Introduction The epoch: five thousand years ago; the place: a quiet and luxuriant forest of India; the setting: a conclave of holy ascetics. Suta Gosvami, a young yet already renowned sage arrives. The ascetics ask about his last pilgrimages and Suta tells of having witnessed a great sacrifice, during which Vaishampayana, one of the disciples of the famous Vyasa, tells the wonderful story called Maha-bharata. Saunaka asks Suta to faithfully repeat everything he has heard, and the latter willingly accepts. Thus began the Maha-bharata of Vyasa, one of the most magnificent works that humanity has ever seen.
Index of Vol. 2
Table of Contents 7
Udyoga Parva 11
The Council of Allies 11
Arjuna And Duryodhana In Dvaraka 13
Krishna, Arjuna’s Charioteer 16
The Arrival Of The Armies 17
Dhritarastra’s Message 19
Sanjaya and Vidura’s Advise 21
Krishna In Hastinapura 24
Karna and the Mystery Of His Birth 28
Kunti Visits Karna 30
Dhristadyumna Is Appointed Commander 33
Bhishma Is Appointed Commander 34
The Neutral Kings 36
Bhishma Parva 39
Dhritarastra Prepares For The Great Tragedy 39
Sanjaya Begins To Tell The Story 41
The Bhagavad-gita 44
The First Day 56
The Second Day 59
The Third Day 64
The Fourth Day 70
The Fifth Day 74
The Sixth Day 77
The Seventh Day 79
The Eighth Day 83
In Bhishma’s Tent 87
The Ninth Day 89
The Pandavas Go To Bhishma 91
The Tenth Day 93
The Fall Of Bhishma 96
Drona Parva 103
Sanjaya Comes Back From The Field Again 103
The Eleventh Day 107
The Vote Of The Trigarta 108
The Twelfth Day 109
The Fall of Bhagadatta 113
The Thirteenth Day – Abhimanyu 119
Jayadratha Closes The Breach 121
The Death Of Abhimanyu 123
Arjuna’s Vow 126
The Events Of The Night 129
The Fourteenth Day 133
Arjuna’s Approach 140
The Fears Of Yudhisthira 144
Satyaki, The Great Hero 146
Bhima In The Wake Of Satyaki 148
The Duel Between Bhima And Karna 155
Bhurisrava 158
Jayadratha’s Death 162
The Night War 165
Ghatotkacha 169
The Fifteenth Day 173
Drona Falls 175
Asvatthama’s Anger 181
Karna Parva 187
Sanjaya Tells 187
Karna’s Appointment – The Sixteenth Day 188
On The Seventeenth Day 190
The Tragic End Of Duhssasana 195
The Duel Between Arjuna And Karna 198
The Fall Of Karna 201
Duryodhana And The Secret Of Karna 204
Shalya Parva 207
Shalya Appointed Commander 207
The Eighteenth Day 209
Duryodhana Dives Into The Lake 211
Preparations For The Final Duel 214
Duryodhana Defeated 217
Epilogue 223
The Celebrations For The Victory 223
The Night Massacre 225
Asvatthama’s Punishment 231
The Deadly Embrace 236
The Coronation of Yudhisthira 239
Shanti Parva 240
The Birth Of Parikshit 243
Vidura’s Instructions 244
The Events Of Prabhasa 247
Krishna Returns To His World 250
Dvaraka Invaded By Waters 252
The Pandavas Withdraw 254
The Heavenly Goal 258
Concluding Words 260
Glossary 265
