Night 14 - Part IV

Ghatotkacha Vadha Chapters 1117-1131

“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

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Sequence

Yudhishthira said, ‘Advance against Drona. Kill him!’

— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1117

The charge of the Pandavas is met by the Kurus and the above encounters took place.

(67)

Sahadeva pierced Radheya (Karna). Karna severed Sahadeva’s bow. Sahadeva picked up another bow. Karna killed his horses with arrows. With a broad-headed arrowhe killed his charioteer. Without a chariot, Sahadeva grasped a sword and sheild. But Karna struck these down with a laugh. Sahadeva then grasped a large club decorated with gold. Sahadeva hurled the club toward Vaikartana’s chariot. Karna shattered the club with arrows and made it fall to the ground. Sahadeva picked up the wheel of a chariot and hurled it toward Karna. The son of a suta shattered this too.

Karna touched the tip of his bow and said to Sahadeva, ‘Go home!’

— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1119

(69)

Nakula was slaughtering soldiers. Shakuni advanced, asking him to wait. Just as Shakuni released a shower of arrows, Nakula countered them. Nakula rushed against Shakuni. Nakula severed his bow, with an arrow still affixed to it. Nakula severed his standard and brought it down to the ground. Having been wounded, Shakuni fell down senseless. His charioteer bore him away from the battle.

— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1121

(78-79)

Arjuna slaughters many troops. Duryodhana dispatches Shakuni to counter him. Arjuna defeats Shakuni. Uluka saves Shakuni.

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Drona began to rob kshatriyas of their lives, like the sun destroys darkness with its rays. Drona slaughtered the Panchalas. Some ran away. In confusion, some ran toward Drona. They fled into the night, throwing away thousands of blazing torches. With the world covered in darkness, nothing could be seen. As the soldiers ran, Drona and Karna followed them from the rear and showered arrows upon them.

— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1124

Sequence

Confusion reigns as the armies battle into the dark night.

(80) Dhristadyumna and Satyaki battle Karna and Drona to stop them from slaughtering Panchala soldiers.

(81) Krishna dispatches Ghatotkacha to fight Karna.

(82) Duryodhana dispatches Duhshasana and Alambala to check Ghatotkacha. Alambala is Jatasura’s son. The As It Rhymes story of Bhima slaying Jatasura is -

(83) Ghatotkacha kills Alambala. Like father, like son.

Ghatotkacha seized Alambala. He raised him and pressed him down. Ghatotkacha grasped a word. He severed the terrible head from the body. The cannibal grasped the head by the hair, with the blood dripping from it. Ghatotkacha advanced to Duryodhana’s chariot. With a smile, Ghatotkacha flung the head, with distorted face and dreadful hair, onto Duryodhana’s chariot. He then roared like a cloud during the monsoon. Then Ghatotkacha departed toward Karna.

— Bibek Debroy. Mhb. Chapter 1126

(84) Duryodhana dispatches Alayudha, a cannibal king. Alayudha seeks revenge for all the cannibals Bhima has killed, Jatasura, Baka, etc. Bhima fights Alayudha. Ghatotkacha kills Alayudha.

Their bodies were wounded and began to sweat. Blood trickled down and it was is if it was raining down on mountains. Ghatotkacha picked up Alayudha and flung him down, then severed his head with a sword. Ghatotkacha roared. Ghatotkacha picked up Alayudha’s head and flung it down before Duryodhana.

— Bibek Debroy Mhb. Chapter 1130

The As It Rhymes version of Baka is -

https://crackpot.substack.com/t/baka

(85) Karna kills Ghatotkacha with his shakti. Shortly after this, in the early morning hours, the exhausted armies stop fighting and rest.

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