Dhritarashtra continues.......

MAHA-P009
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I heard that the king of Matsya, had offered his virtuous daughter Uttara to Arjuna and that Arjuna had accepted her for his son, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [Illustrates the allies that Pandavas gained.]

When I heard that Yudhishthira, beaten at dice, deprived of wealth, exiled and separated from his connections, had assembled yet an army of seven Akshauhinis**, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [Illustrates the capability of the Pandavas.]

**Akshauhini was an ancient battle formation that consisted of 21,870 chariots; 21,870 elephants; 65,610 horse-mounted warriors and 109,350 infantry. (The ratio is 1 chariot: 1 elephant: 3 horse-mounted warriors: 5 infantry soldiers)

When I heard Narada, declare that Krishna and Arjuna were Nara and Narayana and Narada had seen them together in the regions of Brahma, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [Emphasizes that Krishna and Arjuna are divine and are born to win.]

Nara-Narayana is the twin-brother incarnation of the god Vishnu on earth, to preserve dharma (righteousness). The philosophy is that the human mind is the Nara with the athma being the Divine Narayana.

When I heard that Krishna, anxious to bring about peace, for the welfare of mankind tried to form a armistice with the Kurus, and went away without having been able to effect his purpose, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that Karna and Duryodhana resolved upon imprisoning Krishna, who displayed in himself the whole universe, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [Illustrates the foolishness of kurus, trying to defeat the divine.]

Then I heard that at the time of his departure, Pritha (Kunti) standing, full of sorrow, near his chariot received consolation from Krishna, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [Exemplifies the divine blessings on Pandavas.]

When I heard that Vasudeva and Bhishma the son of Santanu were the counselors of the Pandavas and Drona the son of Bharadwaja pronounced blessings on them, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [Exemplifies the elderly blessings on Pandavas.]

When Karna said unto Bhishma--I will not fight when thou art fighting--and, quitting the army, went away, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [Exemplifies the lack of unity among the Kurus.]

When I heard that Vasudeva and Arjuna and the bow Gandiva of immeasurable prowess, these three of dreadful energy had come together, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.
The Gandiva is the bow of Arjuna. Lord Shiva had it first for a thousand years. Afterwards, Prajapati, the protector of life had it for five hundred and three years. Then, King of demigod Indra, had it for five and eighty years. Afterwards, Soma (Moon) had it for five hundred years. And after that Varuna (God of wind) had it for a hundred years. Varuna gave it to Arjuna along with a chariot and two inexhaustible quivers, as requested by Agni (God of fire).

When I heard that upon Arjuna having been seized with scruple on his chariot and ready to sink, Krishna showed him all the worlds within his body, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [The narration of Bhagavad-Gita.]

When I heard that Bhishma, the desolator of foes, killing ten thousand charioteers every day in the field of battle, had not slain any amongst the Pandavas then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [Exemplifies Bhishma’s love for Pandavas.]

When I heard that Bhishma, the righteous son of Ganga, had himself indicated the means of his defeat in the field of battle and that the same were accomplished by the Pandavas with joyfulness, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that Arjuna, having placed Sikhandin ♠ before himself in his chariot, had wounded Bhishma of infinite courage and invincible in battle, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

♠ Jitu Shikhandi was originally born as a girl child named Shikhandini to King Drupada of Panchala. He had been born in an earlier lifetime as a woman named Amba, who was rejected by Bhishma for marriage due to his oath of lifelong celibacy. Feeling deeply humiliated and wanting revenge, Amba carried out great penance with the desire to be the cause of Bhishma's death. Amba was then reborn as Jitu. In the battle of Kurukshetra, Bhishma recognises Shikhandi as Amba reborn, and lowers his weapons as she is a woman. Knowing that Bhishma would react thus to Shikhandi Arjuna hides behind Shikhandi and attacks Bhishma with a destructive shower of arrows.

When I heard that the aged hero Bhishma, having reduced the numbers of the race of shomaka to a few, overcome with various wounds was lying on a bed of arrows, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [The defeat of one of the greatest warriors of Kuru dynasty only haunts the defeat of kurus.]

When I heard that upon Bhishma's lying on the ground with thirst for water, Arjuna, being requested, had pierced the ground and allayed his thirst, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When Vayu together with Indra and Surya (all Demi gods) united as allies for the success of the sons of Kunti, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When the wonderful warrior Drona, displaying various modes of fight in the field, did not slay any of the superior Pandavas, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that the Maharatha Sansaptakas## of our army appointed for the overthrow of Arjuna were all slain by Arjuna himself, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

## Maharatha Sansaptakas – The seven chariot warriors of Kauravas (Brahadala, Jayatsena, Rukamratha, princes Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, Sudakshina of Kamboja and Jayadratha of Sindhudesa)

When I heard that our disposition of forces, impenetrable by others, and defended by Bharadwaja (Dhrona) himself well-armed, had been singly forced and entered by the brave son of Subhadra (Abhimanyu), then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that our Maharathas, unable to overcome Arjuna, with jubilant faces after having jointly surrounded and slain the boy Abhimanyu, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that the blind Kauravas were shouting for joy after having slain Abhimanyu and that thereupon Arjuna in anger made his celebrated speech referring to Saindhava (Jayadratha), then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that Arjuna had vowed the death of Saindhava (Jayadratha) and fulfilled his vow in the presence of his enemies, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that upon the horses of Arjuna being fatigued, Vasudeva releasing them made them drink water and bringing them back and continued to guide them as before, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that while his horses were fatigued, Arjuna staying in his chariot checked all his assailants, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. [Exemplifies the competence of Arjuna.]

When I heard that Yuyudhana$$ of the race of Vrishni, after having thrown into confusion the army of Drona rendered unbearable in prowess owing to the presence of elephants, retired to where Krishna and Arjuna were, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

$$Satyaki also called Yuyudhana, was born in the linage of Shini of the Vrishni clan. He was the son of Satyaka. Satyaki was devoted to Krishna. He trained in military arts under Guru Dronacharya along with his best friend Arjuna. Drona was stunned when Satyaki broke his bow for 101 times successively.

When I heard that Karna even though he had got Bhima within his power allowed him to escape after only addressing him in contemptuous terms and dragging him with the end of his bow, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that Drona, Kritavarma, Kripa, Karna, the son of Drona, and the valiant king of Madra (Salya) suffered Saindhava to be slain, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that the celestial Sakti (Which could be used only once) given by Indra to Karna was by Lord Krishna's intrigues caused to be hurled upon Rakshasa Ghatotkacha (Son of Bhima) of frightful countenance, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that in the encounter between Karna and Ghatotkacha, that Sakti was hurled against Ghatotkacha by Karna, the same which was certainly to have slain Arjuna in battle, then, Sanjaya I had no hope of success.

I won’t explain the following events in detail. They require other details from the epic which are part of later chapters. But note them as important events that happened. We will deal with them in detail later.

When I heard that Dhristadyumna, transgressing the laws of battle, slew Drona while alone in his chariot and resolved on death, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that Nakula, the son of Madri, having in the presence of the whole army engaged in single combat with the son of Drona and showing himself equal to him drove his chariot in circles around, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When upon the death of Drona, his son (Aswatthaman) misused the weapon called Narayana but failed to achieve the destruction of the Pandavas, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that Bhimasena drank the blood of his brother Duhsasana in the field of battle without anybody being able to prevent him, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that the infinitely brave Karna, invincible in battle, was slain by Arjuna in that war of brothers mysterious even to the gods, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that Yudhishthira, the Just, overcame the heroic son of Drona, Duhsasana, and the fierce Kritavarman, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that the brave king of Madra who ever dared Krishna in battle was slain by Yudhishthira, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that the wicked Suvala (Shakuni) of magic power, the root of the gaming and the feud, was slain in battle by Sahadeva, the son of Pandu, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that Duryodhana, spent with fatigue, having gone to a lake and made a refuge for himself within its waters, was lying there alone, his strength gone and without a chariot, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that the Pandavas having gone to that lake accompanied by Vasudeva and standing on its beach began to address contemptuously my son who was incapable of putting up with affronts, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.
When I heard that while, displaying in circles a variety of curious modes (of attack and defence) in an encounter with clubs, he (Duryodhana) was unfairly slain according to the counsels of Krishna, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.
When I heard the son of Drona (Aswatthaman) and others by slaying the Panchalas and the sons of Draupadi in their sleep perpetrated a horrible and infamous deed, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that Aswatthaman while being pursued by Bhimasena had discharged the first of weapons called Aishika, by which the embryo in the womb (of Uttara) was wounded, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that the weapon Brahmashira (discharged by Aswatthaman) was repelled by Arjuna with another weapon over which he had pronounced the word "Sasti" and that Aswatthaman had to give up the jewel-like excrescence on his head, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

When I heard that upon the embryo in the womb of Virata's daughter being wounded by Aswatthaman with a mighty weapon, Dwaipayana and Krishna pronounced curses on him, then, Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.

'Alas! Gandhari, destitute of children, grand-children, parents, brothers, and kindred, is to be pitied. Difficult is the task that hath been performed by the Pandavas: by them a kingdom been recovered without a rival.

'Alas! I have heard that the war hath left only ten alive: three of our side, and the Pandavas, seven, in that dreadful conflict eighteen Akshauhinis of Kshatriyas have been slain! All around me is utter darkness, and a fit of swoon assailed me: consciousness leaves me and my mind is distracted."

A small portion of this section is still pending. But it blends into the next section. So, let me put it in the next blog that I shall write…..
Hope you people like it!!!
I strongly encourage you to offer your views on the subject as comments.
----------Anand Hariharan.