Krishna Gets Ready to Fight Bhishma On The Nineth Day of Kurukshetra : Episode 139

The nineth day of the war begins. Drupada and Drishtadhyumna are engaged in a fierce fight. In another part of the battle, Dushasana and Shikhandi clash with each other. Bhima duels with Alambusha, brother of the rakshasa Bakasura, dismembers and kills him. Duryodhana asks Bhishma to deal with Bhima and instil confidence in the Kaurava army.

Goaded by Duryodhana, Bhishma routs the Pandava army totally. Seeing the plight of the Pandava army, Krishna directs his chariot towards Bhishma. Bhishma aims deadly shafts towards Arjuna, which the latter counters effectively. Krishna senses that Arjuna is not at his vigorous best and he retaliates only in self defence. After sometime, Krishna gets down the chariot angrily and walks towards Bhishma. Arjuna is appalled, and he follows Krishna, begging him not to fight. Bhishma is delighted and welcomes Krishna, saying that he was direly waiting for such an occasion. Krishna raises His index finger and the Sudarshan Chakra appears on it. Before Krishna can aim it, Arjuna begs him not to use it. Krishna nods and smiles.

Krishna praises Bhishma's tenacity in keeping up his promise. He says the future will always remember Bhishma as someone who compelled the almighty to raise arms against him. Bhishma thanks Krishna for the honour bestowed on him by this act. Krishna reveals that He bore the weapon, because He does not want Bhishma to be ever thought of as disregarding his vows.

With the setting of the sun at this juncture, the nineth day war comes to a close.

The Kaurava camp is getting anxious with the stalemate situation, with neither side inching towards victory. Duryodhana and Dushasana are expressing their discontent with Shakuni's strategies. Shakuni, who has been a silent listener to their accusations, responds saying he reckons the 10th day war the next day to be falling on the shashthi or the sixth day after the new moond day. It was on Sashthi that Lord Murugan annihilated the asura Soorapadman. Shakuni surmises that Shikahandi, who has worn the divine garland of Murugan and has sworn to kill Bhishma, would confront Bhishma. The outcome of this day would determine which course the war takes in the subsequnt days. Duryodhana regrets handing over the divine arrows given by Bhishma to Arjuna, but Shakuni consoles him.

Krishna and Yudhishtra come to meet Bhishma. Bhishma quips that Krishna has come with Dharma (Yudhishtra). Krishna tells Bhishma that they have come to ask for something. Yudhishtra says though he is on the side of dharma, he is not sure of victory. He reminds Bhishma that though the grandsire wished Draupadi the gift of being a sowbhagyavati, and at the outset of the war, wished him victory, he isn't sure the boons would fructify so long as Bhishma was "around". Bhishma understands what Krishna and Yudhishtra have in mind. He quietly tells them to confront him with Shikhandi accompanied by Arjuna and what they desire would happen.

Duryodhana comes to know through the spies that Yudhishtra and Krishna have come to meet Bhishma. Anxiously, Shankuni and Duryodhana ask Bhishma about the reasons for Krishna's visits. Bhishma says that the two have asked him for the boon of his life and he has granted them that. Duryodhana is shocked. With tears he asks Bhishma how he could do this. Bhishma reminds Duryodhana of a similar situation the previous day when Duryodhana had willingly given away the divine arrows to Arjuna because of the promise he had once made. Bhishma, being his great grandfather, cannot fall short of righteousness.