Week 7 Reading: Mahabharata Part C

 

Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra. Source.

Kurukshetra War

Allies of  Pandavas:

Panchala

Dwaraka

 Kasi

Kekaya

Magadha

Matsya

Chedi

Pandyas

Telinga

Yadus of Mathura

 

Allies of Kauravas: 

Kings of Pragjyotisha

Anga

Kekaya

Sindhudesa

Mahishmati

Avanti in Madhyadesa

Madra

Gandhara

Bahlika people,

Kambojas

 

Neutrals:

The kingdom of Bhojakata, with its King Rukmi, Vidura, the ex-prime minister of Hastinapur and younger brother to Dhritarashtra, and Balarama were the only neutrals in this war

 

 

Rules of Engagement

The two supreme commanders met and framed "rules of ethical conduct", dharmayuddha, for the war. The rules included:^[33]

• Fighting must begin no earlier than sunrise and end exactly at sunset.
• No more than one warrior may attack a single warrior.
• Two warriors may "duel", or engage in prolonged personal combat, only if they carry the same weapons and they are on the same type of mount (on foot, on a horse, on an elephant, or in a chariot).
• No warrior may kill or injure a warrior who has surrendered.
• One who surrenders becomes a prisoner of war and will then be subject to the protections of a prisoner of war.
• No warrior may kill or injure an unarmed warrior.
• No warrior may kill or injure an unconscious warrior.
• No warrior may kill or injure a person or animal not taking part in the war.
• No warrior may kill or injure a warrior whose back is turned away.
• No warrior may attack a woman.
• No warrior may strike an animal not considered a direct threat.
• The rules specific to each weapon must be followed. For example, it is prohibited to strike below the waist in mace warfare.
• Warriors may not engage in any unfair warfare.

Most of these rules were broken in the course of the war after the fall of Bhishma. For example, the second and sixth rules were violated on the 13th day, when Abhimanyu was slain.