Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part D

Bhishma Falls

Bhishma Refuses to Fight

I'm still a little sad I didn't write my Amba Survivor Story I talked about in my reading notes post from last week so it may be cool to still do that and combine the stories about Amba from the beginning with this one to make one full story.

Plot Summary:

• Bhishma wrought carnage on the battlefield
• Krishna tells Yudhishthira that Bhishma has promised not to kill anyone born a woman and to let Shikhandin fight him with Arjuna.
• Arjuna says he loves Bhishma and will not kill him
• Krishna tells Arjuna that he has to fight Bhishma no matter what
• Bhishma tells Duryodhana he will defeat Pandavas or be killed this day in battle
• Bhishma challenges Arjuna and they fight for many hours while eveyone watched.
• Shikhandin rushed forward and Bhishma's arm fell when he saw him.
• Arjuna's arrows pierced Bhishma's body and he fell.
• Night fell, everyone on both sides cried over Bhishma
• Bhishma told Duryodhana to give Yudhishthira his kingdom and make peace.
• Duryodhana to hated the Pandavas more than before and would not make peace.
• Karna came to the battlefield ready to kill Arjuna.
• A guard was set by Bhishma who did not die until the war ended.

Death of Krishna

This story is just... weird. I don't know if I'd just want to scrap the whole thing and write something that make sense or take the challenge being issued and make it even weirder.

Plot Summary:

• The Pandavas knew something bad was going to happen because of bad omens but no one knew what it was or when it would happen.
• Dwaraka was doomed to be destroyed.
• A yellow and black, bald human looking thing with misshappen limbs and men appeared
• People said it was Yama, god of the dead and they saw visions of headless men in battle
• A tempest ravaged the land and a plague of rats came to the city.
• Krishna forbid all people from drinking wine and commanded them to perform devotions on the seashore.
• Then the night was haunted by a black woman with yellow teeth who came to peoples' doors
• Evil spirits stole the women's jewels and the men'e weapons.
• The chakra of Krishna and his chariot and horse went to heaven.
• One day the apsaras from heaven told everyone to leave the city.
• The people had a feast on the seashore where they could drink and the started to fight.
• Satyaki killed Kritavarman
• Kritavarman's friends killed Satyaki and one of Krishna's sons.
• Krishna killed the rebels, but he could not stop all the fighting where everyone was killing everyone.
• Krishna and Balarama left the city, and both died in the jungle.
• A snake came from Balarama's mouth.
• Krishna was mistaken for a gazelle by a hunter, who shot an arrow which pierced his foot at the only spot where he could be mortally wounded.
• Krishna went to heaven
• Before Krishna had left Dwaraka he called for Arjuna who saw that everyone was dying and cremated the bodies.
• Arjuna took survivors to Indraprastha.
• The sea swallowed Dwaraka

Bibliography

Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).