Extra Credit Reading Notes, The Five Tall Sons of Pandu Part B

   Bibliography: Richard Wilson, The Indian Story Book: The Five Tall Sons of Pandu

-Duryodhana doesn't like the fact Yudhishthira was named king of his realm so he wants war. 

-Krishna's brother wants to make peace but a warrior of Krishna's clan calls for war. (Satyaki is the warrior)

-Drupada thinks they should seek allies.

-When the great armies first meet on the battlefield, Arjuna hesitates to attack as enemies his own uncle and cousins and also his teacher Drona. Krishna persuades him to obey Duty (Dharma), and Arjuna agrees. (pg 102)

-Bhisma leads Duryodhana's army to an advantage on the first day. The second day is opposite, Arjuna and the Pandavas come back fighting.

-Bhima slays many of Duryodhana's brothers but almost dies, but the battle must go on. 

-Fighting for the Pandavas was Shikhandin, who had been born a woman but transformed into a man, a warrior destined to bring about Bhishma's death. Bhishma would not fight someone who was born a woman, and so he lowered his guard when meeting Shikhandin in battle, and at that moment the Pandavas shot him full of arrows. Bhishma does not die right away, however, and instead lies on a bed of arrows, surrounded by the princes of both sides who weep for him. (I copied this directly from the notes because I feel this is very important) (pg 105).

-Before Bhisma dies, he wants Duryodhana to make peace but he doesn't want to and refused.

-Arjuna finds out his brother is Bhishma and that he was raised from a foster father. He learns that he was the first born of Kunti.

-Drona takes Bhishma's spot as general. Duryodhana gets angry at Drona and threatens to replace him with Karna.

-Bhima kills the elephant, Aswathaman. Dhrishtadyumna sees his father dead and kills Drona. Karna is now the general.

-Karna and Arjunas battle is a draw.

-Karna then encounters Yudhishthira and they fight but same result, a draw.

-Karna breaks Arjuna's bow and he asks to get a new weapon but Karna continues to fight. He repairs his bow. 

-Arjuna eventually kills Karna with his bow and he falls dead on the field.

-Duryodhana puts Shalya in command. When Yudhishthira kills Shalya, Duryodhana flees into the forest near a lake.

-Pandavas eventually find Duryodhana and Bhima knocks him unconscious.

-When Duryodhana comes to, he sees Ashwathaman standing there. Ashwathaman explains that he has killed all the sons of the Pandavas. Duryodhana then dies.

-Pritha (Kunti) revealed to the Pandavas that Karna was also her son, and that Arjuna had thus killed his own brother. The Pandavas therefore mourned over Karna and all their other losses

Pandavas and their mom journey