Sampoorna Mahabharata • సంపూర్ణ శ్రీమహాభారతము • Episode 836

Episode 836: The war

Sañjaya said: “Duryodhana could not bear being defeated by Ghaṭotkacha. He went to Bhīṣma, narrated everything, and repeatedly sighed, saying, “Just as my enemies take refuge in Srikrishna & fight, so too I fight taking refuge in you. Trusting you, I increased enmity with the Pāṇḍavas and have begun this terrible war. 11akṣauhiṇīs army is fighting for me. Yet the Pandavas defeated me with Ghaṭotkacha’s help. That defeat burns me. By your grace, I desire to conquer that vile demon.”

Bhīṣma said: ‘I shall tell you how to act. At all times, protect yourself and fight only with the 5 Pandavas. A king should fight only with kings and not with a demon. I, Droṇā, Kṛpā, Aśvatthāma, Kṛtavarmā, Śalya, Bhūriśravas, Vikarṇa, Duḥśāsana, Bhagadatta and others will fight him for your sake.’

Then he said to Bhagadatta: ‘Go & fight that demon. Stop him just as Indra stopped Tārakāsura. You possess divine weapons & great valor. You alone can fight & check him’.

The Pāṇḍava warriors saw Bhagadatta, seated on elephant Supratika, roaring & advancing like a thundering cloud. Bhagadatta drowned Bhima with 1000’s of arrows. Enraged, Bhīma swiftly shot arrows and slew the warriors guarding the elephant Supratika’s feet.

Angered, Bhagadatta swiftly drove Supratīka toward Bhīma’s chariot. Bhīma and the other Maharathas hurried forward & shot divine weapons from all sides. Hit by their arrows, Supratika bled heavily.

Yet it blocked the Daśarna king came on his elephant to attack it. Daśārṇa king hurled 14 spears, which injured it severely. In deep pain, it fled swiftly, trumpeting terribly & trampling the army.

Defeating the elephant, the Pandava Maharathas roared. Led by Bhima, they hurled arrows and weapons at Bhagadatta. Enraged, Bhagadatta instigated Supratika with his goad & drove it towards them. The enraged Supratīka trampled chariots, elephants, horses with riders, and foot-soldiers alike. Charging back and forth, it slew thousands of troops. The Pāṇḍava army shrank.

Seeing this, the mighty Ghaṭotkacha assumed a most dreadful form & furiously hurled a terrible trident on Supratika. Bhagadatta immediately shot a sharp crescent-shaped arrow & broke it. Then he hurled a great golden-shafted spear, blazing like fire, at Ghaṭotkacha, who leapt & caught it & broke it.

Enraged, Bhagadatta killed Bhīma’s horses, broke his banner & wounded his charioteer, causing him to faint. Then Bhīma took up his mace & leapt down. Seeing him with the mace, your army was struck with fear.

At that time, Arjuna arrived. While Bhīma fought with his mace, Arjuna showered arrows. Seeing this, Duryodhana hurriedly sent his vast army.

Bhagadatta, crushing the Pāṇḍava army with his elephant, charged toward Dharmarāja & fought a terrible battle with the Pāñcālas, Pāṇḍavas, and the Kekayas.

At that time, Bhīma narrated to Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna of Irāvān’s death. Arjuna was overwhelmed with sorrow. He hissed like a serpent in distress and said: ‘O Krishna! The wise Vidura had foretold this dreadful destruction of the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas & earnestly tried to restrain Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

O Madhusūdana! Merely for wealth, an entire lineage is being destroyed. Such wealth is blameworthy. It is better to die poor than to acquire wealth by killing own kinsmen. What do we gain by killing them? Because of Duryodhana’s faults & Śakuni and Karṇa’s evil thinking, these kings are dying unjustly.

Madhusūdana! Now I understand why Dharmarāja once begged Duryodhana for just ½ kingdom or 5 villages. What he did was indeed right. But the evil Duryodhana refused. As a result, today, innumerable heroes are being slain. This kṣatriya life is blameworthy. Madhusūdana! Seeing me speak thus, these kings may call me weak. Let it be so. I do not like fighting with my own kinsmen. Still, according to your command, I shall fight. Therefore, drive our chariot quickly into Duryodhana’s army. I shall not waste this moment.’

In the afternoon, a terrible battle took place between Bhīṣma and the Pāṇḍava army. Seeing your sons, Bhīma blazed like fire when ghee is poured. With fierce arrows, he killed your son Vyūḍhoraska & Kuṇḍali. He hurled bhallas, causing your sons Anādṛṣṭi, Kuṇḍabhedi, Vairāṭa, Dīrghalocana, Dīrghabāhu, Subāhu, and Kanakadhvaja to fall to the ground & flee.

Droṇa covered him with arrows. But Bhīma continued slaying your sons.

On another side, Bhīṣma, Bhagadatta, &Kṛpa checked Arjuna who countered them.

Elsewhere, Abhimanyu destroyed Ambasṭha’s chariot. Severely wounded, Ambasṭha leapt from his chariot, hurled a sword at Abhimanyu, & quickly mounted Kṛtavarmā’s chariot. Abhimanyu shattered that sword.

Duryodhana met Śakuni, Duḥśāsana, and Karṇa & deliberated upon ways to defeat the Pandavas. He said, ‘I do not know why Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Śalya, & Bhūriśravas are not tormenting the Pāṇḍavas. But they are destroying our army. My weapons & forces are weakened.