Mahabharata Podcast Episode 80 - Kurukshetra, Day 18: Shalya & the dissolution of the Kauravas
Nov 9, 2011
00:00
Episode 80 - This episode covers the final day of the great war. If you were expecting things to go out with a bang, you'll be disappointed. Once the Kaurava general Shalya is killed, things just sort of disintegrate. Duryodhana's remaining brothers are all killed. Shakuni is killed. Karna's sons are exterminated. The Pandavas make one final sweep over the field, killing literally everyone who was left standing. They spend the rest of the day sifting through the corpses in search of Duryodhana.
By this point, the only survivors are Krpa, Aswatthaman, Kritavarman, Sanjay, & Duryodhana. Everyone else is dead. The Pandavas still have their tight group of heroes and Draupadi's sons, but most of their troops are dead.
Duryodhana finds himself standing alone, abandoned & on foot in the midst of the battlefield. Everyone is dead or has fled the scene. Stunned, he wanders off the field and makes his way aimlessly towards Hastinapur. Sanjay finds his prince, filthy in blood & gore, in a state of shock, standing by a lake shore. When the Kaurava finally comes to his senses, he submerges himself into the lake, where he intends to rest, indefinitely.
Aside from Duryodhana, blind king Dhrtarastra still has one son yet living. It is his illegitimate son Yuyutsu, who had joined with the Pandavas at the beginning of the war. He is given leave to comfort his brothers' retainers & womenfolk and returns with them to Hastinapur. There are no recriminations for his having gone over to the enemy. Now they are just glad that some one son of Dhrtarastra has survived to carry on the line.
By this point, the only survivors are Krpa, Aswatthaman, Kritavarman, Sanjay, & Duryodhana. Everyone else is dead. The Pandavas still have their tight group of heroes and Draupadi's sons, but most of their troops are dead.
Duryodhana finds himself standing alone, abandoned & on foot in the midst of the battlefield. Everyone is dead or has fled the scene. Stunned, he wanders off the field and makes his way aimlessly towards Hastinapur. Sanjay finds his prince, filthy in blood & gore, in a state of shock, standing by a lake shore. When the Kaurava finally comes to his senses, he submerges himself into the lake, where he intends to rest, indefinitely.
Aside from Duryodhana, blind king Dhrtarastra still has one son yet living. It is his illegitimate son Yuyutsu, who had joined with the Pandavas at the beginning of the war. He is given leave to comfort his brothers' retainers & womenfolk and returns with them to Hastinapur. There are no recriminations for his having gone over to the enemy. Now they are just glad that some one son of Dhrtarastra has survived to carry on the line.