week 9: reading notes The Five Tall Sons of Pandu part B

The Indian Story Book: The Five Tall Sons of Pandu, written by Richard Wilson

• The Pandavas try asking Duryodhana for peace but while doing so, they are also seeking allies for war
• Dhritarashtra and Drona agree that they should opt for peace over war but Duryodhana insists on war
• When the battle first starts, Arjuna is hesitant because his enemies are people he knows, such as his uncle, cousins and teacher, but he is persuaded to obey his duty
• Bhishma, a great warrior leads Duryodhana's armies and the first day of battle they are more successful, but on the second day they are not and Duryodhana threatens to replace Bhishma with Karna
• Bhishma knows that the gods aren't on their side because their fighting unjustly, but he still fights strongly
• Shikhandin is a woman who transformed into a man and he's a warrior destined to kill Bhishma 
• Bhishma refuses to fight someone who wasn't born a man so he lowers his guard and the Pandavas shoot him with arrows
• All the princes cry for him by his side as he dies
• Bhishma urges Duryodhana to make peace but Duryodhana refuses. 
• Karna visits Bhishma and Bhishma tells him Arjuna is his younger brother
• Karna is still determined to kill Arjuna
• Arjuna has sworn not to attack Drona except to save Yudhishthira
• Duryodhana threatens to replace Drona with Karna because the Pandavas are winning and Drona promises that either he or Arjuna will die
• Drona has a son with the same name as one of the war elephants and Bhima kills the war elephant so when Drona hears of the news, he thinks it's actually his son who is dead
• Draupadi's brother kills Drona after seeing his own father dead on the battlefield 
• Karna vows that either he or Arjuna will die that day but they draw once again
• Karna fights dirty but Arjuna fights respectfully and ends up winning the battle, killing Karna
• Duryodhana still continues the war but his people keep on being killed and he flees to the forest near a lake
• Duryodhana to the ground unconscious by Bhima and dies
• Pandavas race back to camp after hearing Ashwathaman, Drona's son, has killed their sons
• The war ends and Arjuna is told about Karna being his brother
• Pandavas are not happy about their win, they are sad for all the loss that had to come out of this

Bhishma on the bed of arrows.