u/Outside-Walk13

In the Udyoga Parva (Ratha–Atiratha Samkhya section) of the Mahabharata, Bhishma classifies warriors into categories like Ratha, Atiratha, Maharatha, etc. That makes sense for seasoned fighters who’ve proven themselves in multiple battles. But what is confusing is how relatively young warriors like Abhimanyu, the sons of Draupadi, Lakshmana (Duryodhana’s son) and Vrishasena are ranked.

For example:

1. Abhimanyu is described in extremely high terms, calling him a “leader among chariot warriors.”

2. Draupadi’s sons and Vrishasena are called Maharathas.

3. Lakshmana is called foremost among Rathas.

As far as I remember, they aren’t mentioned as having real battlefield experience before Kurukshetra. At best, they might have demonstrated their skills in training, duels or exhibitions, but showing skill in controlled settings is very different from actual war.

So the question is: on what basis did Bhishma make these classifications and how was he even able to make these?

What do you all think about this?

According to the Mahabharata (Vana Parva, BORI CE), Surya tells Kunti that Karna’s kundalas originally belonged to Aditi( Surya's mother). He states that Aditi gave him these earrings and that he would pass them on to Karna along with the armour.

According to the Mahabharata (specifically in the Udyoga Parva), Karna had a vivid, prophetic dream before the Kurukshetra war that revealed the future victory of the Pandavas and the ultimate destruction of the Kauravas. He described this dream to Krishna during their conversations before the Kurukshetra war began.

(Check out the second image for a direct reference from the text)