Bhīshma Parva

The Bhīshma Parva is the sixth parva of the Mahābhārata. It tells of the eighteen-day Kurukshetra war from its first day to the fall of Bhīshma Pitāmaha on the tenth day of battle. The parva takes its name from Bhīshma, the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces, whose leadership and final fall form its central drama.

Within the Bhīshma Parva lies the Bhagavad Gītā, Bhagavān Kṛshṇa’s teaching to Arjuna before the battle began, and this makes it the best known parva of the whole Mahābhārata. Its first portion, before the Gītā, holds the Bhūmi Parva, a detailed description of Jambū-dvīpa and the wider earth, which Sañjaya tells Dhṛtarāshṭra before the war narrative begins.

Structure and contents

The Bhīshma Parva opens after the Udyoga Parva has used up every chance of peace. The armies of the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas have gathered at Kurukshetra, and the great war is about to begin. The parva falls into several sections.

Bhūmi Parva (chapters 1–12)

Before he tells of the war, Sañjaya, given divine sight by Vyāsa, sets out a vast survey of the earth and the cosmos. This is called the Bhūmi Parva (the Parva of the Earth). It covers:

• The nature of living beings (jaṅgama, moving, and sthāvara, unmoving), the Pañcabhūtas (five elements) and the structure of existence
• Sudarśana Dvīpa: the earth as a circular disc seen in the reflection of the moon
• The six varsha-parvatas (boundary mountains) of Jambū-dvīpa: Himavat, Hemakūṭa, Nishadha, Nīlagiri, Śvetagiri and Śṛṅgavat
• Meru Parvata: 84,000 yojanas high and 84,000 yojanas deep, the axis of all the worlds
• The four surrounding dvīpas: Bhadrāśva, Ketumāla, Jambū and Uttara Kuru
• Bindu Sarovara and the origin of Gaṅgā in seven streams
• The nine varshas, their people and their qualities side by side
• Śāka Dvīpa, Kuśa Dvīpa, Krauñca Dvīpa and Pushkara Dvīpa
• The seven oceans, the four Diggajas (elephants of the directions), and the size of Rāhu, Sūrya and Candra
• The four yugas as they appear in Bhārata Varsha

War preparations (chapters 13–22)

This section covers:

• Sañjaya’s arrival at Hastināpura with the news of Bhīshma’s fall (chapter 13)
• Dhṛtarāshṭra’s lament for Bhīshma (chapter 14)
• Duryodhana’s order to Duśśāsana to protect Bhīshma (chapter 15)
• The array of the Kaurava army and its ten commanders (chapter 16)
• Bhīshma’s address before the battle and the weight of Kṛshṇa’s side (chapter 17)
• Bhīshma’s protective formation and his bodyguards (chapter 18)
• The Pāṇḍava Vajra-Vyūha (chapter 19)
• The equal spirit of both armies; the Kauravas facing west, the Pāṇḍavas facing east (chapter 20)
• Yudhishṭhira’s despondency and Arjuna’s reassurance, resting on Kṛshṇa (chapter 21)
• Yudhishṭhira’s march to war (chapter 22)

Durgā Stotra (chapter 23)

Before the first battle begins, Bhagavān Kṛshṇa tells Arjuna to worship Devī Durgā Mahādevī for victory. Arjuna steps down from his chariot, stands on the ground and recites thirteen verses of praise, followed by the phalaśruti. Durgā appears in the sky before Kṛshṇa and blesses Arjuna with victory. This stotra is one of the main Durgā stotras of the Mahābhārata tradition.

The war narrative (chapters 43–122)

The war narrative of the Bhīshma Parva covers the ten days of fighting under Bhīshma’s command. It is the fullest day-by-day account in the whole Mahābhārata of the opening phase of the Kurukshetra war.

Prelude (chapter 43)

Before the first blow, Yuyutsu, the son of Dhṛtarāshṭra by a Vaiśya woman, went over to the Pāṇḍava side. The armies were arrayed: the Kauravas in the Śākaṭa-Vyūha facing west, the Pāṇḍavas in the Vajra-Vyūha facing east. The conches were blown and the war began.

Day 1 (chapters 43–47)

Śveta, son of Virāṭa, fought bravely and was killed by Bhīshma. Uttara, the younger prince of Virāṭa, was killed by Śalya. The Kauravas pressed hard on the Pāṇḍava centre.

Day 2: the Kaliṅga battle (chapters 48–56)

Bhīmasena destroyed the Kaliṅga forces, killing King Bhānumanta and his son Śakradeva.

Days 3–7 (chapters 57–80)

The formations changed: the Garuḍa-Vyūha against the Ardhacandra-Vyūha (day 3). Bhagadatta on his elephant Suprātīka caused havoc (from day 4 onward). Bhīshma gave Duryodhana the Viśalyakaraṇī (healing herb) on day 7.

Day 8 (chapters 81–90)

Irāvanta was killed by Alambusha. Ghaṭotkaca and Alambusha fought a combat of rākshasas.

Day 9 (chapters 91–96)

Bhīshma’s archery was at its most destructive. Kṛshṇa threatened to take up weapons himself, and Arjuna pledged to fight with his full strength.

Day 10: Bhīshma’s fall (chapters 97–122)

Bhīshma gave his count of the rathas (chariot warriors), with his judgement of Arjuna and Karṇa (chapters 97–98). Śikhaṇḍī was placed in front as a shield. Arjuna’s arrows covered Bhīshma’s body, and he fell onto the śaraśayyā (the bed of arrows) (chapters 110–112). Arjuna shot the Parjanyāstra to bring up pure water (chapter 121). Bhīshma and Karṇa held a secret dialogue (chapter 122).

The Bhagavad Gītā

The Bhīshma Parva holds the Bhagavad Gītā: eighteen chapters of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa’s teaching to Arjuna. Kṛshṇa gave it when Arjuna’s resolve broke at the sight of the gathered armies and he could not bring himself to fight. The Gītā comes between chapter 23 (the Durgā Stotra) and the first day’s fighting. Sañjaya tells it to Dhṛtarāshṭra with the words: “I see Govinda and Pārtha in a great conversation.”

The frame of the narrative

The whole Bhīshma Parva is told within a double frame:

• The outer frame: Vaiśampāyana tells it to Janamejaya during the Sarpa Yajña.
• The inner frame: Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāshṭra at Hastināpura as events happen, using the divya-dṛshṭi (divine sight) that Vyāsa gave him.

Chapters

Chapters 1–23: before the Bhagavad Gītā

Chapters 24 onward hold the Bhagavad Gītā (18 chapters) and the narrative of the first day’s battle.

Chapters 43–122: the war

Chapters 43 to 122 hold the actual war narrative of the Kurukshetra war’s first ten days — from the opening battle formations through the fall of Bhīshma Pitāmaha on the tenth day and the subsequent events at the śaraśayyā.

Main narratives

• Kurukshetra War — Days 1–10 — comprehensive war narrative
• Bhīshma’s Fall and Śaraśayyā — Day 10 and aftermath
• Bhīshma-Karṇa Rahasyasaṃvāda — Ch. 122
• Kaliṅga Battle — Day 2 — Ch. 54
• Irāvanta Vadha — Ch. 90

Main figures

• Yuyutsu — defection to Pāṇḍavas (Ch. 43)
• Śveta — son of Virāṭa, killed Day 1
• Bhānumanta — king of Kaliṅga, killed Day 2
• Śakradeva — Kaliṅga prince, killed Day 2
• Irāvanta — Arjuna’s son, killed Day 8
• Bṛhadbala — king of Kosala, Kaurava ally
• Viśoka — Bhīma’s sārathi

Main terms

• Śaraśayyā — bed of arrows
• Vyūhas of Kurukshetra — battle formations
• Viśalyakaraṇī — healing herb
• Suprātīka — Bhagadatta’s war elephant

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Bhīshma Parva, chapters 1–23
• Mahābhārata, Bhīshma Parva, chapters 43–122