Drona Parva covers days 11-15, during the time Drona is the general of the Kuru army.
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Sequence
Drona plans to split the Pandava forces - occupying Arjuna with the Samshaptakas, warriors who have sworn to fight Arjuna - so he can attack Yudhishthira. Drona forms a Garuda vyuha. Dhrishtadyumna counters with a half circle vyuha. The gambit works and Arjuna spends most of the day away from the main action fighting the Samshaptakas, Trigartas and others alone.
Truth was his valor. He created a terrible river. Armour was the waves. Standards were eddies. It flowed and carried away mortal lives. Elephants and horses were the giant crocodiles. The swords were fish. The bones of the brave were its stones. Drums and tambourines were the turtles. Shields and armors were boats. The hair was moss and weeds. Masses of arrows and bows were the current. It was full of serpents in the form of arms. The heads of mean were the boulders. Javelins were the fish and clubs the rafts. Headdresses were the foam on the surface. Disemboweled entrails were the reptiles. Flesh and blood was the mud. The standards were the trees. Kshatriyas were submerged in it. It was terrible and congested with bodies. The riders were the sharks and it was difficult to cross. Drona created a river there and it flowed to the world of the dead. Large numbers of carrion-eaters and tens of thousands of dogs and jackals fed.
— Bibek Debory. Mhb. Chapter 997
Sequence
(0) Dhrishtadyumna attacks Drona. Durmukha emerges to attack Dhrishtadyumna
(1) Drona slaughters troops, penetrates the Pandava vyuha and goes after Yudhishthira.
(2) Drona kills Yudhishthira’s defenders Satyajit, Vrika and Shantanika (Matsya’s brother, not Nakula’s son Shatanika).
(3) Drona kills several more minor kings and drives off the Pandava armies. Yudhishthira and the others flee
For a short while, the encounter seemed to be pleasant. But then it became violent. No quarter was given to anyone. Some elephants were attacked. Others were attacked with javelins, swords and battleaxes. The earth was strewn in every direction with warriors, elephant-riders, pennants, and elephants, as if it was covered with hills. The earth was covered with the slush of flesh and blood. Chariots, with wheels and without wheels, and with warriors that were uprooted by elephants by the tips of their tusks. The soldiers were like an ocean. The masses of elephants were the mighty currents. The slain men the moss. The masses of chariots were eddies. Warriors immersed themselves in that ocean, using their boats.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 996
Sequence
After running away, Bhima rallies the Pandavas to charge Drona. They return and one of the great stage sets of the epic unfolds as the Kauravas rush to Drona’s defense. All the kings listed as described. The numbered clashes more or less take place at the same time and increment in the order as mentioned in the text.
Bhagadatta’s standard is a sacrificial stake.
Sequence
Bhagadatta goes on an epic run before being killed by Arjuna.
(22) Bhima fights with Duryodhana. The King of Anga attacks Bhima. Bhima counter attacks - killing Anga’s elephant and Anga.
(23) Bhagadatta rampages on his elephant, attacking Bhima and killing a couple of minor kings and trampling many soldiers. Yudhishthira thinks Bhima has been slain and leads an assault on Bhagadatta. Bhima emerges and attacks Bhagadatta but retreats when Bhagadatta’s elephant shoots water out of its trunk, frightening Bhima’s horses.
(24) Bhagadatta attacks Satyaki.
(25) The Upapandavas, Abhimanyu, Dhrishtaketu, Chekitana and Yuyutsu try unsuccessfully to kill Bhagadatta’s elephant, but are unable to stop the maddened beast. Bhagaddata’s elephant kills Yuyutsu’s charioteer and his horses.
(26) Arjuna withdraws from fighting the Samshaptakas to kill Bhagadatta’s elephant but is drawn back into fighting them a few times before finally committing to killing Bhagadatta.
Bhagadatta hurled a javelin towards Vasudeva. It had a golden handle and was made of iron. Arjuna severed it into two fragments. Arjuna sliced down the king’s umbrella and standard. Partha struck the elephant between the frontal lobes with an iron arrow. It penetrated up to its tufts, like a snake entering a termite hill. Paralyzed, the elephant fell down and died. Partha then used an arrow with a drooping tuft, with a head in the shape of a half-moon, and pierced Bhagadatta in the heart. His head fell down and so did the goad, like a petal falling off a lotus.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1005
Sequence
(27)
Those two brothers were stationed on the same chariot. They repeatedly showered Arjuna with arrows. It was like the months of the months of summer and monsoon. Arjuna slew them both with a single arrow.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1006
(28) Shakuni attacks Arjuna and Arjuna drives him away.
(29) Drona kills scores of Panchalas and fights with Dhristadyumna and Bhima.
(30)
Wheels of chariots were shattered. Standards were torn. Umbrellas were shredded and brought down. Dragging broken yokes, horses ran away. Arms wielding swords were brought down. Heads sporting earrings were severed. Elephants threw down chariots and crushed them on the ground.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1008
(31)
Like a fire, Nila burnt down the Kuru army. The arrows were the sparks and he was like a fire burning dry wood. Ashvatthama used three sharp broad-headed arrows to slice down Nila’s bow, standard and umbrella. Nila jumped down from his chariot and grasped a shield and sword. Drona smiled and severed Nilas head, with his beautiful nose and earrings, from his body with a broad-headed arrow.
— Bibek Debory. Mhb. Chapter 1007
(32) Arjuna movement, then kills two of Karna’s brothers.
(33)
Bhima leapt down from his chariot. With a sword, he killed the fifteen who were guarding Karna’s flank. He then again ascended his chariot and grasped a bow. He pierced Karna with more arrows and roared. Dhrishtadyumna grasped a sword and shield. With these, he killed Chandravarma and Brihatkshatra. Satyaki severed Karna’s bow. Then Satyaki pierced Karna. At this, Duryodhana, Drona and Jayadratha rescued him.
Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1008
Day 11 Garuda
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