Thread by @MyMBJourney

#Virat war at #Matsya is the MOST underplayed battle in the #Mahabharatha. NO thanks to StarPlus #Mahabharat for destroying it entirely, with not ONE arrow fired. In reality, #Arjuna BULLDOZED the entire Kaurava army with ALL it stalwarts. This is what happened
(#BORI text)

- Chief of cowherds runs to Uttara, complains about Kurus killing cowherds and capturing cows
- Uttara repeatedly compares himself with Arjuna, irritating Draupadi
- She says Brihannala was Arjuna’s charioteer at Khandava
- Uttara sends his sister to fetch Brihannala

-At the battlefield, Uttara sees the Kuru army and balks
-Brihannala refuses to turn back and Uttara jumps off and flees
-Brihannala bundles him back saying she will fight
- They reach the sami tree where the weapons are stashed, Brihannala asks Uttara to get them down

- Arjuna strings and twangs the Gandiva. The distinctive roar makes the Kurus realize it is him
- Arjuna arrives for battle
-He shoots 2 arrows at Drona’s feet, 2 past his ears to honour him bfr the battle
- Arjuna decides to go after Duryodhana, ignoring everyone else

- Arjuna destroys contingent of army taking the cows and the cows begin to run back to Matsya
- Arjuna goes after #Duryodhana
- Rest of the #Kauravas desperately attack him and Arjuna decides to face Karna
- Chitrasena, Sangaramajit, Shatrusaha Jaya advance to protect #Karna

- Arjuna cuts off the head of Sangramajit, Karna’s brother
- Karna tries to retaliate but flees, wounded
- Duryodhana attacks with others
- Arjuna faces Kripa, tells Uttara he will not attack Drona unless attacked first

- #Indra arrives with all the gods to watch their weapons in action
- #Kripa- Arjuna battle it out
- Kripa is dislodged from his chariot
- #Arjuna desists from hurting him at this point
- Kripa recovers and reattacks Arjuna

- Arjuna breaks his bow, armour but carefully avoids penetrating his body
- Intense battle ensues
- Arjuna destroys Kripa’s chariot, horse, charioteer, bows
- To save Kripa, rest pf army attacks together from all sides
- Arjuna tells Uttara to go to Drona

- He humbly talks to Drona saying he will not attack first
- Drona responds with 20 arrows
-Arjuna covers his chariot with arrows until Drona can’t be seen
-Drona uses aindra, vayavya, agneya and Arjuna counters with same (initiation by Drona, note)

- Drona is amazed. Even wind does not pass in between Arjuna’s arrows, so fast and close does he shoot
- Drona’s chariot again eclipsed by Arjuna’s arrows
- Ashwattama intervenes, heart of heart applauding Arjuna
- Arjuna turns towards Ashwattama, allowing Drona to retreat

- Drona’s flag and armour are shattered and he retreats
- Ashwattama cuts the Gandiva’s string and Arjuna resumes with a new string (only guy who manages this, I think)
- Ashwattama’s arrows are exhausted
- Karna comes back with new bow and Arjuna charges towards him

- War of words ensues, Arjuna askes him why he fled earlier instead of avenging his brother
-Arjuna cuts down karna’s bow and then his javelin.
-Karna’s infantry attacks but is annihilated
-Karna’s horses are killed and he is knocked senseless and Karna retreats (second time)

- Arjuna tells Uttara to take him to Bhishma (lists out his weapons Raudra, Varuna, Agneya, Vayavya, Vajra)
- Dushasana, Vikarna, Vivimsati, Dushaha attack Arjuna together (Old habit that keeps popping up)
-Dushasana is sent running
-Vikarna falls wounded

-Other two lose horses and are injured and rescued by friends
-All kauravas attack together in desperation
-Charioteers begin to abandon chariots and run, infantry flees and so does cavalry
-Kaurava soldiers lose heart completely
-Arjuna is unstoppable

-Kripa, Drona, Karna repulse Arjuna jointly with divine weapons
-Arjuna invokes Aindra and all the warriors lose heart, soldiers start fleeing
-Bhishma advances and shoots at Arjuna’s banner
-Arjuna shoots down Bhishma’s umbrella

- Intense battle ensues with both displaying incredible skill
-Warriors praise Arjuna saying that only Bhishma, Drona or Krishna can withstand him in battle
-Divine weapons are unleashed by both- Prajapatya, Aindreya, Agneya, Kaubera, Varuna, Yamya, Vayavya

-Then Arjuna slices down Bhishma’s bow and he picks up another
-Battle continues with display of variety of divine weapons
- #Gandharva #Chitrasena delights in Arjuna’s prowess. Tells Indra how Arjuna’s arrows seem to be unbroken chain, such is speed with which he releases them

-Then Arjuna again shoots down Bhishma’s bow and then pierces his chest thru the armour.
-Bhishma loses his senses and clings to the pole of the chariot and his charioteer takes him away from the battle field
-Duryodhana rides up and Arjuna battles him.

-Vikarna rides up on an elephant and attacks too. -Arjuna shoots an arrow into the elephant’s head and it penetrates right upto the feathered shaft, killing the beast.
-Arjuna uses the same arrow on Duryodhana, causing him, Vikarna and the infantry guarding them to flee

--Duryodhana tries to flee far away from Arjuna but Arjuna calls out and challenges him to stop running and face the battle like a kshatriya
-Duryodhana comes back fuming.
-Karna also sees this and returns. So does Bhishma.
-Bhishma protects Duryodhana’s rear from Arjuna

-Karna is on his right flank.
-Drona, kripa, Vivimsati, Dushasana also come back to protect Duryodhana from Arjuna
-Arjuna is surrounded from all directions and attacked
-Arjuna invokes Sammohana
- The Kurus all fall

-Arjuna tells Uttara to bring Drona, Kripa, Karna, Duryodhana, Ashwattama’s garments and tells him that Bhishma is not fully senseless
-Uttara brings back the garments and then they pass the Kuru army

-Bhishma recovers and shoots at Arjuna but Arjuna kills his horses and charioteer and shoots back at Bhishma, hitting him in the side
-Leaving the battlefield, Arjuna turns toward Matsya
-Duryodhana recovers and sees Arjuna far from the battlefield, alone

-Duryodhana berates Bhishma about how Arjuna escaped from him
- Bhishma laughs at him and asks him what he was doing all this while.
- He says the ONLY REASON THEY ARE NOT DEAD is BECAUSE OF ARJUNA'S ETHICS
- He tells Duryodhana to retreat because Arjuna has won resoundingly

-The others also agree with Bhishma because they know Arjuna can’t be defeated.
-Protecting Duryodhana carefully, they retreat
-Arjuna watches them go
-Then he bows down head on the ground to Bhishma and Drona, shoots colorful arrows to honour Ashwattama and Kripa

- Finally, he slices off Duryodhana’s jeweled crown with an arrow
- The Gandiva roars and then the Devadutta announces Arjuna's victory
- Arjuna asks Uttara to return to the city

- Many #Kuru #soldiers who had been hiding in the dense woods appear now, terrified and trembling before him and bow down to #Arjuna
- They are stuck in a strange land, hurt, hungry, tired, thirsty
- Arjuna assures them he will not harm them and sends them on their way.

-The Kuru soldiers praise Arjuna and bless him with a long life and leave
- Arjuna tells Uttara to let the horses rest and wait until all cows and cowherd have returned to the city. - - He asks the cowherds to go announce Uttara’s victory in the city

#Matsya #Virat #Brihannala

This simple clean ROUT of the Kaurava army by one lone warrior #Arjuna after 13 years of exile and one year of life as a eunuch, no scope to practice. And #StarPlus thot it was a brilliant idea to leave all this out in their #Mahabharat🤐

I had a half written story about this entire battle at #Matsya for #Virat's cows. Maybe some day, I'll get around to completing it. Tell me what u think of it, folks
#Arjuna #Mahabharatha