Shalya Parva

After that extraordinary, heart-rending end of Karna's, deep grief and despair spread throughout the entire Kaurava army, and Duryodhana, even amid this terrible crisis, remained firm in his unshakable resolve to continue the war.

The question of choosing a suitable warrior for the post of commander arose once again, and Duryodhana turned to his uncle, Shalya, king of Madra, who was renowned throughout the whole of India for his unmatched skill and experience in war.

Shalya, accepting this request of his nephew Duryodhana's, gave his word that, with his full valor and experience, he would lead this final, most decisive phase of the war, whatever the outcome might be.

Duryodhana, with this new commander of his, cherished the hope of turning the dice of war in his favor through one final, all-powerful effort, though a deep apprehension also prevailed throughout the entire Kaurava army that the chance of victory had now grown exceedingly slim.

Thus, the backdrop was set for the eighteenth, final day of this terrible great war, in which the remaining armies of both sides became fully ready for one final, all-destroying struggle.

This eighteenth day's battle proved one of the most terrible, most all-destroying phases of this entire great war; both armies resolved to fall upon each other with all their remaining strength and courage.

Shalya, on this first and last day of his command, displaying exceedingly extraordinary valor, caused heavy destruction in many parts of the Pandava army, and, challenging many great warriors, advanced even toward Yudhishthira himself.

In the midst of this, Sahadeva confronted his lifelong enemy Shakuni, who, through that deceitful game of dice, had brought so many calamities into the lives of all the Pandavas; Sahadeva, with that long-accumulated anger in his heart, fell upon Shakuni.

Sahadeva, after an exceedingly fierce duel, finally slew Shakuni, fulfilling the final vengeance for that deceitful game of dice and the thirteen years of exile and humiliation it had brought upon the Pandavas.

With this end of Shakuni's, the Kaurava army's morale suffered yet another deep blow, and it became clear that the final outcome of this war had now tilted entirely toward the Pandavas.

Shalya, with his extraordinary valor, finally came before Dharmaraja Yudhishthira himself, and an exceedingly fierce, historic duel began between the two — this was a battle in which Yudhishthira himself had to display the supreme extent of his skill in arms.

Yudhishthira, who was generally regarded as a symbol of dharma and peace, at this final, decisive moment, revealing that extraordinary Kshatriya fire hidden within him, began responding to each of Shalya's attacks with exceeding skill.

A fierce rain of arrows passed between the two great warriors, and Yudhishthira, employing all his accumulated anger, patience, and skill, finally invoked an exceedingly powerful Shakti weapon, piercing Shalya's heart and bringing about his end.

The entire battlefield stood stunned to see this unexpected event — that Yudhishthira, who was always regarded as averse to war and of a peace-loving nature, had himself brought about the end of another great commander of this war.

With this end of Shalya's, the Kaurava army now became entirely leaderless and disorganized, and such a wave of fear and despair swept through its remaining soldiers that flight became their only option.

After the end of both Shalya and Shakuni, the two principal commanders, complete disorder and a rout spread through the Kaurava army; many soldiers began attempting to flee the battlefield to save their lives.

The Pandava army, taking advantage of this opportunity, launched a fierce, final attack on the remaining Kaurava army, bringing about its almost complete destruction; only a handful of warriors managed to survive this terrible slaughter.

Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, and Kritavarma, some great warriors who somehow survived this terrible destruction, began trying to withdraw from the battlefield along with Duryodhana, knowing well that the situation ahead was now exceedingly critical.

Duryodhana, losing his entire army, all his brothers, and his beloved friends and commanders in this manner on the battlefield, began to experience deep grief, anger, and unbearable pain, yet he refused to surrender.

Thus, this terrible great war, which had lasted eighteen days, reached its final, most destructive phase, in which the entire army of the Kaurava side had been, almost completely, destroyed.

Duryodhana, sunk in deep grief over the destruction of his entire army and the death of all his loved ones, fled alone from the battlefield toward the forest, not knowing where to take refuge next.

Wandering here and there, Duryodhana finally reached a lake called Dwaipayana, and, using his yogic power and magical knowledge, froze the water of that lake and hid himself within it, hoping that he could remain safe there for some time.

In the midst of this, some fleeing, exhausted Kaurava soldiers happened to reveal this secret of where Duryodhana was hiding to some hunters resting in the forest, and this news soon reached the Pandavas as well, through various sources.

Yudhishthira, hearing this news, set out with his brothers and Krishna toward that Dwaipayana lake, taking the firm resolve that the final, decisive end to this long-standing, terrible enmity must now surely come.

Thus, the final chapter of this great war now awaited, on the banks of a lake, that final, fate-ordained struggle between Duryodhana and the Pandavas.

The Pandavas, along with Krishna, arrived at the banks of that Dwaipayana lake, and Yudhishthira, in an exceedingly loud, firm voice, challenging Duryodhana hiding within the lake, dared him not to display his cowardice in this manner by hiding in the water.

Yudhishthira reminded Duryodhana that a true Kshatriya never flees the battlefield in this manner to protect his life by hiding in water, and challenged him to come out and face battle with honor.

Duryodhana, with that immense anger and pain of humiliation accumulated within him, answering from within the lake itself, began saying that he had lost no weapon at all, but was merely resting for a time to relieve his fatigue.

Yudhishthira, in answer to this reply of Duryodhana's, gave him one final, exceedingly honorable proposal — that he come out, choose any one warrior from among the Pandavas, and settle the final outcome of this entire war through mace-combat alone.

Duryodhana, hearing this proposal, with that final, desperate hope within him, finally decided to come out of the lake, believing that in mace-combat, no Pandava could easily defeat him.

Duryodhana, with his full dignity and remaining confidence, emerged from that Dwaipayana lake, and declared before the Pandavas that he was ready to challenge any one warrior from among the Pandavas to mace-combat.

Duryodhana, holding complete faith in his extraordinary skill in mace-combat, knew well that in this particular art of war, apart from Bhima himself, no other Pandava was capable of facing him.

Bhima, without any delay, stepped forward, accepting this challenge of Duryodhana's, remembering that this was the very same Duryodhana who had humiliated Draupadi before the full assembly, and who had grievously insulted her by displaying his thigh.

Yudhishthira, though he held complete faith in Bhima's own superiority in mace-combat, was nevertheless somewhat worried, for Duryodhana had received training in mace-combat from Balarama for years, and he too was extraordinarily skilled in this art.

Thus, the final verdict of this long-standing, terrible great war now rested upon that final, decisive mace-combat to take place between Bhima and Duryodhana, which Krishna, Arjuna, and the other Pandavas themselves also came to witness.

Bhima and Duryodhana, both carrying their own vast, heavy maces, came to stand facing each other on a vast, level ground, and this mace-combat that began between them proved one of the most fierce, thrilling duels of the entire Mahabharata.

Both great warriors, with exceeding skill, avoiding each other's blows and striking terrible blows with their own maces, remained engaged in this battle for a long time, and neither of them was able to clearly gain the upper hand.

Duryodhana, displaying his extraordinary skill and strength, succeeded several times in inflicting grave injury upon Bhima, and seeing this, Krishna himself, along with all the Pandavas present, began to experience deep worry.

Bhima, remembering within himself that terrible humiliation of Draupadi's, and his years of accumulated anger and vow, continued striking blow after blow at Duryodhana with his full strength and courage, but Duryodhana's armor and skill did not allow him to be easily defeated.

This battle continued for a long time, and the remaining soldiers of the armies on both sides, and the Pandavas and Krishna themselves too, continued watching this exceedingly thrilling, uncertain-outcome battle with great eagerness and worry.

When this mace-combat continued for a long time, and Bhima seemed unable to achieve a clear victory before Duryodhana's extraordinary skill, Krishna, through an exceedingly subtle, profound signal, reminded Arjuna of something.

Krishna reminded Arjuna of that old, long-standing vow of Bhima's, in which he had promised that he would shatter that very thigh of Duryodhana's with his mace, which Duryodhana had displayed to grievously insult Draupadi before the full assembly.

Arjuna, understanding this signal of Krishna's, placed his hand on his own thigh, giving Bhima this profound signal — though this was entirely contrary to the established rules of mace-combat, for according to these rules, striking below the waist was considered forbidden.

Bhima, at once understanding this signal of Arjuna's, and once again remembering that long-standing vow of his and Draupadi's terrible humiliation, leaping with exceeding speed, struck his vast mace directly against Duryodhana's thigh.

This blow was so terrible and powerful that both of Duryodhana's thighs were shattered, and that vast, valiant warrior, screaming, fell to the ground drenched in blood.

Seeing this exceedingly terrible, rule-violating fall of Duryodhana's, Balarama, who arrived there at that very moment, having returned from his long pilgrimage, and who had himself been the mace-combat guru of both Bhima and Duryodhana, grew exceedingly angry.

Balarama, expressing grave objection to this rule-violating, unrighteous blow, rebuked Bhima in harsh words, and, picking up his plow, advanced to attack Bhima himself, declaring that he must certainly be punished for this adharma.

Krishna, at once understanding this exceedingly critical situation, stepped forward before Balarama, and, with great humility and reasoning, reminded him that Duryodhana and his allies had committed far more unrighteous acts than this throughout this entire war.

Krishna also reminded Balarama that this vow of Bhima's was itself vengeance for Draupadi's terrible humiliation, and that destiny itself had decided that Duryodhana's end should come through the very limb with which he had committed that grave crime.

Balarama, somewhat calmed by these reasoned words of Krishna's, nevertheless returned from that place toward Hastinapur in an exceedingly distressed state of mind, and this incident, along with this victory, forever attached a controversial, moral question mark.

Duryodhana, after both his thighs were shattered, lay on the ground amid exceedingly unbearable pain and loss of blood, awaiting his final moments, knowing that his end was now near.

Yudhishthira and the other Pandavas, seeing this exceedingly pitiable, painful state of Duryodhana's, experienced deep compassion for a few moments, though they also felt deep satisfaction at this long-awaited, final victory.

In the midst of this, Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, and Kritavarma, who had somehow survived this war and arrived there, were filled with deep grief and anger upon seeing their fallen, dying friend and king Duryodhana.

Duryodhana, even amid this unbearable pain, calling Ashwatthama to his side, appointed him the final commander of the Kaurava army, and requested him to somehow avenge this humiliating defeat upon the Pandavas.

Ashwatthama, honoring this final wish of his king and friend, burning with an exceedingly terrible fire of vengeance, set out from there with a plan that was to give rise to that exceedingly terrible, nocturnal event of the coming Sauptika Parva.

With this exceedingly terrible, pitiable fall of Duryodhana's, the main struggle on the battlefield of this eighteen-day terrible great war effectively came to an end, and no principal warrior of the Kaurava side now remained alive and fighting.

Yudhishthira and the other Pandavas returned toward their camp with mixed feelings over this final victory of this long, exceedingly painful war — on one hand the satisfaction of victory, and on the other, deep grief over the loss of their countless loved ones.

Krishna, in the midst of this entire course of events, knew well that although the main struggle on the battlefield had ended, that fire of vengeance burning in Ashwatthama's heart could still give rise to an exceedingly terrible, unexpected crisis.

The entire battlefield of Kurukshetra, after this eighteen-day terrible slaughter, presented an exceedingly poignant, tragic sight, with the bodies of countless heroes, broken chariots, and blood-soaked ground.

Thus the Shalya Parva reaches its conclusion with Shalya's brief command, Shakuni's end, Shalya's own end at Yudhishthira's hands, and finally that exceedingly terrible, controversial mace-combat between Bhima and Duryodhana. In the next parva, the Sauptika Parva, the story of an exceedingly terrible, heart-rending event to occur this very night will be told.