not be heard. One of the wheels being broken, or the yoke being torn off or one of the steeds being slain, the brave car-warrior was overthrown from his car, along with his charioteer, by means of straight arrows. And thus many heroic warriors, deprived of their cars, were seen to fly away. He who was slain had cut off; he who was not slain, was struck at the very vitals: but unstruck there was none, when Bhishma attacked the foe.

And in that terrific battle, Sweta caused a great slaughter of the Kurus. And he slew many noble princes by hundreds upon hundreds. And he cut off, by means of his arrows, the heads of car-warriors by hundreds upon hundreds, and (their) arms decked with Angadas, and (their) bows all around. And car-warriors and car-wheels and others that were on cars, and the cars themselves, and standards both small and costly, and large bodies of horses, and crowds of cars, and crowds of men, were destroyed by Sweta.

The Kauravas , from fear of Sweta, abandoning (Bhishma) , left the battle retreating to the rear. Cheerful however, Bhishma, alone amongst the Kauravas stood immovable

to be continued .............

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:46f8d2c857]Day 1 continues.......

Battle between Bheeshma - Swetha :


Encountering Sweta, Bhishma, was the only one who was cheerful, he began to consume the Pandavas And beholding the generalissimo (Sweta) smiting the Kaurava divisions, Bhishma, impetuously rushed against him. Thereupon, Sweta covered Bhishma with an extensive net-work of arrows. And Bhishma also covered Sweta with a flight of arrows. And roaring like a couple of bulls, they rushed, like two infuriate elephants of gigantic size or two raging tigers, against each other. Baffling each other's weapons by means of their weapons, Bhishma and Sweta fought with each other, desirous of taking each other's life.

In one single day Bhishma, infuriate with anger, could consume the Pandava army with his arrows, if Sweta did not protect it.

Beholding the grandsire then turned off by Sweta, the Pandavas were filled with joy, while Duryodhana then, with wrath excited and surrounded by many kings, rushed with his troops against the Pandava host in battle. Then Sweta, abandoning the son of Ganga, slaughtered Duryodhana’st host with great impetuosity.

And the son of Virata, senseless with wrath, having routed the Kauravas, advanced to the place where Bhishma was stationed. Both battled with each other. Drawing (his) bow to the fullest stretch, Sweta pierced Bhishma with seven arrows. The valourous (Bhishma) then, putting forth his prowess, quickly checked his foe's valour. And Sweta then struck Bhishma, and also pierced him in return with ten arrows. And though pierced by him (thus), that mighty warrior stood still like a mountain. And Sweta again pierced Santanu's son with five and twenty straight arrows, at which all wondered. Then smiling and licking with his tongue the corners of his mouth, Sweta in that combat cut off Bhishma's bow into ten fragments with ten arrows. Then aiming a plumed arrow made wholly of iron, (Sweta) crushed the palmyra on the top of the standard of Bhishma. And beholding the standard of Bhishma cut down, the Kauravas , for a moment thought that Bhishma was slain, having succumbed to Sweta.
And the Pandavas also filled with delight, blew their conches all around. And beholding the palmyra standard of Bhishma laid low, Duryodhana, from wrath, urged his own army to the battle. And they all began very carefully to protect Bhishma who 'was in great distress. Unto them, also unto those that stood (idle) spectators, the king said,--Either Sweta will die (today), or Bhishma the son of Santanu. I say this truly. Hearing the words of the king, the mighty car-warriors speedily with four kinds of forces, advanced protecting the son of Ganga. And Valhika and Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Salya also and the son of Jarasandha, and Vikarna, and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati, with great speed, when speed was so necessary, surrounding him on all sides, poured on Sweta ceaseless showers of arrows. Swetha quickly checked those angry warriors by means of sharp arrows, displaying his own lightness of hand.
And checking them all like a lion and a multitude of elephants, Sweta then cut off Bhishma's bow with thick shower of arrows. Then Bhishma , taking up another bow in that battle, pierced Sweta, with arrows furnished with feathers of Kanka bird. Then the commander (of the Pandava army), with wrath excited, pierced Bhishma in that encounter , with a great many shafts in the very sight of all. Beholding Bhishma, that foremost of heroes in all the world, checked in battle by Sweta, Duryodhana became greatly troubled, and great also became the distress of thy whole army.

And beholding the heroic Bhishma checked and mangled by Sweta with his arrows, all thought that Bhishma, having succumbed to Sweta, was slain by him. Then Bheeshma, yielding to anger, and beholding his (own) standard overthrown and the Kaurava army checked, shot a great many arrows, at Sweta. Sweta, however, baffling all those arrows of Bhishma, once more cut off, with a broad-headed shaft, thy sire's bow. Throwing aside that bow, with anger, taking up another bow larger and stronger, and aiming seven large broad-headed arrows whetted on stone, slew with four arrows the four steeds of the generalissimo Sweta, cut off his standard with two and with the seventh shaft that warrior of great prowess, exceedingly provoked, cut off his charioteer's head.

Thereupon, that mighty car-warrior, jumping down from his car whose steeds and charioteer had been slain and yielding to the influence of wrath, became exceedingly troubled. The grandsire, beholding Sweta that foremost of car-warriors, deprived of car, began to smite him on all sides with showers of arrows. And smitten in that combat with arrows shot from Bhishma's bow, Sweta, leaving his bow on his (abandoned) car took up a dart decked with gold and taking up that terrible and fierce dart which resembled the fatal rod of Death and was capable of slaying Death's self. Sweta then, in great wrath, addressed in that combat, saying,--Wait a little, and behold me, O best of men,--And having said this unto Bhishma in battle, that great bowman of exceeding prowess and immeasurable soul, hurled the dart resembling a snake, displaying his valour for the sake of the Pandavas and desiring to achieve thy evil. Then loud cries of oh and alas arose among thy sons, upon beholding that terrible dart resembling the rod of Death in splendour. And hurled from Sweta's arms, (that dart), resembling a snake that had just cast off its slough, fell with great force, like a large meteor from the firmament. Bheeshma then, without the slightest fear, with eight sharp and winged arrows, cut off into nine fragments, that dart decked with pure gold and which seemed to be covered with flames of fire, as it coursed ablaze through the air. All Kaurava troops then, set up loud shouts of joy. The son of Virata, however, beholding his dart cut off into fragments, became senseless with anger, and like one whose heart was overcome by (the arrival of) his hour, could not settle what to do. Deprived of his senses by anger, the son of Virata, then, smiling, joyfully took up a mace for Bhishma's slaughter, with eyes red in wrath, and resembling a second Yama armed with mace, he rushed against Bhishma like a swollen torrent against the rocks. Regarding his impetuosity as incapable of cheek, Bhishma endued with great prowess and conversant with the might (of others), suddenly alighted on the ground for warding off that blow. Sweta then, whirling in wrath that heavy mace, hurled it on Bhishma's car . And in consequence of that mace intended for Bhishma's destruction, that car was reduced to ashes, with standard, and charioteer, and steeds and shaft. Beholding Bhishma, now become a combatant on foot, many car-warriors, viz., Salya and others, speedily rushed (to his rescue). Mounting then upon another car, and cheerlessly stretching his bow, Bhishma slowly advanced towards Sweta. Meanwhile, Bhishma heard a loud voice uttered in the skies, that was celestial and fraught with his own good. (And the voice said).--O, Bhishma, O thou of mighty arms, strive without losing a moment. Even this is the hour fixed by the Creator of the Universe for success over this one'. Hearing those words uttered by the celestial messenger, Bhishma, filled with joy, set his heart upon Sweta's destruction. And beholding that , Sweta become a combatant on foot, many mighty car-warriors (of the Pandava side) rushed unitedly (to his rescue).They were Satyaki, and Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna and the (five) Kekaya brothers, and Dhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu of great energy. And beholding them rushing (to the rescue), with Drona and Salya and Kripa , Bhishma checked them all like the mountain resisting the force of the wind. And when all the high-souled warriors of the Pandava side were (thus) held in check, Sweta, taking up a sword cut off Bhishma's bow. Casting aside that bow, the grandsire, quickly made up his mind for Sweta's destruction, having heard the words of the celestial messenger. Though baffled (by Sweta), the sire Devavrata quickly taking up another bow, stringed it in a moment. Then, beholding that mighty car-warrior Sweta, though the latter was then surrounded by those tigers among men with Bhimasena at their head,-- the son of Ganga-advanced steadily for the sake of the generalissimo Sweta alone. Beholding Bhishma advance, Bhimasena of great prowess pierced him with sixty shafts. But Devavrata, checking both Bhimasena and Abhimanyu and other car-warriors with terrible shafts, struck him with three straight arrows. He also struck Satyaki, in that combat, with a hundred arrows, and Dhrishtadyumna with twenty and the Kekaya brothers with five. And checking all those great bowmen with terrible arrows, the grand old man advanced towards Sweta alone. Then taking out an arrow resembling Death's self and capable of bearing a great strain and incapable of being resisted, the powerful Bhishma placed it on his bowstring. And that shaft, furnished with wings and duly endued with the force of the Brahma weapon, was seen by the gods and Gandharvas and Pisachas and Uragas, and Rakshasas. And that shaft, of splendour like that of a blazing fire, piercing through his coat of mail (passed through his body and) struck into the earth, with a flash like that of heaven's bolt. Like the Sun when speedily retiring to his western chambers taking along with him the rays of light, even thus that shaft passed out of Sweta's body, bearing away with itself his life. Thus slain in battle by Bhishma, we beheld that tiger among men fall down like the loosened crest of a mountain. And all the mighty car-warriors of the Kshatriya race belonging to the Pandava side indulged in lamentations while the Kauravas rejoiced. Then, O king, beholding Sweta overthrown, Dussasana danced in joy over the field in accompaniment With the loud music of conches and drums. And when that great bowman was slain by Bhishma, that ornament of battle, the mighty bowmen (of the Pandava side) with Sikhandin at their head, trembled in fear. Then when their commander was slain, Dhananjaya, , slowly withdrew the troops for their nightly rest. And then, the withdrawal took place of both armies while the Kauravas were frequently setting up loud roars.

And the mighty car-warriors of the Parthas entered (their quarters) cheerlessly, thinking, of that awful slaughter in single combat (of their commander

THUS ENDED THE LIFE OF A GREAT WARRIOR SWETHA .

Tomorrow will be Bheeshma vs Arjuna !![/tscii:46f8d2c857]

[Nakeeran]

Day 1 continues........

When, after the forenoon had passed away, the commander Sweta was slain by Bhishma in that fierce conflict, Virata's son Sankha, beholding Salya stationed with Kritavarman (on his car), suddenly blazed up with wrath, like fire with clarified butter. He, stretching his bow, rushed towards Salva.
And Sankha, causing an arrowy downpour rushed towards the car on which Salya was. And beholding him advancing like an infuriate elephant, seven mighty car-warriors of Kauravas surrounded him--desirous of rescuing Salva already within the jaws of death.
Then Bhishma, roaring like the very clouds, and taking up a bow full six cubits long, rushed towards Sankha in battle. And beholding that mighty car-warrior and great bowman thus rushing, the Pandava host began to tremble like a boat tossed by a violence of the tempest.
Then Arjuna, quickly advancing, placed himself in front of Sankha, thinking that Sankha should, then be protected from Bhishma. And then the combat commenced between Bhishma and Arjuna. And loud cries of oh and alas arose among the warriors engaged in battle. And one force seemed to merge into another force. And thus all were filled with wonder.

Then Salya, mace in hand, alighting from his large car, slew the four steeds of Sankha. Jumping down from his car thus deprived of steeds, and taking a sword, Sankha ran towards Vibhatsu's car and (mounting on it) was once more at his ease. And then there fell from Bhishma's car innumerable arrows by which were covered the entire welkin and the earth. Bhishma slaughtered with his arrows the Panchala, the Matsya, the Kekaya, and the Prabhadraka host. And soon abandoning in that battle, Arjuna), Bhishma rushed towards Drupada. And he soon covered his dear relative with innumerable arrows. Like a forest consumed by fire at the end of winter, the troops of Drupada were seen to be consumed.
Bhishma stood in that battle like a blazing fire without smoke, or like the Sun himself at midday scorching everything around with his heat. The combatants of the Pandavas were not able to even look at Bhishma. And afflicted with fear, the Pandava host cast its eyes around, and not beholding any protector, looked like a herd of kine afflicted by cold. Slaughtered or retreating in despondence being crushed the while, loud cries, of oh and alas arose among the troops of the Pandavas. Then Bhishma, shot therefrom blazing arrows that resembled virulent poison. And creating continuous lines of arrows in all directions, that hero of rigid vows slew Pandava car-warriors, naming each, beforehand. And then when the troops of the Pandavas were routed and crushed all over the field, the sun set and nothing could be seen.
And then beholding Bhishma, proudly standing in battle, the Parthas withdrew their forces for nightly rest

AT THE END OF DAY 1 , THE KAURAVAS EMERGED VICTORIOUS .


END OF DAY 1.............

Comments / observations invited pls ....

I shall wait for a day after which will move to Day 2 :D

[great]

Amazing thread and nice write up just went through the whole postings from 1st page :clap:

Good work !!! Nakeera , plz continue.

[great]

Sorry to interupt the flow .

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

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 .

[pizzalot]

I too do not want to disturb the flow .. but could not stop wondering why Bhishma did not kill one of the five on the first day itself ..

Please continue Nakeeran ... eagerly waiting for the next day..

[Nakeeran]

I too do not want to disturb the flow .. but could not stop wondering why Bhishma did not kill one of the five on the first day itself ..

Please continue Nakeeran ... eagerly waiting for the next day..

Pizzalot

Well....before the commencement of war, both Bheeshma & Drona clearly informed Duryodhana that THEY WILL ONLY TRY TO DEFEAT THE PANDAVAS but WILL NOT KILL ANY OF THE 5 PANDAVAS as for them both Kauravas & Pandavas stand on equal footing except for having taken food from Dhirudhirastra ( I mean to reciprocate with gratitude for the honour being bestowed upon by the Kauravas to them )

Today Day 2 will commence :D

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:41a5a8dae8]
Sorry to interupt the flow .

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

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 .

Greatna ..Thanks :D

Karna’s curses are a lengthy story !

Parasurama vowed that he will never teach anything to Kshatriyas . Karna , not sure of his caste ( you know he was put in a basket by Kunti & let it in a river which was spotted by a Charioteer & he brings him up. Incidentally, Karna was also called Radheyan ) tlearns the art of archery from Parasurama by telling lie that he is a Brahman & learns the entire art from him. One day while Parasurama was taking rest on the lap of Karna , a bee penetrates deep into Karna’s thighs & blood comes out. Parasurama on seeing it after waking up screams at Karna that a Brahman will not have such tolerance but only a Kshatriya could have such immense strength to withstand such a pain . This baffles Karna who has no clue to convince his guru . At this point Parasurama gets wild & CURSES KARNA THAT WHATEVER HE HAD LEARNT FROM HIM , THE SACRED MANTRAS & THE WAY TO USE THE DIVINE WEAPONS – they will become useless, at the most needed juncture.
Poor Karna will face the impact of this curse when he meets Arjuna after he takes charge as the commander of Kaurava forces after the end of Drona .
Don’t worry – I will give a detailed account of Karna when his part comes up )

Second , upset & frustrated by the curse given by his guru , Karna shoots arrows everywhere & one such kills the cow of a Brahman . The Brahman getting furious curses Karna that as he was totally dependant on the cow for his livelihood , Karna too will lose the services of his chariot oneday when he needed it the most – Now you will realize that the wheel gets struck deep inside when he was facing Arjuna .

To sum up, poor Karna was already made powerless virtually even before the war & he had only 2 strong weapons to his credit – 1 the Shakti which was a quid pro quo act by Indira when he grants his kavacha & kundala & 2 Sarpamugastira – a snake headed arrow which is a potent weapon & which he preserved it to use it only against Arjuna … What happened to both the deadly weapons will be described at the appropriate moment . Pls wait !

All will be covered when Karna parva comes up !
[/tscii:41a5a8dae8]

[Nakeeran]

Wish to update you all with what transpired after the end of day 1 with the Pandavas :

After the first day, the Pandava camp assembled together & they had a lengthy discussion .
As we all know, the team was a bit demoralised by the havoc created by Bheeshma at the end of the previous day & this worried Dharmaputhra a lot.
He straight away addressed to Krishna :

O Kesava, the way Bheeshma is running through our side, it seems like he will destroy our army soon.... I am really worried now.

While Arjuna continues to be indifferent, only Bheema was as consistent ever & fighting with 100 % clear frame of mind.

What to do ? Pl guide us .........

Krishna in turn consoles & motivates the Pandavas by saying :

Please do not worry. Though Bheeshma is a great warrior, do not forget that Shikandin is destined to down him soon

And not to forget Dhrishtadyumna who is born to kill Drona .

We have a strong men around us & for sure we will eliminate the Kauravas .....

By saying this, Krishna comforts the Pandavas...

As the next day approached, the Pandavas decide to form a vyuha called -An array known by the name of Krauncharuma, that is destructive of all foes, and that was spoken of by Vrihaspati unto Indra in days of old when the gods and the Asuras fought,--that array destructive of hostile divisions

Thus both sides moved towards Day 2 of the war.....................

[Nakeeran]

Day 2 starts :

When the battle began , Bhishma, showered an arrowy downpour on Abimanyu, and the ruler of the Kekayas and Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna as also upon the Chedi and the Matsya warriors.

Immediately the Pandavas wavered at the onset of that great man. And terrific was the encounter that took place between all the combatants. And horse-men and car-warriors and foremost of steeds fell fast. And the car-divisions of the Pandavas began to fly away.

This made Arjuna furious, angrily asked Krishna. 'Proceed to the place where the grandsire is. As the chariot proceeded forward Arjuna says - it is evident that this Bhishma, with wrath excited, will annihilate for Duryodhana's benefit my host. And this Drona, and Kripa and Salya and Vikarna, united with Dhritarashtra's sons headed by Duryodhana, will slaughter the Panchalas. Even I, therefore, shall stay Bhishma for the sake of my troops, for which Krishna said, 'Be careful, Arjun for I will soon take you, towards the grandsire's car.

Now Bhishma, struck Arjuna with seventy-seven arrows and Drona also struck him) with five and twenty, and Kripa with fifty, and Duryodhana with four and sixty, and Salya with nine arrows; and Aswathama with sixty, and Vikarna with three arrows; and Saindhava with nine and Sakuni with five. Arjuna , in return pierced Bhishma with five and twenty, and Kripa with nine arrows, and Drona with sixty, , and Vikarna with three arrows and Duryodhana also with five. And then Satyaki, and Virata and Dhrishtadyumna and the sons of Draupadi, and Abhimanyu, all surrounded him, as a mark of support. Then Dhrushtradyumnan, supported by the Somakas, advanced towards Drona . Then Bhishma, pierced Arjuna with eighty sharp arrows, upon which the combatants on Kauravas were much thrilled. Hearing the shouts of Kauravas, Arjuna entered into the midst of Kauravas

Bheeshma pierced Partha again with nine shafts. And Arjuna pierced him in return with ten shafts penetrating into the very vitals. Then, Arjuna showered Bheeshma with 100s of shafts


Day 2 continues................

[Nakeeran]

Both Bheeshma & Arjuna -well-pleased, and both delighting in battle, fought with each other without each gaining any advantage over the other, and each desirous of counteracting the other's feats.
The successive flights of arrows shot from Bhishma's bow were seen to be dispersed by the shafts of Arjuna. And so the flights of arrows shot by Arjuna, cut off by the arrows of Ganga's son, all fell down on the ground. And Arjuna pierced Bhishma with five and twenty arrows of sharp points. And Bhishma, too, in that combat, pierced Partha in return with nine arrows.

The 2 two great warriors, piercing each other's steeds, and also the shafts and the wheels of each other's cars, began to sport.

Now Bhishma's shafts struck Krishna on his chest with three arrows.

This upset Arjuna & he pierced in that combat the charioteer of Ganga's son with three arrows. And both heroes, striving with each other against each other's car, succeeded not in taking aim at each other in the combat. And in consequence of the ability and dexterity of the charioteers of both those warriors, both displayed, beautiful circles and advancings and retreatings in respect of their moving cars. And, seeing the opportunity to strike, they frequently changed positions, And the 2 mighty heros twang their bows, both in the same manner. And with the blare of their conches and the rattle of their car-wheels, the very Earth was suddenly rent. And it began to tremble and produce subterranean noises. And nobody, could detect any latches in either of them. Both of them was possessed of great might and great courage in battle, each was other's match. None, observed any difference between the two, just as none finds any transgression in a person observant of morality. And both of them (at times) became perfectly invisible in consequence of clouds of arrows. And soon enough both of them in that battle became visible.

Now the gods with Gandharvas and the Rishis said unto one another. These mighty car-warriors when excited with rage, are incapable of ever being vanquished in battle by all the worlds with the gods, the Asuras and the Gandharvas. This highly wonderful battle would be wonderful in all the worlds. Indeed, a battle such as this will never take place again. Bhishma is incapable of being conquered in combat by Pritha's son of great intelligence, showering his arrows in battle, with bow and car and steeds. So also that great bowman, the son of Pandu, incapable of being vanquished in battle by the very gods, Bhishma is not competent to conquer in combat. As long as the world itself will last, so long will this battle continue equally.

The Devas wondered at the prowess shown by both .

Day 2 continues tomorrow......

[Nakeeran]

Day 2 continues.................

Battle at another corner between Drona & Drishtadyumna :

Drona with diverse arrows pierced Dhrishtadyumna and felled the latter'scharioteer from his niche in the car & this enraged him & in return he pierced Drona in the combat with nine sharp arrows and addressed him, saying, 'Wait--Wait'.

Now Drona, covered with his arrows on Dhrishtadyumna. . Now he took a dreadful arrow for the destruction of Drishtadyumna. In return, he cut off that terrible and blazing arrow also showered an arrowy downpour on Bharadwaja's son

Mid way, Drona destroyed his chariot . Now, Drishtadyumna, taking a large and beautiful shield rushed impetuously towards Drona by foot. Drona now stopped his progress by showering with arrows & this made him unable to proceed further.

Bheema steps in now to rescue his brother in law , with seven sharp-pointed arrows, and speedily made him to take up another chariot. Seeing this, Duryodhana urged the ruler of the Kalingas supported by a large division, for the protection of Drona & they obliged his order & moved towards Bheema .

Drona now shifted his focus towards Virata and Drupada together.
By now , Dhrishtadyumna having recovered from the wrath of Drona , proceeded to support Yudhishthira .

Its Bheema vs Kalinga now . While Bheema was supported by Chedis, the Kalingas were backed by Ketumat , the son of the king of Nishadas. And the ruler of the Kalingas with many thousands of cars, and Ketumat with ten thousand elephants and the Nishadas, surrounded Bhimasena, on all sides.
Then the Chedis, the Matsyas, and Karushas, with Bhimasena at their head, with many kings impetuously rushed against the Nishadas. And then commenced the battle, fierce and terrible, between the warriors rushing at one another from desire of slaughter. And terrific was the battle that suddenly took place between Bhima and his foes.
The king of the Kalingas, his son known by the name of Sakradeva, both began to strike Bheema with shafts & cut his steeds. But Bhimasena, staying on his car whose steeds had been slain, hurled at Sakradeva a mace made of the hardest iron which kills him . The king of the Kalingas beholding his own son slain, surrounded Bhima on all sides with many thousands of cars. Bheema now abandoning mace, took up a scimitar.

Bhanumat then covered Bhima with a shower of arrows, and set up a loud shout, making the welkin resound with it. Bhima, however, in that fierce battle, could not bear that leonine shout.

Himself endued with a loud voice, he also shouted very loudly. And at these shouts of his, the army of the Kalingas became filled with fear. In that battle they no longer regarded Bhima, as a human being. Then, having uttered a loud shout, Bhima, sword in hand impetuously jumping on (Bhanumat's) excellent elephant aided by the latter's tusks, gained, the back of that prince of tuskers, and with his huge sword cut Bhanumat, dividing him in the middle. Thus Bheema slains the prince of the Kalingas.
Then, beholding Srutayush at the head of Kalinga troops, Bhimasena rushed at him. And seeing him advancing the ruler of the Kalingas, pierced Bhimasena with nine arrows. Struck with those shafts shot by the ruler of the Kalingas, like an elephant pierced with the hook, Bhimasena blazed up with wrath like fire fed with fuel. Then Asoka, that best of charioteers, bringing a car decked with gold, caused Bhima to mount on it. And thereupon he rushed at the ruler of the Kalingas, saying,--'Wait, Wait'. The mighty Srutayush excited with wrath, shot at Bhima many sharp arrows, displaying his lightness of hand, and Bhima, forcibly struck with those nine sharp arrows shot by Kalinga from his excellent bow, yielded to great wrath. Bheema slew the ruler of the Kalingas with seven shafts made wholly of iron. And with two shafts he slew the two mighty protectors of the car-wheels of Kalinga. And he also despatched Satyadeva and Satya to the abode of Yama. Bhima also, with many sharp arrows and long shafts, caused Ketumat his end

Day 2 continues tomorrow........

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:ca14b360f7]Day 2 forenoon continues.........

Struck with panic in consequence of Bhima of wonderful achievements, all the Kalinga combatants fled away in all directions. When, however, they were rallied again, Dhrishtadyumna ordered his own troops, saying,--'Fight'. Hearing the words of their commander, many leaders (of the Pandava army) headed by Sikhandin approached Bhima, supported by many car-divisions accomplished in smiting. Now Yudhishthira the just, followed all of them with a large elephant force he blew his conch in battle and uttered a leonine roar.

Now, Bheema, Dhrishtadyumna & Satyaki started getting deep into the Kaurava army. They all cried aloud, saying. 'This is Death himself that is fighting in Bhima's shape with the Kalingas.

Sensing the seriouness , Bheeshma quickly proceeded towards Bhima, himself surrounded on all sides with combatants in army. Thereupon, Satyaki and Bhimasena and Dhrishtadyumna, rushed towards Bheema to support him. And all of them quickly surrounding Ganga's son in battle, pierced Bhishma, each with three terrible shafts, without losing a moment.

Bheeshma however coutered them with ease .Ffirst he destroyed Bheema’s chariot . Bheema now taking up a heavy mace speedily jumped down . Now Dhrishtadyumna quickly took away, in the very sight of all the combatants, Bheena.

Now Satyaki then from desire of doing what was agreeable to Bhima, felled with his shaft the charioteer of Bheeshma. Upon his charioteer being slain, Bhishma, was borne away from the field of battle by his steeds with the speed of the wind. Bhimasena then resumed slaying all the Kalingas and none could withstand him.

And worshipped by the Panchalas and the Matsyas, he embraced Dhrishtadyumna and then approached Satyaki.

This completes the forenoon part of the day 2
[/tscii:ca14b360f7]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:6f13e5d57e]The afternoon part –

Drishtadyumna engaged himself in battle with these Drona's son, Salya, and Kripa.

Seeing this, Abimanyu came in to support him & showered with arrows .

Now, Lakshmana, the son of Duryodhana , raced towards Abimanyu.

Seeing the battle, Duryodhana himself stepped in to support his son !

Now Arjuna also joined the list to offer support to his son !

Ultimately Bheeshma also re entered the scene jointly supported by Drona.

Despite the presence of the 2 great warriors, Arjuna inflicted heavy damages onto the Kauravas & one could see bloody river flowing .

Dead bodies of fighters, charioteers, elephant based warriors & infantry – all thrown out of gear & it was an aweful sight created by the force of Arjuna’s bow .

This went on up to the end of the day ….

Now, Bheeshma smilingly addressed Drona, This mighty and heroic son of Pandu, accompanied by Krishna, is dealing with our troops as he alone is competent to deal with them. Today he was invincible by any means. This vast host again of ours is incapable of being rallied. Behold, looking at one another, our troops are flying away.

As the Sun is likely to set , let us withdraw our troops now as most of our fighters seem exhausted & tired.

Having said this to Drona , Bhishma slowly makes the army to withdraw.

Duryodhana was very upset with the events of day 2 & went back dejected.

And the sun also moves away as twilight set in.


And Day 2 ends with Pandavas emerging victorious & scored some psychological points over their rivals
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[Nakeeran]

Hi all,

I shall wait for comments after which I will be proceeding to DAY 3 tomorrow evening

[Nakeeran]

DAY 3 starts now...............

Bhishma formed a new array known after the name of Garuda. And on the beak of that Garuda was Bheeshma himself.

Arjuna , supported by Dhrishtadyumna, started his counter-array in the form of a half-moon.

And stationed on the right horn, Bhimasena shone surrounded by kings of diverse countries abundantly armed with various weapons.
Next to him were those mighty car-warriors Virata and Drupada; and next to them was Nila armed with envenomed weapons. And next to
Dhananjaya, felling in that conflict leaders of car-divisions with his arrows, caused a great carnage.
And equal was the impact of Bheeshma & Drona onto the Pandava army .
Then Bhishma , Drona, Jayadratha, Vikarna, and Sakuni broke the ranks of the Pandavas. And so Bhimasena and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and Satyaki, and Chekitana, and the sons of Draupadi, supported by all the kings (on their side), began to grind Kauravas in return.

Duryodhana, supported by a thousand cars, rushed to battle with the Pandavas and the Rakshasa

And all other kings faced their arch rivals now...

[Nakeeran]

Day 3 continues......


Bhimasena and Ghatotkacha, both achieved mighty feats. Then Duryodhana, approaching, checked them both. The prowess of Gatotkacha wonderful, insomuch that he fought in battle, transcending his father.


Bhimasena, pierced the chest of Duryodhana iwith an arrow which was so powerful that Duryodhana, sat down on the terrace of his car and swooned away. And his charioteer then, speedily bore him away, from battle.

This caused his support army to panic but both Bhishma and Drona, excited with rage and both desirous of Duryodhana's welfare sought to cheek it. Then Duryodhana himself, comforting the combatants, checked that army, then flying away in all directions.
Duryodhana, beholding that army of his rallied for the fight, quickly repaired to Bhishma and said the follg words :

O grandsire, listen to what I say, O Bharata. When, O son of Kuru, thou art alive, and Drona, that foremost of persons conversant with weapons, along with his son and with all our other friends (is alive), and then that mighty bowman Kripa also is alive, I do not regard it as at all creditable that my army should thus fly away. I do not regard the Pandavas to be, by any means, a match for you or for Drona, in battle, or for Drona's son, or for Kripa. Without doubt, O grandsire, the sons of Pandu are being favoured by YOU, inasmuch as thou forgivest, O hero, this slaughter of my army. Thou shouldst have told me, O king, before this battle took place, that thou wouldst not fight with the Pandavas. Hearing such words from YOU, as also from the preceptor, O Bharata, I would then have, with Karna, reflected upon what course I should pursue. If I do not deserve to be abandoned by you two in battle, then, O bulls among men, do ye fight according to the measure of your prowess.


Hearing these words, Bhishma, laughing repeatedly, and turning up his eyes in wrath, said

Many a time, O king, have I said unto your words worthy of your acceptance and fraught with your good. The Pandavas are incapable of being vanquished in battle by the very gods with Vasudeva amongst them. That, however, which my aged self is capable of doing, I will do to the extent of my power, O best of kings, in this battle. Witness it now with your kinsmen. Today, in the very sight of all, alone I shall check the sons of Pandu at the head of their troops and with all their kinsfolk.

Thus addressed by Bhishma, Duryodhana gets back to his cheerful self, caused conches to be blown and drums to be beaten. And the Pandavas also, hearing that loud uproar, blew their conches, and caused their drums and cymbals to be played upon

Day 3 continues

[Nakeeran]

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........

[Nakeeran]

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 !

[Nakeeran]

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 .

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:e24c76d796]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
[/tscii:e24c76d796]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:331993ffa5]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………………………………….
[/tscii:331993ffa5]

[Nakeeran]

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...................

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:1ed5c15e2a]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 [/tscii:1ed5c15e2a]

[Raghu]

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


That is true!




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.


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




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 .

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!

[Nakeeran]

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

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:9557868320]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
[/tscii:9557868320]

[Nakeeran]

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 .....................

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:65de4075ab]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

[/tscii:65de4075ab]

[nilavupriyan]

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

[Nakeeran]

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............

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:75b30abd3c]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
[/tscii:75b30abd3c]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:b86154e42b]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


[/tscii:b86154e42b]

[Nakeeran]

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

[Raghu]

Nakeeran,

Where are you getting these infomation you are posting here?

[Nakeeran]

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 ?

[Raghu]

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

[nilavupriyan]

nakeera :clap:

come on guys..post replies for his effort!

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:d8cec85dd7]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...
[/tscii:d8cec85dd7]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:977d357503]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[/tscii:977d357503]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:af8d938edb]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....................
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[Nakeeran]

[tscii:60557ae744]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:

[/tscii:60557ae744]

[Nakeeran]

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 .............

[Nakeeran]

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

[bok]

Thank you, Nakeeran! Please, continue!

[Nakeeran]

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 ......................

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:84f61f9e8c]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.........
[/tscii:84f61f9e8c]

[anbu_kathir]

: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.

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:8566217399]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…………………………….
[/tscii:8566217399]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:f519b090fa]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…………………………….
[/tscii:f519b090fa]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:3692c2e0ba]
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[/tscii:3692c2e0ba]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:e462cf7bcc]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 [/tscii:e462cf7bcc]

[Raghu]

[tscii:ebff115bd8]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 [/tscii:ebff115bd8]

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.

[Nakeeran]

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:

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:ff5546bdcb]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 ............................[/tscii:ff5546bdcb]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:a9652b28e4]
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 [/tscii:a9652b28e4]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:0264cd307c]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-----------------------[/tscii:0264cd307c]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:f9e1fa347b]
Day 11 of the war continues --------------

The Duryodhana-Drona master plan to capture Yudhisitira reached the Pandavas through their spies & they quickly gathered for a mini discussion on how to counter this strategy.

Arjuna assures them that he will ensure that Drona doesn’t reach Yudhishtira & based on this, the troops were rearranged in such a way that Yudhistira was always guarded by some big named king & the battle begins now.

As soon as the war began, Drona caused widespread fear & destruction on the Pandavas

Midway, Shakuni had a terrible fight with Sahadeva & the bloody war went to such an extent that both lost their chariots & all ammunitions & finally resoted to mace fighting which went on endless but finally both withdrew finally out of tiredness.

Nakula faced his uncle Salya & this was another prolonged one. While Salya challenged him with smile on his face as ever,
Nakula was very furious & finally managed to destroy Salya’s chariot & made him retreat.

Karna faced Bhima & this battle was interesting to watch. While Karna , a renowned charioteer & master of archery smilingly shot arrows , Bhima was all enraged with the fury of the evils caused by him with the back of his mind, fought with vengeance in mind. Karna showed the difference in day 1 itself why he was missed all those 10 days of war. But for the day, Karna didn’t battle with Arjuna.

Arjuna was focused on the Trigarthas .

Drona sensed an opening here & quickly raced towards Yudhishtira.
Yudhishtira showered him with multiple arrows but Drona immediately break his bow & Drona was approaching speedily towards his prize catch.

Now Kumara, one of the Panchalas tried to check Drona’s march. However, Drona sends him to Yama’s abode immediately.

Penetrating deeply into the midst of the Pandavas now, Drona intimidated Shikandi, Nakula, Sahadeva , Satyaki & Yudhishtira himself with razor sharp arrows & made them speechless.

Now Virata , Drupada tried to stop the Drona march but in vain as the Acharya was ruthless in relentless pursuit .

Finally Drona manages to reach right in front of Yudhishtira & covered him with showers of arrows & the entire area was spread with utter chaos & confusion amongst the panicking Pandavas that the warriors started shouting

OUR KING YUDHISHTIRA IS CAPTURED !

& the Kauravas rejoiced thinking that Yudhishtira has been captured.

Suddenly from nowhere, Arjuna surfaced & filled the breach & fired multiple shafts on his Guru. Arjuna continuously shot arrows at rapid pace that Drona was forced on the defensive now. The war between Guru & Shishya was wonderful to watch with both showing their class .

This went on for a lengthy duration & finally the day came to an end & as usual the troops withdrew in order & retired to their tents.

The Pandavas celebrated the deeds of Arjuna for the day while the Kauravas went back repenting for the lost opportunity when Drona came very close to capturing Yudhishtira

END OF DAY 11[/tscii:f9e1fa347b]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:0f5e56ebbe]
Lets peep into Kaurava discussion panel now

Having come very close to but yet so far ( for having missed Yudhishtira ), Duryodhana was a bit upset . Drona repeats exacty what he said the previous day.

Duryodhana, so long as Arjuna will be with Yudhishtira, you cannot capture him . If you guys can make Arjuna move far away from the reach of Yudhishtira, I challenge , the victory is ours & will take him a prisoner .

On hearing the words of Drona, Susharma, the chief ruler of Trigartas comes forward with his assistance .He says :

Don’t worry. Our entire Trigartha group will call for a fight with Arjuna.We strive to accomplish, we are resolved to achieve now. It will be either we or Arjuna today. I swear by my words.

Followed by him, his other brothers - Satyaratha , Satyavarman, Satyavrata and Satyeshu, and Satyakarman seconded his plans. Now , those five brothers together, with ten thousand Chariots appeared before Duryodhana .

Now the Trigartha group lit fire , wore dress made of grass took a pledge after giving alms to poor people .

They even went to the extent of giving gifts as if something is done after someone is dead & they did the rituals also & finally took a vow –

We are prepared to die for the sake of victory to Duryodhana . Either we will vanquish Arjuna or get slained in the war. We will never retreat.

IN SHORT , IT WAS A GREAT SUICIDE SQUAD , ANOTHER INTERESTING PLOY ATTEMPTED BY THE KAURAVAS .

We all now should realize that such practices ( Suicide squads ) did exist even during the Mahabaratha age ! & this concept is not something new that today's warfare is being conducted.

Now as the war is about to start, the whole group calls for Arjuna towards the southern part of the Warfield.

Day 12 of the war about to start now----------------------[/tscii:0f5e56ebbe]

[Nakeeran]

Day 12 of the war continues

WAR SCENES :

On hearing the loud shouts from Trigarthas , Arjuna informs Yudhishtira :

I am being called for a battle by them. As per Kshatriya Dharma, I cannot refuse this & hence shall fight with them. I know their intentions. This ploy is to divert my attention but I am giving U solid assistance through Satyajit , the Panchala Prince.

Saying this, Arjuna moves towards the Trigarthas . Seeing Arjuna coming in their direction, the joy of Trigarthas was immeasurable as their plans went exactly.

Now the Kauravas, with great cheer rushed towards Yudhishtira .

Arjuna kills many number of Trigartha army men which make them panic in brief.

However, Susharma cheers them up & reminds them of the combined resolve & rearranges the forces & resumes the fight with renewed vigour.

& the battle was one of the best moments of the war.

Innumerable shafts were sprayed on both Arjuna & Krishna that Krishna shouted once :

HEY ARJUNA , ARE YOU ALIVE ??

As a reply to this, Arjuna like a flash, annihilates all weapons by saying

YES I AM !

Indeed it was an extrordinary display of archery by Arjuna this day as he had to face tens of thousands & thousands of committed armymen whose sole focus was to attack Arjuna !

This fight went on for hours .


Day 12 to continue --------------------------------------------

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:23f0e37fc6]Day 12 continues ------------------------------

While Arjuna was furiously engaged thus with the Trigarthas , Drona, at the head of his forces, arrayed for battle rushed with glee towards Yudhishtira.

As Drona’s troops were formatted like a GARUDA, Yudhishtira arranges his troops in the form of a SEMI-CIRCLE.

While the Drona troop was headed by Drona, Karna stood at the tail with his armymen.

Even before Yudhishtira could give commands to Drishtadyumna, the latter rushed forward with ferocity.

On seeing Drishtadyumna , Drona for a moment became cheerless ( Already he was aware that Durupadha had performed a yaga to annihilate him & it was none other than Drishtadyumna ). Seeing the face of Drona, Durmuka, another Kaurava son, resisted Drishtadyumna.

Now Drona focused his attention on Durupadha. Satyajit comes to the help of Durupadha. After a long battle , Drona cuts off
Satyajit’s head & another Panchala prince dies .

Now Satanika, the prince of Matsaya kingdom & son of Virata tried to check Drona’s assault but he was no match for Drona as he also fell dead with his head cut off.

This creates panic on Yudhishtira who moves few yards backwards.

Now the entire Panchalas regrouped tried to attack Drona. But
Shikandi & even Satyaki were no par with Acharya as he tormented them at will.

Having vanquished almost whomsoever he came across, Drona, once again marched towards a panicking Yudhishtira.

Seeing the advancement of Drona , Duryodhana cheerfully addressed Karna that victory is not far ahead as our Acharya will capture Yudhishtira sooner but Karna strongly refutes this & asked Duryodhana to send more troops to assist Drona as he may be getting tired by now. Karna also advised that as Bhima is coming up now to protect his brother, lets send our elephant division.

Now Duryodhana sends a large chunk of elephant division towards Bhima .

Day 12 continues --------------------------------------------

DEAR ALL, FROM NOW THE DESCRIPTION OF SOME DAYS OF THE WAR MAY BE EXTENSIVE . PLEASE BEAR WITH ME , THOUGH I AM DOING MY BEST TO PRUNE IT.[/tscii:23f0e37fc6]

[bok]

Great job! :2thumbsup:

[Raghu]

[tscii:cfb4645081]


Karna faced Bhima & this battle was interesting to watch. While Karna , a renowned charioteer & master of archery smilingly shot arrows , Bhima was all enraged with the fury of the evils caused by him with the back of his mind, fought with vengeance in mind. Karna showed the difference in day 1 itself why he was missed all those 10 days of war. But for the day, Karna didn’t battle with Arjuna.



Bheema being the Gathayuth(Mace) Master, was defeated by Karna in a Mace Fight too!!, he was about to Slay Bheema by ripping Bheema's cest with a athe mace and would remember the Boon he has granted to His Mother, this is why Karna never killed Bheema, else bheema would have been history this time!, after humiliatingly defeating Bheema Karna would March towards Partha![/tscii:cfb4645081]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:cfde3733ed]


Karna faced Bhima & this battle was interesting to watch. While Karna , a renowned charioteer & master of archery smilingly shot arrows , Bhima was all enraged with the fury of the evils caused by him with the back of his mind, fought with vengeance in mind. Karna showed the difference in day 1 itself why he was missed all those 10 days of war. But for the day, Karna didn’t battle with Arjuna.



Bheema being the Gathayuth(Mace) Master, was defeated by Karna in a Mace Fight too!!, he was about to Slay Bheema by ripping Bheema's cest with a athe mace and would remember the Boon he has granted to His Mother, this is why Karna never killed Bheema, else bheema would have been history this time!, after humiliatingly defeating Bheema Karna would March towards Partha![/tscii:cfde3733ed]

Raghu ANne . Vanakkam :D

Porumai porumai ! Neenga oru Shivaji rasigaro ( apart from Rajini fan ) :D . I think U have seen Karnan movie & posting this ?

The incident which U have mentioned above will happen during the 14th day of the war & we are on 12th day only now :D

Will definitely give an extensive coverage of every important incidents that took place during the war.

TODAY, I AM COVERING BAGADATHA's PROWESS

[Raghu]

[tscii:40922d28c6]


Karna faced Bhima & this battle was interesting to watch. While Karna , a renowned charioteer & master of archery smilingly shot arrows , Bhima was all enraged with the fury of the evils caused by him with the back of his mind, fought with vengeance in mind. Karna showed the difference in day 1 itself why he was missed all those 10 days of war. But for the day, Karna didn’t battle with Arjuna.



Bheema being the Gathayuth(Mace) Master, was defeated by Karna in a Mace Fight too!!, he was about to Slay Bheema by ripping Bheema's cest with a athe mace and would remember the Boon he has granted to His Mother, this is why Karna never killed Bheema, else bheema would have been history this time!, after humiliatingly defeating Bheema Karna would March towards Partha![/tscii:40922d28c6]

Raghu ANne . Vanakkam :D

Porumai porumai ! Neenga oru Shivaji rasigaro ( apart from Rajini fan ) :D . I think U have seen Karnan movie & posting this ?

The incident which U have mentioned above will happen during the 14th day of the war & we are on 12th day only now :D

Will definitely give an extensive coverage of every important incidents that took place during the war.

TODAY, I AM COVERING BAGADATHA's PROWESS

Nakeerare,

No, I am NOT posting my points based on Shivaji Sir's Karnan film, but I have been closely following Ramanand Saagar's tele serial 'Krishna', I have followed his othe Serial's like 'Ramayana' , 'Sai Baaba' ...etc and with from various books from his Divine Grace Sripala Bhakthivedananta Swami PraPudha, The founder of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consiousness).

Yes I am the BIGGEST fan of Shivaji Sir, Rajni Uncle comes after that :-)

[Nakeeran]

Raghuji,

Me too watched both Ramanand Sagar's & also B.R.Chopra's during my school days but I found lot of differences in the presentation of the war sequences.

Pl pour in with your comments so that we all may share more information on the great epic . :D

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:bb087c6f64]Day 12 of the war continues ---------------------------------------

Karna faced Durmuka & 5 kekaya brothers & the battle was high voltage but finally the 5 brothers were forced to withdraw.

Duryodhana , along with that elephant division fought with Bhima . And the fight was terrible to say the least as both shot arrows & other weapons in pursuit of killing each other with the old nurtured enmity in mind. But Bhima causes destruction amongst the elephant division.

IN MAHABARATH WAR, THERE WERE SO MANY GREAT WARRIORS WHO BEFORE GETTING KILLED, ACHIEVED SOME WONDERFUL FEATS & EARNED THE RESPECT & ADMIRATION OF BOTH THE SIDES .
& IF I MISS OUT ON ANY WARRIOR NOTEWORTHY, I WILL BE A SINNER.

HERE I WISH TO HIGHLIGHT ABOUT BAGADATHA.

HE RULED A KINGDOM CALLED PRAGJYOTISHA.

HE WAS A HIGHLY RESPECTED KING & EVEN INDRA WAS HIS FRIEND. HE WAS A SPECIALIST ON ELEPHANT BASED WARFARE & UNBEATABLE DURING HIS PRIME YEARS & EARNED LOT OF RESPECT AMONGST THE KSHATRIYAS. BY THE TIME, THE GREAT WAR BROKE OUT, BAGADATHA WAS ALREADY TOO OLD TO FIGHT BUT WAS DETERMINED TO DO HIS BEST TO THE KAURAVAS . INDEED HE ACHIEVED SOME WONDERFUL FEATS DURING THE FIRST 11 DAYS & WHEREVER HE WENT, HE CAUSED HUGE LOSSES TO THE PANDAVA ARMY WITH HIS ELEPHANT .

HOWEVER, AS AGE CAUGHT UP WITH HIS PERSONALITY, HE HAD TO TIE THOSE LOOSE SKINS OVER HIS EYES WITH A BIG CLOTH SO THAT THE VISION IS NOT AFFECTED !

Seeing the Kauravas elephant division panic, the old king Bagadhatha , with all the fury rushed towards Bhima with his mighty elephant called SUPRATIKA. Immediately, Bagadhatha takes control over the situation & in the process crushed Bhima’s chariot into pieces. A timely jump by Bhima saved his life as he was with chariotless now with only arms to support.

Now Bagadatha gives command to Supratika to thump Bhima with its foot .

The big elephant catches Bhima by its trunk & with a big swing was about to crush him . But swiftly Bhima manages to escape but gets trapped between its legs now. However, Bhima was well versed with the art of warfare & also dealing with animals & this science is called ANJALIKABEDHA. Getting under the elephant's body, he began to strike it frequently with his bare arms & hits its vital organs & causes immense pain . Like this , Bhima was pulling on with the hope that someone will come with a chariot & rescue him.
While Bhima was struck between the legs of the giant elephant, there was panic amongst the Pandavas now as everyone thought that Bhima had been killed by the elephant & there were loud shouts saying :

BHIMA HAS BEEN SLAINED BY THE ELEPHANT .

Hearing the loud noice, Yudhishtira quickly dispatched King of Dasarana with his elephant but that elephant was tiny when compared to the monsterous Supratika & in few seconds, the small elephant fell dead crused by the mighty Supratika’s thump.

At this moment, Bhima managed to come out of Supratika’s clutches as the elephant was focused on the other elephant .
Seeing Bhima alive, the Pandavas cheered loudly .

Now a large division was sent to attack Bagadatha

Day 12 continues----------------------------[/tscii:bb087c6f64]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:adc9dd8d12]Day 12 of the war continues ------------------------------


Bagadata didn’t wait a moment for the Pandavas to advance. He himself stepped up a violent assault on them , mounted on his Supratika .

The elephant was throwing all the kings , Chariots & warriors that come in its front in such a force that all were thrown to a wide distance with a thud.

Bhima, by now recovered, tried to attack Bagadatha again but Bagadatta was so mighty aggressive that Bhima was forced to retreat.

Now Abimanyu & other sons of the Pandavas tried their best to stem the riot but in vain.

Now Bagadatha deeply penetrated into the Pandava foray & caused extensive losses to chariots, horses & elephants & the armymen .

All these were being watched with awe by Arjuna at a distance & as a huge dust like that of a cloud formed now from the direction of Bagadatha, Arjuna feared calamity & wondered about the prowess of Bagadatha :

Krishna, this Bagadatha with his elephant resembles Yamadharma to me & in elephant based warfare, he is as good as another Indra himself ! If we allow him further, he will definitely destroy our army to pieces. Lets rush towards him now.


As Arjuna tried to move towards Bagadatha, the Trigarthas started screaming loudly at him – FIGHT WITH US , DON’T GO ANYWHERE !

Arjuna hesitated for while but a quick survey of the destruction caused by Bagadatha made him firmly move towards his direction but not before showering multiple shafts on Susharma’s army which made them to withdraw few steps.

Arjuna uses this time frame to quickly move towards Bagadatha.
Bagadatha, on seeing Arjuna , impetuously rushed towards with fury & ordered his elephant to crush him. As the giant elephant pounced on Arjuna, Krishna smartly moved the chariot back & forth & ensured control.

Now both fired multiple shafts & javelin on each other & a few even hit Krishna & this made Arjuna more furious.

One such well aimed shaft of Bagadatha hit Arjuna’s crown.

For every shaft of Bagadatha, Arjuna was giving a befitting response. As the fight reached a very sensitive stage, Arjuna shot arrows on the elephant which made its senses lose control as its armour got broken .

Bagadatha sensing this, fired more & more shafts on both Arjuna & Krishna.

Arjuna’s anger was uncontrollable now. He shouted at Bagadatha now :

Take a last look at the world now. Your time is up .

Saying this, Arjuna fired arrows which hit the vital organs of Bagadatha & virtually made him blind.

NOW BAGADATHA TRIED HIS LAST OPTION – HE TOOK THE ELEPHANT’S ANKUSH , CHANTED DIVINE MANTRAS CALLED VAISHNAVA MANTRA & FIRED AT ARJUNA.
AND AS THE DIVINE WEAPON WAS COMING AT GREAT SPEED , KRISHNA SUDDENLY POSITIONED HIMSELF BETWEEN ARJUNA & THE WEAPON & ABSORBED IT !
AS IT FELL ON KRISHNA, THE WEAPON BECAME A GARLAND !

Arjuna’s ego was hurt a lot now with this incident & asked Krishna :

Why did you come in between ? When you have promised that you will not do any act during the war except being a charioteer to me , why did you intervene here ? I am competent to vanquish these worlds with the gods, the Asuras, and men.

Krishna replies now :

Arjuna , THIS DIVINE WEAPON IS ACTUALLY MINE . IT WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU INSTANTLY BECAUSE THE ANKUSHA WAS THROWN CHANTING THE VAISHANAVSTRA MANTRA . THAT’S WHY I CAME INBETWEEN TO ABSORB THE INTENSITY OF THE WEAPON & PROTECT YOU. Now focus back on Bagadatha.

Now Arjuna realizing the truth, back to focus, fired a shaft on the elephant like a thunder which penetrated deep into its body like a snake & became totally deprived of senses. Atlast, the mighty elephant fell dead .

Arjuna, for a moment feels bad about that great elephant which he was forced to kill as necessitated by the circumstances.

NOW WITH A STRAIGHT SHAFT, ARJUNA PIERECED THE CLOTHES WHICH WERE TIED TO PROTECT THE EXTRA FLESH FROM COVERING BAGADATHA’S EYES.

Bagadatha becomes totally blind now as the cloth cover was cut off above his head.

A powerful arrow of Arjuna deeply pierced his chest & now the great Bagadatha fell dead .

THUS ENDS THE LIFE OF ONE OF THE GREAT WARRIORS OF MAHABARATH TIMES, BAGADATHA .

Arjuna , heaved a sigh of relief now , went before the dead King Bagadatha & paid his respects & goes back to his chariot to resume fighting with other Kauravas.

Day 12 of the war to continue---------------------------------------[/tscii:adc9dd8d12]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:b296021f71]Day 12 continues---------------------------------------------------------


Having achieved a major victory now ( slaying Bagadatha ) , Arjuna refocuses on the Trigarthas.

Now Shakuni’s 2 brothers tried to halt Arjuna’s progress but both get banished to the heaven by Arjuna immediately which makes Shakuni furious.

Shakuni himself fights single handedly against Arjuna using all his illusionary powers. But Arjuna, the skilled warrior that he was, checked the guiles of Shakuni & after a lengthy battle , a tired Shakuni had to withdraw.

On the other side, Drushtadyumna , with renewed vigour resumed attack ( rather defense ) against Drona along with the Panchalas.
And Bhima came to his support . Seeing Bhima advancing, Duryodhana, Karna, Aswathama all forged ahead to attack Bhima with arrows.

Drona caused a great carnage amongst the Chedis, Panchalas & Pandavas.

A furious Drishtadyumna now proceeded speedily towards Drona’s chariot in an attempt to kill him on the spot but was forced to run back with the force of Drona’s arrows.

Now Arjuna comes back after vanquishing a majority of Trigarthas much to the relief of the other Pandavas.

Seeing Arjuna, Karna now moves forward to face Arjuna.

Now Karna shoots a powerful weapon AGNEYA ASTRA . Arjuna counters this with his arrowy downpours .

Karna also resisted Arjuna’s shafts with ease & uttered loud shouts.

Now Drishtadyumna & Bhima & Satyaki – all approach Karna.

However Karna, apart from checking Arjuna’s arrows, pierced all the other 3 warriors with 3 sharp shafts & breaks the bows of all three .

Furious by this skillful act of Karna, all the 3 hurl multiple weapons on Karna .

These were also blown to pieces by karma . Then Arjuna attacked Karna . This sort of attack - counter attack went on for hours & it was an interesting sight to see 2 great archers of proven class competing with each other to show their superiority.

Then Bhima, jumping down from his own car, kills the support armymen of Karna.

Now Satyaki tries to attack Karna but in vain & infact finds himself in big trouble against the guiles of Karna’s archery skills. Seeing the plight of Satyaki, Arjuna & others rush forward to rescue him
& the fight resumes once again between everyone in high voltage which went on continiously for a lengthy tenure.

All the attempts by Drona & company were successfully resisted by Arjuna & his team .

As finally the Sun moved towards the west end , both armies withdrew by blowing counches for the day & moved slowly towards their tents.

END OF DAY 12


TOMORROW IS THE DAY OF ABIMANYU [/tscii:b296021f71]

[tshankar]

Hi Gentlemen,

I am sorry to interupt the Mahabharath War sequence. My dream is to make Mahabharth by a Hollywood Director (even with actors!) with 3 sequel movies - similar to Lord of the Rings or Indiana Jones (or even more like Harry Potter Series). I am sure that hollywood has the capability to film this graet epic in a grand and interesting manner. I was very much disappointed with the historical movie " Asoka" made by our own film industry... T.Shankar - Doha/ State of Qatar

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:22d6d0564a]Day 13 of the war ------------------------------------------------


The failed attempts during the past 2 days to capture Yudishtira makes Duryodhana upset & demotivated . He vents his frustration on Drona wondering why Yudhishtira could not be taken captive .

He also wonders :

Acharya, you are peerless in warfare. Nobody can be a match for you . How is it possible that we could not penetrate the Pandava army & capture Yudhishtira ? I am frustrated.

Drona , visibly upset , says :

When Arjuna is around , you cannot think of taking Yudhishtira . We will continue to use the same option, diverting his attention to a very far off place so that Yudhishtira becomes our easy target.
Besides, I will form an array that will be impenetrable by the Gods even.

After Drona had said these words, the Samsaptakas once more challenged Arjuna to battle and took him away to the southern side of the field.

Now Drona arranges the army in CIRCULAR ARRAY – that of a Lotus formation a very formidable array which only experts in the art of warfare can penetrate.

Lets have a look at how the warriors were positioned now on this array –

At the entrance – The Kaurava princes

Heading them – Lakshmana ( son of Duryodhana )

In the middle – Duryodhana

Surrounding Duryodhana – Karna / Dushashana / Kripacharya

At the head – Drona

Along with Drona – JAYATHRADHA – the king of Sindh together with Aswathama & other brothers of Duryodhana

Jayathradha was flanked by – Shakuni, Salya & Burisiravas

THE FORMIDABLE / IMPENETRABLE ARRAY WAS THUS ARRANGED.

Day 13 to continue-----------------------------------------[/tscii:22d6d0564a]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:037f44f23c]Day 13 of the war ---------------------------------------------------------


Seeing that INVINCIBLE ARRAY from a distance, the pandavas headed by Yudhishtra were really stunned by the formation & were clueless

Bhima now approaches that great array along with Satyaki , Chekitana , Virata, the entire other Panchalas , Nakula , Sahadeva , Drishtadyumna , Durupada & Abimanyu - with 1000s of soldiers . They were all casually checked by Drona & they were all pushed backwards. Drona’s prowess is wonderful here. All were virtually paralysed by the mighty offensive launched by Drona at this juncture.

Despite various attempts from various corners, the array could not be broken & like a surging wave, Drona forged ahead, step by step towards capturing his prey – Yudhishtira.

Out of panic, Yudishtira asks Abimanyu, the YOUNGEST AMONG THE LOT :

Dear child, act in such a way that Arjuna may not reprove us. We do not know how to break the circular array. We all know only 3 now are capable of breaking this foray – Krishna, Arjuna & you . Hence, take up Ur arms immediately , destroy this formation.

Now its Abimanyu’s turn :

Yes. Soon I shall penetrate into that firm, fierce and foremost of arrays formed by Drona. However, please be aware that I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY MY FATHER THE METHOD OF (PENETRATING AND) SMITING THIS KIND OF ARRAY. I SHALL NOT BE ABLE, HOWEVER, TO COME OUT IF ANY KIND OF DANGER OVERTAKES ME.

Its Yudhishtira again :

Break this array once and make a passage for us. All of us will follow U immediately in the track by which will enter.You will be protected by all of us.

Now Bhima steps in :

I myself will follow U and Dhrishtadyumna , Satyaki, the Panchalas- we all will quickly follow U. We need U to just break the formation. Upon entering, we will smash & slay all of them.

Abhimanyu finally said :

Today, I will do that which will please my maternal uncle as also my mother.

Now, blessed by all seniors, Abimanyu asks his charioteer to move forward towards the array.

Now even that elderly charioteer advises Abimanyu to be very careful as he is going to face the Guru of all . Abimanyu, once again cheerfully neglects the caution thrown by his charioteer & asks him to proceed speedily.

And as he was coming at a distance, the Kauravas shouted –

Abimanyu is coming !

And the other Pandavas also followed Abimanyu closely from behind

DAY 13 CONTINUES--------------------------------------[/tscii:037f44f23c]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:5cd54e0bc5]Day 13 continues ------------------------

Abimanyu charged in with flurry of arrows & disturbed the formation ( in the manner taught by his Father ) .

Now right in the very sight of Drona, the magnificent formation was breached skillfully by Abimanyu & now he enters inside the foray.

Abhimanyu was seen coursing on all sides. With his keen-edged weapons, he cut into pieces , all those who come infront .

In the process, Abimanyu goes DEEP INTO THE KAURAVA FORMATION.

Duryodhana, on seeing him, filled with rage, rushed towards Abimanyu. Drona quickly asked Karna & others to protect him. Abimanyu now, checks the entire support group of Duryodhana & tames them. Dushashana pierces Abimanyu now. Drona also joins the party now firing shafts.

Karna attacks him but Abimanyu’s one shaft pierces with such a force that Karna was forced to sit back with great pain. Quickly recovering from the shock, karma fires multiple shafts on Abimanyu.

Salya tries to attack him but the ferocity of one shaft makes him speechless as he sits down on the terrace of his chariot, fainting.

Salya also loses his brother in the process who tries to save him.

Now it’s the turn of Ashwathama who after a brief battle was forced to retreat.

Seeing his son himself suffering by the skilled Abimanyu, Drona openly admires :

I do not regard any bowman to be his equal in battle. If only he entertains the wish, he can slay this vast host. It seems, that for some reason or other, he does not enter tain that wish

An upset Duryodhana on hearing the comments of Drona screams :

Mercy by Drona, this boy still survives. It seems our Commander doesn’t want to slay him & looks very partial. If he had desired as such, how long will it take for Acharya to extinguish this Abimanyu ?? Let us crush him now.


A furious Dushashan now charges violently & both exchange fireworks in brief. Ultimately a swoon Dushashan was saved by his swift charioteer.

The other Pandavas in the meanwhile tried to follow Abimanyu.

Karna now stages a monumental assault on Abimanyu , showered with arrows & pierced the vitals of Abimanyu & caused great pain to him. Karna displaced many of his best weapons & pained Abimanyu . Abimanyu in return, breaks Karna’s bow & his chariot .

HAVING THUS FOUGHT A HIGHLY SKILLFUL WAR , ABIMANYU MANAGES TO DEEPLY PENETRATE INTO THE KAURAVA FORAY.

Day 13 continues ----------------------[/tscii:5cd54e0bc5]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:0186ca8416]DAY 13 CONTINUES :


Amongst the warriors thus slaughtered by Abhimanyu , none stayed any longer on the field of battle except JAYATHRATHA , the ruler of the Sindhus.

While all the above events were happening, Yudhishthira, Bhimasena and Satyaki, along with the other Pandavas, tried to rush , following Abimanyu’s path.

Seeing the vast army coming , Jayathratha rushed forward to rally them.

Now Jayathratha, on the peripherals of the array, fought a terrific war with the entire pandavas with his army men . The twang of his bow cheered the Kauravas who regrouped themselves & repaired the breach caused by Abimanyu.

In one shot, Jayathratha, pierced Bhima, Satyaki, Yudhishtira, Durupada, Drishtadyumna & other key pandava armymen. Even after Yudhishtira once broke his bow, Jayathratha quickly took another one & shot back. Yudishtira was forced to move back.

Bhima now tries to penetrate but Jayathratha’s fiery arrows destroys his chariot & also his bow & Bhima had to move to another chariot for safety.

All the feats of Jayathratha further inspired the kauravas & their fort was becoming more & more solid.

The Matsyas, the Panchalas, the Kaikeyas, and the Pandavas, exerting themselves vigorously, succeeded in approaching the presence of Jayadratha, but none of them could bear him.

The entire Pandavas , once again regrouped themselves & tried to attack Jayathratha from all corners but none could move even a yard forward . Such was the authority & control imposed by
Jayathratha at that moment.

This particular day, Jayathratha fought a remarkable battle that the entire Pandavas found him impossible to overcome him & no one could go past him.

The war between Jayathratha & other Pandavas went on the entire stretch of the day.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ABIMANYU FURTHER WILL BE NARRATED TOMORROW
[/tscii:0186ca8416]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:e7814475eb]DAY 13 CONTINUES -----------------------

Yesterday , we closed the day with how Jayathratha successfully filled up the breach caused by Abimanyu & splendidly resisted the entire Pandava force sans Arjuna.

Let us focus back on what happened to Abimanyu

Having surrounded by the veterans of the Kaurava army , Abimanyu showed tremendous skill in archery.

After making Karna exhausted with multiple arrows, Abimanyu checked Rukmaratha , the son of Salya & within few minutes, his head rolled over the earth like a flash.

Now the friends of Rukmartha joined together & fired him from all corners & for a moment the sky was covered with arrows . But Abimanyu responded well by shooting GANDHARVA , a weapon which Arjuna obtained from a Gandharva called Tumvuru. This weapon has the capability to annihilate powerful astras & the consequent illusion buy them.

Now , Drona , Ashwathama , Kripa, Duryodhana & Karna once again tried to check Abimanyu but they were stunned by the pace with which Abimanyu shot his arrows .

Seeing this, LAKSHMANA, DURYODHANA’s SON, rushed towards Abimanyu. Duryodhana and others protected him well.

Abimanyu shouts to him now saying :

IN FRONT OF YOU ALL , I SHALL SLAY THIS LAKSHMANA .

And with a broad headed arrow which resembled like a snake speedily was sent by Abimanyu which cut off Lakshmana’s head

Seeing his dead son right in front, filled with immense grief , Duryodhana’s rage was uncontrollable now.

He loudly shouted at Drona & Karna – SLAY HIM .[/tscii:e7814475eb]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:4e15682388]
Karna wonders now on Drona – HOW ABIMANYU IS ABLE TO RESIST ALL OF US ?

For which Drona responds :

If you observe his movements, he takes the arrows like a flash & leaves little time to execute it . That’s why he is able to shoot multiple arrows in quick succession.
The best way now to silence him is to break his bow & also nullify his movements by destroying the chariot. If both can be done now, we can tackle him .

KARNA NOW SHOOTS SHART ARROWS WHICH BREAKS ABIMANYU’S BOW ( step 1 achieved )

ANOTHER POWERFUL ARROW DESTROYS ABIMANYU’s CHARIOT ( step 2 done )

KRIPACHARYA KILLS ABIMANYU’s CHARIOTEER NOW. ( step 3 also executed )

Now all the senior warriors shoot Abimanyu from all sides.

Deprived of his bow, Abimanyu takes a sword & shield & jumped with great strength. And he killed all those who tried to counter him.

DRONA NOW CUTS ABIMANYU’s SWORD .

KARNA CUTS ABIMANYU’s SHIELD.

Deprived of everything now, ABIMANYU TAKES UP THE BIG WHEEL OF HIS CHARIOT & FOUGHT LIKE A LION.

But soon even that Wheel was blown to smithereens.

Now Dushashana’s son rushed towards Abimanyu . By now Abimanyu managed to get a mace from ground & fought with him .

Now this mace fighting went on in brief.

Both the fighters fell down after colliding with each other .

However, Dushashana’s son gets up first strikes Abhimanyu with the mace on the crown of his head, as the latter, was on the point of rising. Stupefied with the violence of that stroke as also with the fatigue he had undergone, ABIMANYU FINALLY FELL ON THE EARTH DEAD.

SEEING HIM DEAD, THE KAURAVAS CELEBRATED WITH A HUGE ROAR.

Watching everything helplessly from a distance, Yudhishtira’s grief was immeasurable. He addressed to all his troops to hold fort & battle for the rest of the day. And inspired by his words & filled with grief, the other Pandavas fought together & resisted for the remaining part of the evening .

Finally they all went back to their tents with immense grief & plunged with sorrow.

Arjuna, in the meanwhile fought successfully with the Trigarthas & was returning to his tent at close of the day UNAWARE of what happened for the day

END OF DAY 13 OF THE WAR-----------------
[/tscii:4e15682388]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:de00b5f478]DAY 13, AFTER THE SUNSET ------------------------------------------

Now lets have a look at Arjuna .

A tired Arjuna was returning back to his camp from the Southern end of the warfield

Having been diverted to the southern most corner of Gurushetra, Arjuna , the whole day was focused on the Trigarthas. The brave Trigarthas, consciously followed their terrible pledge continuously attacked him but Arjuna terminated a majority of them by applying some celestial weapons & victorious for the day, slowly moved towards the Pandava camp.

However, his heart was not cheerful psychologically & shared his concern with Krishna :

Why is my heart afraid & why both my speech falter? Evil omens encounter me and my limbs are weak. Thoughts of disaster possess my mind without living it ?

Krishna said :

It is evident that everything is right with UR BROTHER & FRIENDS . Do not grieve, some trifling evil in another direction will happen.

Arjuna was not contended with this reply & as they entered the camp, Arjuna’s concern compounded . He clearly identifies the difference :

-Krishna – I am not hearing the auspicious trumphet blows today ( our customary welcome )

-The sweet sound of Veena is absent

-Auspicious & delightful songs , which are the customary routine , are not to be heard ?

-And above all, where is Abimanyu who normally will come along with his other brothers , the sons of Draupadi to welcome me , which is their customary practice ?

Having said the above, the 2 finally enter their camp & find the other 4 Pandava brothers along with all key kings in a grief stricken mood .

A panicking Arjuna now screams at everyone :

I heard that Drona had today formed the circular array. None amongst you, except Abimanyu could break that array. I, however, did not teach him how to come out of that array, after having pierced it. Did you cause the boy to enter that array?

None had the guts to look at Arjuna's face now ( shamful of not being able to protect Abimanyu )

Yudhishtira now narrates detailed account of the whole day’s incidents & tries to comfort Arjuna.( Earlier a grief stricken Yudhishtira was well comforted by sage VYASA with quotes from various events of the past & what Kshatriya dharma is all about )

He also highlights the main reason for Abimanyu’s death by attributing to the heroics of Jayathratha who was stubborn at the peripheral of the lotus formation all through the day & blocked the penetration done by Abimanyu. An isolated Abimanyu thus was slain by the Kauravas.

Even Krishna spoke words of wisdom but who can absorb the death of one’s own son ?!

An enraged Arjuna swears & takes a pledge now :

I will slay Jayathratha, the prime cause of my son’s death by tomorrow before close of the day. Whomsoever , oppose me , including Guru Drona will be sent to Yama’s abode.

AND IF AM UNABLE TO SLAY HIM TOMORROW BY SUNSET , I SHALL ENTER THE BLAZING FIRE .

Followed by this, there was loud uproar made by the Pandavas .

And the news of Arjuna’s vow reached the Kaurava camp swiftly through their spies .

[/tscii:de00b5f478]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:004099e5ab]THE NIGHT OF DAY 13 :


The news of Arjuna’s vow reached the Kaurava camp swiftly through their spies .

Jayathratha panicks now & pleads to Duryodhana :

I fear for my life now . Pls allow me to go back to my kingdom . I no longer want to be part of this war.

Duryodhana assures him. He further dwelves a plan in which Jayathratha will be well protected by the best of the warriors.

Jayathratha also meets Guru Drona & asks him for the difference between Arjuna & others for which Drona gives a convincing explanation :

Look, I have given the same tutorial instruction to both of you . However, in consequence of the tough life led by him , the dedication & sincerety shown & also vigorous practices have made him a superior archer .

However, do not fear at any cost. I shall protect you ,standing right in front of the array tomorrow & stop Arjuna from going past me. The array will be formed in such a manner that Arjuna cannot penetrate.

Take up your task in pride & fulfill your duties & obligations as a true Kshatriya tomorrow.

Having thus comforted & assured by Dronacharya, Jayathratha returns back to his tent peacefully & set his heart on the battle of battles for the next day.


Now back to Pandava camp :

A furious Krishna , upset & fully aware of the impact & consequence of Arjuna’s terrible oath, chides Arjuna now :

You have sworn with the consent of your brothers but without even consulting me a word . How shall we escape the ridicule of men ?Now , I understand through our spies that adequate arrangements have been made already to protect Jayathratha tomorrow. There is already a plan by Drona to form a new array of SAKATA , HALF A LOTUS.In the middle of the leaves of that lotus will be a needle-mouthed array. Jayadratha, will take his stand, by it, protected by 6 big named kings. And all those 6 Charioteers are of great prowess & without doubt will be exceedingly difficult to penetrate.

THEREFORE, ONCE AGAIN, TAKE COUNSEL WITH WELL-WISHING COUNSELLORS, CONVERSANT WITH POLICY, FOR OUR BENEFIT AND FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR OVERALL OBJECTVE!'"

Now Arjuna :

These 6 car-warriors are not equal to even half of mine. In the very sight of Drona, I shall slay Jayathratha.

Krishna meets Subadra, mother of Abimanyu & sister of Krishna & comforts her by soothing words. However, Subadra is doubly worried now on the consequence of Arjuna dying in case he fails to kill Jayathratha. Joined by Subadra were Draupathi & Abimanyu’s wife Uttara .

Krishna comforts everyone & finally goes back to his tent.

Now Krishna gets into a meditation mode for a while & then deeply into thoughts on how Arjuna will be achieving his objective next day ?

Krishna tells his charioteer Daruka now :

Indeed it is a monumental task for Arjuna to accomplish his oath. Jayathratha himself, fullyconversant with weapons will fight fearlessly supported by Drona.
Tomorrow, I shall therefore, will do that tomorrow by which Arjuna, may slay Jayadratha before the sun sets. Please equip my chariot according to the rules of military science, must bring it and follow me with it carefully, placing on it my celestial mace called Kaumodaki, my dart and discus, bow and arrows, and every other thing necessary. Also make room on the terrace of my chariot for my standard and for the heroic Garuda thereon, that adorns my umbrella, and yoking thereto my foremost of steeds named Valahaka and Meghapushpa

Upon hearing my Pancha janya emitting the Rishava note, you shall come quickly to

Me so that I shall take up arms & destroy the Kauravas.


A sleepless Arjuna meets Krishna & expresses his concern on how to meet with the target.

Krishna reminds him of the PASUPATHA astra , a divine weapon which he got from Lord Shiva & asks him to apply it when necessary.

That aweful night was thus spent by the Pandavas without sleep.[/tscii:004099e5ab]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:455004cc01]
DAY 14 OF THE WAR :

TODAY’S WAR IS ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS OF THE 18 DAY WAR DESCRIPTION.

A REVENGE DAY FOR ARJUNA. RATHER, A DO OR DIE SITUATION FOR
THE PANDAVAS AS THEY WERE HEAVILY DEPENDANT ON ARJUNA.

THE KAURAVAS WERE VERY PARTICULAR THIS DAY TO BE DEFENSIVE & THEIR MAIN FOCUS WAS TO ENSURE THAT ARJUNA DOESN’T REACH JAYATHRATHA SO THAT THE WAR IS WON ( AS ARJUNA WAS SUPPOSED TO JUMP INTO THE FIRE IF HE FAILS )

SO A WELL THOUGHT PLAN WAS MADE TO SAVE JAYATHRATHA

I THOUGHT ITS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE ARRAY FORMATION SHOULD BE DESCRIBED AT LENGTH SO THAT U ALL WILL REALIZE HOW IMPENETRABLE WAS THE VYUHA .

Drona creates a formidable array as follows :

-Drona at the head of the array .

-Duryodhana stands behind him. Dushashana & Vikarna stood by the side of Duryodhana.

-Behind the above were Karna, Aswathama, Salya, Kripa

-Behind them were 100,000 horse warriors

-Behind them were 60,000 charioteers

-Behind them were 10,000 elephant based warriors

-Behind them were 120,000 foot soldiers

And the distance thus covered by the above was 12 miles.

-AND FINALLY BEHIND THEM , JAYATHRATHA WAS POSITIONED
ALONG WITH KANDARA WARRIORS ( today’s Afganishtan )

The array that Drona forms today is PART SAKATA & PART A CIRCLE.

The length was full 48 miles long & the width was 20 miles.

Drona himself personally supervised the arrangement of the mighty foray.

In the rear of that array was another impenetrable array of the form of lotus.

And within that lotus was another dense array called the needle.

Having formed his mighty array thus, Drona took up his station.

At the mouth of that needle, Kritavarman took up his stand.

Next to Kritavarman, stood the ruler of the Kamvojas and Jalasandha.

Next to these, stood Duryodhana and Karna.

Behind them hundreds and thousands of warriors were stationed in that Sakata for protecting its head.


And the day war for the day finally commenced ![/tscii:455004cc01]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:7ba1792204]DAY 14 -----------------------

Arjuna , with revenge as the only objective , started very aggressively on the Kaurava forces & the array got a bit shaken.

Dushasana steps in & fights extremely hard with Arjuna & exhibits all his skills on archery but finally could not sustain the fury of Arjuna & was forced to retreat.

Arjuna then faces Drona who welcomes with shower of arrows .

Arjuna now requests his Guru to allow him to move past so that he can catch up with Jayathratha. However Drona was very clear –

Defeat me first and then move further

Drona fires missiles on Arjuna for which Arjuna gives back. This fight went on in brief & Drona proved why he WAS THE TEACHER TO ARJUNA . Even before Arjuna could fit his arrow, Drona’s arrows cut his shafts to pieces. As Arjuna tries to cut Drona’s bow to weaken him, came like a flash, another arrow which actually hit fiercely Arjuna’s Kandiva ! . And this interesting battle between Guru & shishya continued further before Krishna realized that Drona is emerging stronger & getting the better of his disciple , quickly tells Arjuna :

THIS DRONA IS UNBEATABLE IN WAR. LET US NOT WASTE TIME IN FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE WITH HIM. SEEK HIS PERMISSION ONCE AGAIN & PROCEEED FURTHER IN PURSUIT OF JAYATHRATHA.

As Arjuna tried to by pass Drona, Drona called him again to fight & then go but Arjuna with all modesty says :

Guru, U are not my enemy but my Guru. And I am determined to achieve another important thing today . Hence I shall leave you right now because nobody can beat you in warfare .

Saying this, Arjuna swiftly by passes Drona & moves forward.


HERE , THERE IS A SLIP BY DRONA – IMO, DRONA DID NOT FULFILL HIS DUTIES AS A COMMITTED COMMANDER OF DURYODHANA. IF HE HAD WISHED, HE WOULD HAVE PULLED ARJUNA LIKE THE TRIGARTHAS FOR A PITCHED BATTLE SO THAT ARJUNA COULD NOT HAVE ACHIEVED HIS OBJECTIVE FOR THE DAY & HENCE EVEN WOULD HAVE DIED BY JUMPING INTO THE FIRE.
INSTEAD, DRONA HAPPILY LET ARJUNA SPEED PAST HIM WITH A SMILE, HAVING SATISFIED WITH HIS EGO BY PRAISES HEAPED BY ARJUNA !

DAY 14 CONTINUES---------[/tscii:7ba1792204]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:5aad66b584]DAY 14 CONTINUES ---------------

Now a rampaging Arjuna was checked by Kritavarma but in vain.

Another king by name Srutayudha fought gallantly with Arjuna now.

He was son of Varuna born to a woman called Parnasa. While delivering , as per the prayers of his mother, Srutayudha was blessed with a powerful mace with destructive powers & said that the man will be invincible in any war with this mace . Varuna also laid the condition that the mace SHOULD NOT BE USED AGAINST SOMEONE WHO IS NOT ENGAGED IN FIGHT. IF APPLIED SO, IT WILL BOUNCE BACK ON THE USER & KILL HIM.

At the most important moment of his life, Srutayudha however forget this & angrily rushed with his mace towards the chariot of Arjuna & threw on Krishna . As mentioned by Varuna, the mace went back & hit him & killed him instantly
Now Sudakshina, the king of Kambojas tried to check Arjuna’s progress but dies after waging a valiant fight .

An upset Duryodhana screams at Drona :

Wonder how right in front of your eyes, Arjuna managed to penetrate & forged ahead but U have remained quiet ! I think I have made a mistake of asking Jayathratha to appear in the war today. Atleast, he would have saved his life by abandoning. Why U are so partial towards us ?

Drona replies :

I am no longer angry with U now Duryodhana but the speed of Arjuna’s chariot is twice faster than mine & due to age factor, I am unable to match his speed & fight him from a distance. But , our main objective of capturing Yudhishtira is my goal now for which I am well focused. If I let it loose, the entire Pandavas will storm inside the array & we will get defeated. Its better that I stay in the front & chase Yudhishtira.
However, do not fear. You shall now fight with Arjuna .

Drona now gives an armour & ties around Duryodhana saying that :

No weapon will be able to strike you in battle. Noone can pierce this armour of yours. Go & resist Arjuna.

A cheerful Duryodhana meets Arjuna [/tscii:5aad66b584]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:75f3fe26da]Day 14 continues :

Before Duryodhana could meet Arjuna, the Avanti brothers, Vinda & Anuvinda attacked Arjuna but both get killed finally along with their army men.

As the day’s fight was so exhausting midway, the horses of Arjuna became tired & thirsty. Krishna sensing this, took the chariot away from the war zone a bit & Arjuna shot an arrow which pierced the earth & water came out & the horses drank it peacefully.
Krishna now , removed their fatigue, pain, froth, trembling and wounds. Then plucking out their arrows and rubbing those horses with his own hands, made them trot .

Now Duryodhana, with his special armour , fights with Arjuna. Much to the surprise of Krishna, Arjuna’s shafts didn’t get that desired impact & they were all repelled & a shocked Krishan even questions the utility of Kandiva whether it has lost its value now ?

Arjuna after a prolonged battled , realizes the trueth & tells Krishna that Guru Drona had already taught the secret behind this armour & how to untie it also. Now let me teach him a lesson.

Having said this , Arjuna chants divine mantras & sharply sends arrows which cuts the cover of the armour.& makes Duryodhana weak & now he loses all that special protection . Armless & chariotless, Duryodhana was forced to retreat now.[/tscii:75f3fe26da]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:3b59f1777d]Day 14 continues :

Lets have a look at what happened with Drona & the other Pandavas.

Gatotkacha fights with Alamvusa & the fierry battle was a terrible sight to watch as both resorted to illusions & all other tactics to beat each other. Finally Gatotkacha pounces on Alamvusa & kills him.

Drishtadyumna , launched a mighty assault on Drona but Drona , but he was no match for Drona on archery. Getting wild, he jumps out of his chariot & with a sword pounces on Drona’s chariot but continuous firing of shafts by Drona prevents him from going close .

So he tries to pounce on Drona from various sides but fails. A furious Drona almost would have killed Drishtadyumna but for timely intervention / interception from Satyaki saved his life. Satyaki also takes away Drishtadyumna on his chariot & saves his life.

Now Satyaki fights with Drona & shows his prowess that the Devas & Rishis assemble to watch the magnificient battle between the 2 . For every shaft of Drona, Satyaki had a befitting response & nullifies it. Infact, Drona’s bows were cut several times by Satyaki’s pin point accurate shafts which makes Drona wonder he is another Arjuna himself ! Both lose their chariots & had to move to the next chariot to resume fighting. Once Drona fires a AGNEYA ASTRA – made of fire for which Satyaki replies with VARUNA ASTRA & annihilates it .

But as the battle progressed further, it became apparent that Satyaki was becoming weaker & Drona emerging stronger with his overall skills as an archer. A panicking Satyaki was saved by a group of Pandavas at the nick of the moment & he retreats.

A worried Yudhishtira now asks Satyaki to go & support Arjuna for which Satyaki, despite being tired tells Bhima to take care of Yudhishtira & moves towards Arjuna’s direction.

Day 14 continues --------[/tscii:3b59f1777d]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:29a9ad0cb4]DAY 14 CONTINUES :

Yesterday we saw how Arjuna tactfully bypassed Drona by surrendering to him.

Satyaki, was not in that mould & hence he tried to forcefully penetrate Drona’s array but Acharya was there once again at front firing shafts & troubled him.

Satyaki now realizing his error in judgement pleads like Arjuna to let him pass by & asks his Sarathy to swiftly enter to the army headed by Karna. Drona however didn’t allow him so easily . He troubled him a lot before Satyaki could pierce the format & inch towards Arjuna.

Before reaching Arjuna, Satyaki successfully negotiated Duryodhana, Dushashana , Ashwathama, Kritavarma – all on individual battle .

Satyaki showed tremendous archery skills today .

However, the time taken by Satyaki to reach Arjuna was longer enough for Yudhishtira to panic once again & this time he instructs Bhima to proceed in the direction of Arjuna to follow Satyaki.

Despite repeated assurance by Bhima, Yudishtira was not convinced as he could hear Krishna’s counch’s sound only but not of Arjuna’s.

Now Bhima was also forced to leave him but kept Drishtadyumna & the remaining Panchalas to counter Drona.

While Bhima was about to cross Drona, Drona welcomed him with a shower of arrows & questioned him in the same manner how he dealt with Arjuna & Satyaki expecting the same kind of respect from Bhima also.

But Bhima was furious on hearing Drona’s words & his anger went uncontrollable. With loud screams about his profession & what he was supposed to do as such & also warned him that he is no longer their Guru but today a foe of Pandavas .

Having said this, Bhima hurls a big mace which breaks Drona’s chariot into pieces. Drona was forced to jump quickly on to another chariot for safety. Even that was also broken ruthlessly by Bhima & this day itself Drona lost around 8 chariots ! .

HERE ONE WILL REALIZE HOW EFFICIENT WAS THE SUPPORT & BACK UP THAT WAS PROVIDED TO COMMANDERS . WHY I AM HIGHLIGHTING THIS FEATURE HERE ESPECIALLY ON VARIOUS CHARIOTS BEING MOVED TO DRONA AS A BACK UP .

THIS BACK WAS NOT WELL FOLLOWED WITH KARNA WHICH COST HIS LIFE WHEN HIS HOUR CAME.

DAY 14 CONTINUES[/tscii:29a9ad0cb4]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:10e69828d1]Day 14 continues :

Drona continues to torment the Pandava group headed by Yudhishtira & he kills another Panchala prince besides killing the son of Jarasandha.

While Bhima was forging towards Arjuna’s place, he comes across the 8 brothers of Duryodhana namely,
-Kundabhedin

- Sushena

- Dirghanetra

- Vrindaraka

- Abhaya

- Raudrakarman

- Durvimochana

- Sudharshan

All the above get killed by Bhima in a fierce fight .

Besides Bhima also kills Vinda & Anuvinda brothers who earlier retreated after fighting with Arjuna.

Finally Bhima sees at a distance where Arjuna was fighting & utters a huge roar in such a manner that it reached Yudhistira who gets inspired by the positive response from Bhima. On seeing Bhima, Arjuna & Krishna also express their surprise.

On seeing Bhima thus advancing, Karna , unable to control his anger , stretched his bow with great force & rushed at Bhima with a loud shout .

Now a WONDERFUL BATTLE TAKES PLACE BETWEEN KARNA & BHIMA

Day 14 continues [/tscii:10e69828d1]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:3dc39e6f69]Day 14 - KARNA Vs BHIMA

Karna checked Bhima’s course like a tall tree withstanding tempest !

This fight resembled ANOTHER WAR ITSELF !

Twice Karna’s bows were cut by the arrows of Bhima & Bhima tried to quickly move past Karna to reach Arjuna but Karna was not in a mood to let him move so freely .

Karna questions Bhima :

I dreamt not that U know how to fight . Why r u showing ur back now ? This is not befitting for a son of Kunti !!

Bhima , hearing the teasing words of Karna resumed his fight with him with more ferocity.

Whatever shaft that Bhima aimed at Karna were all broken to pieces in return by a smiling Karna. Actually Karna was well versed with the art of military science & hence Bhima was no match for Karna on archery.

While Karna fought casually & mildly, Bhima was all furious , recollecting his former wrongs during the Druapadhi episode & attacked with vengeance.

At one stage, hit by Karna’s arrows , Bhima looked like having bathed in blood but he gave a befitting response back & pierced Karna’s chest with such an impact that Karna felt great pain .

Bhima also destroys Karna’s chariot in the process but he moves to another chariot quickly . He relaxes for a while.

Now Duryodhana seeing Karna tired , sends his brother Durjaya to fight but Bhima kills him after a brief fight which makes Karna weep in grief.

Now Durmukha , another brother of Duryodhana rushes to support Karna but with 9 straight shafts, Bhima kills Durmukha also. Seeing his body lying on the ground , Karna with tears rolling on his eyes abstained for a moment from the fight & circumambulated him .
Seeing the plight of Karna, 5 more brothers of Duryodhana came forward :

Durmarshana

Duhsaha

Durmada

Durdhara

Jaya

All the 5 above surrounded Bhima from all sides.

But Bhima sends them to Yama’s abode in no time.

Now Karna’s grief was immeasurable seeing many brothers of Duryodhana giving their life for him & felt guilty & resumes his battle with Bhima .

But once again, a furious Bhima troubled Karna with diverse weapons in such a manner that Karna became weak . Duryodhana once again sends another set of his brothers now :

Chitra

Upachitra

Charuchitra

Sarasan

Chitrayudha

Chitravarman

But Bhima felled each one of them with a single arrow & they all fell like trees uprooted .

With uncontrollable anger now, Karna resumes his fight with Bhima & both fought like 2 elephants tearing each other.

In the meanwhile 6 more brothers of Duryodhana tried to back Karna :

Satrunjaya

Satrusaha

Chitra

Chitrayudha

Dridha

Chitrasena

& all in no time were vanquished from earth by Bhima’s arrows.

Seeing all this around, Vikarna , another brother of Duryodhana comes forward to check Bhima’s onslaught .

After a brief fight, Bhima kills Vikarna also.

UPON KILLING VIKARNA, BHIMA GRIEVED BITTERLY FROM SORROW FOR VIKARNA WHO WAS DEAR TO HIM. AND BHIMA SAID,
EVEN THUS WAS THE VOW MADE BY ME, THAT ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE SLAIN BY ME IN BATTLE.

IT IS FOR THAT, O VIKARNA, THAT U HAD BEEN SLAIN NOW. MY VOW HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. O DEAR VIKARNA, U CAME TO FIGHT WITH ME, BEARING IN MIND THE DUTIES OF A KSHATRIYA. U WERE EVER ENGAGED IN OUR GOOD. IT IS SCARCELY PROPER, THEREFORE, FOR ME TO GRIEVE FOR U ILLUSTRIOUS ONE

Bhima, rarely showed his emotions during the war & this was one moment.

Day 14 KARNA Vs BHIMA TO CONTINUE [/tscii:3dc39e6f69]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:5d8c18bb5f]DAY 14 - KARNA TAMES BHIMA

Seeing his blood brothers falling like insects before Bhima, Duryodhana’s grief was immeasurable. He recollects now what Vidura said when Krishna approached them for peace . Duryodhana was unable to do what he should do now.

Karna, on seeing all these happen , recouped himself forcefully & resumed his fight with Bhima.

As the fight went on for a longer duration, Karna gradually emerges stronger of the two.

And indeed Karna proved his class now .His hands in taking up an arrow, fixing it on the bow-string, stretching the string and letting it off, none could notice any interval between those acts. And while Karna was thus engaged in shooting his arrows right and left, his bow incessantly drawn to a circle, like a terrible circle of fire.

The arrows shot from the bow of Karna, as they coursed through the welkin, looked like one long continuously drawn arrow in the sky. Like a cloud covering a mountain with torrents of rain, Karna in rage, covered Bhima with showers of arrows.

Karna now with razor sharp arrows cuts the bow of Bhima.

He then slays the horses of Bhima.

Karna also troubles Bhima’s charioteer heavily that he runs to the chariot of Satyaki.

Excited with rage, Karna now cuts off the flag-staff of Bhima and felled his banner.

Deprived of his bow, Bhima seized a dart, whirled it in his hand and then hurled it with great force at Karna's car & they also get cut off by Karna’s arrows.

Bhima tries to take his sword now but even before he could raise it, Karna’s powerful arrows breaks it & the sword flies to a long distance, carried by the velocity of Karna’s arrow speed.

Bhima goes mad now .

Karna now smilingly takes another bigger bow with a stronger string & fires innumerable missiles . Struck by those shafts Bhima leaped into the sky

For which Karna conceals himself on the terrace of his chariot. Seeing this, Bhima catching hold of Karna's flagstaff, waited on the earth. His bow cut off, himself deprived of his car, Bhima, observant of the duties of his order, stood still for battle, keeping his broken chariot behind him.

Karna rushed against Bhima now & the passage-at-arms that then took place between those two was terrible. However, Bhima as he was totally exhausted , wsa obliged to turn back , vigorously pursued by Karna.

Now Bhima whose stock of weapons was totally exhausted used dead elephants as cover. Bhima entered into their midst for impeding the progress of Karna's chariot. Approaching that multitude of elephants and getting into the midst of that fastness which was inaccessible to a chariot, Bhima, desirous of saving his life, refrained from striking Karna.

Looking for a shelter, Bhima lifts a dead elephant , waited for Karna.

Karna, however, with his shafts, cut off that elephant held by Bhima.

Now Bhima hurled the fragments of that elephant’s body & also a chariot’s wheels & dead horses. Infact, all objects that he saw lying there on the field, Bhima was throwing upon Karna.

Karna however repeatedly caused the distressed Bhima, to lose the sense.

NOW KARNA IS JUST AT ARMS LENGTH DISTANCE WITH BHIMA TO SLAY HIM.

Karna now recollecting the words of Kunti, took not the life of the unarmed Bhima.

Approaching quickly Karna touched him with the horn of his bow.

As soon, however, as Bhima was touched with the bow, he snatched the bow from Karna and struck him with it on the head.

Struck by Bhima , Karna with eyes red in wrath, smiling the while, said unto him repeatedly these words :

Beardless eunuch, ignorant fool and glutton ,without skin in weapons, do not fight with me. U are a child , a laggard in battle.
U are fit for eatables and drink. U should never battle. Subsisting on roots, flowers, and observant of vows and austerities, U should pass Ur. days in the woods
Urging cooks and servants and slaves in the house to speed, U are fit for cooking only.

Karna those teasing , wounding & harming words. And as Bhima stood there TOTALLY SURRENDERED & HELPLESS , Karna once more touched him with the bow.

And laughing loudly, Karna once again said :

Go now where the two krishnas are . They will protect Ur life .

KARNA, MINDFUL OF THE ASSURANCE GIVEN TO KUNTI, FREES BHIMA FROM THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH.

Watching the whole sequence of events from a distance, a furious Arjuna fires a shaft on Karna

Now Bhima quickly mounted on Satyaki’s chariot fled away from the scene.

DAY 14 CONTINUES ................[/tscii:5d8c18bb5f]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:485aa70938]Day 14 continues --------------------

BURISRIVAS Vs SATYAKI & VIOLATION OF WAR RULES BY ARJUNA :

Earlier I had mentioned that Satyaki was instructed by Yudhishtira to reach Arjuna & support him & he despite all odds was moving towards his direction.

While Satyaki was forging ahead, BURISIRAVAS , the son of Somadutta challenged him mid way & there arose a bitter fight between 2 foes from childhood days ( the background I will narrate later as this may disturb the flow of the war sequence ) .

After exchanging challenging words between them, the 2 old foes started to fight . Both poured dense showers of arrows. The fight was tremendous & one of the highlights of the Mahabarath war itself !

The bitter fight went to such an extent that both having lost their chariots & all , resorted to sword fighting which after an extended tenure, also got broken

Now they resorted to wrestling. With both of them are skilled in this also, the fight was interesting as each seized other’s neck , arms etc & this was cheered by a big crowd from both the armies as everyone stopped their fight & watched in awe, the bitter fight .

Both sometimes binding each other with their arms, sometimes striking each other with their heads, sometimes intertwining each other's legs, sometimes pinching each other with their nails, sometimes clasping each other tightly, sometimes twining their legs round each other's loins, sometimes rolling on the ground, sometimes advancing, sometimes receding, sometimes rising up, and sometimes leaping up.

All this were being watched by Arjuna & Krishna at a distance & Krishna’s expressed his concern that Burisiravas is fresh with energy but Satyaki is very tired already & this is not a contest at all.

Krishna urges Arjuna to intercept & protect Satyaki.

But Arjuna was focused on Jayathratha , his main target & he just replied back a huge chunk of arrows that covered him from all corners.

Krishna’s concern deepens now ( SATYAKI IS RELATED TO KRISHNA ) as at this moment, Burisravas lifts Satyakin & exerting vigorously struck Satyaki and brought him down upon the ground.

And like a lion dragging an elephant, Bhurisravas, was found dragging Satyaki.

Now the FINAL moment of the fight comes. Bhurisravas , drawing his sword picked from the nearby area, seized Satyaki by the hair of his head and struck him at the chest with his feet. Bhurisravas then was about to cut off from Satyaki's trunk his head

A PANICKING KRISHNA SCREAMS AT ARJUNA :

NOW THAT THIS IS DO OR DIE SITUATION FOR SATYAKI NOW. IF U HESITATE FOR A SECOND, U CAN SEE THE DEAD BODY OF SATYAKI ONLY.

Thus PROVOKED BY KRISHNA, Arjuna, mentally worshipped
Bhurisravas in that battle, saying,

I am glad that, Bhurisravas, is dragging Satyaki in battle, as if in sport , without slaying Satyaki

Mentally applauding the Kuru warrior thus,

Arjuna, replied to Krishna :

My eyes having rested upon of the Sindhus, I could not, see Satyaki. I shall, however, for the sake of that Yadava warrior, achieve a most difficult feat.

Having said these words, in obedience to Krishna, Arjuna , fixed on Gandiva a sharp razor-headed arrow. That arrow, shot by Arjuna, cut off Burisrivas’s arm with the sword in the grasp

DAY 14 CONTINUES [/tscii:485aa70938]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:0bf0391d1e]DAY 14 CONTINUES :

BURISRAVAS - SATYAKI EPISODE :

Stunned by the act of Arjuna, Burisravas now abandoning his hold on Satyaki, wrathfully reproved Arjuna :

Arjuna , U have done a cruel and heartless deed, since without being engaged with me, U , unseen by me , cut off my arm. Please tell this to Yudhishtira even this also that , 'Bhurisravas, while otherwise engaged, was slain by me in battle?. Were U taught this use of weapons by Indra or by Rudra, or by Drona, or by Kripa?
U, in this world, better acquainted with the rules about the use of weapons than all others. Why then how did Cut off in battle the arm of a warrior who was not engaged with U? The righteous never strike him that is heedless, or him that is terrified, or him that is made carless, or him that beggeth for life or protection, of him that hath fallen into distress. Why, then, U perpetrated such an extremely unworthy deed that is sinful, that is worthy only of a low wretch, and that is practised by only a wicked bloke! A respectable person, can easily accomplish a deed that is respectable. A deed, however, that is disrespectable becomes difficult of accomplishment by a person that is respectable. A man quickly catches the behaviour of those with whom and amongst whom he moves. This is seen in U Arjuna . Being of royal lineage and born, especially, in Kuru's race, how had U fallen off from the duties of a Kshatriya, although U were of good behaviour and observant of excellent vows. This mean act that Ur act had been perpetrated for the sake of Satyaki , is without doubt, conformable to Krishna’s counsels. Such an act does not suit one like U. Who else, unless he were a friend of Krishna's, would inflict such a wrong upon lone that is heedlessly engaged with another in battle?

Thus addressed , Arjuna replied saying,

It is evident that with the decrepitude of the body one's intellect also becomes decrepit. Knowing as I do the rules of battle and conversant as I am with the meaning of all the scriptures, I would never do an act that is sinful. Knowing this well, U rebuke me yet. The Kshatriyas fight with their foes, surrounded by their own followers, their brothers, sires, sons, relatives, kinsmen, companions, and friends. These also fight, relying on the (strength of) arms of those they follow. Why, then, should I not protect Satyaki, my disciple and dear kinsman, who is fighting for our sake in this battle, regardless of life itself, that is so difficult of being laid down.
If I had calmly beheld Satyaki on the point of being slain in great battle (and had not interfered for saying him), sin would, then, owing to Satyaki's death, have been mine, for such negligence! Why then U are angry with me for my having protected Satyaki?
U are questioning me saying, 'Though engaged with another, I have yet been maimed byU.' In that matter, I answer, I judged wrongly. Sometimes shaking my armour; sometimes riding on my car, sometimes drawing the bow-string, I was fighting with my enemies in the midst of a host resembling the vast deep, teeming with cars and elephants and abounding with steeds and foot-soldiers and echoing with fierce leonine shouts. Amongst friends and foes engaged with one another, how could it be possible that Satyaki was engaged with only one person in battle? Having fought with many and vanquished many mighty car-warriors, Satyaki had been tired. He himself, afflicted with weapons, had become cheerless. Having, under such circumstances, U tried to display ur superiority. U. had desired to cut off, with ur sword, the head of Satyaki in battle. I could not possibly behold with indifference Satyaki reduced to that strait.

Hearing the words of Arjuna, Bhurisravas, bearing the device of the sacrificial stake on his banner, abandoning Satyaki, desired to die according to the vow of Praya. Distinguished by many righteous deeds, he spread with his left hand a bed of arrows, and desirous of proceeding to the region of Brahma, committed his senses to the care of the deities presiding over them. Fixing his gaze on the sun, and setting his cleansed heart on the moon, and thinking of the sacred mantras , Bhurisravas, betaking himself to Yoga, ceased to speak.

Now all the persons in the entire army began to speak ill of Krishna and Dhananjaya and applauded Bhurisravas.

Though censured, the two Krishnas, however, spoke not a word disagreeable Bhurisravas also, though thus applauded, felt no joy.

Then Arjuna , said these words,

All the kings are acquainted with my great vow, viz., that no one
shall succeed in slaying anybody that belongs to our side, as long as the latter is within the range of my shafts. Remembering this, U do not censure me. Without knowing rules of morality, it is not proper for one to censure others. That I have cut off Ur arm while U , well-armed in battle, wert on the point of slaying the unarmed Satyaki, is not all contrary to morality.

Then Arjuna continued :

Burisravas, the way I love my brothers, equal has been my love over U. I respect U a lot for ur traits all these years. If at all some one to be blamed for this , it’s the Kshatriya dharma only

While Arjuna was saying this, set free by Burisravas already , Satyaki rising up, drew his sword , rushed towards Burisravas, jumped over him & cut off his head using a sword like a flash. He did it despite the rushing of Arjuna & Krishna towards him to stop this sinful act.

Satyaki, thus , with his sword, cut off the head of Burisravas, who had been deprived of his arm by Arjuna and who was then sitting in Praya for freeing his soul from the body.

The warriors did not applaud Satyaki for that act of his in slaying that perpetuator of Kuru's race who had before been almost slain by Partha.

While Satyaki tried to justify his shameful act, none approved it & disregarded him with a bitter note & went back to their respective positions to resume battle.

THIS SATYAKI – BURISRAVAS EPISODE IS ONE OF THE MOMENTS WHEN THE WAR RULES WERE BROKEN .
1. A WARRIOR WHILE FACING ANOTHER WARRIOR SHOULD NOT BE INTERCEPTED BY A THIRD WARRIOR ( this happened with both Abimanyu & today )
2. AN UNARMED WARRIOS SHOULD NOT BE ATTACKED

DAY 14 CONTINUES ----------------------------------------[/tscii:0bf0391d1e]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:bf85adab45]DAY 14 CONTINUES - ARJUNA KILLS JAYATHRATHA AMIDST DARKNESS

Arjuna now resumes his battle which is hot pursuit of Jayatharatha & gradually inches towards the place where Jayathratha was positioned.

Duryodhana urges Karna to fight with Arjuna & a tired Karna resumes his battle. Now Karna finds himself attacked by 3 strong men – Arjuna, Bhima & Satyaki .

Covered by three mighty warriors, Karna displays tremendous skills & fires shafts on all the 3 simultaneously despite blood coming out of his limbs . The fight was so fantastic that both Karna & Arjuna covered the sky with arrows.

Each rendered invisible by the other's arrowy showers, they continued to strike each other. And they roared at each other and pierced each other with their wordy darts, saying, I am Partha, wait--or, I am Karna, wait! Indeed these two heroes fought with each other wonderfully, displaying great activity and skill. And the sight they presented was such that other warriors became witnesses of that battle.

And applauded by Siddhas & Devas, who watched with awe , the 2 fought with each other.

Duryodhana, addressed his warriors now :

Carefully protect Karna . Without slaying Arjuna he would not abstain from battle.

Enough support was now offered to Karna & he gets assistance from Ashwathama who fought a fierce fight with the 3.

Finally Arjuna manages to near the vicinity of Jayathratha & his missiles also hit him . Arjuna kilsl the charioteer of Jayathratha & his horses.

But Jayathratha was equal to the task. He was a skillful warrior & he strongly resisted Arjuna’s shafts & never retreated or ran away from the scene. For every arrow of Arjuna, Jayathratha was giving a befitting response & this went on for a long duration.

Despite Arjuna waging a valiant battle, he could not get near Jayathratha .

Meanwhile, the sun was going down quickly.

Krishna addressed Arjuna :

Arjuna, now Jayathratha is being secured by 6 strong experts of warfare . Besides, Jayathratha himself is a skilful warrior. Without vanquishing those 6 giants, u will never be able to slay the ruler of the Sindhus
I shall, therefore, resort to Yoga for shrouding the sun. Then Jayathratha will come to a conlusion that the sun has been set & he will come out of his array. Availing yourself of that opportunity, U should strike him.

Arjuna agrees to Krishna’s suggestion.

Krishna now , creates darkness.

All the warriors of Kauravas, thinking the sun to have set were filled with delight at the prospect of Partha's laying down his life.

Actually, the Kauravas , not seeing the sun, were filled with gladness. All of them stood, with heads thrown backwards.

King Jayadratha also was in the same attitude. He was looking at the direction of Sun.

And while the ruler of the Sindhus was thus beholding the sun, Krishna, once more said these words :

Look. Jayathratha is now looking at the sun, casting off his fear of U . This is the hour, for the slaughter.

Now Arjuna rushed towards Jayathratha .

As there was total darknwss , no one could see whats happening around but the Kauravas were celebrating thinking that the sun was set.

Arjuna goes very close to Jayathratha now & takes up an arrow , chants divine mantras .

Now Krishna whispers to Arjuna :

Quickly cut off the head of Jayathratha. The sun is about to get at the mountain of Asta. Listen, however, to the words I say about the slaughter of Jayadratha. The father of Jayadratha is Vriddhakshatra known all over the world. It was after a long time that he got Jayadratha, that slayer of foes, for his son. At the birth of the son an incorporeal and invisible voice, said unto king Vriddhakshatra – Ur son will become worthy of the two races in respect of bravery & skills . But while struggling in battle, some bull among the Kshatriyas, some conspicuous person in the world, excited with wrath, will cut off this one's head.
Overwhelmed with affection for his son, he gave a curse that :
Whomsoever will cause the head of my son to fall on the earth while the latter, struggling in battle, the head of that man will certainly crack into a hundred pieces.
Vriddhakshatra, repairing to the woods, devoted himself to ascetic austerities. He is still engaged in the observance of the austerest of penances outside this very Samantapanchaka. Therefore, cutting off Jayadratha's head , quickly throw that head upon the lap of Vriddhakshatra himself.
Look, even now Jayathratha was looking at the western direction only. Kill him.

Hearing these words of Krishna, Arjuna quickly shot that arrow & coursing swiftly, the arrow snatched Jayadratha's head away.

Arjuna now , with his shafts, sent that head along in the welkin without allowing it to fall down sent that head outside the limits of Samantapanchaka. Meanwhile, king Vriddhakshatra, was engaged in his evening prayers. The head of Jayathratha was thrown upon Vriddhakshatra's lap, as the latter was saying his prayers in a sitting posture.

As the old King , stood up after finishing his prayers it suddenly fell down on the earth. And as the head of Jayadratha fell down on the earth, the head of Vriddhakshatra, cracked into a hundred pieces.

After completing this task in a flash, Krishna withdraws the darkness.

Now the Kauravas realized that the darkness which they saw momentarily was just an illusion produced by Krishna & all were totally shocked & stunned by the sudden turn of events .

Now Krishna, Arjuna, Bhima all blow their counches loudly to send that positive message to Yudhishtira who on hearing this , became cheerful.

Now the trio moves back to Drona to resume the fight with him.

DAY 14 ENDS NOW BUT ONLY THE DAY :D THE WAR CONTINUES EVEN AFTER THE SUN SET [/tscii:bf85adab45]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:3134aead7c]DAY 14 THE WAR AFTER SUNSET

The dreadful 14th day of the war didn’t end after the Sun was set.

It continued even after that !

The manner in which Jayathratha & Burisravas were slain made the Kauravas furious & the Pandvas, having achieved this were also equally prepared for continuing the rage.

SO, THE WAR CONTINUED EVEN IN THE DARKNESS.

Seeing Arjuna rush towards Drona, a furious Karna & Duryodhana & all others follow him to have a do or die battle now.

While Arjuna was keen to fight with Karna, Krishna stopped him at this moment saying :

Let Satyaki fight with Karna now & NOT U AT THIS JUNCTURE WITH KARNA. THIS IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR U TO MEET KARNA. KARNA IS HAVING A BLAZING DART WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM BY INDRA & IT’S A POTENT DESTRUCTIVE WEAPON . I AM ALSO AWARE THAT KARNA IS PRESERVING THIS DIVINE WEAPON ONLY FOR USING IT ON U. HENCE, AVOID FIGHTING WITH HIM NOW.

As instructed by Krishna, Arjuna moves to another direction.

Now Duryodhana chose Panchalas as his target & poured his entire frustration on them by deeply penetrating into their ranks & caused extensive destruction to their elephants, chariots & infantry division. In the process Duryodhana crushed a big division of Pandavas.

At one stage, Duryodhana singlehandedly encountered Bhima, Satyaki, Durupada, Virata & Shikandi & even Yudhishtira & ripped them apart with flurry of arrows.

Duryodhana was like a destroyer by himself at this stage of the war

However a tired Duryodhana was supported by Drona

Now Arjuna & Satyaki tried to stop Drona .

Now even Drishtadyumna also joined them.

By this time, he night became pitch dark.

Bhima continues to torment the Duryodhana brothers & now kills 2 of his by name :

Durmada

Dushkarna

NIGHT EVENTS OF DAY 14 CONTINUES ...............[/tscii:3134aead7c]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:a3bbce9e0f]NIGHT OF DAY 14 CONTINUES :

Duryodhana’s grief continued & a restless Duryodhana charged towards Bhima. Seeing this, GATOTKACHA, stepped in . Being a Rakshasha ,he found the night an advantage & caused immense destruction on the Kaurava ranks that they panicked.

The fight by Gatotkacha indeed was terrific & none amongst the Kaurava chiefs could stop his onslaught through conventional methods.

He also created illusions & assumed the form of a high mountain & Ashwatham who waged a splendid fight with him now managed to destroy that form.

Now Gatotkacha assumed the form of a mass of blue clouds & down pounred stones & rocks. Aswathama destroyed that also by aiming the Vayavya weapon.

Now parallely Bhima was attacked by 10 brothers of Duryodhana :

Nagadatta

Dridharatha

Viravahu

Ayobhuja

Dridha

Suhasta

Viragas

Pramatha

Ugrayayin

Bhima became filled with rage. He then took up a number of arrows, each capable of bearing a great strain & killed all those 10 brothers.

Bhima now targets one brother of Shakuni by name Satachandra & slays him

Seeing this , the other 5 brothers of Shakuni – Gavaksha, Sarabha ,Bibhu, Subhaga, and Bhanudatta, those five mighty car-warriors, rushing towards Bhima. Bhima slew those five mighty kings with five shafts of his.

[/tscii:a3bbce9e0f]

[Raghu]

Karna is in nw, GREAT!!!

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:2b60e828d4]NIGHT WAR OF DAY 14 CONTINUES :

KARNA LETS SAHADEVA

Drona now, pushed by Duryodhana, targets Yudhishtira & fires the Vayavya weapon.

Yudhishtira countered this with a similar weapon.

Drona fires diverse celestial weapons such as the Varuna, the Yamya, the Agneya, the Tvashtra, and the Savitra. Yudhishtira responds well & baffles all .

Now a fiery Drona fires Aindra and the Prajapatya weapons.

Yudhistira was equal to the task & he neutralizes by firing the Mahendra weapon.

While all these were happening, Duryodhana urges Karna to move towards Arjuna & eliminate him by using that Vajra weapon which Indra gave him earlier.

Even while Karna was assuring him with confidence building words that he will definitely slay Arjuna using that special weapon, Kripacharya hearing all these words screamed at Karna with some harsh words saying that Arjuna is invincible in warfare & till now Karna didn’t do anything great to boast his prowess.

This results in angry exchanges between karma & Kripa . Seeing this , Ashwathama also joins the bandwagon of Karna bashers & he speaks more harsh words on Karna. Now Karna is thoroughly disturbed.

However Duryodhana steps in at the right moment & pacified them all & requests them to focus on the Pandvas.

A enraged Karna was resisted by Sahadeva now. Karna displaying great lightness in hand, cut off Sahadeva’s bow .

Karna then kills the horses of Sahadeva.

Karna then dispatches the charioteer of Sahadeva to death.

Even while Sahadeva tries to take another bow, Karna blows that into pieces.

A panicking Sahadeva now takes up a sword & a shield & even these 2 were cut off by a smiling Karna.

A hopeless Sahadeva now throws a mig mace towards Karna which get broken to smithereens by Karna’s needle sharp arrows.

Now totally armless, Sahdeva takes up the wheel of his chariot & throws it on Karna which also gets broken immediately like a flash by Karna.

Seeing himself deprived of all weapons, Sahadeva, struck by Karna with many shafts, left the battle.

Pursuing him for a while, Karna smilingly addresses Sahadeva with pinching words :

Do not fight in battle with those that are superior to U. Fight with Ur. Equals. Do not mistrust my words.

Then touching him with the horn of his bow ( LIKE WHAT KARNA WHAT HE DID EARLIER TO BHIMA THE SAME DAY ) , he once more said :

Arjuna is fighting resolutely with the Kurus . Go there, O son of Madri, or return home if U wish.

Having said those words, Karna smilingly proceeded on his car against the troops of the king of the Panchalas.

The great Karna devoted to truth, did not slew Sahadeva although he had got the opportunity, recollecting the words of Kunti.

Sahadeva, then, heartless and afflicted with arrows, and pierced with the wordy darts of Karna, no longer cherished any love for life.

Ashamed totally, Sahadeva quickly runs for his life & ascends to the chariot of of Janamejaya, the prince of the Panchalas.

I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THE PANDAVAS IF KARNA HAD KILLED BOTH BHIMA & SAHADEVA !!??
[/tscii:2b60e828d4]

[Nakeeran]

[tscii:6a68607554]NIGHT OF DAY 14 CONTINUES :

KARNA & YUDHISHTIRA

KARNA vs GATOTKACHA - KARNA KILLS GATOTKACHA BY VAJRA WEAPON

Karna, after letting Sahadeva , concentrates on Yudhishtira now. Karna now is uncontrollable as he destroys the Panchala army & makes Drishtadyumna run to another chariot for safety . Despite Yudhishtira trying his best, he was no match was karna.

A panicking Yudishtira screams at Arjuna to save him & also kill Karna immediately.

Seeing the prowess of Karna, Arjuna exclaims to Krishna now :

Yudhishtira if frightened by Karna today. Our army is flying away . I see Karna careering fearlessly. Our foremost of car-warriors are flying away. Karna is scattering his keen shafts. I cannot, like a snake incapable of putting up with the tread of a human being upon its body, bear to see him thus careering at the head of battle, before my eyes. Proceed, therefore, to that spot where Karna is. I will either kill him, or let him slay me.

Krishna in reply :

There is none else capable of advancing against him in battle, except U.. I do not, however, regard the time to have come.

Saying this, Krishna quickly calls for Gatotkacha & explains him the situation & asks him to fight with karma. Ever obedient & brave

Gatotkacha takes up the challenge & rushes towards Karna.
& the fight between the 2 looked like another war itself.

Gatotkacha displayed all his magical illusion skills & troubled the entire Kaurava army backed by Karna & Duryodhana. Karna tried all conventional weapons by Gatotkacha was stubborn.

Gatotkacha’s destruction was so immense that Duryodhana time & again irritated Karna by asking him to use the dart given by Indra.

Duryodhana was worried because the manner of penetration caused by the Rakshasha was such that a major portion of Kauravas were destroyed

Then Karna, seeing the Rakshasa alive at dead of night, and the Kuru army struck with fear, and hearing also the loud wails of the latter set his heart upon hurling his dart. Inflamed with rage, Karna took up that foremost of victory-giving and invincible darts, desirous of compassing the destruction of Ghatotkacha.

THAT POTENT DESTRUCTIVE WEAPON OF INDRA WHICH WAS GIVEN AS A QUID PRO QUO BY INDRA WHEN KARNA GIFTED HIM HIS EAR RINGS & KAVACHA WAS THUS APPLIED BY KARNA ON GATOTKACHA.

that fierce weapon which looked like the very tongue of the Destroyer was now hurled at the Rakshasa. Indeed, seeing that dart in Karna's hand, all creatures in the sky uttered loud cries.

Fierce winds began to blow, and thunders with loud report began to fall on the earth. Destroying that blazing illusion of Ghatotkacha and piercing right through his breast that resplendent dart soared aloft in the night and entered a starry constellation in the firmament.

Having fought, using diverse beautiful weapons, with many heroic Rakshasa and human warriors, Ghatotkacha, then uttering diverse terrible roars, fell, deprived of life with that dart of Indra.
Even while falling down dead, Gatotkacha took a huge form that fell on the Kaurava army & killed so many by the sheer size & weight of the body.

While the entire Kauravas celebrated Karna , the Pandavas were filled with grief .

However, there was one person who was cheerful on this incident. It was Krishna .

Indeed, uttering loud shouts he embraced Arjuna. Tying the steeds and uttering loud roars, he began to dance in a transport of joy.

Then embraced Arjuna once more,

A grief sticken Arjuna wondered at Krishna :

Krishna, the cause must be very grave when at such a time U feel so much joy.Tell me truly what that cause .

Krishna replied :

Great is the joy I feel. Listen to me, Krishna. that Karna, his dart being baffled through Ghatotkacha, is already slain. The man does not exist in this world that could not stay before Karna armed with that dart.
By good luck, Karna’s natural armour ( KAVACHA )had been taken away.
By good luck, his earrings also had been taken away.
By good luck, his infallible dart also is now baffled, through Ghatotkacha.
With the above 3 strong assets, Karna was invincible. Let me tell U emphatically that even U could not have killed Karna . No , not even my Sudharshana chakra could have touched Karna.
For Ur good, Karna was divested of his ear-rings by Indra
Similarly was that deprived of his (natural) armour. Indeed, because Karna, cutting off his (natural) armour and his brilliant car-rings, gave them unto Indra.
He is incapable of being vanquished in battle by the gods
Consider urself to be fortunate now that the might of Karna is already diluted .
With his dart , if Karna had not slain him, I myself would have had to slay Bhima's son Ghatotkacha. From desire of benefiting you, I did not slay him before. That Rakshasa was inimical to Brahmanas and sacrifices. Because he was a destroyer of sacrifices and of a sinful soul, therefore he had been thus slain.

Now lets focus on Drona .

Hearing the words of Krishna, Arjuna starts his focus on Drona now.[/tscii:6a68607554]

[Raghu]

No , not even my Sudharshana chakra could have touched Karna.


What, ?? :shock: :roll: This is news to me

Keep up the Excellent work NakeerarE :D

[Nakeeran]

No , not even my Sudharshana chakra could have touched Karna.


What, ?? :shock: :roll: This is news to me

Keep up the Excellent work NakeerarE :D

Raghuji. True . This was from SriKrishna's mouth itself because the Kavacha was AN IMPENETRABLE ARMOUR which Karna had it along with when he was born. Knowing the power of that armour, Indra ( Arjuna was born to Indra's powers U know that ) with a vested interest , wished to save Arjuna & hence took away Kavacha.

In return for that gift, he got Vajra which he used on Gatotkacha