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Chapter 6. Bhishma
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Mahabharata, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dharma
Pursuing Enlightenment
Heroism and Warfare
Grief, Loss, and Mourning
Stories and Storytelling
Summary
Analysis
THE INSTALLATION OF DRONA. Samjaya narrates to Dhritarashtra how, without Bhishma, the Kauravas struggled against the Pandavas in battle on the eleventh day of fighting. But the first appearance of Karna on the battlefield raises their spirits. Duryodhana asks Karna who should replace Bhishma’s position as commander, and Karna recommends Drona. Drona accepts but warns that he can’t defeat Dhrishtadyumna, the man who is destined to kill him. Drona fights fiercely, like a man much younger, but Yudhishthira orders his own army to focus on stopping Drona, and after taking many casualties, they finally manage to kill him.
Drona and Bhishma are both much older than typical soldiers. Their unusually advanced ages—like the high casualty counts in battle—help convey how extraordinary this battle is and how it isn’t like battles fought in the narrative present, which takes place in a fallen age. Like Bhishma, Drona is also a noble person who nevertheless feels it’s his duty to stick with Duryodhana. Drona’s willingness to go into battle despite knowing that he’ll die to Dhristadyumna shows that he is a righteous man who has made peace with his inevitable death.
Themes
After hearing of Drona’s death, Dhritarashtra is full of grief. He asks Samjaya to go back and tell him the story of Drona’s death in more detail, which Samjaya does. He begins narrating.
Like the previous book, this story starts near the end of the day—Drona’s death—then goes back to the beginning in more detail. This is yet another cycle in the poem that mirrors the cycle of death and rebirth.
Themes
THE KILLING OF THE SWORN WARRIORS. In Samjaya’s recounting of the battle, Drona makes plans with Duryodhana to separate the invincible Arjuna from the rest of the army so that Drona can capture Yudhishthira. They arrange a challenge that Arjuna can’t refuse, with their allies from the kingdom of Trigarta drawing Arjuna to the far southern part of the field of battle. Arjuna rains devastation down on the Trigartas.
Yudhishthira is perhaps the single biggest threat to the Kauravas. He tries to use Arjuna’s noble nature against him, taking advantage of the fact that Arjuna can’t turn down a challenge in order to lure him away from the other fighters.
Themes
Meanwhile, while Arjuna is away, Yudhishthira warns his ally Dhrishtadyumna not to let Drona capture him. Drona manages to devastate the Pandavas while Arjuna is gone, but he fails to capture Yudhishthira. Duryodhana attacks Bhima fiercely, and a false rumor springs up that Bhima is dead. All sides fight fiercely, with the Pandavas regrouping and Arjuna slaying three of Karna’s brothers before the armies withdraw to their camps for the evening.
The Pandavas manage to survive a potentially devastating attack by working together, demonstrating the power of cooperation. Even though Yudhishthira gets separated from Arjuna, he knows that Dhrishtadyumna will protect him, since Dhrishtadyumna is fated to defeat Drona. Meanwhile, Arjuna’s killing of Karna’s three brothers continues to stoke one of the most heated rivalries on the battlefield.
Themes
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THE KILLING OF ABHIMANYU. After a long night, on the 13th day of battle, Duryodhana gets angry with Drona for failing to capture Yudhishthira on the previous day. Drona argues that Arjuna, with Krishna as his charioteer, is just too powerful. Drona promises that if Duryodhana can keep Arjuna occupied, he will kill one Pandava chief. By the end of the day, Drona manages to slay Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu. Dhritarashtra interrupts the story to ask Samjaya to tell this part in more detail, which he does.
The story begins to jump around in time even more—Samjaya hasn’t yet reached the death of Drona, which he mentioned in the beginning of the book, and now he mentions the death of Abhimanyu, only before going back in time again to describe the events that lead up to Abhimanyu’s death. Abhimanyu is perhaps the most important Pandava ally to die so far, and so his death marks a crucial turning point, as the outmatched Kauravas nevertheless find ways to make gains against the Pandavas.
Themes
In Samjaya’s more detailed recounting of events, all the leaders of both armies clash on the field of battle that 13th day. No one can get at Drona because of how many arrows he keeps firing out. Yudhishthira sees how strong Drona is and puts Abhimanyu in charge of stopping him, since Arjuna himself is occupied with Duryodhana.
The battle between Drona and Abhimanyu represents a clash of opposites, with Drona being an elderly experienced fighter while Abhimanyu is barely more than a boy, and each one fights better than expected for their age. The comparative youth of the Pandavas shows how they are the new generation.
Themes
Abhimanyu rides toward Drona to attack, and all the Kauravas in the area focus their attacks on him. Abhimanyu fights valiantly, almost as strong as Arjuna himself as he repels the enemy army. Angry at the heavy losses, Duryodhana himself turns to fight Abhimanyu. But Abhimanyu continues to fight fiercely, slaying the younger brother of Karna. A son of Duryodhana also fights Abhimanyu, and Abhimanyu shoots his head off.
Abhimanyu proves himself in battle, angering some of the most passionate Kauravas: namely, Karna and Duryodhana. By doing so, he perhaps puts a target on himself, but he gladly accepts this responsibility because he realizes even at his young age how important it is to try to win fame in battle.
Themes
Abhimanyu continues to slay great heroes, even after taking many arrows to his own body. Drona and Karna discuss how to slay Abhimanyu, with Drona suggesting that Karna and others try to ride Abhimanyu out of his chariot. Eventually, the Kauravas succeed in unseating Abhimanyu from his chariot, all while Jayadratha’s forces keep the other Pandavas from intervening. Abhimanyu grabs a club and keeps fighting. A son of Duhśasana manages to hit Abhimanyu over the head, and several other chariot-fighters led by Drona and Karna attack him, killing him. Celestial beings seem to cry out that this death is not dharma, but the combatants continue to fight skillfully for the rest of the day.
Previously, when the Kauravas targeted Yudhishthira, he coordinated with his allies to fend them off. The Kauravas seem to have learned from that attack, and so now when they target Abhimanyu, Jayadratha specifically cuts him off from the other Pandavas so that the remaining Kauravas can all overwhelm Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu’s determination to keep fighting against overwhelming odds even after losing his chariot shows what a noble warrior he is. Perhaps the celestial beings mourn Abhimanyu’s death because the Kauravas defeated Abhimanyu with sheer numbers rather than finding a warrior equal to challenge him in battle.
Themes
Yudhishthira gives a speech to his army about Abhimanyu’s bravery. He regrets sending the young Abhimanyu to his death. When Arjuna returns that evening and learns of the death of his son, he mourns and vows that he will either kill Jayadratha by the end of the next day or will walk into fire.
Although the Pandavas have suffered some losses, Abhimanyu’s death hits closest to home for the five Pandava brothers. While Arjuna grieves for his dead son, he also moves immediately to thoughts of revenge, showing that, as a great warrior, he won’t let his grief slow him down.
Themes
THE PROMISE. When Jayadratha hears the noise from the Pandavas’ camp, he fears what Arjuna will do to him and asks to leave the battle. But Duryodhana and Drona promise to protect him, saying that even if he dies in battle, that is the highest honor for a Kshatriya. Meanwhile, in his dreams, Arjuna receives a visit from Krishna who advises him to go praise Śiva. He does so in the dream, then wakes up the next day ready to seek out Jayadratha.
Jayadratha’s desire to leave battle shows weak character, at least for a Kshatriya, who is supposed to be willing to die in battle according to his dharma (as Duryodhana and Drona remind him). Meanwhile, Śiva is the god of destruction, and so by seeking him out, Arjuna indicates how much he wants to destroy his enemies to avenge the death of Abhimanyu.
Themes
THE KILLING OF JAYADRATHA. On the morning of the 14th day of battle, both sides make preparations for the upcoming fighting—especially the expected attack of Arjuna against Jayadratha. Arjuna fights fiercely that day, killing both elephants and warriors. Worried about Arjuna’s attacks, Duryodhana comes to Drona, and Drona recites mantras to make Duryodhana invincible with his armor.
The beginning of the 14th day of battle goes as planned, with Arjuna predictably attacking Jayadratha and Duryodhana and Drona coming to his defense. Drona’s use of mantras reinforces how, in spite of fighting on the Kauravas side, he is still a spiritual man with respect for the gods, which gives him and his side more power.
Themes
The battle splits off in many directions, but eventually, Arjuna, with Krishna as his charioteer, starts to make his way toward Jayadratha, killing whoever stands in his way. Just as all the Kauravas fear that Arjuna will surely kill Jayadratha, Duryodhana comes to stop him in his invincible armor. Fierce battles continue everywhere, as Satyaki tries to make his way through the fray to help Arjuna, killing everyone in his path. Meanwhile, although Drona is in his 80s, he continues to fight like a young man.
Acting as Arjuna’s charioteer, Krishna represents the favor of the gods, making it all but certain that Arjuna will eventually make his way to Jayadratha despite the formidable obstacles he faces, which include Duryodhana’s invincible armor. Drona’s surprising strength, even at his advanced age, is also a symbol of how he has pleased the gods.
Themes
Bhima manages to get Karna off the battlefield by killing his charioteer. Duryodhana and Drona regroup, devoting all the Kaurava resources to protecting Jayadratha. Dhritarashtra interrupts Samjaya’s story to ask more about Bhima and Karna’s battle, so Samjaya tells it in more detail.
Both sides have learned the dangers of letting one of their own get split off from the main group, and so they fight closely together. The various interruptions to the story by figures like Dhritarashtra help open up the perspective, making it a dialogue instead of a monologue and helping to give it a more conversational feel.
Themes
In Samjaya’s retelling, Bhima goes after Karna and manages to kill five of Dhritarashtra’s 100 sons. Karna manages to knock Bhima out of his chariot, but he refuses to kill Bhima while he’s unarmed. Satyaki welcomes Bhima into his own chariot. A warrior named Buriśravas challenges Satyaki, managing to destroy his weapons, strike him down to the ground, and drag him around the battlefield by his hair. Arjuna takes offense at this and severs Buriśravas’s sword arm with an arrow. Buriśravas gets angry, accusing Arjuna of ignoring dharma by striking him by surprise.
Dhritarashtra was warned that if he didn’t kill Duryodhana in infancy, he would face problems later, and now, because Dhritarashtra refused to kill one son, he has lost five sons, and the war is still far from over. The fight between Buriśravas and Arjuna is interesting because it raises the question of what dharma is in battle. After the death of Abhimanyu, which many celestial spirits deemed against dharma, things have become more muddled, in contrast to the early days of battle when the two armies generally respected each other.
Themes
Arjuna gets angry at Buriśravas, saying that he struck Buriśravas fairly while he was fighting Satyaki, and that it was even worse that the Kauravas killed Abhimanyu while he was out of his chariot. Buriśravas prepares to die as he bleeds out. Satyaki wants to kill Buriśravas himself, and although his whole army advises him against it, Satyaki decapitates Buriśravas. While some scold Satyaki, others believe he was only following fate.
Arjuna brings up an interesting idea—that dharma in battle involves not just the actions of the moment but also how both armies have acted previously. The poem doesn’t always provide a definitive answer to what is and isn’t dharma, and Satyaki’s decapitation of Buriśravas further blurs the line between excessive violence and justified revenge.
Themes
After this, Arjuna urges Krishna to take him toward Jayadratha. Karna is the last defense, but Arjuna manages to slay his horses. Aśvatthaman takes Karna into his chariot, and the fighting continues. Krishna informs Arjuna that it is finally the right time to kill Jayadratha. Arjuna fires an arrow that decapitates Jayadratha, carrying his head as if it were a hawk and dropping it in the lap of Jayadratha’s father. Cheered by this victory, the Pandavas try to press their advantage.
When Arjuna finally kills Jayadratha, it’s almost anticlimactic. He simply decides—on Krishna’s advice—that it’s time, and then he fires his bow. The fact that Arjuna sends Jayadratha’s decapitated head flying to his father is meant to send a message: that Arjuna is getting revenge for Jayadratha’s role in killing his own son Abhimanyu.
Themes
THE KILLING OF GHATOTKACA. Fighting continues, with Arjuna continuing to seem invincible. Duryodhana blames Drona for going too easy on Arjuna, but his advisors continue to blame Duryodhana’s own pride for starting a feud with the Pandavas in the first place.
Despite Samjaya’s promise to tell the story of Drona’s death at the beginning of the book, the plot keeps weaving off in different directions and following different tangents of battle. Time in the poem slows down in the last days of battle compared to the first few, emphasizing how particularly important these days of the war are.
Themes
As the battle continues into the night, all of the Pandavas rush toward Drona. Despite fierce resistance, Bhima kills many great warriors. That night, everyone in the Pandava army honors Bhima for his strong fighting. The fighting doesn’t stop, however, as both sides continue in bloody battle, with Ghatotkaca getting hit with an arrow and dragged off the field of battle unconscious. Bhima manages to kill 10 more of Dhritarashtra’s 100 sons, as well as one of Karna’s brothers.
The Pandavas continue to chip away at the Kauravas, not yet killing their most important fighters but nevertheless killing valuable soldiers. This section becomes a chance for Ghatotkaca to shine, although, as the subheading hints, it will also be when he dies. In many ways, Ghatotkaca’s story resembles Abhimanyu’s, which is fitting because Abhimanyu was Arjuna’s son and Ghatotkaca is Bhima’s son.
Themes
Fighting goes late, and Duryodhana instructs his men to light lamps. Eventually, the Pandavas have a clear advantage, and many Kauravas have to retreat. Arjuna wants to battle to the death against Karna, but Krishna says it’s not time and that Ghatotkaca, now revived, should go instead. Ghatotkaca goes on a rampage. Duryodhana sends a Rakshasa warrior named Alamabala to fight him, but Ghatotkaca defeats him and throws Alamabala’s head back to Duryodhana, saying that he and Karna are next.
Krishna’s advice that Ghatotkaca should attack Karna before Arjuna does so ends up being prudent, and it provides an example of how Krishna’s wisdom is more valuable than the 100 million soldiers Arjuna could have had instead. Ghatotkaca’s half-Rakshasa nature makes him a particularly wild and unpredictable fighter.
Themes
Ghatotkaca and Karna fight fiercely, with Ghatotkaca using illusions to distract his opponent, but Karna dispels these illusions by catching a thunderbolt that Ghatotkaca throws and hurling it back. Ghatotkaca vanishes, but he soon rejoins the battle elsewhere and continues killing, which worries Duryodhana.
The battle between Ghatotkaca and Karna takes on epic proportions, with Ghatotkaca wielding the power of thunder, but Karna catching a thunderbolt to throw back. This exchange establishes that the two of them are evenly matched opponents.
Themes
Karna doesn’t back down, however, and he destroys a shower of arrows headed at him. Ghatotkaca gets angry and is eager to strike Karna down. The two fight directly with each other. All of a sudden, Ghatotkaca vanishes, and everyone fears he will kill Karna while invisible. Hundreds of illusory weapons start coming at Karna from every angle. The other Kaurava fighters see this carnage and retreat in fear. Karna stands firm, but Ghatotkaca kills his horses, unseating him from his chariot.
Ghatotkaca’s illusions, which bolster his raw strength by adding an element of trickery, help him get an advantage over Karna. He manages to unseat Karna from his chariot, which is exactly what happened to Abhimanyu before his death on a previous day. Nevertheless, Karna’s refusal to retreat, even as his allies run away around him, shows that he isn’t out of the fight yet.
Themes
The destruction around Karna seems so great that many encourage him to use his special celestial weapon Spear from Indra. Although Karna has been saving the Spear for Arjuna, at last he agrees to use it on Ghatotkaca. The Spear immediately turns all of Ghatotkaca’s illusions to ashes and rips through his heart. As Ghatotkaca dies, his giant form falls down and smashes a section of the Kaurava army.
Karna’s decision to use the spear is an acknowledgement that if he had stuck with normal weapons, Ghatotkaca would have beaten him. Although he wins this battle, he loses his ability to use his powerful single-use Spear against Arjuna, potentially sealing his fate later. This is why Krishna advised Arjuna to let Ghatotkaca attack Karna first.
Themes
THE KILLING OF DRONA. All of the Pandavas grieve the fall of Ghatotkaca except Krishna, who rejoices. While Arjuna feels Krishna’s behavior is inappropriate, Krishna explains that now that Karna is without his Spear, Arjuna can finally defeat him. Additionally, if Ghatotkaca had not died in battle just then, Krishna himself would have had to kill him for the sake of dharma.
As the incarnation of the god Vishnu, Krishna’s focus is on the long term, and so he struggles to see the negative side of Ghatotkaca’s death, since it ultimately will help the Pandavas win the war. Krishna’s greater knowledge of dharma tells him that this was Ghatotkaca’s time to die, and so he rejoices that Ghatotkaca died a heroic death that will advance the Pandava cause.
Themes
When battle starts up on the 14th day, Yudhishthira fears what the loss of Ghatotkaca will do to his army and says they must take out the mighty enemy warriors like Drona and Karna. Many of the fighters are weary, but after a short break, the battle continues through the night and goes into the 15th day. Dhrishtadyumna leads an attack toward Drona, causing Duryodhana to rush to Drona’s reinforcement. As Duryodhana comes forward, Satyaki attacks him.
More and more high-ranking fighters have begun to fall in battle as the war begins to build toward a climax. Dhrishtadyumna is fated to kill Drona, but as this passage shows, the Kauravas are prepared for him, and he finds it difficult to get a clear opening.
Themes
Satyaki and Duryodhana exchange both sharp words and many volleys of arrows with each other. Yudhishthira commands Arjuna to try to drive away all the Kauravas fighting near Drona. Krishna advises Arjuna to temporarily put aside dharma and to use whatever trick it takes to get rid of Drona—specifically, he tells Arjuna to falsely tell Drona that his son Aśvatthaman has died. Although he’s reluctant, Arjuna agrees to this.
Krishna’s advice to ignore dharma for the sake of tactics is shocking but not entirely unprecedented, given that Krishna himself almost ignored dharma when he wanted to personally kill Bhishma. This passage complicates the morality poem, hinting at the paradoxical idea that, while dharma is often the most important thing, sometimes other concerns are even more important than dharma.
Themes
Bhima kills an elephant from his own army named Aśvatthaman, then tells Drona that “Aśvatthaman” is dead. Drona is heartbroken, believing his son is dead, although a part of him wonders if it’s a lie, since he believes no enemy could overcome Aśvatthaman. Drona continues to rain down destruction on the battlefield, killing tens of thousands of opponents. The Pandavas move in to attack Drona. Still unsure if his son is alive, Drona asks Yudhishthira if it’s true that Aśvatthaman has been slain. Reluctantly, Yudhishthira lies and says Aśvatthaman is dead. Drona believes the noble Yudhishthira and loses his will to live.
Bhima’s choice to kill an elephant named Aśvatthaman seems like an attempt to make their attack more dharma by adding an element of truth to their trick. In a way, the death of the elephant Aśvatthaman is in the same vein as other animal sacrifices from the poem, like the snake sacrifices or the horse sacrifice. Drona’s despair at hearing about the death of Aśvatthaman is understandable and also may have specific significance, since Aśvatthaman is Drona’s heir, and without him he doesn’t have anything to fight for.
Themes
Drona can’t fight like he used to. Dhrishtadyumna, who is destined to kill Drona, rushes forward to attack. The two of them engage in fierce battle, firing arrows back and forth. Drona manages to kill Dhrishtadyumna’s horses, forcing him out of his chariot. In turn, Dhrishtadyumna takes his sword and goes to slay Drona on foot. Drona readies an arrow to kill Dhrishtadyumna, but Satyaki intervenes to cut it off.
Even in his weakened, depressed state, Drona represents a formidable opponent, and it takes multiple Pandava allies to keep him under control even after he loses his chariot. Like many of the great figures in the poem, he does some of his best fighting in the moments before his death, adding to the overall depiction of warfare in this time period as a glorious spectacle.
Themes
Yudhishthira readies all his soldiers to charge at Drona. But Drona’s weapons blaze, and he keeps his many enemies at bay. He uses his Brahmin power to kill 100,000 Kshatriyas. Dhrishtadyumna advances toward Drona undeterred. Drona hits him with several arrows. Just then, Bhima comes up behind Drona and scolds him for supposedly being a Brahmin but neglecting dharma and non-violence. Ashamed, Drona puts down his weapons.
The casualty numbers for the unnamed soldiers continue to rise to show how the named heroes are fighting even more intensely. This scene is surprising, not just because a few words convince the mighty Drona to lay down his weapons, but specifically because those words come from Bhima, who has very little room to speak when it comes to practicing nonviolence.
Themes
Seeing Drona vulnerable as he is absorbed in Yoga, Dhrishtadyumna takes the opportunity to attack. Dhrishtadyumna is shocked as he sees Drona take on his final state, but only a few other mortals see this change. For everyone else, it just appears that Drona’s body bleeds out, pierced by arrows. Dhrishtadyumna approaches the corpse and severs Drona’s head. He throws the head into the Kaurava army, and many of them lose their will to fight. Meanwhile, the Pandavas celebrate. When the still-alive Aśvatthaman hears of his father’s death, he is full of anger.
This passage provides yet another example of the power of dharma, which causes Drona to stop fighting right in the middle of battle and perform Yoga. Although Dhristadyumna manages to defeat the mighty Drona—a feat that even warriors greater than himself couldn’t accomplish—his victory has an air of anticlimax to it. By taking on his final state before death, Drona arguably came out ahead in terms of dharma, since he died in such an enlightened state. Dhristadyumna, on the other hand, comes out of the encounter having made a powerful enemy in Aśvatthaman.
Themes
THE WEAPON OF NARAYANA. Dhritarashtra asks Samjaya to tell more about when Aśvatthaman heard about Drona’s death, and so Samjaya tells the story. After hearing of his father’s death, Aśvatthaman wants to use the celestial weapon that Drona received as a boon from Narayana (a form of Vishnu). He uses the weapon, and a mighty storm gathers. Aśvatthaman kills many of the battlefield but doesn’t succeed in killing Arjuna or Krishna. Meanwhile, the Pandavas argue among themselves about whether Drona’s killing was justified.
Aśvatthaman’s celestial weapon, which takes the form of a storm, acts as an embodiment of all the rage and frustration he feels after the death of his father. Despite the power of this rage, Aśvatthaman ultimately fails to kill either Arjuna or Krishna with his celestial weapon, suggesting that perhaps his rage caused him to act too rashly.
Themes
