In the previous episode, we had witnessed Bhishmachaarya falling down once and forever at the Kurukshetra battlefield – Courtesy Shikhandi who came in between Arjuna and Bhishmachaarya while the fight was going on. As Shikhandi arrives in front, Bhishmachaarya loses the interest to fight any further and he allows Arjuna to hit him with his sharp arrows. Thus, with innumerable arrows piercing him, Bhishmachaarya falls onto the ground over a “bed of arrows”. His body doesn’t touch the ground and he remains over the arrow bed as everyone in the battlefield rush to have a glimpse of him. As everybody assemble around him, Bhishmachaarya declares that he is going to be alive for a few more months until the “Uttharayanam” season sets in. Currently during the war, the “Dakshinaayanam” season is on, and since Bhishmachaarya has the unique authority to decide when he should die, he chooses to wait until the “Uttharayanam” season kicks in.
As this happens, Sanjaya is narrating all these events to King Dhritarashtra at Hastinapura. Now we shall shift our scene to King Dhritarashtra here and he asks Sanjaya thus, “Oh Sanjaya! I’m shocked to know that the great Bhishmachaarya has fallen down on the ground! How can this happen? I did not even imagine in my wildest dreams that such an incident would ever take place! Bhishmachaarya is a “Guru” or an “Aachaarya” to all of us! If the “Aachaarya” himself is falling down, how will the others around him be alive? What kind of a disaster is this?” as King Dhritarashtra asks this with a huge disbelief, Sanjaya replies back thus, “Oh King Dhritarashtra! All this is the game of time! Nobody can do anything about this! It is bound to happen and I do not have anything much to say in this!” With this, Sanjaya gives a diplomatic answer to King Dhritarashtra who is still in a state of shock and disbelief!
Moving on further with what is happening at Kurukshetra, as Bhishmachaarya falls, the war is called off for the day as everybody is busy assembling around him. As the night falls by, Duryodhana is still there near Bhishmachaarya with tears in his eyes. Bhishmachaarya calls Duryodhana near him and tries to advise him once again thus, “Oh Duryodhana! You’ve done a great mistake! I’ve told you several times in the past to not go against Yudishtra and Co., but you failed to pay heed to my words. Now see what is unfolding! Oh Duryodhana! Defeating the Paandava brothers on an ordinary occasion with a mere “show of strength” is easy, but now it is not possible. This is because they stand by the “Dharma” and Bhagawan Krishna is beside them. Please understand – Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna are the Nara-Narayana combination which has incarnated in this world to restore “Dharma”. Please do not go against them and if you do so, there is no use of doing so! You will certainly be on the losing side! Oh Duryodhana! It is not just about being on the losing side alone – You’re going to be the sole person responsible for the killing of thousands and thousands of people around you, including your own Kaurava brothers!”
As Bhishamchaarya says thus, Yudishtra and his Paandava brothers come up to see him. Arjuna is all in tears and is feeling guilty within himself for what had happened. Upon looking at Arjuna crying profusely, Bhishmachaarya calls him near and requests a “pillow” for his hanging head! As Bhishmachaarya says thus, immediately many people come up with large cushion pillows and mattresses to comfort him, however, Bhishmachaarya wants something else! He says to Arjuna thus, “Oh Arjuna! You’re one of the greatest warriors I’ve ever seen till date and with your own hands, pull out a few arrows, aim them near my head and make a pillow out of them to rest my head there!”
Upon Bhishmachaarya’s request, Arjuna pulls out his bow and aims two arrows near his face. Both of them beautifully balance his head in between them and this makes Bhishmachaarya very happy and comfortable! So for today, let us understand up to this point and in the next episode, we shall continue this discussion further! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 