Introduction
“You are armored. Now fight.” — Duryodhana.
Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 908
Bhishma Vadha tells what happened in the first ten days of the Kuru Kshetra war before Bhishma is killed.
https://crackpot.substack.com/t/bhishma
Sequence
The Kauravas form an ocean vyuha. The Pandavas counter with a horned vyuha. Satyaki and Bhima are at the tips of the horns.
(0) Somakas, Kekayas and Panchalas rush to meet Bhishma. Bhishma kills many of them.
(1) Bhima attacks Bhishma. Duryodhana and his brothers try to protect Bhishma. Bhima kills eight of Dhritarashtra’s sons.
Middle Game
Sequence
(2) Drona continues Bhishma’s work from the opening killing the Somakas, Panchalas and Kekayas armies.
(3) Arjuna, Sahadeva and Nakula kill a large army of cavalry.
(4) Arjuna’s son Iravan by Ulupi fights with Shakuni and Shakuni’s sons. Iravan kills Shakuni’s sons Shuka, Gaja, Charmavat, Gavaksha and Ajava. Vishaka flees.
(5) Duryodhana dispatches Alambusa to kill Iravan.
Iravan sliced the rakshasa like a tree. Wounded by Iravan’s battleaxe, the rakshasa shed much blood. The rakshasa killed Iravan with his sword. Iravan’s head was adorned with earrings and a diadem and was a radiant as a lotus moon. The rakshasa made it fall down on the ground.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 946
Middle Game
Sequence
(6) Ghatotkacha leads a force into battle against Duryodhana. Duryodhana kills Pramathi, Vidyutjihva, Vegavan, Maharoudra, who arrive with Ghatotkacha.
(7) A swarm of Kauravas arrive to protect Duryodhana from Ghatotkacha. Ghatotkacha attacks many Kauravas, overwhelming them.
(8) Yudhishthira sends Abhimanyu, the Upapandavas, and Kshatradeva, Kshatradharma, Nila and Shatanika to support Ghatotkacha. Bhima also arrives to support his man-eating son.
Jayadratha’s standard is a boar.
Some elephants had their sides ripped open by other elephants. They shed large quantities of blood, like mountains exuding minerals. Some were slain by iron arrows, others by javelins. Without their riders, they were like mountains without summits. Some elephants were blind with anger and madness. No longer controlled, they crushed hundreds of chariots, horses and infantry.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 949
Middle Game
Sequence
(9) Drona and Bhima clash. Bhima knocks Drona out.
(10) Ashvatthama and Duryodhana counterattack Bhima.
(11) Duryodhana dispatches Bhagadatta on his elephant. Bhagadatta attacks the Upapandavas and kills Kshatradeva. Ghatotkatcha and Bhima fight with Ashvatthama and Bhagadatta.
(12) Arjuna arrives, slaughtering thousands of Bhagadatta’s and the Kauravas supporting armies.
Asking Ghatotkacha to wait, Bhagadatta hurled a javelin at him. On seeing it descend towards him from the sky, like lightning, Ghatotkatcha leapt up and grasped the javelin. He placed it on his thighs and broke it…
Bhagadatta stretched his bow back to its full extent and severed Kshatradeva’s right arm with a gold-tufted arrow. Kshatradeva’s right arm and bow, with the arrow affixed to it, fell down to the ground.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 951
Sequence
(13) Bhishma, Kripa, Bhagadatta and Sushakarma counterattack Arjuna.
(14) Hardikya and Bahlika fight with Satyaki.
(15) Duryodhana’s brothers surround Drona to attack Bhima. Bhima kills more of Dhritarashtra’s sons while the others run away.
(16) Abhimanyu fights with Shrutayu.
(17) Dhrishtadyumna leads an attack against the Kaurava armies.
In that battle, they seized each other by the hair. They fought with their nails and teeth and fists and thighs. They used arms and palms and sharp swords. There were spears, javelins, swords and spikes. There were maces, battleaxes and catapults. Their bodies were shattered through clubs. Their heads were smashed through maces. The earth was strewn everywhere with the bodies of slain horses, men and elephants. Some were silent. Others made slight sounds. They were covered with blood. The earth was covered with armor and golden ornaments drenched in blood. It looked as beautiful as a fire with calm flames.
— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 952