“Arjuna
will definitely engage in battle with me today as our army has lost most of its
foremost warriors. Though Arjuna has got the mighty Gandiva with inexhaustible
quiver, impenetrable chariot given by Lord Agni bearing the supremely powerful
Ape in its standard and above all, the illustrious and magnanimous Krishna as
his charioteer, myself, holding the celestial bow Vijaya, given by Lord
Parasuram, will slay him, for you and that is my vow. But, since I do not have
a charioteer for me, I request King Salya to be my charioteer today, for your
victory sake!” – With the rise of the dawn nearing, Karna said unto King
Duryodhana.
“King Salya?! Karna, why not another
charioteer of mine or from other Kings? The best ones, indeed, can be
arranged.” – replied Duryodhana, with a startled heart.
“Arjuna’s power is not only in his
Gandiva. It lies in the hands of Krishna. The way he steers those steeds in
battlefield makes it easy for Arjuna to attack us. There’s none, equal to
Krishna, in riding a chariot and in handling the steeds, other than King Salya.
If he can be my charioteer, like how Krishna is for Arjuna, the victory will
definitely be yours, with me slaying Arjuna.”- responded Karna in a requesting
voice.
Accepting to Karna’s words, thinking his
victory in mind, Duryodhana proceeded to King Salya’s bivouac and in a humble
voice, he addressed more cautiously- “For the sake of our victory and for the
destruction of the Pandavas, Arjuna in particular, I request you to accept to
be the charioteer of Karna.”
 |
| "Be Karna's charioteer..protect him!" |
Speaking pacifying words, Duryodhana
stopped Salya from leaving the bivouac, addressing – “There is none equal to
Krishna than you. Protect Karna like how Krishna is protecting Arjuna. That
way, Karna can slay Arjuna and the victory will be ours!”
After few moments of silence, Salya said
– “Though I know that what you say is not true, I am gratified by your words.
For the sake of you, I will drive the chariot of Karna, on one condition that I
can speak whatever I desire to say, even if he agrees of not. Remind him that I
will be uttering those only for his good.”
With Karna accepting to Salya’s words, blessing
Karna for his victory, Salya ascended Karna’s chariot as his charioteer and
Karna followed him. With that, the Kaurava warriors marched towards the
battlefield for their seventeenth day’s battle, hoping for victory under Karna.
Duryodhana, beholding that the moment for sunrise is near, said unto Karna –
“Karna, either seize King Yudhistra or slay Arjuna and his brothers. Let our
victory be confirmed today.”
Nodding in acceptance, Karna blew his
conch with the sunrise and with the sounds of the drums and the conchs, the
day’s battle begun. With that, Arjuna rushed against the 34,000 Samshaptakas,
Satyaki duelled with Kritavarman, Bhīma engaged with Duryodhana and Yudhistra battled with Krpacharya.
Arjuna, drawing his Gandiva, engaged in crushing the Samshaptakas in thousands.
Beholding Arjuna, Karna said –“Urge the
steeds towards Arjuna. Drowning into the ocean of my darts, he will die today.”
Laughing at Karna’s words, Salya replied
–“You think of Arjuna so petty?! He himself is an ocean of talent and power.
Why do you think he is still alive, even after facing the mighty foremost
warriors of all the three worlds?”
Disregarding the words of Salya, Karna
said – “Proceed to Arjuna.”
Slaying 77 foremost Kshatriya warriors
of the Prabhadrakas, 25 Panchala warriors and hundreds and hundreds of Chedi
soldiers, Karna penetrated into the Pandava host. Slaying King Senavidu of
Devaprastha along with 10 Panchala Kshatriya chariot warriors and 4 Panchala
Kings viz., Bhanudeva, Chitrasena, Tapana and Surasena, Karna defended by his
son Vrishasena proceeded against Arjuna. Beholding their Kings slain, the
Panchala, Prabhadraka, Chedi and Srinjaya warriors, under the leadership of
Dhrishtadyumna, Bhīma,
Nakula, Sahadeva and Sikandi resisted Karna with a desire of slaying him.
Desirous of defending their father, Karna’s sons engaged in slaughtering the
Pandava warriors as King Yudhistra rushed to defend his soldiers.
 |
| Bhima on his elephant! |
Vanquishing Uluka and his brother
Patatri and breaking Krpacharya’s and Sushena’s bow, raged Bhīma executes Karna’s son,
Bhanusena, along with his charioteer and steeds. Raged on the death of his son,
slaying 33 Maharathas of the Chedis along with hundreds of elephant warriors
and thousands of foot soldiers, Karna rushed towards King Yudhistra who was standing
defend less.
Slaying Panchala Princes Chandradeva and
Dandadhara who were protecting the chariot wheels of King Yudhistra’s, Karna
pierced Yudhistra with sixty plus darts. Karna then broke the bow and slew the
charioteer of Yudhistra. Terrified and desire of life, profoundly wounded
Yudhistra, unable to face the prowess of Karna, driving his chariot by himself,
retreated from the battlefield. Though Karna could slay him or even seize him,
remembering his vow to Kunti, Karna let Yudhistra flee, mocking – “Being a
Kshatriya, you are fleeing from a duel!? How do you call yourself a Kshatriya
or a King or even a warrior? Run and never ever battle with me again. I will
never slay someone like you who leaves his soldiers.”
Laughing at King Yudhistra, Karna began
to scorch the Pandava soldiers who stood without a leader. As Karna crushed the
retreating Pandava host from one side, Duryodhana and Saguni, encompassing them
from other side, engaged in slaughtering the petrified Pandava soldiers.
Witnessing Karna, Bhīma
rushed with rage and engaged in an awfully vicious battle. Pierced by Bhīma’s pointy darts, Karna
fell unconscious. With Karna lying unconscious, Salya rode the chariot away
from Bhīma
and Duryodhana’s brothers rushed in to defend Karna, with a large force.
Surrounding Bhīma,
they engaged in showering various varieties of darts at Bhīma.
Though pierced, raged Bhīma, beholding the brothers
of Duryodhana and remembering his vow in the court, sped shafts at his foes,
unceasingly. Pierced by the pointy darts of Bhīma, 500 Kaurava warriors fell lifeless on the ground and thousands
fell gravely hurt. Slaying 50 foremost commanders of the Kaurava army, Bhīma focused in slaying the
brothers of Duryodhana. With his incessant pointy darts, he slew Jalagantha,
Durdharsha, Dushpradharsha and Chitramga, with few broad headed shafts he
beheaded Vivitsu and slew Vikata and Saha. Without ceasing to celebrate his
accomplishment, with pointy darts with wings of gold, Bhīma slaughtered Kratha, Nanda
and Upananda.
 |
| Bhima slaying his Kaurava brothers! |
Meanwhile, Arjuna engaged in crushing
the Samshaptakas and the Narayani Sena by drenching them with his downpour of
pointy shafts by invoking the celestial Aindra Astra. The downpour resulted in
the slaughter of 14,000 chariot warriors, 3000 cavalries, 3000 elephant
warriors and 10,000 foot soldiers and archers. While Bhīma and Arjuna were engaged
in annihilating the Kauravas and the Samshaptakas respectively, Karna,
returning to the field, engaged in exterminating the Panchalas.
Karna, singly, engaged in slaughtering
the fierce Panchala division of the Pandava army. Slaying thousands of Chedi warriors
and Panchala warriors by invoking the divine Bhargava Astra, Karna slew the
foremost Panchala Princes and generals Viz., Jishnu, Jishnukarman, Chitra,
Chitrayudha, Singakethu, Devapi and Hari with his showers of shafts falling
like meteorites. Ceasing not, Karna, with his darts, slew King Rochamana of
Uraga and the King Salabha of Valhika. Arjuna, beheading the younger brother of
King Sudakshina of Kamboja and slaying the remnant warriors of the Yavana and
Kamboja tribes and their 10,000 foremost Kshatriya warriors, rushed against the
remnant 10,000 Samshaptakas. Witnessing Karna’s prowess and the Pandava army
fleeing, Arjuna, exterminating the Samshaptakas in a trice, requested Krishna
to proceed into the carnage being created by Karna, desire of seeing his
brother, King Yudhistra.
As Arjuna scanned the whole battlefield,
he witnessed Dhrishtadyumna battling against Duchadhana, Nakula duelling with
Vrishasena, Sahadeva engaged in slaughtering the Trigarthas after vanquishing
Uluka, Saguni fleeing from Satyaki’s attack, Yudhamanyu retreating unable to
withstand the prowess of Krpacharya, Sikandi withdrawing after being deeply
wounded by Karna and even Bhīma
vanquishing Duryodhana in no time, but no sight of King Yudhistra in the field.
 |
| No sight of King Yudhistra! |
Unable to find his brother in the
battlefield, terrified Arjuna, rushing towards Bhīma, enquired – “Where is King Yudhistra?” Who is defending him?”
“Karna’s shafts pierced the vital parts
of the King. He is in his bivouac. The way he was attacked, I wonder whether he
will be able to battle further. Arjuna, you go and see him and let me know
about his condition. If I leave the field, our warriors might flee out of
fear.” – said Bhīma.
On hearing the words of Bhīma, Arjuna and Krishna
rushed to see King Yudhistra. Witnessing King Yudhistra lying on his bed and
seeing him alive, relieved and gladdened Krishna and Arjuna rushed to him.
Beholding the happy face of his brother and Krishna, King Yudhistra, assuming
that Karna has been slain, spoke with delight – “It really pleases me to see
you two not injured by the darts of Karna. Amazingly you have slain him without
being hurt! I fled from his darts, unable to witness his prowess, that too in
front of my army! Such an insult! All these years, I hardly slept, out of my fear
for Karna. Now I feel relieved! Tell me everything…how Karna was slain by you.”
“Oh brother, desirous of knowing how you
are, after exterminating the Samshaptakas, I rushed here with Krishna, avoiding
Karna.” –replied Arjuna.
“Out of your fear for Karna, you came
here, leaving Bhīma
alone in the battlefield? If you fear of facing Karna, give your Gandiva to
someone who is willing to slay Karna.” – Speaking thus, Yudhistra, out of pain,
anger and terrified that Karna is still alive, insulted Arjuna. Raged on
hearing those words of Yudhistra, Arjuna drew his sword and rushed to slay his
brother, who was stopped by Krishna. Pacifying both the brothers, Krishna
ceases King Yudhistra who decides to retire to the woods after asking for
forgiveness Arjuna. After both the brothers seek each other’s forgiveness for
their harsh words and act, seeking blessings from King Yudhistra, Arjuna and
Krishna proceeded to the battlefield.
Cheering Arjuna with courageous words,
Krishna rode the chariot towards Bhīma in the battlefield. As they entered the battlefield, they
witnessed Satyaki battling with Duryodhana, Sikandi battling against
Krpacharya, Sahadeva striking Saguni with his darts and Nakula against Sushena.
Despatching 400 chariot warriors, Arjuna rushed towards Bhīma. Bhīma, delighted on hearing the
twang of Gandiva, slaying 10,000 elephant warriors, 5000 cavalries, 100 chariot
warriors and 200,200 armed foot soldiers and archers, rushed to hear from
Arjuna about King Yudhistra.
Arjuna after conveying about the wellness
of Yudhistra to Bhīma,
rushed towards Karna while Bhīma
engaged with King Saguni. Bhīma,
delighted and cheered on hearing about Yudhistra, slew the steeds and
charioteer of Saguni and broke his bow and with a pointy dart, he pierced the
fleeing Saguni in the chest. Beholding Saguni lying unconscious on the ground,
Duryodhana bore him away in his chariot. Karna’s son Prasena, after slaying
Prince Visoka of Kekaya and beheading Dhrishtadyumna’s son Kshattadharman,
battled against Satyaki and Karna, after beheading Ugrakarman, the
generalissimo of the Kekaya division, rushed to defend his son.
With Sikandi hindering Karna and
shooting shafts, raged Satyaki pierced Prasena with his pointy darts with wings
of gold and as a result, drenched in blood and darts, Prasena fell lifeless on
his chariot. Before raged Karna could rush to attack Satyaki, Krishna and
Arjuna urged towards Karna, slaying the Kaurava warriors in their path. Karna,
though desirous of battling against Arjuna, beholding Duchadhana advancing
against Bhīma,
ignoring Arjuna, he rushed irrepressibly towards Bhīma.
 |
| Bhima ripping Duchadhana's chest! |
The battle between Bhīma and Duchadhana was fierce
and brutal to witness as they both engaged with a desire of slaying each other.
Bhīma,
slaying the charioteer of Duchadhana, made his foe handle the steeds and engage
in battle against him. With his bow cut off, raged Bhīma, threw his bow with rage
and it struck Duchadhana in the chest. Thrown down from his chariot as a result
of the blow, Duchadhana began to squirm in pain. Slaying the steeds of
Duchadhana’s chariot with his mace, Bhīma rushed towards the wounded Duchadhana who was on the ground,
unable to stand on his legs. In the very sight of Karna who was restricted by
the Panchala warriors, Duryodhana and Aswathama who were hindered by Satyaki
and his platoon,placing his foot on the throat of Duchadhana, Bhīma began to rip the skin and
open the chest of Duchadhana to drink his blood, as he vowed. Draping
Draupathi’s hair with the blood of Duchadhana, Bhīma, in the most inhumane manner, crushed the head of Duchadhana
and beheaded it with his sword. Beholding the lifeless Duchadhana and the
exceedingly terrible Bhīma
drenched in blood, the Kaurava warriors fled in all directions.
Raged at the death of Duchadhana, his
brothers rushed against Bhīma
with rage. Receiving those warriors with a smile, Bhīma, with his golden winged
darts beheaded Prince Nishangin, and ceasing not, slew Kavashin and Pasin by
piercing them in the chest and with four more darts, he terminated Dhanurdhara,
Dhanurgraha, Alolupa and Soma. With few more shafts, he then cut of the arms of
Durmukha before slaying him, Vatavega and Suvarcha. Slaying Prince Alolupi, the
son of Prince Alolupa, Bhīma
rushed against Vrishasena.
Karna’s son Vrishasena engaged in
raining darts at Arjuna, Nakula and Bhīma. Slaying the steeds and charioteer of Nakula, Vrishasena
battled against the three foremost warriors of the world like a lion.
Meanwhile, Panchala Prince Yudhamanyu beheaded Karna’s son Chitrasena who was
engaged in defending his brother Vrishasena. Unsupported, yet courageous,
Vrishasena battled against Bhīma
and Arjuna and pierced Arjuna with ten darts, Krishna with nine arrows and Bhīma with six darts.
Surrounded by the platoons of Bhīma, Arjuna and Nakula, Vrishasena, engaged in showering his darts
at the Pandava warriors and slew them in hundreds.
Witnessing the prowess of Vrishasena,
raged Arjuna, desire of the destruction of his foe, shouted to Karna,
Duryodhana and the rest of the Kaurava Kings – “Just like how you all
slaughtered my Abhimanyu, today in this battle, I will slay Vrishasena. Behold
it and if you dare, try to defend him.”
Smiling at Vrishasena, Arjuna, with two
darts, cut off the bow of Vrishasena and with four he cut off the arms and
pierced the head. Struck with pointy darts of Arjuna, Vrishasena fell lifeless
on the ground. With the entire burden of the Kaurava army placed upon his
shoulders, Karna, raged on the death of his son, rushed against Arjuna. A
furious battle ensued as the two foremost archers challenged each other.
Darkness set in as a result of the darts showered by those two archers. Arjuna,
invoking the irresistible astras, slew 400 elephant warriors, 8000 chariot
warriors, 1000 cavalries and 8000 armed foot soldiers. Cutting off Arjuna’s
darts in the mid-air and piercing Krishna, Arjuna and Bhīma with his shafts, Karna
slew the Rathas, Maharathas, Knights and elephant warriors in thousands.
Beheading Prince Sabhapati, Arjuna slew 2000 chariot warriors along with their
steeds and charioteer.
King Yudhistra, hearing about the
battle, rushed to the battlefield to witness the spectacle of the two foremost
warriors. Karna, raged on witnessing the prowess of Arjuna, with a desire of
slaying his arch nemesis, took the lethal Naga Astra that has got the snake
Aswasena*in it. Fixing the Astra in his bow, Karna aimed it for Arjuna’s
head.
Salya, witnessing Karna, said unto him –
“Karna, aim the Astra to Arjuna’s chest. Pierced, he will die soon. Moreover,
if it misses the head, the Astra will be a waste.”
Exasperated, Karna replied- “I never
miss my target. Arjuna should not die like a warrior, pierced in the chest. As
a charioteer, you engage in riding the chariot.”
 |
| Karna calling for the Nagastra! |
“Aswasena, I am the foremost warrior and
archer on this earth and I will not shoot the same shaft twice.” – replied
Karna.
Knowing that Karna will not shoot him
again, the snake, took the form of a dart and advanced towards Arjuna with
rage. Arjuna, on the advice of Krishna, slew the snake and cut it off into
pieces. As Krishna raised his toe, the chariot came out. As the battle
continued, Arjuna and Karna pierced each other with their darts and though
suffering greater pain, they continued battling, desiring victory over other.
While the duel was vicious and inhumane, as a result of a charioteer’s curse in
the past, Karna’s chariot’s left wheel got struck on the ground. Witnessing the
earth devouring his wheel and remembering the curse of his Guru, Karna realized
that his death is near.
“Salya, descend now and pull the
wheel.”- Said Karna.
“Karna, Duryodhana asked me only to ride
the chariot. It is not my job to take care of the steeds or the chariot wheels.
If you desire so much, it is your chariot and so you descend and do it.”-
replied Salya unto Karna, with rage, remembering his insult.
“Arjuna,
my chariot’s wheel is struck. Give me a minute so that I could clear this
trouble. And then we can continue our duel.”- requesting Arjuna, Karna
descended from his chariot to lift the sunken wheel of his chariot.
 |
| The curse...saying 'It's time, Karna'! |
Though Krishna urged Arjuna to slay
Karna taking this opportunity, Arjuna refused mentioning Karna is unarmed and
standing on ground. Krishna said unto Arjuna –“Arjuna, when Abhimanyu was
killed brutally, he was unarmed and standing on the ground. Remember that! If
we miss this chance, we will not be able to slay Karna. With his mighty
celestial bow, Vijaya in his hand, Karna can never be killed, even by you. So,
take this opportunity and remember his words to Draupathi in the court and the
way Abhimanyu was slaughtered. Aim a dart at Karna and slay him before sunset.”
Though knowing that the time for sunset
is not near, raged on remembering those incidents, Arjuna took his bow and
aimed a dart for Karna’s chest. Beholding Arjuna, Karna, understanding the words
of Krishna, took his bow and standing on the ground, he tried to invoke the
fatal Brahmastra. But, because of Lord Parasuram’s curse, the mantras to invoke
celestial astras escaped from his memory and he stood disconcerted. Using the
opportunity, Arjuna sped six shafts at Karna. Piercing Karna in the chest and
arms, Arjuna covered Karna with his pointy darts and as a result, Karna fell on
his chariot’s wheel, filled with pain. Realizing that Arjuna’s darts will not
take the life of Karna, Krishna ceased Arjuna from shooting darts, saying
–“Arjuna, his morality, virtues he has practiced all through his life and
charities are saving him. Stop hurting him more with your darts.”
Saying so, descending from the chariot
and taking the form of a Rishi by illusion, Krishna went towards Karna and
bowed at him. “O Karna, people say that you give everyone what they desire from
you. Is it true that you never say ‘No’?” – asked Krishna.
Looking at the Rishi and not realizing
that it is Krishna, delighted Karna replied – “O Rishi, I am glad that you are
here looking for my help. Indeed I never say no to people. Ask me what you
desire from me and please help me so that I will die without saying no to you.
Ask me what it is you want from me.”
Unto the wounded Karna, Krishna with
caring eyes, replied – “Karna, I desire all the spiritual merits your soul
received as the result of your karma and good deeds.
Karna, delighted on hearing the words of
Krishna, said –“Blessed I am! You have gladdened my heart. O Rishi, it is my
karma that protects my life. Life is related to blood. I, hereby, give you all
the virtues my soul has acquired all these days.” Saying so, Karna, plucked one
of the darts that has pierced his chest and as a result, blood flowed from the
open wound. Holding the blood in his hand, he gave the blood to Krishna, saying
–“I give you the virtue I gain by this karma too.”
As Krishna dispersed the illusion,
witnessing Krishna, Karna said with a smile –“How blessed I am! God himself
came to me, desiring my virtues!”
Blessing Karna, Krishna with tears in
his eyes and smiles in his lips, said –“Karna, you kept your word, even after
knowing your birth’s secret. You are a better human than anyone on this earth,
ever and a foremost warrior and archer than everyone, even Arjuna. Arjuna’s
heart says the same. I bless you to reach the abode of your father, Lord Sun,
deprived of the worldly troubles.”
Returning to the chariot, Krishna said
unto Arjuna – “Arjuna, slay Karna now. Set his soul free.”
 |
| "Set his soul free, Arjuna!" |
Considering the words of Krishna as a
command given, invoking the mighty Anjalika Astra, Arjuna aimed it to pierce
Karna’s chest. The fatal Astra, as soon as set free from the Gandiva, pierced
the chest of Karna and as a result of the six feet long Astra entering his
chest and coming out at his back, Karna fell lifeless on the ground. Beholding
the death of Karna, King Yudhistra, his brothers and the Pandavas cheered with
delighted heart, except Krishna while King Salya rushed to inform the fall of
Karna to Duryodhana.
Bhīma, along with Dhrishtadyumna, crushing the 25,000 Kaurava
warriors who rushed with rage to slay Arjuna, implanted fear in the hearts of
the warriors and even in the elephants of the foe. Though there’s more time
left for sunset, as predicted by Krishna, with the fall of Karna, Lord Sun
retired behind the hills, bringing an early sunset to the world. With the
withdrawal of the lord of life, the dejected Kaurava warriors retired to their
camp while the Pandava warriors with cheered heart, left for their camp. Duryodhana,
with teary eyes and wounded heart, rushed towards Karna.
Aswasena* -
The escaped snake at the time when Arjuna burnt the KhandhavaVana forest.
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