Duryodhan was finally found hiding inside a tank. Duryodhan could not have been beaten in a straight mace fight but Bheem still challenged him. Their great fight went on for many hours. Duryodhan’s entire body except his pelvic area was protected with his mother Gandhari’s power. So, Lord Krishna told Bheem to hit Duryodhan on his thigh in order to win. Hitting anyone below the navel was not allowed in a fair mace-fight. However, Bheem took Lord Krishna’s hint and thus fulfilled his vow of breaking Duryodhan’s thighs to punish him for humiliating Draupadi during the unjust gambling incident.
Seeking revenge for his father’s death, Ashwatthama entered the Pandava camp at night, killed all of Draupadi’s sons mistaking them to be the five Pandava brothers. When the Pandavas returned, they were shocked! Now, there was no one left to claim the throne of Hastinapur after the Pandavas, except the unborn baby of Abhimanyu.
The great Maha-bharata war had come to an end and the battle ground was strewn with dead bodies. The war resulted in the death of all the hundred sons of King Dhritrashtra and Gandhari.
When Lord Krishna visited Gandhari to offer his condolences, she cursed Him in a fit of rage and sorrow. She said, “I worshipped You every day and expected You to protect my family. You could have easily averted this bloodshed and disaster. Now, my one hundred sons are dead!” Seeing Krishna smile, Gandhari started shaking with anger. “You dare to smile after all this! Just as the Kaurava dynasty had ended fighting against one another, similarly Your Yadava dynasty would end fighting and killing one another after thirty-six years!” she cursed. Once her anger had vanished, Gandhari fell at Lord Krishna’s feet and apologised. However, Lord Krishna happily accepted the curse. Still smiling, He walked away.
