Dirghatamas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirghatamas
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Karna : Forgive Me / Why defeat

http://www.freeindia.org/biographies/greatpersonalities/karna/page13.htm

Karna was beside himself with grief. When the news of the fall of Bhishma reached him. His sorrow was immense. He was overwhelmed with grief and tears were rolling down his cheeks. Bhishma was his kin and best disciple of Parashurama, his guru. Then Duryodhana came and he was sobbing uncontrollably. Karna consoled him, suppressing his own grief. Now the times had come when he would have to face his brothers in the battlefield. Duryodhana went away. But Karna sat long time thinking. The night had advanced.

Karna’s steps were quick and silent as he walked towards the field when the ancient Kuru had fallen. Karna reached there and then stood at Bhishma feet. His tears fell on Bhishma’s feet. He asked that who was there shedding so hot tears. These tears sting me more than the arrows in my body.

Karna said in his voice choked with tears, "My lord, I am Karna. I have come to pay respects to you. It has been my great misfortune that I could never win your love and affection. I waited for the night to advance as I was afraid you may not like my presence and say some harsh words. I did not want to hear those words in presence of others." Bhishma's voice was full of love and compassion. He said, with his eyes full of tears, "No my child, you could not understand me. You are the greatest warrior and archer on the earth. You are the best pupil as by blessed guru Parashurama. No one, except Krishna, can excel you. I was harsh to you, as I wanted to ensure that you do not become too proud. I also did not like too much devotion to Duryodhana’s cause. He is not on the path of dharma. But do not harbour the notion in your mind for a moment even that I do not like you. You are my grandson and you are as dear to me as Yudhisthira or Duryodhana." Saying this Bhishma embraced Karna like a favourite child. Karna was amazed at Bhishma’s knowledge about his birth. He asked, "Grand father how do you know about my birth? For how long did you know about it?", Bhishma said, "I knew it for a quite a long time. Sage Vyasa had told me. Vidura too knew it but my lips were sealed. Fate had been unkind to you. She made you suffer so much for no fault of your. The Pandavas are your brothers join them. You shall have the kingdom of the earth. Brothers like Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahdeva. Krishna will be there to guide you. Let my death be the cause of the end of the enmity between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. You are the perfect bridge for this. No one is there in both the side who would not listen to you."

Karna said, "My dear grandfather, if only it could have been possible to obey your command. The fate has dictated a different course than we would wish to see. I have promised to Duryodhana to do anything for him. Relying upon me, he embarked upon this war. I can give whatever I have for Duryodhana. Duryodhana will not stop. I have to fight for him and die in the battle. Despite the kind words your revere self has used for my skills in warfare the Pandavas are under the protection of Krishna. Where Krishna is there is Dharma, there is victory. No one can conquer them. Krishna is the supreme lord he has sealed our fates. Let me die a brave’s death in the battlefield. I want nothing except my fair name. I have said so many harsh words to cause pain to your blessed self. I beg your forgiveness for all the things. I said against you. The great should forgive the small and the ignorant."

Bhishma embraced Karna and said, "Go in peace my child. How can a grandfather be angry with one’s grandchild?, I bless you whole heartedly. Do your duty as a Kshatriya and die a heroes death in the war. You will get what you want. Your name shall last forever on this earth as the greatest warrior and the greatest giver and the noblest of heroes. I shall join you in heaven. I have to wait for the coming of Uttarayana."

Karna touched the feet of his grandfather and said, "Grandfather, I have to ask you a boon." What it is my child? Just tell me, said Bhishma. "Kindly do not tell the Pandavas about my birth", said Karna.Bhishma said, "Yes, I will tell Duryodhana only so that he may know the extent of your love and affections for him. I will ask him to keep it a secret." Karna returned to his tent. Tomorrow, was going to be a terrible day.

http://www.karmayogi.net/?q=node/653

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Insult

Yudhisthira inquired: How should one react to people who insult you by their rudeness and arrogance?

Bhisma replied: If one does not become angry when insulted by another, then he takes away all the pious merit that person may have accumulated by good deeds. In addition he transfers to the abuser his own sinful reactions.

After all what is the value of praise or blame when uttered by a vulgar fool? A person who praises some one in his presence but criticizes him behind his back is no better that a dog.
Mahabharata, Bhisma Parva.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Bhishma+insult

https://www.google.com/search?q=Bhishma+swayamvara+insult

Game of Thrones

When Krishna went to meet him with all Pandavas then after offering pranama Bhishma asked him –

“He Madhav, you say that Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma phaleshou kada chana, it means, this Mrityuloka or earth is the land of Karma and this is place where we receive the result or fruits of our past karmas. I know about all my past 17 births, but never I caused any pain to anyone, then why I have received so much pain through this bed of arrows?”,

listening to this question Krishna smiled & asked him -“you do remember all your past 17 births? What about the 18th?”, then Pitamah said -“I don’t remember about my 18th birth”. Then Krishna told him that

“in your 18th birth you were a prince and committed a sin by throwing off a snake with your arrow, when you had thrown it away then it had fallen upon a place which was full of thrones, many thrones got pierced through the body of that snake, it was causing great pain to him, later all family members of that snake tried to help him to get rid of those thrones, but they failed, then before dyeing the snake cursed you “He Rajan, I don’t know your identity, but the way you have caused me pain of thrones similarly one day you too will experience the same, you too will have a huge family, but no one will be able to uproot those thrones from your body and in this way you will die.”, then Krishna added more “as you followed the path of devotion in all your births so it was protecting you till date from the sin you committed, but as now you have fought from the side of Adharma (Duryodhan) so the dormant sin has ripened now.”. After listening to that Pitamah Bhishma was satisfied and he wished to die, then a divyajyoti (soul) came out of his body and found it’s place at the lotus feet of Shri Krishna. 

eunuch

'If, O lord of the earth, thou hadst not, in this battle come to me thus, I would have, O great king, cursed thee, O Bharata, for bringing about thy defeat. I am gratified (with thee), O son. Do battle, and obtain victory, O son of Pandu, What else may be desired by thee, obtain thou in battle. Solicit also the boon, O son of Pritha, which thou desirest to have from us. If it happens so, O great king, then defeat will not be thine. A man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is no one's slave. This is very true, O king. I have been bound by the Kauravas with (their) wealth. It is for this, O son of Kuru's race, that like a eunuch I am uttering these words, viz.,--Bound I am by the Kauravas with wealth. Battle excepted, what dost thou desire?

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m06/m06043.htm

Vishvamitra

http://toessence.blogspot.com/search/label/WorldFriend

Jajali

The story of Brahmin Jajali is one of the many fables in the Mahabharata which have a certain moralistic end to them. The story goes such that the Brahman Jajali lived as a hermit in the forest, and gave himself up to the most frightful austerities. Clothed in rags and skins, stiff with it, he wandered through the forest in rain and storm undertook severe fasts and defied every kind of inclement weather. Once he stood in the forest, deep in Yoga, like a wooden post without moving. There a pair of birds came flying towards him and in the hair of his head, which was dishevelled by the storm and matted with the dirt and rain, they built a nest. When the Yogin noticed this he did not stir but remained standing immovable as a pillar till the female bird had laid eggs in the nest on his head and the eggs were hatched and the young birds were fledged and had flown away. After this mighty feat of asceticism Jajali was filled with pride. He shouted exultingly into the forest, "I have reached the essence of all devotion." Then a heavenly voice answered him out of the regions of the air, "In devotion thou art not even equal to Tuladhara, O Jajali, and not even this very wise Tuladhara, who dwells in Benaras, may speak of himself as thou speakest." After hearing this, Jajali was disheartened and went to Varanasi to meet Tuladhara, to see in what manner the latter had advanced in devotion. Tuladhara, however, was a peddler in Varanasi. He used to maintain an open shop and sell all kinds of spices, healing herbs and so on. To the enquiry of the Brahmin Jajali as to whereof his renowned devotion consists, he replied in a long speech upon morality. The speech on ethics is followed by a long explanation of Ahimsa, the commandment of non-violence. It is said that there is no higher law than forbearance towards all living beings. Therefore, the breeding of cattle is cruel because it involves the torturing and killing of animals. Equally cruel is the keeping of slaves and traffic in living creatures. Even agriculture is full of sin for the plough wounds the earth and kills many innocent animals. To this point, Jajali objects and says that without agriculture and cattle-breeding people could not exist and could not find food and that sacrifices, too, would be impossible if animals might not be killed and plants not be destroyed. Thereupon Tuladhara replies with a long discourse upon the true sacrifice which should be offered without the desire for reward, without priestly deception and without the killing of living beings. Finally Tuladhara calls on the birds which had nested in the hair of Jajali's head as witnesses for his doctrine, and they, too, confirm that the true religion consists in forbearance towards all human beings.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12b088.htm