On the 1st day of the war, the two sides assembled in the Kurukshetra battlefield before dawn waiting for the sun to rise. The Kaurava side had a powerful formation with soldiers facing all sides. In response to this formation, the Pandavas used the Vajra (thunderbolt) formation with Bheema at the head.
As the two sides awaited the start of the day’s battle, Arjuna asked Krishna to take him towards the Kaurava army as he wanted to see his opponents. Seeing the grandsire Bheeshma, his teachers Drona and Kripa, Arjuna was despondent. He told Krishna that he could not fight his own loved ones and kill them.
Krishna then advised Arjuna about life, death, and karma. Krishna told Arjuna that a person never dies. The soul of the person survives death and is permanent. It is only the outer body that is shed. He reminded Arjuna of his dharma as a Kshatriya.
Asking Arjuna to do his duty as a warrior, Krishna revealed his divine form. Arjuna was energized seeing the form and ready for battle.
Before the war started Yudhishtira walked to Bheeshma, Drona, Kripa, and Shalya and sought their blessings. Yudhishtira then made an announcement inviting anyone who wanted to change sides from the Kaurava camp to come to the side of Dharma.
Dhritarashtra’s son, Yuyutsu then decided to change sides. He left the Kauravas and joined the Pandava camp.
The commanders of the two sides, Bheeshma and Dhristadyumna then sounded the conch to signify the start of the day’s battle. The two sides charged at each other as the ground shook. Bheema who as at the head of the Kaurava formation roared and launched a furious attack on the Kauravas.
Duryodhana ordered his warriors to protect Bheeshma as he attacked the Pandava side. Arjuna took on Bheeshma while his son Abhimanyu fought Vrihadvala of Kosala. Vrihadvala brought down Abhimanyu’s flag. A furious Abhimanyu cut Vrihadvala’s flag, killed his charioteer, and attacked him furiously.
Bahlika attacked Dhristaketu while Drona fought with Dhristadyumna. The two rakshasas Bheema’s son Ghatotkacha and Rishyshringa’s son Alambusha clashed with each other. Virata attacked Bhagadatta of Pragjyotisha but was repulsed.
Kuntibhoja fought with Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti. Vikarna fought against Bheema’s son Sutasoma while Shakuni fought against Yudhishtira’s son Prativindhya.
Throughout the day, the warriors fought with each other as bodies began to pile up. Bheeshma smashed the Pandava formation slaughtering them. An angry Abhimanyu took on the grandsire and brought down Bheeshma’s standard with the palmyra flag. The Pandavas came to Abhimanyu’s support as the Kauravas attacked him.
Uttara, the son of Virata riding on an elephant, attacked Shalya. The elephant killed Shalya’s horses but the Madra king flung a spear that smashed Uttara’s armour and pierced his heart killing him. Uttara’s brother Shweta then angrily attacked Shalya.
Bheeshma’s prowess in the battle was terrible. He let loose thousands of arrows that killed Pandava soldiers by the thousands. He killed the brave Shweta who fought furiously against the Kauravas. None of the Pandavas could stop Bheeshma’s attack.
At the end of the day, Arjuna was dispirited seeing the way Bheeshma dominated the battlefield but he was consoled by Krishna who told him that with brave warriors like Satyaki and Dhristadyumna on their side, they would prevail.