Bhagadatta was the son of Naraka, king of the Pragjyotisha Kingdom and second in line of kings of Naraka dynasty. He was succeeded by his son Vajradatta. He was a renowned warrior, and was know as a great friend of Indra. When Arjuna embarked on a campaign of conquest to help his brother Yudhishtra perform the Rajasooya Yagna, Bhagadatta was one of the first Kings who was conquered by the Pandava warrior. 
He was especially skilled in the use of elephants in war. Mounted on his elephant Supratika, he fought valiantly in the battle of Kurukshetra on the side of the Kauravas. On the twelfth day of the war, he was particularly destructive, wrecking havoc on the Pandava army. He nearly crushed Bheema with his elephant, and Bheema was able to escape only by virtue of his superhuman strength. Finally, Arjuna engaged him in combat. He was so powerful that the weapon released by him had to be thwarted by Lord Krishna to prevent Arjuna’s demise. It is said that the Viashnava weapon was taken by Krishna on his chest, which got transformed to a garland Reality probably was : Bhagadutta’s wapon was probably flawed & both Arjuna & Krishna escaped due to luck. Finally, Arjuna, who was a great warrior himself, slew Supratika with a well aimed shaft. He then sent an arrow that cut the napkin that held the eyelids of the King in place. As a result, Bhagadatta was momentarily blinded. Seizing this opportunity, Arjuna slew him with a crescent-headed arrow, that pierced his chest.
|