Advise!

 

The son of Dhritrāshtra named Citrasena rushed at Bhima while riding his chariot. Bhima ran to meet him & while brandishing his upraised mace menacingly, he roared terrifyingly. When they saw Bhima’s ferocious feature, all Kaurava soldiers began to run away. When Bhima hurled his mace, Chitrasena managed to jump on ground, while his chariot, horses & driver were smashed to pulp.

Vikarna quickly came back & took his brother away to safety

 

Bhisma rushed at Yudhisthira & seeing this, all Pāndava warriors considered their king to be already in the jaws of death. Yudhisthira showered his well-aimed arrows at Bhisma, as did Nakula & Sahadev, who were protecting his chariot wheels. Still, Bhisma killed Yudhisthira’s horses & he had to get on to Nakula’s chariot

 

As Bhisma continued showering his arrows, Yudhisthira ordered the Pāndava army to launch al all-out attack. The result, however, was that the Grandsire created a great carnage of the onrushing foe. Shikhandi charged at Bhisma, challenging him to fight. However, Bhisma remembered that the prince had formerly been a girl & so he carefully avoided him

 

As Sun began to set, both armies retired to their camps for the night. In evening, the warriors refreshed themselves by enjoying musical entertainment, briefly forgetting the trials of battle

 

As the 2 armies rushed at each other on the 8^th day next morning, Bhisma & Dhārtarāshtrās began to create a great slaughter amongst Pāndava warriors. Bhima came to oppose Bhisma & after a brief skirmish managed to kill Grandsire’s driver so that the unguided horses carried him away from battlefield

 

Bhima quickly beheaded Dhritrāshtra’s son Sunabha & when 7 more Dhārtarāshtrās rushed at him in retaliation, Bhima severed their heads as well. All other brothers fearfully fled, considering Bhima’s vow to kill them will certainly come true. Duryodhana became very aggrieved witnessing death of his brothers. He went to Bhisma complaining: You seem to be taking part in this battle only as a spectator. Due to this all my brothers are being slain

 

Bhisma tolerated this insult & said: You may remember how Vidura, Drona, Gāndhari & numerous others, including me had previously warned you that this will happen. Pāndavās are unconquerable & thus both Drona & I’ll surely have to lay down our lives in battle. You should also fight wholeheartedly with the Pāndavās and thus go to heaven along with rest of us

 

Duryodhana was agitated hearing this!

 

When we strive to communicate wisdom, which is like a medicine to cure people of their misconceptions, we may speak truth with best intent, but it may trigger excessive agitation among audience. This agitation may overshadow good intention of speaker & can fall to deaf ear

 

Gita states that we should not just speak the truth, but also speak it in a way that benefits the audience, while simultaneously at least not agitating them inordinately & at best pleasing them

 

Do we? Thoughts? #gameoflife