The Drona Parva, it is said, consists of one hundred and seventeen chapters, with five thousand eight hundred verses. Within this Parva, Vyasa, the knower of the Vedas, counted eighty-four verses that are included in the Bhishma Parva. The narrative then turns to the Drona Parva itself, which is filled with many remarkable events. Here, the illustrious preceptor Drona is appointed commander of the Kaurava army. To please Duryodhana, the master of weapons vows to capture the wise son of Pandu, Yudhishthira, the king of dharma. In the course of this great war, the Saṃśaptakas manage to drive Arjuna away from the battlefield. Meanwhile, King Bhagadatta, whose prowess in battle is likened to that of Indra, confronts Arjuna. Bhagadatta, mounted on his noble elephant Supratika, is subdued by Arjuna, the diademed one. In this same Parva, a most grievous event occurs: many great warriors, led by Jayadratha, unite and slay Abhimanyu, the valiant and youthful son of Arjuna, who, though not yet come to manhood, stands alone against them. The death of Abhimanyu fills Arjuna with burning rage. In battle, he slays seven akshauhinis of troops and kills Jayadratha, the king, avenging his son’s death. Bhima, of mighty arms, and Satyaki, the great charioteer, at Yudhishthira’s command, enter the Kaurava host in search of Arjuna—a host so formidable that even the gods would hesitate to assail it. The remainder of the Samsaptakas are utterly destroyed in battle; nine crores of these heroic warriors fall. Arjuna emerges victorious, sending to Yama’s abode the sons of Dhritarashtra and the stone-fighting warriors. The Narayana troops and cowherds, skilled in many forms of combat, as well as Alambusha, Shrutayu, and the mighty Jalasandha, are all slain in this Parva. Saumadatti, Virata, Drupada the great chariot-warrior, and others such as Ghatotkacha, also meet their end in the Drona Parva. Here, too, Drona himself is struck down in battle. In his rage, Ashvatthama unleashes the fierce Narayana weapon. The narrative recounts the use of the Agneya weapon, the supreme greatness of Rudra, the coming of Vyasa, and the glory of Krishna and Arjuna. This seventh section of the Bharata is renowned as a great Parva, for it records the destruction of most of the earth’s kings. All the heroes named in the Drona Parva, the best among men, are described in one hundred and seventy chapters. The verses in this Parva amount to eight thousand nine hundred and nine, as counted by the wise. Having reflected deeply on the Drona Parva, the sage Vyasa then relates the wondrous Karna Parva. In this section, the wise king of Madra, Shalya, is appointed as Karna’s charioteer. The ancient tale of the destruction of Tripura is also narrated here. The march to battle includes a harsh dialogue between Karna and Shalya, and the story of the swan and the crow, along with its objections, is recounted. Karna Parva also tells of the slaying of the Pandya king by the great-souled Ashvatthama, followed by the deaths of Dandasena and Danda. In single combat, Karna brings King Yudhishthira to a crisis of doubt in the sight of all bowmen. The mutual wrath of Yudhishthira and Arjuna is described, as well as their reconciliation, spoken by Madhava—Krishna himself—to Arjuna. After taking a terrible vow, Bhima pierces the chest of Duhshasana and drinks his blood upon the battlefield. Then, in single combat, Arjuna slays Karna, the great chariot-warrior. Thus is declared the eighth Parva by the Bharata thinkers. The Karna Parva comprises sixty-nine chapters and four thousand nine hundred verses, with sixty-four verses also mentioned. After this, the Shalya Parva, with its manifold meanings, is described. When the heroes of the army are slain, Shalya, the king of Madra, becomes the leader. Here, too, is narrated the tale of the youthful coronation and its attendant rites. The battles and events are recounted in detail, including the destruction of the foremost Kurus. Within this Parva, the deaths of Shalya and the noble king Dharmaraja are told, as well as the slaying of Shakuni by Sahadeva in battle. When most of the army is destroyed and only a few remain, Duryodhana conceals himself in a lake, standing firm within its waters. The account of Bhima is narrated here, along with the words of wisdom spoken by Yudhishthira. Then, Duryodhana, filled with wrath, emerges from the lake and fights Bhima with the mace. In the assembly of battle, the coming of Rama is remembered, and the sanctity of the holy places of Sarasvati is extolled. The fierce mace duel between Duryodhana and Bhima is described in detail. Duryodhana’s thighs are broken forcibly by Bhima’s powerful mace, marking the wondrous and meaningful ninth Parva. This Parva contains fifty-eight chapters, with many narratives and three thousand two hundred and twenty verses, all composed by the sage. Thereafter, the dreadful Sauptika Parva is spoken of, where Duryodhana, with his thighs broken, is filled with wrath.