Hari Om,
Here is the class update for last week.
Stotram: We chanted the Devi dhyana shloka and Mahishasura Mardini stotram.
Mahabharata: Today we saw Karna visiting Bhishma in a bed of arrows, paying his respects. Bhishma spoke well of him and mentioned that he knew well that Karna was Kunti's son and that he should fight with the Pandavas. Karna said that he could not desert Duryodhana and he would fight for him. This is the end of Bhishma parva.Sanjaya hastened to Hastinapura to narrate the events of the war and the fall of Bhishma to Dhritarashtra. Day 11 marked the start of Drona parva. Drona was appointed the next commander in chief of the Kaurava army. Duryodhana asked him to capture Yudhishtra and thereby end the war. Drona naively thought Duryodhana was trying to not kill or harm the Pandavas, but Duryodhana explained that he simply intended to capture Yudhishtra so he can defeat him again in a dice game and regain the kingdom. The Acharya made every attempt to capture Yudhishtra, but was thwarted by Arjuna. At this time to keep Arjuna away, the Trigarta brothers challenged Arjuna. Drupada's son Satyajit tried to save Yudhisthira but Drona killed Satyajit. At the end of that day, Duryodhana was unhappy and totally disappointed that Yudhisthira was not captured. On Day 12, the Trigarta kings, headed by Susharma challenge Arjuna, having vowed to fight till death, taking the samasaptaka oath. Dronacharya and the others try to get closer to where Yudhisthira was but were not able to capture him as Bhima was protecting him. As Bhima was unstoppable in reducing the mighty Kaurava army to its weakest, Duryodhana sent the elderly but fierce warrior Bhagadatta to fight Bhima. He was so old and had droopy eyelids, a silk piece of cloth supported the eyelids to keep them covering his face. He rode a fearsome elephant called Supratika and together they stopped Bhima from further damaging the Kaurava army. Bhima got terribly wounded and hearing this Arjuna, stopped Susarma and army temporarily and rushed to help Bhima. He carefully aimed a poisonous arrow at Supratika and paralysed the elephant. Bhagadatta aimed the Vaishnavastra on Arjuna but Krishna took it and the astra turned into a garland on the Lord. Arjuna then killed Bhagadatta and his elephant Supratika.
The Trigarta kings challenge Arjuna and draw him away from the main battle. Dronacharya planned for the Chakravyuha or Padma vyuha. In Arjuna's absence, Abhimanyu was the only warrior on the Pandavas' side who knew how to penetrate the vyuha but he did not know how to exit the vyuha. Yudhishtra assures Abhimanyu that they would be right behind him and protect him once he breaks the chakra vyuha. Abhimanyu breaks the Kaurava formation and enters, but Jayadradha king of Sindu, Husband of Dushala the only Kaurava princess, armed with the boon from Lord Shiva that enabled him to hold off the entire Pandava army for a day, blocks the opening created by Abhimanyu and closes the chakra vyuha stopping the rest of the Pandava brothers from their entry into the vyuha. Abhimanyu, the young boy of just 17 years, faced the entire Kaurava army, as a single person. He faces mighty warriors like Drona, Krpa, Karna, Kritavarma, Duryodhana, Dussasana,Shakuni, Shalya and Aswathama among other kauravas. He kills Duryodhana's son, Lakshmana. Unable to beat him individually, the Kaurava leaders feel helpless. Shakuni comes up with the diabolical plan to join forces and attack Abhimanyu. Drona agrees and six warriors surround him and attack his weapons, his chariot and charioteer. This simultaneous, adharmic attack left Abhimanyu disarmed and with no chariot. With no weapon with him, he picks up a wheel and tries to defend and attack the opponents. Dussasana's son came at him with a mace and in the battle that ensued, Abhimanyu was overpowered and as he was trying to get up and defend himself, he was hit on the head with the mace. Thus ended the life of brave Abhimanyu who was equal in courage and skill to his father, Arjuna. The elated Kauravas danced around the brave warrior's body, inviting disgust from the sages and divine beings who were witnessing the battle. The battle for the day ended, with Drona still unable to capture Yudhishtra.
