Narrated by Kumar Varun.

Just before the battle of Kurukshetra began, Yudhishthira surprised everyone by removing his armor and weapons and walking unarmed towards the Kaurava elders. His brothers feared he might be surrendering, but Krishna explained that Yudhishthira was seeking the blessings of the elders like Bhishma and Drona before the fight, as a mark of respect and adherence to dharma. The elders blessed him and predicted his victory, even though they were bound to fight for the Kauravas. The battle then commenced with both sides engaging in fierce combat. Sources, Bibliography, and Suggested further readings: 1. Vyasa, Maharishi. Mahabharata. Translated by C. Rajagopalachari, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1951. 2. Vyasa, Maharishi. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa. Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, 1883–1896. Available in the public domain. 3. Narayan, R.K. The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. University of Chicago Press, 1978. 4. Pattanaik, Devdutt. Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata. Penguin India, 2010. 5. Menon, Ramesh. The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering. Rupa Publications, 2004.

Narrated by Kumar Varun.

The battle of Kurukshetra was about to begin, and both sides, the Pandavas and Kauravas, gathered and pledged to follow the traditional rules of war. These included not attacking retreating or unarmed warriors and ensuring that only equals fought each other. Bhishma inspired the Kauravas with a rousing speech about warrior duty, while Yudhishthira ordered Arjuna to arrange their forces in a needle formation. However, seeing the impending destruction, Arjuna was filled with doubt, which led Krishna to deliver the Bhagavad Gita—a profound teaching about duty and life. The Gita will not be covered in this series, as its greatness is beyond simplification, and everyone is encouraged to read it. Sources,Bibliography and Suggested further reading : Vyasa, Maharishi. Mahabharata. Translated by C. Rajagopalachari, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1951. Vyasa, Maharishi. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa. Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, 1883–1896. Available in public domain. Narayan, R.K. The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. University of Chicago Press, 1978. Pattanaik, Devdutt. Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata. Penguin India, 2010. Menon, Ramesh. The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering. Rupa Publications, 2004. Easwaran, Eknath. The Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation. Nilgiri Press, 1985.

On the eve of the battle of Kurukshetra, Bhishma spoke with Duryodhana and criticized Karna, saying he was too arrogant and boastful to be a great warrior. This angered Karna, who accused Bhishma of trying to undermine him and declared he would not fight as long as Bhishma was in command. Despite Duryodhana’s pleas, Karna remained firm in his decision. Karna stayed out of the battle for the first ten days while Bhishma led the Kauravas. Sources, Bibliography and Suggested further readings: Vyasa, Maharishi. Mahabharata. Translated by C. Rajagopalachari, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1951. Vyasa, Maharishi. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa. Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, 1883–1896. Available in public domain. Narayan, R.K. The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. University of Chicago Press, 1978. Pattanaik, Devdutt. Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata. Penguin India, 2010. Menon, Ramesh. The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering. Rupa Publications, 2004. Buck, William. Mahabharata. University of California Press, 1973.