“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
Sequence
Duryodhana promotes Karna to general. Karna forms a makara (crocodile) vyuha. The Pandavas counter with a half-moon vyuha.
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Those two armies clashed. The heads of men were strewn on the ground. The faces of the dead were like the full moon, the sun or lotuses. Thick arms were severed and fell down, with weapons and armlets still on the hands.
— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1158
Sequence
Various heroes clash
(2) Bhima makes Ashvatthama run
(3) Satyaki kills Anuvinda and Vinda. These are not the same two from Avanti that have already been killed.
(10-11) Ashvatthama fights with Arjuna and is run off again.
(12) Krishna brings Arjuna away from the Samshaptakas to check Magadha - an elephant rider running rough shod over some troops to the north. After killing Magadha and his brother Danda, Krishna returns Arjuna to the Samshaptakas.
(13)
Sanjaya said, “Jishnu (Arjuna) again returned, like the planet Mars in its forward and retrograde motions, to kill large numbers of samshaptakas.”
— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1164
Sequence
(19-20)
Karna severed Nakula’s bow. Karna brought down his charioteer with a laugh. With four sharp arrows, he shattered his chariot into fragments and destroyed his flags, the ones who protected his wheels, his standard, his sword, his shield.
Nakula’s horses were slain. He was without a chariot. He had no armor. He descended his chariot and stood there, with a club. Karna shattered that the club into fragments. Karna defeated Nakula. Nakula fled. Karna followed him. He placed the string of his bow around his neck and pulled Nakula.
‘You cannot fight me. Go home!’, Karna said.
Karna swiftly advanced against the Panchalas.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1167
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Shikhandi was responsible for Bhishma’s death. Kritavarma attacked him. Shikhandi severed his bow with a kshurapra arrow and pierced him with several arrows. Kritavarma strung another bow, striking Shikhandi in the shoulder with several arrows. Shikhandi looked beautiful with those arrows sticking in his shoulders. Like a giant tree, with branches. Shikhandi grasped the pole of his standard as his charioteer drove him from away from battle.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1168
(25) Arjuna slaughters Samshaptakas
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Yudhishthira was a mad bull. He charged Suyodhana (Duryodhana). In that battle, those two mangled each other with arrows. Duryodhana severed Yudhishthira’s bow. Yudhishthira could not tolerate this conduct. He picked up another bow and severed Duryodhana’s standard and bow. Duryodhana hurled a lance. It was sharp and made of iron. On seeing it descend, Yudhishthira shattered it into three fragments.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1170
Late in the day the Kauravas charge Arjuna, who has been slaughtering Samshaptakas.
(27) Karna and Satyaki skirmish
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Arjuna stretched Gandiva and seemed to dance around in battle. He showered arrows that covered the sky. He destroyed chariots like a wind dirving away clouds. Duryodhana advanced against Arjuna. Arjuna used seven arrows to strike Duryodhana’s bow, his charioteer, his standard and his horses. With another arrow Arjuna brought down his umbrella. He affixed a ninth arrow, intending to kill Duryodhana. Ashvatthama struck that arrow. Arjuna then used arrows to destroy Ashvatthama’s bow and killed his horses. Arjuna then severed Kripa’s bow. Arjuna killed Kripa’s horses next, then cut down Duhshasana’s bow and attacked Karna. The soldiers fled.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1171