Week 7 Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part D

Bhishma Falls

Amba is reincarnated as a warrior named Shikhandin and Bhishma recognizes her reincarnated form and doesn't attack him because he still sees her as a woman. Arjuna takes advantage and kills Bhishma because he tried to kill Krishna. After he dies Karna decides to battle his brothers since he already hates them. 

After Bhishma's death, Drona takes command and vows to make Yudhishthira his prisoner while Arjuna vows to protect his brother. 

Abhimanyu and Jayadathra - Dharma & Karma

Jayadathra breaks his promise of being Yudhishthira's slave and kills Arjuna's son, Abhimanyu. Arjuna vows revenge and succeeds with Krishna's help. 

Gatokacha

• Bhima's demon son and the Pandavas nephew

He can create illusions but it didn't work on Karna and he ended up being killed by him. 

Death of Drona

The Pandavas trick Drona into think his son is dead and kill him.  Karna now takes command of Duryodhana's army.

Bhima and Duhshasana - Karma

Bhima gets revenge for Draupadi. Before exile Dushasana had not treated Draupadi right at the gambling event and karma has finally caught up to him. 

Arjuna and Karna - Karma

The brothers battle each other and Arjuna tells Karna to pause because it's unfair to allow him battle someone whose unarmed but Karna continues to attack him. Karna is now at a disadvantages and tells Arjuna to pause and tell him it's unfair to attack a helpless enemy. 

Krishna makes Karna eat his words by asking him about whether all the things he did was manly.

• Not pausing for Arjuna
• Letting Draupadi get ridiculed
• Murdering Arjuna's son with six other men 

Before Karna got to answer Arjuna killed him when he heard his son's name. 

Duryodhana in the Lake

Duryodhana is now using his powers to hide in the lake while that Kauravas fled.  Duryodhana is advised to try and make peace but insists on continuing war since he has gone in to deep. 

Shalya is now the commander of the army. During the battle Duryodhana fled and hid in the water.

Duryodhana neglected his dharma.

Duryodhana surrenders and tells them they can have the kingdom and to leave him alone so he can go into the forest to meditate. 

He tells them he will fight only if he can fight them one by one and the Pandavas agree but he still won't come out of the water until Bhima threatened to drag him out and kill him. Despite being outnumbered, he is still confident he will win. 

The Night Raid

Drona's son tries to kill the Pandavas in their sleep but fails.  All of Draupadi's kids are dead and she is angry at her husbands and asks them if the exile was worth it now since they were the reason the Pandavas and her went into exile.

In the end Kunti still got to keep her kids but everyone else lost their husbands or kids. 

The Pandavas and Bhishma 

Bhishma decides its time for him to die and explains how to run the kingdom to Yudhisthira how to run the kingdom before he dies. 

It's ironic how Yudhisthira ended up being king of the kingdom again since he was part of the reason they went into exile. 

Parikshit

Although the Pandavas are dead, a miracle happens which saves their family line.  Parikshit had originally been killed in the womb but was brought back to life by Krishna and he was born 5 months later after his father's death.  Uttara, Parikshit's mother wanted to die after he was born so she can be with her husband but Krishna reminded her that her son needed her. 

Krishna's Death

Krishna and his brother both died in the jungle. Krishna was mistaken for a deer and shot in the foot, the only spot where he could be wounded. Balarama died after a snake came out of his mouth. 

Not too long after Krishna's death, it was time for the Pandavas to leave the world as well. 

Draupadi and Krishna
(Wikimedia Commons)

The Afterlife

After the Pandavas enter the afterlife, they find Duryodhana there as well sitting on a throne. They also see the other Kauravas but do not see Draupadi.  Yudhisthira is not happy to see the Kauravas and wants to find Draupadi. 

He is tested when an illusion of hell appears. He tells the celestial to leave him there because he needed to make up for his mistake.

Bibliography

PDE Mahabharta