Salya Leads the Kauravas
Part 2 / Chapter 26 / 83 chapters
Salya Leads the Kauravas
After Karna's death, briefly rallies twenty-five thousand troops, but destroys the remnant and kills 's last surviving brothers before sunset ends the fighting. Both 's plea for peace and 's own grief fail to change his decision to fight on. comes to the battlefield and tries to make 's body invulnerable with her ascetic gaze, but induces him to cover his loins, leaving his thighs unprotected. On the eighteenth morning becomes commander, kills Karna's two remaining sons, Satyasena and Citrasena, and kills with a consecrated dart after a fierce contest. kills Susharma, while fulfills his old vow by killing Uluka and then . With the Kaurava troops destroyed, flees into and uses mystic power to still the water around him. , , and find him and urge him to resume the fight, but nearby hunters overhear the exchange and leave to inform the Pandavas.
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
kills 's last brothers
rallies twenty-five thousand surviving troops after Karna's fall, but destroys almost the entire force and then kills the remnant of 's brothers. is left as 's only surviving son before sunset ends the seventeenth day.
- 2
refuses 's peace counsel
In the grief-stricken night after Karna's death, asks to seek terms from the merciful . says the injuries are irreversible and chooses either victory or a warrior's death rather than life under the Pandavas.
- 3
fortifies 's body
summons naked so that one empowered glance can make his body hard as iron. shames him into covering his loins, and later explains that the unseen thighs remain vulnerable.
- 4
takes the final command
On 's recommendation, installs as commander of the surviving Kaurava army. warns that 's strength is comparable to the earlier commanders and tells that he must kill his maternal uncle.
- 5
kills Karna's last two sons
Karna's remaining sons Satyasena and Citrasena charge together. kills Satyasena with a dart and then beheads Citrasena with a crescent-headed arrow, ending Karna's surviving line of battlefield sons.
- 6
kills
withstands the combined Pandava attack and repeatedly disables 's chariot. After destroys 's sword and shield, hurls a consecrated golden dart through 's chest.
- 7
ends Susharma's resistance
After destroying the remaining Trigarta and allied formations, meets Susharma with four supporting princes. He kills the princes, breaks Susharma's chariot, and pierces the king through the heart.
- 8
kills Uluka
leaves his fight with to pursue his vow against . When Uluka rushes to protect his father, beheads him with a crescent-headed arrow.
- 9
kills
tries bow, sword, mace, dart, and flight, but counters each attempt. After reminding him of the dice-hall insult, severs his arms and head.
- 10
hides in
Seeing the last soldiers fall, abandons his chariot, runs into the woods, and enters . By yoga he circulates his life airs and solidifies the water around his body.
- 11
The three survivors find their king
Vyasa directs , , and to the lake. They urge to rise and fight, but he asks to rest until morning before renewing the war.
- 12
Hunters learn 's hiding place
Hunters approaching the lake overhear the surviving Kauravas' conversation and realize is concealed beneath the water. Hoping for a reward, they slip away to tell .