History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.763

v4.c63.t2.763

¹⁷⁷³ The following verses of the भारतसावित्री are material for the days of the important events of the war : 'हेमन्ते प्रथमे मासे शुक्लपक्षे त्रयोदशी । प्रवृत्तं भारतं युद्धं नक्षत्रं यमदैवतम् ॥ फाल्गुन्यां निहतो भीष्मः कृष्णपक्षे च सप्तमी । अष्टम्यां चैव सौभद्रो नवम्यां च जयद्रथः । दशम्यां भगदत्तस्तु महायुद्धे निपातितः । एकादश्यामर्धरात्रौ हतो वीरो घटोत्कचः । ततः प्रभातसमये विराटद्रुपदौ हतौ । द्वादश्यां चैव मध्याह्ने द्रोणाचार्यो रणे हतः ॥ त्रयोदश्यां तु मध्याह्ने वृषसेनो निपातितः । चतुर्दश्यां तु पूर्वाह्ने रणे दुःशासनो हतः । ... अमायां धर्मपुत्रेण शल्यो मद्ऱाधिपो हतः । ... अमायामर्धरात्रे तु राजा दुर्योधनो हतः । ... अमायामेव यामिन्यां द्रौणिना निहतास्तदा । धृष्टद्युम्नः शिखण्डी च द्रौपद्याः पञ्च चात्मजाः । (set out at the end of हरिवंश in the Citraśālā edition). There are some statements here that are opposed to the text of the Mahābhārata. Abhimanyu (*Continued from the last page*) was killed on the third day after Droṇa became commander-in-chief. It may be noted that Nīlakaṇṭha explains यमदैवतम् differently as meaning Mṛgaśīrṣa which has a double deity as its presiding deity. It may be noted that this text of the भारतसावित्री as printed is not quite reliable, since नीलकण्ठ in his commentary on भीष्म 17. 2. reads 'अर्जुनेन हतो भीष्मो माघमासेऽसिताष्टमी' for फाल्गुन्यां ... सप्तमी and 'त्रयोदश्यां तु मध्याह्ने भारद्वाजो निपातितः' for 'द्वादश्यां... रणे हतः'. If these readings be accepted it follows that the Bhāratasāvitrī impliedly recognizes the existence of a *tithikṣaya*, since Droṇa is there said to have been killed on the 13th tithi of dark half when the epic itself says that he died on the 15th day after the battle began. As the war commenced on the 13th of bright half, there would be 16 days on 13th of dark half.