“You are armored. Now fight.”
— Duryodhana. Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 908
Drona Parva covers days 11-15, during the time Drona is the general of the Kuru army.
https://crackpot.substack.com/t/bhishma
Drona said to Duryodhana, ‘I am old. I am fighting to my best ability. You are the one who desires the fight. You have been born in a noble lineage. You are a kshatriya. All these kings have caused no offense. Why are you getting them killed? You are the root of enmity. Therefore, you advance against Arjuna. You boasted that you would kill all the sons of Pandu. So do it. Follow the dharma of a kshatriya. You have given donations. You have pleasured. You have studied. You have obtained prosperity. You have been successful. You have no debt. You should not be scared to die.’
— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1137
Sequence
The forces divide separately to start the day.
(1) Arjuna skirts Drona to fight Shakuni, Karna, Duryodhana
A dust arose and the shower of arrows was like rain. In that darkness, the sky, the earth and the directions could no longer be distinguished. Covered in darkness, the soldiers were confused and all of them seemed to be blind. The kings continued to fight, on the basis of guessing.
— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1137
(2) Drona routs the Panchalas, Matsyas, Chedis, Kekayas and Srinjayas. Drona kills Virata and Drupada.
(3) Dhrishtadyumna attacks, but is unable to get the upper hand.
(4) Bhima routs Drona’s soldiers.
The earth was like a cremation ground. One could not see anyone, one own’s self, the earth or the directions. When the soldiers clashed, everything was covered in dust. A fierce cloud of dust arose. We thought that a second night had arrived. Soon the dust was driven away by the wind.
— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1139
Sequence
After the chaotic dust is blown away, the armies regroup and the following clashes take place.
(5)
Duhshasana attacked Sahadeva. Sahadeva swiftly severed the helmeted head of his charioteer. Sahadeva performed this act with such speed that no one noticed the charioteer’s head had been cut off. Without the reins being controlled by anyone, the horses ran around as they willed.
— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1140
Sequence
(6) Bhima and Karna clash
(7) Yudhishthira dispatches forces to attack Drona several fronts. The Panchalas from one side and (8) Bhima from the other. (9) Arjuna attacks the rearguard.
A plot is hatched to trick Drona into believing his son Ashvatthama has been killed.
(10) Bhima kills Ashvatthama the elephant (gaja) with a club
(11) The Pandavas inform Ashvatthama has been killed. Drona slaughters masses of troops in grief-stricken rage before casting aside his weapons and meditating. Dhrishtadyumna kills Drona in that state.
Sequence
Ashvatthama goes berserk after coming to know how his father Drona was killed through deception. After unleashing many divine weapons and being countered by Krishna and Arjuna, Ashvatthama descends from his chariot, casts aside his bow and says,
‘Shame on everything. It is all false.’
Then Ashvatthama runs away.
(12) Ashvatthama creates a mountain of corpses with conventional weapons before invoking the Narayana and other divine weapons.
(13)
'When the narayana weapon was invoked, violent winds mixed with rain began to blow, though there were no clouds in the sky. The earth trembled and the great oceans were agitated. Instead of flowing towards the ocean, the rivers flowed in an opposite direction. Animals became agitated. There was darkness and the sun became dim.... Thousands of arrows, flaming at the tips, appeared in the sky like serpents with flaming mouths. In all directions the sky and the soldiers were enveloped in an instant. After this, iron balls appeared, like blazing stellar bodies in the clear skies. The four directions were covered by wheels of fire that circled and blazed. Wherever they clashed, in those spots, the weapon increased in power. All of them were consumed like dry wood in a conflagration.
Krishna upon seeing this understood. He cried out, 'Swiftly lay down your weapons and descend from your mounts and your horses! This is the method of countering. All of you descend from the elephants, the horses and the chariots onto the ground!'
— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1147
(14)
Krishna counters the Narayana and stops Bhima from being consumed.
(15)
Ashvatthama fights the Pandavas, killing several kings. Then Ashvatthama releases more divine weapons.
(16)
The armies quit fighting for the day.