— is a ‘no writing’ experiment in the tradition of storytelling. This is the penultimate day of the 18-day Kurukshetra war as told by AI prompted from Manmatha Dutt’s Mahabharata.
Shalya and Karna bicker after Shalya takes the reins of Karna’s chariot. - Manmatha Dutt. Mahabharata. Karna Parva. chapters 31-32, 36-42, 45
Three Asura cities made of silver, gold, black iron resting on wheel in heaven. - Dutt. chapter 33
the earth was stained deep red in blood and flesh, large numbers of beads, cut-off elephant trunks and arms and thighs and ornaments, bodies of warriors, cuirasses, mail and banners broken tusks scattered on earth. - Dutt. chapter 52
Arjuna slaughters masses of Samshaptakas. - Dutt. chapter 53-55
Dhrishtadyumna had blood-shot eyes, his chariot was like a burning flame, he shot arrows like serpents with feathers of peacocks at Duryodhana. - Dutt. chapter 56
Krishna intervenes to stop Arjuna who pulls his sword on a wounded Yudhishthira. - Dutt. chapter 69
Arjuna defeats Shakuni, in his wake creating a river made of broken chariots as its eddies and currents, dead elephants, horses, men as its banks and stones, hair as its herbs and moss, severed limbs like snakes, iron maces, banners and umbrellas like swans, necklace lotuses. - Dutt. chapter 77
Bhima crushes Dushasana and Dushasana’s chariot with his club. - Dutt. chapter 83
Nakula jumped from his ruined chariot with a shield studded with golden moons and sky colored sword, like a bird. - Dutt. chapter 84
Arjuna and Karna fight on chariots decked with golden garlands, umbrellas, bows and arrows, like furious bulls, like the sun and moon opposed. - Dutt. chapter 87
Arjuna and Karna were like two towering mountains with many trees, animals, lotuses on water voices of birds. - Dutt. chapter 89
Arjuna kills Karna. Karna pierced by many arrows and his chariot sunk into the earth bled like a red chalk mountain with streams of red water pouring down. - Dutt. chapter 90
Karna tries to lift his chariot out of the ground. - Dutt. chapter 91
Karna’s spirit arises like a light beam entering the sky, leaving his ruined body punctured by many arrows, bleeding like a red chalk mountain. - Dutt. chapter 91
Duryodhana mourns Karna on a battlefield strewn with gold bows, lances, scimitars, pearls, lances, maces, joints, axles, yokes, covering the earth like clouds. - Dutt. chapter 94
Pandavas warriors celebrate victory in war camp at night. - Dutt. chapter 96
References
Dutt, M.N. The Mahabharata. Sanskrit Text with English Translation. Parimal Publications, 2022.
