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Lately I have grown interest in the Mahabharata and Hinduism. I haven’t read the books but I watched B R Chopra’s Mahabharata and the Star Plus Mahabharata. In the old one, it was shown that Arjuna defeated the Kaurava army including Bhishma Pitamaha, Guru Drona, Kulaguru, Angaraja Karna, all alone just after the Agyatavasa. But in new the Mahabharata Bhishma stopped the fight and no one won or lost.
What really happened?
The incident of the Virata War has been narrated in the Goharana Parva of the Virata Parva of the Mahabharata. A small background - The Kaurava army invades the Matsya Kingdom from the north and steals their cattle (Chapter 35). Uttara, the son of King Virata, who is encouraged by the chief cowherd to face the army, takes Arjuna, dressed as Brihannala, as his charioteer. They recover the weapons of the Pandavas, Arjuna loses his eunuch garb (Chapter 45) and sets out with Uttara as his charioteer.
Arjuna first goes behind Duryodhana’s army and frees the cows.
All the Kauravas too reach there and Arjuna opts to engage Karna, but is intercepted by some warriors (Karna’s brother Sangramajit, etc) and the battle ensues.
Then cutting Vikarna's bow furnished with a tough string and horns overlaid with gold, Arjuna cut off his flagstaff. And Vikarna, beholding his flagstaff cut off, speedily took to flight
And that grinder of foes pierced Karna's arms and thighs and head and forehead and neck and other principal parts of his body with whetted shafts endued with the impetuosity of the thunderbolt and shot from the Gandiva in battle. And mangled and afflicted by the arrows shot by Partha the son of Pandu, Vikartana's son (Karna) quitted the van of battle, and quickly took to flight, like one elephant vanquished by another. (Chapter 54)
Arjuna then directs Uttara to go towards Kripacharya while destroying the formation of the army and killing miscellaneous warriors on the way.
And those illustrious bulls among men, taking Kripa with them who had been deprived of his car, led him away from the vicinity of Dhananiaya, the son of Kunti. (Chapter 57)
Partha gave Drona an opportunity to leave the field. And thereupon the latter, wounded in that terrible encounter, and his mail and banner gone sped away by the aid of swift horses. (Chapter 58)
And as Aswatthaman's arrows, in consequence of his ceaseless discharge in that conflict, were quickly exhausted, it was for this that Arjuna prevailed over his adversary. (Chapter 59)
Karna's vision was obscured and his senses left him. And regaining consciousness, he felt a great pain, and leaving the combat fled in a northernly direction.
Arjuna then proceeds towards Bhishma but is intercepted by Duhshasana, Vikarna, Duhsaha and Vivimsati, the sons of Dhritarashtra.
And afflicted by the arrows of Partha. Dussasana fled, leaving the combat...And pierced by Arjuna, he (Vikarna) fell down from his car. ... both those sons of Dhritarashtra (Duhsaha and Vivimsati), deprived of their steeds and their bodies mangled were taken away by the warrior behind them. (Chapter 61)
After this all the Maharathis of the Kuru army collectively began to pursue Arjuna who effectively countered them. After this, the formation made by Kripacharya, Karna and Drona was demolished by Arjuna’s Aindrastra. Seeing these warriors being defeated, Bhishma decided to face Arjuna himself. (This seems like they did fight with Arjuna but the word ‘all’ seems more like a hyperbole in this context. The entire Kuru army literally came later when Arjuna used the Sammohana Astra)
Ganga's son of mighty arms and irresistible in battle, stood for a long time leaning on the pole of his car. And beholding him deprived of consciousness the driver of his car-steeds, calling to mind the instructions about protecting the warriors when in a swoon, led him away for safety.
Vikarna having broken and fled along with the supporters of the king's car, the other warriors, smitten with the arrows shot from the Gandiva, fled from the field in panic. And beholding the elephant slain by Partha, and all the other warriors running away, Duryodhana, the foremost of the Kurus, turning away his car precipitately fled in that direction where Partha was not.
Having been insulted, Duryodhana returns to face Arjuna, accompanied by Karna. Seeing them even Bhishma, Drona, Kripacharya Vivimsati ans Duhshasana begin attacking Arjuna, to protect Duryodhana. In effect it is Arjuna versus the entire Kuru army. It is at this point that he uses the Sammohana Astra:
the wielder of the Gandiva who was capable of enduring all foes, evolved another irresistible weapon obtained from Indra, called Sanmohana. And entirely covering the cardinal and other directions with sharp and keen-edged arrows furnished with beautiful feathers, that mighty hero stupefied their senses with the twang of the Gandiva. And once more, taking up with both his hands that large conch of loud blare, Partha, that slayer of foes, blew it with force and filled the cardinal and other points, the whole earth, and sky, with that noise. And those foremost of the Kuru heroes were all deprived of their sense by the sound of that conch blown by Partha. And all of them stood still, their bows, from which they were never separated, dropping down from their hands. And when the Kuru army became insensible. (Chapter 65, 66 as per Gitapress)
Arjuna knew that only Bhishma was unaffected by the weapon. When the army regains their senses, Duryodhana requests Bhishma to engage with Arjuna and not let him get away to which Bhishma says these wise words:
Where had been this sense of thine, and where had been thy prowess too, when thou hadst been in a state of unconsciousness renouncing thy arrows and handsome bow? Vibhatsu is not addicted to the commission of atrocious deeds; nor is his soul inclined to sin. He renounceth not his principles even for the sake of the three worlds. It is for this only that all of us have not been slain in this battle. O thou foremost of Kuru heroes, go back to the city of the Kurus, and let Partha also go away, having conquered the kine. Do thou never foolishly throw away thy own good. Indeed, that which leadeth to one's welfare ought to be accomplished.(Chapter 65, 66 as per Gitapress)
Duryodhana considering Bhishma’s words to be of his benefit, abandons the will to continue on. Arjuna thereafter does Namaskaram to all the elder Kuru warriors and returns to Virata victorious:
And the Kauravas were unable to confront Arjuna while after routing (defeating) the foe he proceeded towards the city of Virata, like an elephant with rent temples.
(Note:- I have tried to cut out unimportant parts which can be read from the links on the website. Tried to make it as short as possible but has turned out still too long)
https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04061.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhishma_Parva https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04067.htm https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04066.htm https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m04/m04067.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astra_(weapon)#Astras_in_Hindu_Epics https://www.isrgrajan.com/bhishma-pitamah-karan-and-arjun-what-were-the-greatest-difference.html
Arjuna has defeated all the kauravas and karna. He fought Drona and Kripa but defeated them. Kripa said all 6 warriors including bhishma, kripa himself, drona, karna and others should attack him simultaneously as he thought arjuna was able to defeat Nivatakavacha whom indrajit and ravana could not defat together and defeated gods included indra but Bhishma alone went to fight Arjuna and shovered a lot of arrows at each other and both of them not being injured. Bhishma pierced Uttara and Arjuna aimed and released arrow at Bhishmaś charioteer but Bhishma caught hold of the arrow in mid-air itself and threw the arrow that pierced him. Uttar then drove the chariot speedily at Karna, Kripa, and Drona as ordered by Arjuna where Arjuna defeated those and ONLY those three, not Bhishma. He rushed to them because they were the ones who stole the castle. Arjuna then invokes Sammohana astra that collapses the maharathis Karna, Drona, Kripa, Duryodhana and other 99 kauravas but not Bhishma. Arjuna and Bhishma, just before arjuna used sammohana astra, hurled many arrows against each other. They attacked a valley of arrows, valley of javelins, valley of spears. Then both of them decided to use celestial weapons. Arjuna invoked agneyastra and bhishma nullified it with varunastra and arjuna nullified it with vishoshana astra which dries up water. Bhishma used parvatastra and brought down mountains on and Arjuna used Indrastra and brought shower of arrows to destroy mountains but Bhishma used Vayuvyastra and used heavy winds to repel arjuna's arrows and Arjuna used Sailastra to counter Vayuvyastra and make heavy winds go away. Arjuna tried to be invisible by using anthardhana astra but bhishma used sabda vedi astra. Arjuna used Nagastra but Bhishma used Sauparna weapon so Arjuna used nagapasham and killed eagles and was about to capture bhishma but Bhishma used Garudapasham, killed the snakes and was about to capture Arjuna so Arjuna invoked Tej Prabha astra and released which shined so much that it hurt the eyes of gauda and hence garudapasham was nullified. Arjuna used magahvan weapon on bhishma but bhishma nullified it with mohini astra that dispels any form or maya. Bhishma used suryastra to brighten dark area but arjuna used anthardhana astra to disappear and nullify it so bhishma used sabda vedi astra to nullify anthardhana astra. Bhishma then threw a spear. Then arjuna used sammohana astra to collapse kuru army. Arjuna then asked to get the pink, red, and yellow clothes of duryodhana, karna, and dushashana. Bhishma was awake. Bhishma has prajna astra that can nullify sammohana astra but he did not use it because he felt that duryodhana should have fought the war and Bhishma blessed arjuna. Arjuna then returns to Virat victoriously.
