According to Gregorian calendar dating, The last day of the great epic war, Mahabharat war, fell on November 2. On this day, Yudhisthir, Dhristdyumn, Shikhandi fight Shalya, who enraged at the way Arjun and Krishna killed Karna when he was helpless, fights with a renewed vigor. Bheem kills Shalya’s horses and charioteer, which enrages Shalya, and they then begin mace fight, which ends in no result.
Later, Yudhisthir uses the golden dart, which he received as gift from Lord Shiva and uses it to kill his uncle Shalya who is cut in half. Duryodhan is missing from the battle-field, which creates chaos in the army, Bheem uses this opportunity to kill all of the remaining Kuru cousins- Killing 98 of all his cousins in the war- and only 2 kaurav remain- Duryodhan and Sudarshan. Bheem quickly kills Sudarshan with an arrow.
Sahdev kills Shakuni and his son Uluka thereby fulfilling his vow of killing Shakuni- the mastermind of the game of dice. Duryodhan fearing for his life hides in the lake Dwaipayana along with his mace. Which is known to Ashwathama, Kripavarman and Kripacharya.Pandavas come to know of this from the Vetalas who over-heard the remaining kauravas talking near the lake. On hearing this news, the Pandavas, along with, Krishna, Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, Draupadi and Shikhandi run towards the lake. Hearing pandavas coming, Ashwathama, Kripacharya and Kripavarman run away from the spot.
After a lot of convincing Duryodhan comes out of the lake and mace fights Bheem. Krishna knows that Duryodhan is more skilled than Bheem and that this duel cannot be won fair and square. He then thumps his thighs while Bheem was looking and then he remembers that he vowed to kill Duryodhan by breaking his thighs when he showed his naked thigh to Panchali and asked her to sit on it.
So Bheem then jumps and hits his mace on Duryodhan’s thigh, breaking the rule of this mace fight.
Duryodhan then starts blaming Lord Krishna for the war, to which Lord Krishna simply reminds him of his deeds and that for him his friend Panchali’s tears, her anguish and Pandu son’s honor was more important than fighting the war ethically. Thus saying they all leave Duryodhan lying in his pool of blood near the lake.
The news of Duryodhan’s fate reached the Kaurava camp, everyone were distraught but Aswathama was anguished. He stealthily went to Pandava camp at night and mistook the Upa-pandavas; sons of Pandavas and Draupadi to be the Pandu sons and beheads them, kills Dhristhdyumna and Shikhandin and killed them and burned the camp.
Ashwathama takes the head of the upa-pandavas and Duryodhanthat he kiiled pandu sons, which he feels and dies happily.
After Dhristdyumn’s charioteer escapes and informs remaining pandavas about this incident, Bheem, Arjun and Krishna rush to avenge their son’s death. Seeing Bheemand Arjun alive, Ashwathama realizes that he killed Pandavas’ sons. To this Ashwathama then invokes Brahmasirisha and Arjun invokes the same. Vyasa and Narada rebukes Ashwathama and requests both Arjun and Ashwathama to recall their astras back, which Arjun does, but Ashwathama has no knowledge of.
So Sage Vyasa then asks him to send the astra to some remote part of the earth; but Ashwathama still in rage, sends the astra towards the womb of Uttara who was pregnant with Abhimanyu’s son thereby killing it. Krishna and Arjun were enraged and it was then that Lord Krishna snatched the mani from Ashwathama’s fore-head and cursed Ashwathama that he must bear the fruits of his sins, since had killed sleeping children and warriors, he will roam for more than three thousand years on earth till the end of kal-yug, without a companion. He will have no place among men and that the stench of pus and blood shall emanate from his body. He shall suffer from various diseases. And no one shall ever be sympathetic towards him. Thus, he was driven out.
Lord Krishna then goes to Uttara, and revives the unborn baby, naming it Parikshit, the tested one.
By: Archa Dave
