Bhishma Patana Parva is the sixty fourth Upa parva included in the sixth Maha parva named as Bhishma parva. Vaishampayana continued narration to Janamejaya in reply to his queries as follows.
How Yudhishtira had responded to Bhishma and Drona before the war?
Yudhishtira had got down from his chariot, removed his armored jackets with shoes, and started walking towards Bhishma. His brothers started asking what he wished to do, but when Arjuna also got down from his chariot, Krishna was very happy, nodding his head, as he knew Yudhishtira was doing right. With both hands folded together, Yudhishtira openly sought the blessings of Bhishma for success in the war. The Pandava brothers repeated what Yudhishtira had done. Bhishma had blessed all the Pandava brothers to get success in the war.
Then, Yudhishitra had started walking towards Drona. His brothers started asking again what he wished to do, but when Arjuna also followed Yudhishtira, Krishna was very happy, nodding his head, as he knew Yudhishtira was doing right even now. With both hands folded together, Yudhishtira openly sought the blessings of Drona for success in the war. The Pandava brothers repeated what Yudhishtira had done. Drona had blessed all the Pandava brothers to get success in the war.
Why Krishna and most of the opposite side kings praised Yudhishtira?
The blessings of the eldest brings courtesy and success in the work. Also, the blessings of the teacher brings courtesy and success in the job. Hence Krishna and most of the opposite side kings who stood with righteousness had praised Yudhishtira for his actions before starting the war.
What was the option offered by Yudhishtira before the start of the war?
Yudhistira had announced the option for the willing individuals to change the side of the armies if they desire before the actual start of the war. Nobody had left from the side of Yudhishtira, but Yuyutsu, the youngest of the Kaurava brothers had left Duryodhana side and joined the side of Yudhistira.
At the end of the war, Yuyutsu was the only son of Dritarashtra left alive. As a symbol of gratitude, Yudhishtira had made Yuyutsu the king in the Indraprastha palace and allotted the land monitored by Drona previously, obtained after the fight between Drona and Drupada but actually received by Arjuna while he was a student.
How was the military aligned by Yudhishtira on the first day?
एष व्यूहामि ते राजन्व्यूहं परम दुर्जयं ।
अचलं नाम वज्राख्यं विहितं वज्रपाणिना ॥
Meaning: The cordoning regiment formed by Yudhishtira as suggested by Krishna was called as Vajravyuha and the most invincible army against enemies, who would be unable to succeed against it. It was very stable and was ultimate in all respects.
Usually, Bhima was fighting in the front row but on the tenth day of the war Yudhishtira was in the centre and Shikhandi was in the forefront to face Bhishma then. On the tenth day evening, the soldiers on the side of Duryodhana could not protect Bhishma due to the dead animals like elephants and horses en route to him. The soldiers for the previous nine days had studied the situations of the battlefield. On the first day, the soldiers of Yudhishtira side learned more from their own failures, but on the tenth day they got success.
Who had attacked for the first time on the first day?
Bhima had started his loud voice for the first time on the first day of the war and advanced. Due to that voice, the Kaurava army was very much frightened. Bhishma had started to assault the Pandava side soldiers to encourage the soldiers of Kaurava side.
Bhishma had killed ten thousand soldiers of the Pandava side and Yudhishtira had blown his conch in the evening as his duty was over for that day. Son of Shalya had killed the son of Virata, Uttarakumara, on the first day. When Bhishma attacked Shankha, Arjuna had protected him. So Bhishma had moved towards the soldiers of Drupada and the war stopped for that day in the evening.
How was the military aligned by Yudhishtira on the second day?
On the second day, Yudhishtira had told Krishna about Bhima with an appreciation in fighting but told him as Arjuna was taking less interest. After discussing with Krishna, Yudhishtira had ordered to form the Kraunchavyuha war defence system for the second day of fighting.
On the second day, Bhishma had started to assault the Pandava side soldiers to encourage the soldiers of Kaurava side, by forming Ardha chandravyuha. Bhishma had killed ten thousand soldiers of the Pandava side. The Kalinga king was killed by Bhima. Since Kaurava side soldiers started running away on the second day, Bhishma encouraged with Drona and had blown his conch in the evening as his duty was over for that day. So the war ended on the second day. Both sides had blown their conches to end war on that day evening.
How was the military aligned by Yudhishtira on the third day?
On the third day, Bhishma had formed the Garuda vyuha and Arjuna had formed Ardha Chandra vyuha. On the third day morning, the war started with the conch blowing. Bhishma had started to assault the Pandava side soldiers to encourage the soldiers of Kaurava side. Bhishma had killed ten thousand soldiers of the Pandava side.
Bhima had been sitting on his chariot with his mace. Duryodhana had been sitting on his chariot with his mace. Bhima attacked Duryodhana so Duryodhana fell unconscious but his charioteer suddenly escorted him back to his chariot and took to his camp. Doctors treated him. Duryodhana again returned to the battlefield with more weapons but by that time Yudhishtira had blown his conch for stopping the war for that evening.
How was the military aligned by Yudhishtira on the fourth day?
On the fourth day morning, the war started. Bhishma had started to assault the Pandava side soldiers to encourage the soldiers of Kaurava side. Bhishma had killed ten thousand more soldiers of the Pandava side. More than ten thousand soldiers of Duryodhana side were also killed. Drishtadyumna had killed the son of Samyamani’s son on the fourth day, then Yudhishtira had blown his conch for stopping the war for that evening.
How was the military aligned from the fifth up to the ninth days?
From the fifth day morning onwards, the war started and continued as the previous four days. Bhishma had started to assault the Pandava side soldiers to encourage the soldiers of Kaurava side. Bhishma had killed ten thousand soldiers of the Pandava side everyday. More than ten thousand soldiers of Duryodhana side were also killed. Yudhishtira had blown his conch for stopping the war for that evening. The above war process was repeated till the ninth day evening.
Why Sanjaya had not bothered to report the war consequences for nine days?
Vyasa Maharshi had assigned the task of reporting the war consequences to Sanjaya. The commander in chief on the side of Duryodhana was Bhishma, and he was killing ten thousand soldiers of the opposite side army of Yudhishtira daily and for the initial ten days, Bhishma had continued it like a ritual.
The war news was reported daily to Gandhari by her army intelligence messengers and Dritarashtra was satisfied through the homely news from Gandhari. Yudhishtira was very particular in following the announced or declared war protocols during the nine days. Hence Sanjaya had not bothered to report the war consequences for nine days. None of the sons of Gandhari were killed during these periods.
How Bhishma and Drona explained their helplessness before Yudhishtira?
अर्थस्य पुरुषो दासो दासस्त्वर्थो न कस्य चित् ।
इति सत्यं महाराज बद्धोऽस्म्यर्थेन कौरवैः ॥
O Maharaja, I am indebted to the money of Kaurava for my living. Man is a slave of money but money would never be a slave to anybody. I am telling the truth.
Both Drona and Bhishma had told Yudhishtira their helplessness being sincere in their duties but they were paid employees of Kaurava side under Duryodhana.
What accusation had been told by Sanjaya to Dritarashtra?
Sanjaya had appreciated the value of sincere sacrifice of soldiers on the side of Yudhishtira. It is more costly than the wealth distributed by Duryodhana. Sanjaya had accused to Dritarashtra since most of the paid soldiers of his son Duryodhana were afraid of death except Bhishma or Drona. Bhishma and Drona had blessed for success Yudhishtira daily in the morning but fought on the side of Duryodhana. Sanjaya had accused several times directly to Dritarashtra, saying the war would have been avoided if the emperor Dritarashtra himself desired personally.
How Yudhishtira prepared for the tenth day war?
On the ninth day evening, under the leadership of Yudhishtira, the selected Pandava soldiers had assembled in the tent of Satyaki. The army intelligence reports were deliberated by Yudhishtira and conveyed for further necessary actions. Killing or violence was prohibited in the protocols of the war but only defeating the enemies was the prime aim.
On the tenth day morning, the war started. Bhishma had started to assault the Pandava side soldiers to encourage the soldiers of Kaurava side. Bhishma had killed ten thousand soldiers of the Pandava side. More than ten thousand soldiers of Duryodhana side were also killed during defending.
There was an advance message from Ashwathama to Drona regarding the fall of Bhishma and hence Drona had alerted Duryodhana about the same. Duryodhana had ordered Dushasana to provide every possible protection to save Bhishma in the battlefield. Attempts were made to save Bhishma in the war field by avoiding him to face Shikhandi directly. On the side of Yudhishtira, they had planned to bring Shikhandi in front of Bhishma and hence thereby discouraging Bhishma.
That war had been fought between armed soldiers of Kaurava and Pandava armies but aiming an arrow to the head of any charioteer was a wrong protocol of that war. It was Bhishma for the first time who committed a mistake by disobeying the war protocol and aimed an arrow towards the head of Krishna, but immediately by pressing the reigns of the horses, Krishna had bent the chariot a little down, resulting in that arrow chopping off the crown of Arjuna. In order to save the lives of Arjuna and self simultaneously, Krishna had held his wheel protesting further arrows of Bhishma if any, but at once Shikhandi was there and Bhishma had fell down.
The inherent desire of Bhishma was to see Krishna directly holding his Sudarshana wheel and satisfactorily on seeing it, holding his own bow with arrow, he had fallen down, and feebly calling Arjuna for providing arrows-bed for his hanging head supported by inverted arrows. So despite the protections of Duryodhana, Bhishma had fallen in the battlefield.
Duryodhana had arranged all his possible military efforts to save Bhishma including summoning doctors also but Bhishma had rejected requesting to dig ditches on the ground like trenches around his body to avoid cruel animals attacking his body for eating in the later night time. Thus, Bhishma had fallen down.
Sanjaya had decided to report it to Dritarashtra immediately, so he left early.
Next post, Mahabharat: Dronabhisheka Parva would be more interesting.
Mahabharat: Samasaptaka Parva would be available in another article.
On reading this story, children would gain more memory power, great moral strength in their life in future; create a sense of self-reliance leading to peace and progress.
It is humbly prayed for the blessings of God Krishna upon us.
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