Arjuna Slaughters the Kauravas
Part 2 / Chapter 17 / 83 chapters
Arjuna Slaughters the Kauravas
Before sunrise on Krishna Dharma's thirteenth battle day, worships and asks Him to preserve 's vow. hides at the rear of a layered cart, semicircle, lotus, and needle formation guarded by the foremost Kaurava chiefs. routs Durmarshana, Dushashana's elephant corps, and the army's outer guard, but blocks him. At 's urging respectfully bypasses his teacher rather than spend the day in an endless duel; and join him as flank protectors. kills as the wider battle rages. then disables and passes him while the two protectors keep him at bay. A boon-granted mace rebounds and kills its owner when he strikes the noncombatant , after which kills Sudaksina and 's three sons. When accuses of betrayal, the preceptor answers that destiny rules the result and is at 's side; he then arms in celestial armor and sends him after . kills the Avanti brothers Vinda and Anuvinda. As the horses tire, he creates a lake and an arrow shelter on its bank, fighting on foot while tends the team. He resumes the advance, bypasses again, and discovers that 's armor cannot be pierced; instead he destroys the horses and chariot and wounds the prince's exposed fingertips. rescues as 's and 's conches announce that is now close.
This guide follows Krishna Dharma's retelling as the source of truth. This panel notes broad edition-level framing or compression that helps a reader orient themselves.
- 1
entrusts the vow to
Before sunrise worships and asks Him to protect . promises that will be forced onto the road from which no traveler returns.
- 2
builds a layered defense
combines cart, semicircle, lotus, and needle formations, stationing at the distant rear under dense protection. leaves Satyaki to guard and attacks the front.
- 3
breaks the outer challenges
routs Durmarshana but leaves him alive for Bhima's vow, then scatters Dushashana's elephant division and drives toward at the mouth of the array.
- 4
bypasses
blocks and their duel threatens to consume the day. reminds that , not , is the vow's target, so salutes his teacher and drives around him under fire.
- 5
kills
As presses deeper, the wider battle surges around . The commander meets 's attack and kills the king of Cedi with a powerful shaft.
- 6
passes
bars the path with a strong Yadava division. At 's urging breaks his bow and stuns him, then rushes past while and keep at bay.
- 7
's mace returns upon him
, son of the River Parnasa, attacks with a mace granted by on condition that it never strike a noncombatant. He hurls it at the unarmed , so the weapon rebounds and kills its owner.
- 8
clears more defenders
kills Sudaksina and then the three sons who try to avenge as the route toward narrows.
- 9
arms
accuses of favoring the Pandavas and virtually offering to death. answers that he can only exert himself, destiny controls the result, and the Lord of destiny sits beside . He then binds celestial armor onto , chants its protections, and sends him forward to check personally.
- 10
kills the Avanti brothers
As the sun begins its downward course, Vinda and Anuvinda attack together. beheads Vinda, then kills Anuvinda after the surviving brother leaps down with a mace and strikes .
- 11
creates a lake for the horses
The celestial horses become wounded, thirsty, and exhausted. shoots a weapon to create a clear lake and builds an arrow shelter on its bank, holding the Kaurava army off on foot while removes the shafts and tends the team.
- 12
The restored chariot resumes its advance
Once the horses have drunk and recovered, harnesses them again. leaves the shelter, passes a second time, and races deeper as the afternoon wanes.
- 13
's armor resists the Gandiva
confronts in 's celestial armor, and 's shafts cannot pierce it. instead destroys the horses and chariot and drives arrows under the prince's exposed fingernails.
- 14
rescues
carries the stranded and wounded away while other chiefs close around . and sound their conches, and the distant hears that the threat is approaching.