Tolerate!


Susarma & the Trigartas came to assist Drona, sending torrents of arrows. In retaliation Arjuna invoked a vayavya weapon that created such strong winds that not only were many gigantic trees felled, but numerous Trigarta warriors were killed & rest fearfully retreated. Drona counteracted vayavya weapon with Saila weapon to calm things


Duryodhana sent a huge elephant division against Bhima, who then picked up his mace & jumped from chariot. As he exterminated elephants, the huge beasts panicked & in stampede that followed they crushed to death many Kaurava soldiers


At noon, Bhisma flared up with great energy & began killing Pandava soldiers by thousands. To check him, all great Pandava chariot warriors rushed upon the scene & so all leading Kaurava heroes also joined the fray. In that great conflict the carnage became so gruesome that many warriors exclaimed: To hell with Duryodhana, for he is causing the destruction of all ksatriyas on earth!


Duryodhana heard these painful criticisms & went to Bhisma, Drona, Krpa and Salya. With very harsh words he ordered them to fight without further procrastination. Being prodded in this way, the commanders of Kaurava army resumed fighting with renewed vigor, determined to convince Duryodhana of their eagerness for battle


Thus even though Pandava army led by Bhima, Yudhisthira, Satyaki,

Dhrstadyumna, Nakula & Sahadeva surrounded Bhisma, showering upon him unlimited arrows, the Grandsire responded by blazing up like a fire fed with ghee. Indeed, that afternoon he inflicted Pandava forces with devastating losses, killing more than 14,000 chariot warriors & exclamations of woe were heard on all sides


Seeing this grave situation, Sri Krsna said: Arjuna, the time has come for you to fight against Bhisma. You should remember your vow to kill him & thus fulfill your duty as a ksatriya


Arjuna hung his head down as he listened to Sri Krsna. Then, while raising his eyes, Arjuna replied: O Krsna, my alternatives are certainly bleak! Either I'll have to kill my superiors & suffer in hell or else give up this fight and spend rest of my life in forest. My dear Lord, even though I'll execute Your command to fight with Bhisma, I must admit that I've no desire to do so


Arjuna ordered Krsna to take him to where Bhisma was staying. When Pandava army saw this, they rallied. When Bhisma saw Arjuna approach, he roared like a lion & shot forth torrents of arrows. Arjuna remained undaunted & retaliated by shooting an arrow that smashed Bhisma’s bow to pieces


mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ

āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata


In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonpermanent appearances & disappearances of happiness & distress. One has to follow prescribed rules & regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to platform of knowledge, because by knowledge & devotion only can one liberate himself from the clutches of māyā (illusion)


Do we? #gameoflife

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