Drstadyumna Encounters Drona
Part 2 / Chapter 21 / 83 chapters
Drstadyumna Encounters Drona
While the Pandavas mourn Ghatotkaca, rejoices that Karna has spent the Sakti and explains that is now safe from its irresistible force. prevents the grief-stricken from attacking Karna, and compassionately suspends the exhausted night battle until dawn. On the fifteenth day kills , , and three Panchala princes, then continues destroying the Pandava army despite and 's resistance. advises that only news of 's death will make lower his weapons, so kills an elephant named and confirms the statement while quietly adding that it was the elephant. Convinced his son is dead and rebuked by celestial sages, lays down his weapons, enters meditation, and is beheaded by despite 's protest. learns of his father's death, vows to destroy the Panchalas, and rallies the Kauravas around the Narayana weapon.
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
explains his relief
embraces and explains that Karna, deprived first of his natural armor and now of the Sakti, can at last be faced. He reveals that he had repeatedly kept away from a clean opportunity for Karna to use the dart.
- 2
checks 's grief
mourns Ghatotkaca and advances angrily toward Karna. stops him, explains that Ghatotkaca saved from the Sakti, and predicts that the earth will be 's within five days.
- 3
grants the armies rest
Seeing soldiers fighting almost unconscious from exhaustion, invites both sides to lay down their weapons until sunrise. The intermingled armies sleep on the field, then rise, pray, and reform at dawn.
- 4
kills and
On the fifteenth morning cuts through the Panchala and Cedi forces, kills three young Panchala princes, and beheads the allied kings and with steel arrows.
- 5
Teacher and pupil fight without advantage
encounters while and fight toward the preceptor. and counter each other's celestial weapons so perfectly that the gods compare the encounter to one divine power divided against itself.
- 6
The Pandavas devise 's disarmament
argues that cannot be defeated while armed and will lose heart only if he believes dead. kills an elephant of that name, then repeatedly announces that has fallen.
- 7
gives the fatal half-truth
When asks the one man he trusts to speak truth, says that is dead and adds too softly to hear that he means the elephant. His chariot, formerly said to float above the earth, descends to the ground.
- 8
beheads
After celestial sages condemn his use of divine weapons against ordinary soldiers, lays aside his bow and enters meditation on . ignores calls to stop, seizes the meditating teacher by the hair, and cuts off his head after 's spirit has departed.
- 9
rallies around the Narayana weapon
tells how his father died. vows to kill and the Panchalas, announces that he will use the one-use Narayana weapon, and leads the fleeing Kauravas back toward battle.