The Samashapatakas created the half-moon battle formation and fought with Arjuna. Hundreds of arrows were launched against Arjuna, who successfully cut them down. The angry Arjuna started massacring the Samashapatakas and many of them fled the battlefield in panic. Susharma called them back, asking them to fight like heroes.
Arjuna then used the Twashtra weapon, causing illusions that made the opponents fight among themselves in confusion. Seeing them in this condition, a smiling Arjuna shot his arrows, killing them one by one. The entire Samashapataka army then shot arrows, making the sky dark. Arjuna invoked the Vayavya weapon to send the arrows flying away.
Meanwhile Drona attacked the Pandavas having formed the Garuda formation. Yudhishtira responded with a formation that resembled a half-circle. Dhrishtadyumna led the Pandava side and attacked Drona. Soon, the battlefield saw a shower of arrows with bodies of soldiers and animals falling.
Even as Drona moved to capture Yudhishtira, Satyajit protected him. Vrika came to Satyajit’s help and fiercely struck Drona. The angry Kaurava commander then killed Vrika. He then sent a shower of arrows that beheaded Satyajit. Seeing this, Yudhishtira fled from the scene.
Drona then proceeded to slaughter thousands of soldiers from the Pandava side. The Panchalas, Chedis, Kauravyas, Kekayas, and Srinjayas were massacred. Drona then killed the King Kshema and defeated Satyaki, Shikhandi, Uttamouja, and Kshatravarma. Yudhishtira again had to flee as the Pandavas were unable to face Drona.
Bheema then attacked the Kauravas and Karna moved to defend his forces. All the Pandava warriors, including Abhimanyu and the sons of Draupadi attacked Drona. Kritavarma took on Satyaki while Dushasana countered Bheema with the aim of protecting Drona. Yudhishtira and Shalya fought while Drupada faced Bahlika.
The King Bhutakarma was then killed by Nakula’s son Shatanika. Ghatotkacha used his magical powers to attack Drona but had to face Alambusha. Bheema put Duryodhana on the defensive and the Anga king came on an elephant to help Duryodhana. Bheema killed his elephant and cut off the head of the Anga king.
Bhagadatta seated on his mighty elephant Supratika, attacked Bheema. The battle was so fierce that Bheema went under the elephant. Seeing this, Yudhishtira and the Pandavas thought Bheema had been killed. The King of Dasharnas then attacked Bhagadatta but Supratika struck the elephant of the Dasharna king.
Bhagadatta then flung seven javelins and killed the Dasharna king. Bhagadatta’s elephant then destroyed Satyaki’s chariot. The Pragjyotisha king caused panic in the Pandava army. When Bheema came back on a chariot to attack Bhagadatta, the elephant showered water on Bheema’s horses, making them flee.
Bhagadatta killed Ruchiparva and his elephant ravaged the Pandava army. Seeing the cloud of dust from far, Krishna told Arjuna that it was time to take on Bhagadatta and stop him from destroying the Pandavas. Even as Arjuna decided to go and fight with Bhagadatta, more than 14,000 Samashapatakas challenged him.
Launching a terrible attack at them, Arjuna cut off their limbs and heads. Striking Susharma on the chest, he made him retreat. Arjuna then proceeded to take on Bhagadatta. When the elephant tried to crush his chariot, Krishna took Arjuna to the side. Arjuna could have killed the elephant but did not so as it would be adharma.
The two warriors then shot hundreds of arrows at each other. Arjuna broke Bhagadatta’s bow and he began to hurl spears at Arjuna. One of the spears hit Arjuna’s crown, dislodging it. The angry Arjuna then struck Bhagadatta all over his body with arrows. The angry son of Naraka then used the Vaishnavastra against Arjuna.
Krishna got up from his seat and took the weapon of Vishnu on his chest. The Vaishnavastra hit Krishna and turned into a garland of flowers. He then told Arjuna that Bhagadatta’s father Naraka had obtained his weapon from Vishnu thanks to the request of his mother Bhoodevi. Now that the weapon was used, Arjuna could defeat Naraka’s son.
Arjuna then showered arrows and killed the elephant Supratika. He then struck Bhagadatta in his heart and killed him. The king who was Indra’s friend, fell dead and Arjuna circumambulated him out of respect before continuing the battle. He then killed Shakuni’s brothers, Vrishaka and Achala.
An angry Shakuni then used his powers of Maya to create a shower of weapons. Arjuna used his divine powers to destroy all these weapons. When Shakuni created darkness, Arjuna used the jyotisha weapon to dispel the darkness. Shakuni then created a flood and Arjuna used the Aditya weapon to dry up the water.
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After all his maya failed, Shakuni fled from the scene. Arjuna then took on the Kaurava soldiers, massacring them ruthlessly, causing them to flee. Drona then took on the King Nila and destroyed his bow. When Nila charged at Drona with his sword, Drona cut off his head with a sharp arrow.
Bheema then fought with Drona and with Ashwatthama and Karna, who supported their commander. The battle became fierce as warriors from both sides assembled to take on each other. Rivers of blood streamed across the battlefield as corpses of dead soldiers and animals accumulated.
Karna then attacked Arjuna, who used a shower of arrows to repel his attack. Arjuna then killed Karna’s brother Shatrunjaya and Vipatha. Bheema then killed the protectors of Karna’s chariot and attacked Karna fiercely. Even as the two sides continued to fight, the sun disappeared from the sky and the two sides returned to their camps.