The Kurushetra battle and Bagavat Gita

The war between the cousins Pandavas and Kauravas was declared as Duryodhana the eldest son of Dridhrashtra refused to give even a space on the end of needle to his cousins, the Pandavas. The place where  the battle was to be held was  decided as Kurushetra.

As the king Dridhrashtra was blind he could not take part in the war nor he could see the happening of the war and hence Lord Krishna has given the power to see the battle and report the same to Dridhrashtra to Sanjaya, the Charioteer of Dridhurashtra. Sanjaya even though a charioteer by profession was a man of virtue, good manners and justice. Because of high morals  and worthiness Lord Krishna gave Sanjaya the sight to see what happened in the battle and report the same to the King without moving from the King’s palace.

On the day of the battle  the first verse or Sloaka in Gita Dridhrashtra  asks is

 “Dharmashetra Kurushetra samavedha yuyuthsava

  Mamaka Pandavasaiva kimakurvatha Sanjaya.”

Meaning “ what our people and Pandavas who have gathered to fight are doing in the field of Justice at Kurushetra.” Here itself Dridhrashtra differentiates his sons whom he called as his people and the sons of his brother as Pandavas.” It shows his partiality for his sons.

 In Bagavat Gita this forms the first Sloaka or verse and Gita  contains eighteen chapters . 

Before the battle started Udhsishtra the eldest Pandava left his place as head of his side and went without any armaments towards the Kauravas  who thought that Udhishtra was afraid of the might of the Kauravas and hence going to surrender. But Udhishtra went to Bheeshma and Drona their teacher to pay his obeisance and ask for their blessings.

After seeing the battle field where Kauravas, their relatives as enemies and with whom he has to fight, Arjun was grief stricken and told Lord Krishna that 'he was crest fallen and afraid to kill his own relatives and cousins for a small piece of land' and laid down his bow and arrows and refused to fight.

Then Lord Krishna advised him to fight as it was his duty to fight and the people who stand as his enemies would have to die anyway and killing them is bound to happen and he was just a tool in the hand if destiny and recited the Bagavat Gita.

The war went on for eighteen days and many great warriors had died in that.

When the war ended all the one hundred kauravas were killed and on the Panadava side the five brothers remained while all the other Pandava families perished. Pandavas won the war and became victorious.

Dridhrashtra even though in sorrow and remorse called Udhishtra and crowned him as the King and later went to forest along with his wife and Kunti to get solace and peace.