Bhishma Is Appointed Commander
When Duryodhana arrived in Kuruksetra his army had already been encamped there for several days. Together with his friends and allies he inspected the army and in the course of a meeting personally entrusted Kripa, Drona, Shalya, Jayadratha, Sudakshina, Kritavarma, Asvatthama, Karna, Bhurisrava, Sakuni, and Somadatta to command one akshauhini each.
It was a real spectacle to see the adjustment and preparation maneuvers of those millions and millions of soldiers, horses, elephants, and chariots moving and getting ready to fight.
During the same council, the person deemed most suitable to take the lead of the entire army had to be chosen. Duryodhana himself offered the supreme command to Bhishma, and his decision received the unanimous consent of those present.
“I agree to lead your militias in this absurd war,” replied the elderly son of Ganga, “and I promise you that every day I will exterminate your opponents by the thousands. However I accept this position on the following terms: the first one is that I will not kill the five Pandavas and the second one is that I will not face Shikhandi, who was born a woman.
“She is Amba reincarnated, whom I have seriously wronged in her previous life. That’s why I feel I shouldn’t fight her. Apart from that, I solemnly promise that on the battlefield I will be like death personified and that I will sow terror among your enemies. But I have another thing to ask you.”
“Since you are our commander, we will be willing to satisfy all your requests,” Duryodhana declared on behalf of all.
“I do not want to be on the battlefield with Karna. His arrogance makes me restless, and therefore I will have to refrain from fighting. If it is not like that, I’m not going to fight at all.”
At those words, Duryodhana was stunned. He didn’t know what to say. It was no mystery to anyone that these were going to be difficult days and that he would need everyone’s help, especially his best friend, who was perhaps the only one who would spare no effort to kill the Pandavas. However, it was Karna himself who got out of the way.
“Do not feel mortified for me. I will not mind staying in the camps while Bhishma leads our troops. In truth, I do not want to fight with him either. But when he falls under the blows of Shikhandi, I will go down to the field and kill Arjuna, thus leading you to the final victory.”
After saying those words, Karna left the tent.
Bhishma was hailed by all as commander-in-chief of the Kurava army.
This is a section of the book “Maha-bharata, Vol. 2”.
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