Battle of Kurukshetra: Summary of Drona (Episode-4)

Defeat of Bhima, Satyaki and Abhimanyu to Bhagadatta

After the defeat of the Anga army near Bhima, Bhagadatta, the king of Pragjyotisha, mounted his giant elephant and advanced against Bhima. Bhima’s chariot was crushed under the feet of the elephant, and Bhima jumped down from the chariot and defended himself. He then quickly started hitting the lower part of Bhagadatta’s elephant body. But the elephant twisted Bhim with its trunk and tried to crush Bhim. Bhima somehow managed to free himself and quickly retreated from there. Thus Bhima was defeated by Bhagadatta, and the Pandava soldiers began to think that Bhima had been killed in battle.

After the defeat of Bhima by Bhagadatta, the Panchal troops led by Yudhisthira surrounded Bhagadatta from all sides. They fired arrows at Yudhisthira’s Bhagadatta, but Bhagadatta repulsed the arrow and crushed a large number of Pandava soldiers on his shore and under his elephant’s feet. In this situation, the king of Dasharna mounted an elephant and advanced against Bhagadatta, and engaged in a battle against him. The elephant of the king of Dasharna attacks Bhagadatta’s elephant, but Bhagadatta’s elephant kills that elephant. At that time, the king of Dasharna was falling from his elephant, but eight spears thrown by Bhagadatta killed him.

After the king of Dasharna was defeated and killed by Bhagadatta, the top Pandava warriors led by Yudhisthira shot arrows at Bhagadatta but ignoring that, Bhagadatta quickly led his elephant towards Satyaki’s chariot. His elephant twisted Satyaki’s chariot with its trunk and threw it far away, and the chariot was destroyed. However, before Satyaki Bhagadatta’s elephant attacked his chariot, he somehow managed to jump out of the chariot to defend himself and retreated from there at a rapid pace. Thus Satyaki was defeated by Bhagadatta.

After defeating Satyaki, Bhagadatta broke through the encirclement of Pandava chariots around him. Many Pandava soldiers were killed on his shores and under his elephant’s feet. In this situation, Bhima got into a chariot and proceeded towards Bhagadatta again. Bhagadatta got on his elephant and ran towards Bhima. Seeing the giant elephant of Bhagadatta, the horses attached to Bhima’s chariot became terrified, and the charioteer of the chariot lost control over the horses. Uncontrolled horses dragged Bhima’s chariot away. Bhagadatta defeated Bhima for the second time in a short time.

After Bhima’s defeat at Bhagadatta, Pandava Rathi Ruchiparva advanced towards Bhagadatta, but Bhagadatta’s arrow killed him. After Bhagadatta killed Ruchiparva, Abhimanyu, Uppandavagana, Chekitan, Drishtaketu, and Yuyutsu simultaneously attacked Bhagadatta and shot arrows at him. Bhagadatta led his elephant towards the Yuyutsur chariot. The horses and charioteers attached to the Yuyutsur chariot were crushed under his elephant’s feet. However, Yuyutsu quickly jumped out of his chariot to defend himself and climbed into another chariot. Abhimanyu, the Uppandavas, Drishtaketu, and Yuyutsu continue to shoot arrows at Bhagadatta and his elephant. Still, with the help of its trunk, the elephant twists their chariots and begins to throw them away. Then many Pandava soldiers were killed on the shores of Bhagadatta and trampled under his elephant’s feet. The Pandavas soldiers dispersed and started retreating.

At that time, Arjuna was engaged in a battle against the Saspatas in the southern corner of the battlefield. Seeing that Bhagadatta was inflicting heavy casualties on the Pandava forces, Arjuna approached Bhagadatta. But at that time, 10,000 secret warriors called Arjun and called for war. As a result, Arjun fell into a dilemma and finally decided to fight against the former agents. He suddenly turned the chariot around and engaged in a battle against the sages. The assassins fired many arrows at Arjuna, and Krishna, the charioteer of Arjuna’s chariot, was wounded by their arrows. Seeing this, Arjuna became angry and recited the mantra and applied the Brahmastra against the sages. As a result of Arjuna’s application of Brahmastra, almost all of the 10,000 secret warriors who called him to the battle were killed. After defeating the Sanspatas in this way, Arjuna advanced towards Bhagadatta.

But at that time, Sushma and her brothers called Arjun and called for war. Arjun fell into a dilemma again and finally decided to fight against Sushma and her brothers first. He turned the chariot again and fought against Sushma and her brothers. Arjuna’s arrow stabbed Susharma, and his bow and chariot flags were cut off. Then Sushma’s brothers were killed by Arjuna’s arrow. Susharma throws a special arrow at Arjuna and a spear at Krishna, but Arjuna’s arrow cuts them off. Then Sushma lost consciousness due to Arjuna’s arrow. Thus after defeating Sushma and her brothers, Arjuna advanced towards Bhagadatta.

Arjuna-Bhagadatta war: Krishna’s intervention and Bhagadatta’s downfall

While Kaurava was shooting arrows at the soldiers, Arjuna advanced towards Bhagadatta. They faced each other and engaged in battle. Bhagadatta shot an arrow at Arjuna, but Arjuna repulsed it with an arrow. Bhagadatta then rained more arrows on Arjuna, and both Arjuna and Krishna were struck by his arrows. Bhagadatta led his elephant towards Arjuna’s chariot. Still, Krishna quickly removed the chariot, and the elephant did not get a chance to attack Arjuna. Krishna moved Arjuna’s chariot so that it was standing behind Bhagadatta’s running elephant. At that time, Arjuna could have killed Bhagadatta and his elephant by attacking from behind if he wanted, but that was a violation of the rules of war. That is why Arjuna thus refrained from killing Bhagadatta and his elephant.

Bhagadatta’s elephant, meanwhile, failed to attack Arjuna’s chariot and attacked the other Pandava soldiers in front, killing a large number of Pandava elephants and horses and destroying the chariot. Bhagadatta then turned the elephant around and again engaged in a battle against Arjuna. He shot arrows at Arjuna and Krishna, and his arrow pierced Krishna’s body and sank to the ground. Arjuna’s arrow cut off Bhagadatta’s bow, and the warrior who was protecting his elephant was killed. Bhagadatta threw 14 spears at Arjuna, but Arjuna’s arrow cut them off. Arjuna’s arrow cut off Bhagadatta’s elephant armor, and Arjuna’s arrow injured the elephant. Bhagadatta shot a special arrow at Krishna, but Arjuna’s arrow cut it off. Then Arjuna’s arrow hit Bhagadatta’s flag on the elephant, and Bhagadatta himself was stabbed. Bhagadatta throws a few spears at Arjuna, and the crown falls on Arjuna’s head.

Arjuna picks up the crown, puts it on his head, and threatens Bhagdatta, “Take a good look at the world!” (That is, Arjuna indicates that the time of Bhagadatta has come to an end) But soon, Arjuna’s arrow cut Bhagadatta’s bow and arrows, and Bhagadatta himself was shot. Then the enraged Bhagadatta recited the mantra and applied Vaishnavastra against Arjuna. Bhagadatta’s father, Narkasura, got this weapon from the god Vishnu. With its help, it was possible to kill even the gods. At this point, Krishna saw Bhagavatta’s Divyastra rushing towards Arjuna, and Krishna got up from Sarathi’s seat. The weapon turned into a garland and fell on Krishna’s neck. Through this, Krishna saves Arjuna from certain death.

Arjuna then shot a special kind of arrow at Bhagadatta’s elephant, and the elephant was killed. At that moment, Bhagadatta hurriedly picked up another wife but was killed by Arjuna’s arrow and fell down from the back of his elephant. Thus Bhagadatta was killed by Arjuna. After Bhagadatta’s death, Arjuna circumambulated his body and paid homage to Bhagadatta.
Bhagadatta’s death after the fall of Bhishma was a great loss for the Kauravas and a great victory for the Pandavas. This was undoubtedly a great achievement for Arjuna, as all the top warriors of the Pandava forces (including Bhima, Satyaki, Abhimanyu and Ghatotkacha) except Arjuna were defeated by Bhagadatta. Reviewing the battle between Arjuna and Bhagadatta, it is clear that Arjuna was a more skilled archer than Bhagadatta.

But it has already been mentioned that Arjuna’s chariot, the horses attached to the chariot, his bow and crown were all given to the gods. It was not possible for any human being to destroy them. Moreover, Krishna was the charioteer of Arjuna’s chariot. During the battle between Arjuna and Bhagadatta, he saved Arjuna’s life twice (the first time, he saved Arjuna from being trampled under Bhagadatta’s elephant’s foot, and the second time, he saved Arjuna from Bhagadatta’s Vaishnavastra). Arjuna was a very skilled archer, but if Krishna had not been his charioteer, he would have been crushed under the feet of Bhagadatta’s elephant of Bhagadatta’s Vaishnavastra would have killed him. Krishna saves Arjuna from certain death and Arjuna wins against Bhagadatta. So the main achievement of this victory of Arjuna was Krishna.

However, in this case, Arjun also showed his characteristic determination simultaneously. He had the opportunity to attack and kill Bhagadatta from behind. Still, he refrained from doing so and followed the rules of war, thus giving way to a very strong opponent. Similarly, after Bhagadatta was killed, he paid homage to him. It highlights the great aspects of Arjun’s character.