BOOK11 STREE PARVA

BOOK 11 Stri-parva

1 (Jalapradanika-parva)

Om! Having bowed down unto Narayana and Nara, the foremost of male

beings, and unto the goddess Sarasvati, must the word Jaya be uttered.

Janamejaya said, "After Duryodhana had fallen and after all the warriors

also had fallen, what, O sage, did king Dhritarashtra do on receipt of

the intelligence? What also did the high-souled Kuru king Yudhishthira,

the son of Dharma, do? What did the three survivors (of the Kuru army)

viz. Kripa and the others do? I have heard everything about the feats of

Ashvatthama. Tell me what happened after that mutual denunciation of

curses. Tell me all that Sanjaya said unto the blind old king."

Vaishampayana said, "After he had lost his century of sons, king

Dhritarashtra, afflicted with grief on that account, cheerless, and

looking like a tree shorn of its branches, became overwhelmed with

anxiety and lost his power of speech. Possessed of great wisdom, Sanjaya,

approaching the monarch, addressed him, saying, Why dost thou grieve, O

monarch? Grief does not serve any purpose. Eight and ten Akshauhinis of

combatants, O king, have been slain! The earth hath become desolate, and

is almost empty now! Kings of diverse realms, hailing from diverse

quarters, united with thy son (for aiding him in battle) have all laid

down their lives. Let now the obsequial rites of thy sires and sons and

grandsons and kinsmen and friends and preceptors be performed in due

order."

Vaishampayana continued, "Destitute of sons and counsellors and all his

friends, king Dhritarashtra of great energy suddenly fell down on the

earth like a tree uprooted by the wind.

"Dhritarashtra said, Destitute as I am of sons and counsellors and all my

friends, I shall, without doubt have to wander in sorrow over the earth.

What need have I now of life itself, left as I am of kinsmen and friends

and resembling as I do a bird shorn of its wings and afflicted with

decrepitude? Shorn of kingdom, deprived of kinsmen, and destitute of

eyes, I cannot, O thou of great wisdom, shine any longer on earth like a

luminary shorn of its splendours! I did not follow the counsels of

friends of Jamadagnis son, of the celestial rishi Narada, and of

island-born Krishna, while they offered me counsel. In the midst of the

assembly, Krishna told me what was for my good, saying, "A truce (tense)

to hostilities, O king! Let thy son take the whole kingdom! Give but five

villages to the Pandavas!" Fool that I was, for not following that

advice, I am now obliged to repent so poignantly! I did not listen to the

righteous counsels of Bhishma. Alas, having heard of the slaughter of

Duryodhana whose roars were as deep as those of a bull, having heard also

of the death of Duhshasana and the extinction of Karna and the setting of

the Drona-sun, my heart does not break into pieces. I do not, O Sanjaya,

remember any evil act committed by me in former days, whose consequences,

fool that I am, I am suffering today. Without doubt, I committed great

sins in my former lives, for which the Supreme Ordainer has set me to

endure such a measure of grief. This destruction of all my kinsmen, this

extermination of all my well-wishers and friends, at this old age, has

come upon me through the force of Destiny. What other man is there on

earth who is more afflicted than my wretched self? Since it is so, let

the Pandavas behold me this very day firmly resolved to betake myself to

the long way that leads to the regions of Brahman!"

Vaishampayana continued, "While king Dhritarashtra was indulging in such

lamentations, Sanjaya addressed him in the following words for dispelling

his grief, Cast off thy grief, O monarch! Thou hast heard the conclusions

of the Vedas and the contents of diverse scriptures and holy writ, from

the lips of the old, O king! Thou hast heard those words which the sages

said unto Sanjaya while the latter was afflicted with grief on account of

the death of his son. When thy son, O monarch, caught the pride that is

born of youth, thou didst not accept the counsels offered unto thee by

thy well-wishers. Desirous of fruit, thou didst not, through

covetousness, do what was really for thy benefit. Thy own intelligence,

like a sharp sword, has wounded thee. Thou didst generally pay court to

those that were of wicked behaviour. Thy son had Duhshasana for his

counsellor, and the wicked-souled son of Radha, and the equally wicked

Shakuni and Citrasena of foolish understanding, and Salya. Thy son (by

his own behaviour) made the whole world his enemy. Thy son, O Bharata,

did not obey the words of Bhishma, the reverend chief of the Kurus, of

Gandhari and Vidura, of Drona, O king, of Kripa the son of Sharadvata, of

the mighty-armed Krishna, of the intelligent Narada, of many other

rishis, and of Vyasa himself of immeasurable energy. Though possessed of

prowess, thy son was of little intelligence, proud, always desirous of

battle, wicked, ungovernable, and discontented. Thou art possessed of

learning and intelligence and art always truthful. They that are so

righteous and possessed of such intelligence as thou, are never stupefied

by grief. Virtue was regarded by none of them. Battle was the one word on

their lips. For this the Kshatriya order has been exterminated and the

fame of thy foes enhanced. Thou hadst occupied the position of an umpire,

but thou didst not utter one word of salutary advise. Unfitted as thou

wert for the task, thou didst not hold the scales evenly. Every person

should, at the outset, adopt such a beneficial line of action that he may

not have, in the end, to repent for something already done by him.

Through affection for thy son, O monarch, thou didst what was agreeable

to Duryodhana. Thou art obliged to repent for that now. It behoveth thee,

however not to give way to grief. The man whose eyes are directed towards

only the honey without being once directed to the fall, meets with

destruction through his covetousness for honey. Such a man is obliged to

repent even like thee. The man who indulges in grief never wins wealth.

By grieving one loses the fruits one desires. Grief is again an obstacle

to the acquisition of objects dear to us. The man who gives way to grief

loses even his salvation. The man who shrouds a burning coal within the

folds of his attire and is burnt by the fire that is kindled by it, would

be pronounced a fool if he grieves for his injuries. Thyself, with thy

son, hadst, with your words, fanned the Partha-fire, and with your

covetousness acting as clarified butter caused that fire to blaze forth,

into consuming flames. When that fire thus blazed forth thy sons fell

into it like insects. It behoveth thee not, however, to grieve for them

now that they have all been burnt in the fire of the enemys arrow. The

tear-stained face, O king, which thou bearest now is not approved by the

scriptures or praised by the wise. These tears, like sparks of fire, burn

the dead for whom they are shed. Kill thy grief with thy intelligence,

and bear thyself up with the strength of thy own self! Thus was the king

comforted by the high-souled Sanjaya. Vidura then, O scorcher of foes,

once again addressed the king, displaying great intelligence."

2

Vaishampayana said, "Listen, O Janamejaya, to the nectar-like words that

Vidura said unto the son of Vicitravirya and by which he gladdened that

bull among men!

"Vidura said, Rise, O king! Why art thou stretched on the earth? Bear

thyself up with thy own self. O king, even this is the final end of all

living creatures. Everything massed together ends in destruction;

everything that gets high is sure to fall down. Union is certain to end

in separation; life is sure to end in death. The destroyer, O Bharata,

drags both the hero and the coward. Why then, O bull amongst Kshatriyas,

should not Kshatriyas engage in battle? He that does not fight is seen to

escape with life. When, however, ones time comes, O king, one cannot

escape. As regards living creatures, they are non-existent at first. They

exist in the period that intervenes. In the end they once more become

non-existent. What matter of grief then is there in this? The man that

indulges in grief succeeds not in meeting with the dead. By indulging in

grief, one does not himself die. When the course of the world is such,

why dost thou indulge in sorrow? Death drags all creatures, even the

gods. There is none dear or hateful to death, O best of the Kurus! As the

wind tears off the tops of all blades of grass, even so, O bull of

Bharatas race, death overmasters all creatures. All creatures are like

members of a caravan bound for the same destination. (When death will

encounter all) it matters very little whom he meets with first. It

behoveth thee not, O king, to grieve for those that have been slain in

battle. If the scriptures are any authority, all of them must have

obtained the highest end. All of them were versed in the Vedas; all of

them had observed vows. Facing the foe all of them have met with death.

What matter of sorrow is there in this? Invisible they had been (before

birth). Having come from that unknown region, they have once more become

invisible. They are not thine, nor art thou theirs. What grief then is

there in such disappearance? If slain, one wins heaven. By slaying, fame

is won. Both these, with respect to us, are productive of great merit.

Battle, therefore, is not bootless. No doubt, Indra will contrive for

them regions capable of granting every wish. These, O bull among men,

become the guests of Indra. Men cannot, by sacrifices with profuse gifts,

by ascetic penances and by learning, go so speedily to heaven as heroes

slain in battle. On the bodies of hostile heroes constituting the

sacrificial fire, they poured their arrowy libations. Possessed of great

energy, they had in return to endure the arrowy libations (poured upon

them by their enemies). I tell thee, O king, that for a Kshatriya in this

world there is not a better road to heaven than battle! They were all

high-souled Kshatriyas; possessed of bravery, they were ornaments of

assemblies. They have attained to a high state of blessedness. They are

not persons for whom we should grieve. Comforting thyself by thy own self

cease to grieve, O bull among men! It behoveth thee not to suffer thyself

to be overwhelmed with sorrow and to abandon all actions. There are

thousands of mothers and fathers and sons and wives in this world. Whose

are they, and whose are we? From day to day thousands of causes spring up

for sorrow and thousands of causes for fear. These, however, affect the

ignorant but are nothing to him that is wise. There is none dear or

hateful to Time, O best of the Kurus! Time is indifferent to none. All

are equally dragged by Time. Time causeth all creatures to grow, and it

is Time that destroyeth everything. When all else is asleep, Time is

awake. Time is irresistible. Youth, beauty, life, possessions, health,

and the companionship of friends, all are unstable. He that is wise will

never covet any of these. It behoveth thee not to grieve for what is

universal. A person may, by indulging in grief, himself perish, but grief

itself, by being indulged in, never becomes light. Ifthou feelest thy

grief to be heavy, it should be counteracted by not indulging in it. Even

this is the medicine for grief, viz., that one should not indulge in it.

By dwelling on it, one cannot lessen it. On the other hand, it grows with

indulgence. Upon the advent of evil or upon the bereavement of something

that is dear, only they that are of little intelligence suffer their

minds to be afflicted with grief. This is neither Profit, nor Religion,

nor Happiness, on which thy heart is dwelling. The indulgence of grief is

the certain means of ones losing ones objects. Through it, one falls away

from the three great ends of life (religion, profit, and pleasure). They

that are destitute of contentment, are stupefied on the accession of

vicissitudes dependent upon the possession of wealth. They, however, that

are wise, are on the other hand, unaffected by such vicissitudes. One

should kill mental grief by wisdom, just as physical grief should be

killed by medicine. Wisdom hath this power. They, however, that are

foolish, can never obtain tranquillity of soul. The acts of a former life

closely follow a man, insomuch that they lie by him when he lies down,

stay by him when he stays, and run with him when he runs. In those

conditions of life in which one acts well or ill, one enjoys or suffers

the fruit thereof in similar conditions. In those forms (of physical

organisation) in which one performs particular acts, one enjoys or

suffers the fruits thereof in similar forms. Ones own self is ones own

friend, as, indeed, ones own self is ones own enemy. Ones own self is the

witness of ones acts, good and evil. From good acts springs a state of

happiness, from sinful deeds springs woe. One always obtains the fruit of

ones acts. One never enjoys or suffers weal or woe that is not the fruit

of ones own acts. Intelligent persons like thee, O king, never sink in

sinful enormities that are disapproved by knowledge and that strike at

the very root (of virtue and happiness)."

3

"Dhritarashtra said, O thou of great wisdom, my grief has been dispelled

by thy excellent words! I desire, however, to again hear thee speak. How,

indeed, do those that are wise free themselves from mental grief born of

the advent of evils and the bereavement of objects that are dear?

"Vidura said, He that is wise obtains tranquillity by subduing both grief

and joy through means by which one may escape from grief and joy. All

those things about which we are anxious, O bull among men, are ephemeral.

The world is like a plantain tree, without enduring strength. Since the

wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor, all, divested of their

anxieties, sleep on the crematorium, with bodies reft of flesh and full

of bare bones and shrivelled sinews, whom amongst them will the survivors

look upon as possessed of distinguishing marks by which the attributes of

birth and beauty may be ascertained? (When all are equal in death) why

should human beings, whose understandings are always deceived (by the

things of this world) covet one anothers rank and position? The learned

say that the bodies of men are like houses. In time these are destroyed.

There is one being, however, that is eternal. As a person, casting off

one attire, whether old or new, wears another, even such is the case with

the bodies of all embodied beings. O son of Vicitravirya, creatures

obtain weal or woe as the fruit of their own acts. Through their acts

they obtain heaven, O Bharata, or bliss, or woe. Whether able or unable,

they have to bear their burdens which are the result of their own acts.

As amongst earthen pots some break while still on the potters wheel, some

while partially shaped, some as soon as brought into shape, some after

removal from the wheel, some while in course of being removed, some after

removal, some while wet, some while dry, some while being burnt, some

while being removed from the kiln, some after removal therefrom, and some

while being used, even such is the case with the bodies of embodied

creatures. Some are destroyed while yet in the womb, some after coming

out of the womb, some on the day after, some on the expiration of a

fortnight or of a month, some on the expiration of a year or of two

years, some in youth, some in middle age, and some when old. Creatures

are born or destroyed according to their acts in previous lives. When

such is the course of the world, why do you then indulge in grief? As

men, while swimming in sport on the water, sometimes dive and sometimes

emerge, O king, even so creatures sink and emerge in lifes stream. They

that are of little wisdom suffer or meet with destruction as the result

of their own acts. They, however, that are wise, observant of virtue, and

desirous of doing good unto all living creatures, they, acquainted with

the real nature of the appearance of creatures in this world, attain at

last to the highest end."

4

"Dhritarashtra said, O foremost speakers, how may the wilderness of this

world be known? I desire to hear this. Asked by me, tell me this.

"Vidura said, I will describe to thee all the acts of creatures from

their first conception. At the outset it lives in the admixture of blood

and the vital fluid. Then it grows little by little. Then on the expiry

of the fifth month it assumes shape. It next becomes a foetus with all

its limbs completed, and lives in a very impure place, covered with flesh

and blood. Then, through the action of the wind, its lower limbs are

turned upwards and the head comes downwards. Arriving in this posture at

the mouth of the uterus, it suffers manifold woes. In consequence of the

contractions of the uterus, the creature then comes out of it, endued

with the results of all his previous acts. He then encounters in this

world other evils that rush towards him. Calamities proceed towards him

like dogs at the scent of meat. Next diverse diseases approach him while

he is enchained by his previous acts. Bound by the chains of the senses

and women and wealth and other sweet things of life, diverse evil

practices also approach him then, O king! Seized by these, he never

obtains happiness. At that season he succeeds not in obtaining the fruit

of his acts, right or wrong. They, however, that set their hearts on

reflection, succeed in protecting their souls. The person governed by his

senses does not know that death has come at his door. At last, dragged by

the messengers of the Destroyer, he meets with destruction at the

appointed time. Agitated by his senses, for whatever good and evil has

been done at the outset and having enjoyed or suffered the fruits of

these, he once more becomes indifferent to his acts of self-slaughter.

Alas, the world is deceived, and covetousness brings it under its

dominion. Deprived of understanding by covetousness, wrath, and fear, one

knows not ones own self. Filled with joy at ones own respectability of

birth, one is seen to traduce those that are not high-born. Swelled also

with pride of wealth, one is seen to contemn the poor. One regards others

to be ignorant fools, but seldom takes a survey of ones own self. One

attributes faults to others but is never desirous to punish ones own

self. Since the wise and the ignorant, the rich and the poor, the

high-born and the lowborn, the honoured and the dishonoured, all go to

the place of the dead and sleep there freed from every anxiety, with

bodies divested of flesh and full only of bones united by dried-up

tendons, whom amongst them would the survivors look upon as distinguished

above the others and by what signs would they ascertain the attributes of

birth and beauty? When all, stretched after the same fashion, sleep on

the bare ground, why then should men, taking leave of their senses,

desire to deceive one another? He that, looking at this saying (in the

scriptures) with his own eyes or hearing it from others, practiseth

virtue in this unstable world of life and adhereth to it from early age,

attaineth to the highest end. Learning all this, he that adhereth to

Truth, O king, succeedeth in passing over all paths."

5

"Dhritarashtra said, Tell me in detail everything about the ways of that

intelligence by which this wilderness of duties may be safely covered.

"Vidura said, Having bowed down to the Self-create, I will obey thy

behest by telling thee how the great sages speak of the wilderness of

life. A certain brahmana, living in the great world, found himself on one

occasion in a large inaccessible forest teeming with beasts of prey. It

abounded on every side with lions and other animals looking like

elephants, all of which were engaged in roaring aloud. Such was the

aspect of that forest that Yama himself would take fright at it.

Beholding the forest, the heart of the brahmana became exceedingly

agitated. His hair stood on end, and other signs of fear manifested

themselves, O scorcher of foes! Entering it, he began to run hither and

thither, casting his eyes on every point of the compass for finding out

somebody whose shelter he might seek. Wishing to avoid those terrible

creatures, he ran in fright. He could not succeed, however, in distancing

them or freeing himself from their presence. He then saw that that

terrible forest was surrounded with a net, and that a frightful woman

stood there, stretching her arms. That large forest was also encompassed

by many five-headed snakes of dreadful forms, tall as cliffs and touching

the very heavens. Within it was a pit whose mouth was covered with many

hard and unyielding creepers and herbs. The brahmana, in course of his

wanderings, fell into that invisible pit. He became entangled in those

clusters of creepers that were interwoven with one another, like the

large fruit of a jack tree hanging by its stalk. He continued to hang

there, feet upwards and head downwards. While he was in that posture,

diverse other calamities overtook him. He beheld a large and mighty snake

within the pit. He also saw a gigantic elephant near its mouth. That

elephant, dark in complexion, had six faces and twelve feet. And the

animal gradually approached that pit covered with creepers and trees.

About the twigs of the tree (that stood at the mouth of the pit), roved

many bees of frightful forms, employed from before in drinking the honey

gathered in their comb about which they swarmed in large numbers.

Repeatedly they desired, O bull of Bharatas race, to taste that honey

which though sweet to all creatures could, however, attract children

only. The honey (collected in the comb) fell in many jets below. The

person who was hanging in the pit continually drank those jets. Employed,

in such a distressful situation, in drinking that honey, his thirst,

however, could not be appeased. Unsatiated with repeated draughts, the

person desired for more. Even then, O king, he did not become indifferent

to life. Even there, the man continued to hope for existence. A number of

black and white rats were eating away the roots of that tree. There was

fear from the beasts of prey, from that fierce woman on the outskirts of

that forest, from that snake at the bottom of the well, from that

elephant near its top, from the fall of the tree through the action of

the rats, and lastly from those bees flying about for tasting the honey.

In that plight he continued to dwell, deprived of his senses, in that

wilderness, never losing at any time the hope of prolonging his life."

6

"Dhritarashtra said, Alas, great was the distress of that person and very

painful his mode of life! Tell me, O first of speakers, whence was his

attachment to life and whence his happiness? Where is that region, so

unfavourable to the practice of virtue, in which that person resides? Oh,

tell me how will that man be freed from all those great terrors? Tell me

all this! We shall then exert ourselves properly for him. My compassion

has been greatly moved by the difficulties that lie in the way of his

rescue!

"Vidura said, They that are conversant, O monarch, with the religion of

moksha cite this as a simile. Understanding this properly, a person may

attain to bliss in the regions hereafter. That which is described as the

wilderness is the great world. The inaccessible forest within it is the

limited sphere of ones own life. Those that have been mentioned as beasts

of prey are the diseases (to which we are subject). That woman of

gigantic proportions residing in the forest is identified by the wise

with Decrepitude which destroys complexion and beauty. That which has

been spoken of as the pit is the body or physical frame of embodied

creatures. The huge snake dwelling in the bottom of that pit is time, the

destroyer of all embodied creatures. It is, indeed, the universal

destroyer. The cluster of creepers growing in that pit and attached to

whose spreading stems the man hangeth down is the desire for life which

is cherished by every creature. The six-faced elephant, O king, which

proceeds towards the tree standing at the mouth of the pit is spoken of

as the year. Its six faces are the seasons and its twelve feet are the

twelve months. The rats and the snakes that are cutting off the tree are

said to be days and nights that are continually lessening the periods of

life of all creatures. Those that have been described as bees are our

desires. The numerous jets that are dropping honey are the pleasures

derived from the gratification of our desires and to which men are seen

to be strongly addicted. The wise know lifes course to be even such.

Through that knowledge they succeed in tearing off its bonds."

7

"Dhritarashtra said, Excellent is this parable that thou hast recited!

Indeed, thou art acquainted with truth! Having listened to thy nectarlike

speech, I desire to hear thee more.

"Vidura said, Listen to me, O king, I shall once more discourse in detail

on those means an acquaintance with which enable the wise to free

themselves from the ties of the world. As a person, O king, who has to

travel a long way is sometimes obliged to halt when fatigued with toil,

even so, O Bharata, they that are of little intelligence, travelling

along the extended way of life, have to make frequent halts in the shape

of repeated births in the womb. They, however, that are wise are free

from that obligation. Men conversant with the scriptures, for this,

describe lifes course as a long way. The wise also call lifes round with

all its difficulties a forest. Creatures, O bull of Bharatas race,

whether mobile or immobile, have to repeatedly return to the world. The

wise alone escape. The diseases, mental and physical, to which mortals

are subject, whether visible or invisible, are spoken of as beasts of

prey by the wise. Men are always afflicted and impeded by them, O

Bharata! Then again, those fierce beasts of prey, represented by their

own acts in life, never cause any anxiety to them that are of little

intelligence. If any person, O monarch, somehow escapes from diseases,

Decrepitude, that destroyer of beauty, overwhelmshim afterwards. Plunged

in a slough by the objects of the different senses--sound and form and

taste and touch and scent--man remains there without anything to rescue

him thence. Meanwhile, the years, the seasons, the months, the

fortnights, the days, and the nights, coming one after another, gradually

despoil him of beauty and lessen the period allotted to him. These all

are messengers of death. They, however, that are of little understanding

know them not to be such. The wise say that all creatures are governed by

the Ordainer through their acts. The body of a creature is called the

car. The living principle is the driver of (that car). The senses are

said to be steeds. Our acts and the understanding are the traces. He who

followeth after those running steeds has to come repeatedly to this world

in a round of rebirths. He, however, who, being self-restrained restrains

them by his understanding hath not to come back. They, however, that are

not stupefied while wandering in this wheel of life that is revolving

like a real wheel, do not in reality wander in a round of rebirths. He

that is wise should certainly take care to prevent the obligation of

rebirth. One should not be indifferent to this, for indifference may

subject us to it repeatedly. The man, O king, who has restrained his

senses and subdued wrath and covetousness, who is contented, and truthful

in speech, succeeds in obtaining peace. This body is called the car of

Yama. Then those that are of little intelligence are stupefied by it.

Such a person, O king, would obtain that which thou hast obtained. The

loss of kingdom, of friends, and of children, O Bharata, and such as

these, overtake him who is still under the influence of desire. He that

is wise should apply the medicine of intelligence to all great griefs.

Indeed, obtaining the medicine of wisdom, which is truly very efficacious

and is almost unattainable, the man of restrained soul would kill that

serious disease called sorrow. Neither prowess, nor wealth, nor friend,

nor well-wishers can cure a man of his grief so effectually as the

self-restrained soul. Therefore, observant of the great duty of

abstention from all injuries, or friendship for all creatures, be of

pious behaviour, O Bharata! Self-restraint, renunciation, and heedfulness

are the three steeds of Brahman. He who rides on the car of his soul,

unto which are yoked these steeds with the aid of traces furnished by

good conduct, and drives it, casting off all fear of death, proceedeth, O

king, to the regions of Brahman. That person, O monarch, who gives unto

all creatures an assurance of his harmlessness, goes to the highest of

regions, the blessed realm of Vishnu. The fruit that one obtains by an

assurance unto all creatures of his harmlessness cannot be obtained by a

1,000 sacrifices or by daily fasts. Amongst all things there is certainly

nothing dearer than self. Death is certainly disliked by all creatures, O

Bharata! Therefore, compassion should certainly be shown unto all. Endued

with diverse kinds of errors entangled by the net of their own

intelligence, they that are wicked and are of good vision, wander

repeatedly on the earth. They however, that are wise and endued with

subtle sight, attain to a union with Brahman."

8

Vaishampayana said, "Even after hearing the words of Vidura, the chief of

the Kurus, afflicted with grief on account of the death of his sons, fell

down senseless on the Earth. Beholding him fall down in that state, his

friends, as also the island-born Vyasa, and Vidura, and Sanjaya, and

other well-wishers, and the attendants who used to wait at the gates and

who enjoyed his confidence, sprinkled cool water over his body, and

fanned him with palm leaves, and gently rubbed him with their hands. For

a long while they comforted the king while in that condition. The

monarch, recovering his senses after a long time, wept for a long while,

overwhelmed with grief on account of the death of his sons. He said, Fie

on the state of humanity! Fie on the human body! The woes that are

suffered in this life frequently arise from the very state of humanity.

Alas, O lord, great is the grief, like poison or fire, that one suffers

at the loss of sons, of wealth, of kinsmen, and relatives. That grief

causes the limbs to burn and our wisdom to be destroyed. Overwhelmed with

that grief, a person regards death to be preferable. This calamity that

has overtaken me through ill-luck is even like that. It will not, I see,

end except with life itself. O best of regenerate ones, I shall,

therefore, put an end to my life this very day. Having said these words

unto his high-souled sire, that foremost of all persons conversant with

Brahman, Dhritarashtra, overwhelmed with grief, became stupefied. The

king, O monarch reflecting on his woes, became speechless. Hearing these

words of his, the puissant Vyasa thus spoke unto his son afflicted with

grief on account of the death of his children.

"Vyasa said, O mighty-armed Dhritarashtra, listen to what I say. Thou art

possessed of learning, thou hast great intelligence, and thou, O puissant

one, art skilled in understanding duties. Nothing of that which should be

known is unknown to thee, O scorcher of foes! Without doubt, thou knowest

the instability of all things doomed to death. When the world of life is

unstable when this world itself is not eternal, when life is sure to end

in death, why then, O Bharata, dost thou grieve? Before thy very eyes, O

king, the concatenation of facts brought about by Time making thy son the

cause, produced this hostility. This destruction of the Kurus, O king,

was inevitable. Why then dost thou grieve for those heroes that have

attained to the highest end? O thou of mighty arms, the high-souled

Vidura knew everything. With all his might he had endeavoured, O king, to

bring about peace. It is my opinion that the course marked out by Destiny

cannot be controlled by anyone, even if one struggles for eternity. The

course that was settled by the gods was heard directly by me. I will

recite it to thee, so that tranquillity of mind may be thine. Once

before, without any fatigue, I repaired very quickly to the court of

Indra. There I beheld all the denizens of heaven assembled together.

There were, O sinless one, all the celestial rishis also, headed by

Narada. There, O monarch, I saw also the Earth (in her embodied form).

The latter had repaired to the gods for the accomplishment of a

particular mission. Approaching the gods, she said, "That which ye all

should do for me hath, ye blessed ones, been already promised by you

while you were in Brahmas abode. Let that be accomplished soon." Hearing

these words of hers, Vishnu, the adored of all the worlds, smilingly

addressed her in the midst of the celestial conclave, saying, "The eldest

of the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, who is known by the name of

Duryodhana, will accomplish thy business. Through that king, thy purpose

will be achieved. For his sake, many kings will assemble together on the

field of Kuru. Capable of smiting, they will cause one another to be

slain through the instrumentality of hard weapons. It is evident, O

goddess, that thy burthen will then be lightened in battle. Go quickly to

thy own place and continue to bear the weight of creatures, O beauteous

one!" From this thou wilt understand, O king, that thy son Duryodhana,

born in Gandharis womb, was a portion of Kali, sprung for the object of

causing a universal slaughter. He was vindictive, restless, wrathful, and

difficult of being gratified. Through the influence of Destiny his

brothers also became like him. Shakuni became his maternal uncle and

Karna his great friend. Many other kings were born on earth for aiding in

the work of destruction. As the king is, so do his subjects become. If

the king becomes righteous, even unrighteousness (in his dominions)

assumes the shape of righteousness. Servants, without doubt, are affected

by the merits and defects of their masters. Those sons of thine, O king,

having obtained a bad king, have all been destroyed. Conversant with

truth, Narada, knew all this. Thy sons, through their own faults, have

been destroyed, O king! Do not grieve for them, O monarch! There is no

cause for grief. The Pandavas have not, O Bharata, the least fault in

what has happened. Thy sons were all of wicked souls. It is they that

caused this destruction on earth. Blessed be thou; Narada had truly

informed Yudhishthira of all this in his court on the occasion of the

rajasuya sacrifice, saying, "The Pandavas and the Kauravas, encountering

each other, will meet with destruction. Do that, O son of Kunti, which

thou shouldst!" Upon these words of Narada, the Pandavas became filled

with grief. I have thus told thee that which is an eternal secret of the

gods. This will destroy thy grief and restore to thee a love of thy

life-breath, and cause thee to cherish affection for the Pandavas, for

all that has happened has been due to what had been ordained by the gods.

O thou of mighty arms, I had learnt all this sometime before. I also

spoke of it to king Yudhishthira the just on the occasion of his foremost

of sacrifices, the rajasuya. When I secretly informed him of all this,

Dharmas son endeavoured his best for preserving peace with the Kauravas.

That, however, which is ordained by the gods proved too powerful (to be

frustrated by him). The fiat, O king of the Destroyer, is incapable of

being baffled anyhow by mobile and immobile creatures. Thou art devoted

to virtue and possessed of superior intelligence, O Bharata! Thou knowest

also that which is the way and that which is not the way of all

creatures. If king Yudhishthira learns that thou art burning with grief

and losing thy senses frequently, he will cast off his very life-breath.

He is always compassionate and possessed of wisdom. His kindness extends

even to all the inferior creatures. How is it possible, O king, that he

will not show compassion to thee, O monarch? At my command, and knowing

that what is ordained is inevitable, as also from kindness to the

Pandavas, continue to bear thy life, O Bharata! If thou livest thus, thy

fame will spread in the world. Thou shalt then be able to acquire a

knowledge of all duties and find many years for obtaining ascetic merit.

This grief for the death of thy sons that has arisen in thy heart, like a

blazing fire, should always be extinguished, O king, by the water of

wisdom!""

Vaishampayana continued, "Hearing these words of Vyasa of immeasurable

energy and reflecting upon them for a little while, Dhritarashtra said, O

best of regenerate ones, I am exceedingly afflicted by a heavy load of

grief. My senses are repeatedly forsaking me and I am unable to bear up

my own self. Hearing, however, these words of thine about what had been

ordained by the gods, I shall not think of casting off my life-breath and

shall live and act without indulging in grief! Hearing these words of

Dhritarashtra, O monarch, Satyavatis son, Vyasa, disappeared then and

there."

9

Janamejaya said, "After the holy Vyasa had departed, what, O regenerate

sage, did king Dhritarashtra, do? It behoveth thee to tell me this. What

also did the Kuru king, the high-souled son of Dharma, do? And how did

those three, Kripa and others, do? I have heard of the feats of

Ashvatthama and the mutual denouncement of curses. Tell me what happened

next and what Sanjaya next said (unto the old king)."

Vaishampayana said, "After Duryodhana had been slain and all the troops

slaughtered, Sanjaya, deprived of his spiritual sight, came back to

Dhritarashtra.

"Sanjaya said, The kings of diverse peoples, that came from diverse

realms, have all, O king, gone to the regions of the dead, along with thy

sons. Thy son, O king, who had constantlybeen implored (for peace) but

who always wished to terminate his hostility (with the Pandavas by

slaughtering them) has caused the earth to be exterminated. Do thou, O

king, cause the obsequial rites of thy sons and grandsons and sires to be

performed according to due order!"

Vaishampayana continued, "Hearing these terrible words of Sanjaya, the

king fell down on the Earth and lay motionless like one deprived of life.

Approaching the monarch who was lying prostrate on the Earth, Vidura,

conversant with every duty, said these words: Rise, O king, why dost thou

lie down thus? Do not grieve, O bull of Bharatas race! Even this, O lord

of Earth, is the final end of all creatures. At first creatures are

non-existent. In the interim, O Bharata, they become existent. At the

end, they once more become non-existent. What cause of sorrow is there in

all this? By indulging in grief, one cannot get back the dead. By

indulging in grief, one cannot die himself. When such is the course of

the world, why dost thou indulge in grief? One may die without having

been engaged in battle. One also escapes with life after being engaged in

battle. When ones Time comes, O king, one cannot escape! Time drags all

kinds of creatures. There is none dear or hateful to Time, O best of the

Kurus! As the wind tears off the ends of all blades of grass, even so all

creatures, O bull of Bharatas race, are brought by Time under its

influence. All creatures are like members of the same caravan bound for

the same destination. What cause of sorrow is there if Time meets with

one a little earlier than with another? Those again, O king, that have

fallen in battle and for whom thou grievest, are not really objects of

thy grief, since all those illustrious ones have gone to heaven. By

sacrifices with profuse presents, by ascetic austerities, and by

knowledge, people cannot so easily repair to heaven as heroes by courage

in battle. All those heroes were conversant with the Vedas; all of them

were observant of vows; all of them have perished, facing the foe in

battle. What cause of sorrow then is there? They poured their arrowy

libations upon the bodies of their brave foes as upon a fire. Foremost of

men, they bore in return the arrowy libations poured upon themselves. I

tell thee, O king, that there is no better way to heaven for a Kshatriya

than through battle. All of them were high-souled Kshatriyas, all of them

were heroes and ornaments of assemblies. They have attained to a high

state of blessedness. One should not grieve for them. Do thou comfort thy

own self. Do not grieve, O bull among men! It behoveth thee not to suffer

thyself to be overwhelmed with sorrow and abandon all action."

10

Vaishampayana said, "Hearing these words of Vidura, that bull of Bharatas

race (Dhritarashtra) ordered his car to be yoked. The king once more

said, Bring Gandhari hither without delay, and all the Bharata ladies.

Bring hither Kunti also, as well as all the other ladies with her. Having

said these words unto Vidura, conversant with every duty, Dhritarashtra

of righteous soul, deprived of his senses by sorrow, ascended on his car.

Then Gandhari, afflicted with grief on account of the death of her sons,

accompanied by Kunti and the other ladies of the royal household, came at

the command of her lord to that spot where the latter was waiting for

her. Afflicted with grief, they came together to the king. As they met,

they accosted each other and uttered loud wails of woe. Then Vidura, who

had become more afflicted than those ladies, began to comfort them.

Placing those weeping fair ones on the cars that stood ready for them, he

set out (with them) from the city. At that time a loud wail of woe arose

from every Kuru house. The whole city, including the very children,

became exceedingly afflicted with grief. Thoseladies that had not before

this been seen by the very gods were now helpless, as they were, for the

loss of their lords, seen by the common people. With their beautiful

tresses all dishevelled and their ornaments cast off, those ladies, each

attired in a single piece of raiment, proceeded most woefully. Indeed,

they issued from their houses resembling white mountains, like a dappled

herd of deer from their mountain caves after the fall of their leader.

These fair ladies, in successive bevies, O king, came out, filled with

sorrow, and ran hither and thither like a herd of fillies on a circus

yard. Seizing each other by the hand, they uttered loud wails after their

sons and brothers and sires. They seemed to exhibit the scene that takes

place on the occasion of the universal destruction at the end of the

Yuga. Weeping and crying and running hither and thither, and deprived of

their senses by grief, they knew not what to do. Those ladies who

formerly felt the blush of modesty in the presence of even companions of

their own sex, now felt no blush of shame, though scantily clad, in

appearing before their mothers-in-law. Formerly they used to comfort each

other while afflicted with even slight causes of woe. Stupefied by grief,

they now, O king, refrained from even casting their eyes upon each other.

Surrounded by those thousands of wailing ladies, the king cheerlessly

issued out of the city and proceeded with speed towards the field of

battle. Artisans and traders and Vaishyas and all kinds of mechanics,

issuing out of the city, followed in the wake of the king. As those

ladies, afflicted by the wholesale destruction that had overtaken the

Kurus, cried in sorrow, a loud wail arose from among them that seemed to

pierce all the worlds. All creatures that heard that wail thought that

the hour of universal destruction had come when all things would be

consumed by the fire that arises at the end of the Yuga. The citizens

also (of Hastinapura), devoted to the house of Kuru, with hearts filled

with anxiety at the destruction that had overtaken their rules, set up, O

king, a wail that was as loud as that uttered by those ladies."

11

Vaishampayana said, "Dhritarashtra had not proceeded for more than two

miles when he met with those three great car-warriors, Sharadvatas son

Kripa, Dronas son (Ashvatthama), and Kritavarma. As soon as the latter

obtained a sight of the blind monarch possessed of great power, the three

heroes sighed in grief and with voices choked in tears weepingly

addressed him, saying, Thy royal son, O king, having achieved the most

difficult feats, has, with all his followers, gone to the region of

Indra. We are the only three car-warriors of Duryodhanas army that have

escaped with life. All the others, O bull of Bharatas race, have

perished. Having said these words unto the king, Sharadvatas son Kripa,

addressing the grief-afflicted Gandhari, said these words unto her, Thy

sons have fallen while engaged in achieving feats worthy of heroes, while

fearlessly fighting in battle and striking down large numbers of foes.

Without doubt, having obtained those bright worlds that are attainable

only by the use of weapons, they are sporting there like celestials,

having assumed resplendent forms. Amongst those heroes there was no one

that turned back from battle. Every one of them has fallen at the end or

edge of weapons. None of them joined his hands, begging for quarter.

Death in battle at the end or edge of weapons has been said by the

ancients to be the highest end that a Kshatriya can obtain. It behoveth

thee not, therefore, to grieve for any of them. Their foes, O queen, the

Pandavas, too, have not been more fortunate. Listen, what we, headed by

Ashvatthama, have done unto them. Learning that thy son had been slain

unrighteously by Bhima, we slaughtered the Pandavas after entering their

camp buried in sleep. All the Pancalas have been slain. Indeed, all the

sons of Drupada, as also all the sons of Draupadi, have been slaughtered.

Having caused this carnage of the sons of our foes, we are flying away

since we three are incapable of standing in battle with them. Our foes,

the Pandavas, are all heroes and mighty bowmen. They will soon come up

with us, filled with rage, for taking vengeance on us. Hearing the

slaughter of their sons, those bulls among men, infuriated with rage,

those heroes, O illustrious lady, will speedily pursue our track. Having

caused a carnage (in their sleeping camp) we dare not stay. Grant us

permission, O queen! It behoveth thee not to set thy heart on sorrow.

Grant us thy permission also, O king! Summon all thy fortitude. Do thou

also observe the duties of a Kshatriya in their highest form. Having said

these words unto the king, and circumambulating him, Kripa and Kritavarma

and Dronas son, O Bharata, without being able to withdraw their eyes from

king Dhritarashtra possessed of great wisdom, urged their steeds towards

the banks of the Ganga. Moving away from that spot, O king, those great

car-warriors, with hearts plunged in anxiety, took one anothers leave and

separated from one another. Sharadvatas son, Kripa, went to Hastinapura;

Hridikas son repaired to his own kingdom; while the son of Drona set for

the asylum of Vyasa. Even thus those heroes, who had offended the

high-souled sons of Pandu, respectively proceeded to the places they

selected, afflicted with fear and casting their eyes on one another.

Having met the king thus, those brave chastisers of foes, before the sun

rose, went away, O monarch, to the places they chose. It was after this,

O king, that the sons of Pandu, those great car-warriors, encountered the

son of Drona, and putting forth their prowess, vanquished him, O monarch,

(in the way already related)."

12

Vaishampayana said, "After all the warriors had been slaughtered, king

Yudhishthira the just heard that his uncle Dhritarashtra had set out from

the city called after the elephant. Afflicted with grief on account of

the death of his sons, Yudhishthira, O king, accompanied by his brothers,

set out for meeting his uncle, filled with sorrow and overwhelmed with

grief for the slaughter of his (hundred) sons. The son of Kunti was

followed by the high-souled and heroic Krishna of Dasharhas race, and by

Yuyudhana, as also by Yuyutsu. The princess Draupadi also, burning with

grief, and accompanied by those Pancala ladies that were with her,

sorrowfully followed her lord. Yudhishthira beheld near the banks of the

Ganga, O king, the crowd of Bharata ladies afflicted with woe and crying

like a flight of she-ospreys. The king was soon surrounded by those

thousands of ladies who, with arms raised aloft in grief, were indulging

in loud lamentations and giving expression to all kinds of words,

agreeable and disagreeable: Where, indeed, is that righteousness of the

king, where is truth and compassion, since he has slain sires and

brothers and preceptors and sons and friends? How, O mighty-armed one,

hath thy heart become tranquil after causing Drona, and thy grandsire

Bhishma, and Jayadratha, to be slaughtered? What need hast thou of

sovereignty, after having seen thy sires and brothers, O Bharata, and the

irresistible Abhimanyu and the sons of Draupadi, thus slaughtered?

Passing over those ladies crying like a flight of she-ospreys, the

mighty-armed king Yudhishthira the just saluted the feet of his eldest

uncle. Having saluted their sire according to custom, those slayers of

foes, the Pandavas, announced themselves to him, each uttering his own

name. Dhritarashtra, exceedingly afflicted with grief on account of the

slaughter of his sons, then reluctantly embraced the eldest son of Pandu,

who was the cause of that slaughter. Having embraced Yudhishthira the

just and spoken a few words of comfort to him, O Bharata, the

wicked-souled Dhritarashtra sought for Bhima, like a blazing fire ready

to burn everything that would approach it. Indeed, that fire of his

wrath, fanned by the wind of his grief, seemed then to be ready to

consume the Bhima-forest. Ascertaining the evil intentions cherished by

him towards Bhima, Krishna, dragging away the real Bhima, presented an

iron statue of the second son of Pandu to the old king. Possessed of

great intelligence, Krishna had, at the very outset, understood the

intentions of Dhritarashtra, and had, therefore, kept such a contrivance

ready for baffling them. Seizing with his two arms that iron Bhima, king

Dhritarashtra, possessed of great strength, broke into pieces, thinking

it to be Bhima himself in flesh and blood. Endued with might equal to

that of 10,000 elephants, the king reduced that statue into fragments.

His own breast, however, became considerably bruised and he began to

vomit blood. Covered with blood, the king fell down on the ground like a

parijata tree topped with its flowery burden. His learned charioteer

Sanjaya, the son of Gavalgana, raised the monarch and soothing and

comforting him, said, Do not act so. The king then, having cast off his

wrath and returned to his normal disposition, became filled with grief

and began to weep aloud, saying, Alas, oh Bhima, alas, oh Bhima!

Understanding that he was no longer under the influence of wrath, and

that he was truly sorry for having (as he believed) killed Bhima,

Vasudeva, that foremost of men, said these words, Do not grieve, O

Dhritarashtra, for thou hast not slain Bhimasena! That is an iron statue,

O king, which has been broken by thee! Understanding that thou wert

filled with rage, O bull of Bharatas race, I dragged the son of Kunti

away from within the jaws of Death. O tiger among kings, there is none

equal to thee in strength of body. What man is there, O mighty-armed one,

that would endure pressure of thy arms? Indeed, as no one can escape with

life from an encounter with the Destroyer himself, even so no body can

come out safe from within thy embrace. It was for this that yonder iron

statue of Bhima, which had been caused to be made by thy son, had been

kept ready for thee. Through grief for the death of thy sons, thy mind

has fallen off from righteousness. It is for this, O great king, that

thou seekest to slay Bhimasena. The slaughter of Bhima, however, O king,

would do thee no good. Thy sons, O monarch, would not be revived by it.

Therefore, do thou approve of what has been by us with a view to secure

peace and do not set thy heart on grief!"

Section 13

Vaishampayana said, "Certain maid-servants then came to the king for

washing him. After he had been duly washed, the slayer of Madhu again

addressed him, saying, Thou hast, O king, read the Vedas and diverse

scriptures. Thou hast heard all old histories, and everything about the

duties of kings. Thou art learned, possessed of great wisdom, and

indifferent to strength and weakness. Why then dost thou cherish such

wrath when all that has overtaken thee is the result of thy own fault? I

spoke to thee before the battle. Both Bhishma and Drona, O Bharata, did

the same, as also Vidura and Sanjaya. Thou didst not, however, then

follow our advice. Indeed, though exhorted by us, thou didst not yet act

according to the counsels we offered, knowing that the Pandavas were

superior to thee and thine, O Kauravya, in strength and courage. That

king who is capable of seeing his own faults and knows the distinctions

of place and time, obtains great prosperity. That person, however, who,

though counselled by well-wishers, does not accept their words, good or

bad, meets with distress and is obliged to grieve in consequence of the

evil policy he pursues. Observe thou a different course of life now, O

Bharata! Thou didst not keep thy soul under restraint, but suffered

thyself to be ruled by Duryodhana. That which has come upon thee is due

to thy own fault. Why then dost thou seek to slay Bhima? Recollecting thy

own faults, govern thy wrath now. That mean wretch who had, from pride,

caused the princess of Pancala to be brought into the assembly has been

slain by Bhimasena in just revenge. Look at thy own evil acts as also at

those of thy wicked-souled son. The sons of Pandu are perfectly innocent.

Yet have they been treated most cruelly by thee and him."

Vaishampayana continued, "After he had thus been told nothing but the

truth by Krishna, O monarch, king Dhritarashtra replied unto Devakis son,

saying, It is even so, O thou of mighty arms! What thou sayest, O

Madhava, is perfectly true. It is parental affection, O thou of righteous

soul, that caused me to fall away from righteousness. By good luck, that

tiger among men, the mighty Bhima of true prowess, protected by thee,

came not within my embrace. Now, however, I am free from wrath and fever.

I desire eagerly, O Madhava, to embrace that hero, the second son of

Pandu. When all the kings have been dead, when my children are no more,

upon the sons of Pandu depend my welfare and happiness. Having said these

words, the old king then embraced those princes of excellent frames,

Bhima and Dhananjaya, and those two foremost of men, the two sons of

Madri, and wept, and comforted and pronounced blessings upon them."

14

Vaishampayana said, "Commanded by Dhritarashtra, those bulls of Kurus

race, the Pandava brothers, accompanied by Keshava, then proceeded to see

Gandhari. The faultless Gandhari, afflicted with grief on account of the

death of her hundred sons, recollecting that king Yudhishthira the just

had slain all his enemies, wished to curse him. Understanding her evil

intentions towards the Pandavas, the son of Satyavati addressed himself

for counteracting them at the very outset. Having cleansed himself by the

sacred and fresh water of the Ganga, the great rishi, capable of

proceeding everywhere at will with the fleetness of the mind, came to

that spot. Capable of seeing the heart of every creature with his

spiritual vision and with his mind directed towards it, the sage made his

appearance there. Endued with great ascetic merit and ever intent on

saying what was for the benefit of creatures, the rishi, addressing his

daughter-in-law at the proper moment, said, Do not avail thyself of this

opportunity for denouncing a curse. On the other hand, utilize it for

showing thy forgiveness. Thou shouldst not be angry with the Pandavas, O

Gandhari! Set thy heart on peace. Restrain the words that are about to

fall from thy lips. Listen to my advice. Thy son, desirous of victory,

had besought thee every day for the eighteen days that battle lasted,

saying, "O mother, bless me who am fighting with my foes." Implored every

day in these words by thy son desirous of victory, the answer thou always

gavest him was, "Thither is victory where righteousness is!" I do not, O

Gandhari, remember that any words spoken by thee have become false. Those

words, therefore, that thou, implored by Duryodhana, saidst unto him,

could not be false. Thou art always employed in the good of all

creatures. Having without doubt reached the other shore in that dreadful

battle of Kshatriyas, the sons of Pandu have certainly won the victory

and a measure of righteousness that is much greater. Thou wert formerly

observant of the virtue of forgiveness. Why wouldst thou not observe it

now? Subdue unrighteousness, O thou that art conversant with

righteousness. There is victory where righteousness is. Remembering thy

own righteousness and the words spoken by thyself, restrain thy wrath, O

Gandhari! Do not act otherwise, O thou that art beautiful in speech.

Hearing these words, Gandhari said, O holy one, I do not cherish any ill

feelings towards the Pandavas, nor do I wish that they should perish. In

consequence, however, of grief for the death of my sons, my heart is very

much agitated. I know that I should protect the Pandavas with as much

care as Kunti herself protects them, and that Dhritarashtra also should

protect them as I should. Through the fault of Duryodhana and of Shakuni

the son of Subala, and through the action of Karna and Duhshasana,

extermination of the Kurus hath taken place. In this matter the slightest

blame cannot attach to Vibhatsu or to Prithas son Vrikodara, or to Nakula

or Sahadeva, or to Yudhishthira himself. While engaged in battle, the

Kauravas, swelling with arrogance and pride, have fallen along with many

others (that came to their aid). I am not grieved at this. But there has

been one act done by Bhima in the very presence of Vasudeva (that moves

my resentment). The high-souled Vrikodara, having challenged Duryodhana

to a dreadful encounter with mace, and having come to know that my son,

while careering in diverse kinds of motion in the battle, was superior to

him in skill, struck the latter below the navel. It is this that moves my

wrath. Why should heroes, for the sake of their lives, cast off

obligations of duty that have been determined by high-souled persons

conversant with every duty?"

15

Vaishampayana said, "Hearing these words of Gandhari, Bhimasena, looking

like one in fright, said these words for soothing her, Be the act

righteous or unrighteous, it was done by me through fear and for the

object of protecting my own self. It behoveth thee therefore, to forgive

me now. Thy mighty son was incapable of being slain by anybody in a fair

and righteous battle. It was for this that I did what was unfair.

Duryodhana himself had formerly vanquished Yudhishthira unrighteously. He

used always to behave guilefully towards us. It was for this that I had

recourse to an unfair act. Thy son was then the sole unslain warrior on

his side. In order that that valiant prince might not slay me in the

mace-encounter and once more deprive us of our kingdom, I acted in that

way. Thou knowest all that thy son had said unto the princess of Pancala

while the latter, in her season, was clad in a single piece of raiment.

Without having disposed of Suyodhana it was impossible for us to rule

peacefully the whole earth with her seas. It was for this that I acted in

that way. Thy son inflicted many wrongs on us. In the midst of the

assembly he had shown his left thigh unto Draupadi. For that wicked

behaviour, thy son deserved to be slain by us even then. At the command,

however, of king Yudhishthira the just, we suffered ourselves to be

restrained by the compact that had been made. By this means, O queen, thy

son provoked deadly hostilities with us. Great were our sufferings in the

forest (whither we were driven by thy son). Remembering all this, I acted

in that way. Having slain Duryodhana in battle, we have reached the end

of our hostilities. Yudhishthira has got back his kingdom, and we also

have been freed from wrath. Hearing these words of Bhima, Gandhari said,

Since thou praisest my son thus (for his skill in battle), he did not

deserve such a death. He, however, did all that thou tellest me. When

Vrishasena, however, had deprived Nakula of his steeds, O Bharata, thou

quaffedst in battle the blood from Duhshasanas body! Such an act is cruel

and is censured by the good. It suits only a person that is most

disrespectable. It was a wicked act, O Vrikodara, that was then

accomplished by thee! It was undeserving of thee. Bhima replied, saying,

It is improper to quaff the blood of even a stranger, what then need be

said about quaffing the blood of ones own self? Ones brother, again, is

like ones own self. There is no difference between them. The blood,

however, (that I am regarded to have quaffed) did not, O mother, pass

down my lips and teeth. Karna knew this well. My hands only were smeared

with (Duhshasanas) blood. Seeing Nakula deprived of his steeds by

Vrishasena in battle, I caused the rejoicing (Kaurava) brothers to be

filled with dread. When after the match at dice the tresses of Draupadi

were seized, I uttered certain words in rage. Those words are still in my

remembrance, I would, for all years to come, have been regarded to have

swerved from the duties of a Kshatriya if I had left that vow

unaccomplished. It was for this, O queen, that I did that act. It

behoveth thee not, O Gandhari, to impute any fault to me. Without having

restrained thy sons in former days, doth it behove thee to impute any

fault to our innocent selves?

"Gandhari said, Unvanquished by anyone, thou hast slain a hundred sons of

this old man. Oh, why didst thou not spare, O child, even one son of this

old couple deprived of kingdom, one whose offences were lighter? Why

didst thou not leave even one crutch for this blind couple? O child,

although thou livest unharmed, having slain all my children, yet no grief

would have been mine if thou hadst adopted the path of righteousness (in

slaying them)."

Vaishampayana continued, "Having said these words, Gandhari, filled with

wrath at the slaughter of all her sons and grandsons, enquired after

Yudhishthira, saying, Where is the king? After she had said these words

king Yudhishthira, trembling and with joined hands, approached her and

said these soft words unto her, Here is Yudhishthira, O goddess, that

cruel slayer of thy sons! I deserve thy curses, for I am the cause of

this universal destruction. Oh, curse me! I have no longer any need for

life, for kingdom, for wealth! Having caused such friends to be slain, I

have proved myself to be a great fool and a hater of friends. Unto

Yudhishthira who spoke such words, who was overcome with fear, and who

stood in her presence, Gandhari, drawing long sighs, said nothing.

Conversant with the rules of righteousness, the Kuru queen, possessed of

great foresight, directed her eyes, from within the folds of the cloth

that covered them, to the tip of Yudhishthiras toe, as the prince, with

body bent forwards, was about to fall down at her feet. At this, the

king, whose nails had before this been all very beautiful, came to have a

sore nail on his toe. Beholding this, Arjuna moved away to the rear of

Vasudeva. and the other sons of Pandu became restless and moved from one

spot to another. Gandhari then, having cast off her wrath, comforted the

Pandavas as a mother should. Obtaining her leave, those heroes of broad

chests then proceeded together to present themselves to their mother,

that parent of heroes. Having seen her sons after a long time, Kunti, who

had been filled with anxiety on their account, covered her face with her

cloth and began to weep. Having wept for some time with her children,

Pritha beheld the wounds and scars of many weapons on their bodies. She

then repeatedly embraced and patted each of her sons, and afflicted with

grief wept with Draupadi who had lost all her children and whom she saw

lying on the bare earth, indulging in piteous lamentations.

"Draupadi said, O venerable dame, where have all your grandsons, with

Abhimanyu among them, gone? Beholding thee in such distress, why are they

delaying in making their appearance before thee? Deprived as I am of my

children, what need have I of kingdom? Raising the grief-stricken

princess of Pancala who was weeping thus, Pritha began to comfort that

lady of large eyes. Then Kunti, accompanied by the princess of Pancala

and followed by her sons, proceeded towards the grief-afflicted Gandhari

herself in greater affliction still. Beholding that illustrious lady with

her daughter-in-law, Gandhari addressed her, saying, Do not, O daughter,

grieve so. Behold, I too am as much stricken with grief as thou. I think

this universal destruction has been brought about by the irresistible

course of Time. Inevitable as it was, this dreadful slaughter has not

been due to the voluntary agency of human beings. Even that has come to

pass which Vidura of great wisdom foretold after Krishnas supplication

for peace had failed. Do not, therefore, grieve, in a matter that was

inevitable, especially after its occurrence. Having fallen in battle,

they should not be grieved for. I am in the same predicament with thee.

(If thou actest in such a way) who then will comfort us? Through my

fault, this foremost of races has been destroyed."

Here ends the Jalapradanika-parva in the Stri-parva.

16

(Stri-vilapa-parva)

Vaishampayana said, "Having said these words, Gandhari, though staying on

that spot which was distant from the field of battle, beheld, with her

spiritual eye, the slaughter of the Kurus. Devoted to her lord, that

highly blessed lady had always practised high vows. Undergoing the

severest penances, she was always truthful in her speech. In consequence

of the gift of the boon by the great rishi Vyasa of sanctified deeds, she

became possessed of spiritual knowledge and power. Piteous were the

lamentations in which that dame then indulged. Endued with great

intelligence, the Kuru dame saw, from a distance, but as if from a near

point, that field of battle, terrible to behold and full of wonderful

sights, of those foremost of fighters. Scattered all over with bones and

hair, and covered with streams of blood, that field was strewn with

thousands upon thousands of dead bodies on every side. Covered with the

blood of elephants and horses and car-warriors and combatants of other

kinds, it teemed with headless trunks and trunkless heads. And it

resounded with the cries of elephants and steeds and men and women and

abounded with jackals and cranes and ravens and kankas and crows. And it

was the sporting ground of rakshasas subsisting on human flesh. And it

swarmed with ospreys and vultures and resounded with the inauspicious

howls of jackals. Then king Dhritarashtra, at the command of Vyasa, and

all the sons of Pandu with Yudhishthira at their head, with Vasudeva and

all the Kuru ladies, proceeded to the field of battle. Those ladies,

bereaved of their lords, having reached Kurukshetra, beheld their slain

brothers and sons and sires and husbands lying on the ground, and in

course of being devoured by beasts of prey and wolves and ravens and

crows and ghosts and pishacas and rakshasas and diverse other wanderers

of the night. Beholding that carnage which resembled the sights seen on

the sporting ground of Rudra, the ladies uttered loud shrieks and quickly

alighted from their costly vehicles. Witnessing sights the like of which

they had never before witnessed, the Bharata ladies felt their limbs to

be deprived of strength and fell down on the ground. Others became so

stupefied that they lost all their senses. Indeed, the Pancala and the

Kuru ladies were plunged into unutterable distress. Beholding that

dreadful field of battle resounding on every direction with the cries of

those grief-stricken ladies, the daughter of Subala, acquainted with

every duty, addressed the lotus-eyed Keshava, that foremost of all men.

Witnessing that universal slaughter of the Kurus and filled with grief at

the sight, she said these words: Behold, O lotus-eyed Madhava, these

daughters-in-law of mine! Deprived of their lords, they are uttering,

with dishevelled hair, piteous cries of woe like a flight of she-ospreys.

Meeting with those dead bodies, they are calling back to their memories

the great Bharata chiefs. They are running hither and thither in large

bands towards their sons and brothers and sires and husbands. Behold, O

mighty-armed one, the field is covered with mothers of heroes, all of

whom, however, have been bereaved of children. There, those portions

again are covered with spouses of heroes, who have, however, been

bereaved of their spouses! Behold, the field of battle is adorned with

those tigers among men, Bhishma and Karna and Abhimanyu and Drona and

Drupada and Shalya, as if with blazing fires. Behold, it is adorned also

with the golden coats of mail, and with the costly gems, of high-souled

warriors, and with their angadas, and keyuras and garlands. Behold, it is

strewn with darts and spiked clubs hurled by heroic hands, and swords and

diverse kinds of keen shafts and bows. Beasts of prey, assembled

together, are standing or sporting or lying down as it likes them!

Behold, O puissant hero, the field of battle is even such. At this sight,

O Janardana, I am burning with grief. In the destruction of the Pancalas

and the Kurus, O slayer of Madhu, I think, the five elements (of which

everything is made) have been destroyed. Fierce vultures and other birds,

in thousands, are dragging those blood-dyed bodies, and seizing them by

their armour, are devouring them. Who is there that could think of the

death of such heroes as Jayadratha and Karna and Drona and Bhishma and

Abhimanyu? Alas, though incapable of being slain, they have yet been

slain, O destroyer of Madhu! Behold, vultures and kankas and ravens and

hawks and dogs and jackals are feasting upon them. There, those tigers

among men, that fought on Duryodhanas side, and took the field in wrath,

are now lying like extinguished fires. All of them are worthy of sleeping

on soft and clean beds. But, alas, plunged into distress, they are

sleeping today on the bare ground. Bards reciting their praises used to

delight them before at proper times. They are now listening to the fierce

and inauspicious cries of jackals. Those illustrious heroes who used

formerly to sleep on costly beds with their limbs smeared with sandal

paste and powdered aloe, alas, now sleep on the dust! These vultures and

wolves and ravens have now become their ornaments. Repeatedly uttering

inauspicious and fierce cries those creatures are now dragging their

bodies. Delighting in battle, those heroes, looking cheerful, have still

beside them their keen shafts, well-tempered swords, and bright maces, as

if life has not yet departed from them. Many foremost of heroes,

possessed of beauty and fair complexions and adorned with garlands of

gold, are sleeping on the ground. Behold, beasts of prey are dragging and

tearing them. Others, with massive arms, are sleeping with maces in their

embrace, as if those were beloved wives. Others, still cased in armour,

are holding in their hands their bright weapons. Beasts of prey are not

mangling them, O Janardana, regarding them to be still alive. The

beautiful garlands of pure gold on the necks of other illustrious heroes,

as the latter are being dragged by carnivorous creatures, are scattered

about on every side. There, those fierce wolves, numbering in thousands,

are dragging the golden chains round the necks of many illustrious heroes

stilled by death. Many, whom bards well-trained to their work formerly

used, with their hymns and eulogies of grave import, to delight every

morning, are now surrounded by fair ladies stricken with grief and

weeping and crying around them in woe, O tiger of Vrishnis race! The

faces of those beautiful ladies, O Keshava, though pale, look resplendent

still, like an assemblage of red lotuses! Those Kuru ladies have ceased

to weep, with their respective followers and companions. They are all

filled with anxiety. Overwhelmed with sorrow, they are running hither and

thither. The faces of those fair ones have, with weeping and anger,

become resplendent as the morning sun or gold or burnished copper.

Hearing each others lamentations of incomplete sense, those ladies, in

consequence of the loud wails of woe bursting from every side, are unable

to catch each others meaning. Some amongst them, drawing long sighs and

indulging in repeated lamentations, are stupefied by grief and are

abondoning their life-breaths. Many of them, beholding the bodies (of

their sons, husbands, or sires), are weeping and setting up loud wails.

Others are striking their heads with their own soft hands. The earth,

strewn with severed heads and hands and other limbs mingled together and

gathered in large heaps, looks resplendent with these signs of havoc!

Beholding many headless trunks of great beauty, and many heads without

trunks, those fair ones have been lying senseless on the ground for a

long while. Uniting particular heads with particular trunks, those

ladies, senseless with grief, are again discovering their mistakes and

saying, "This is not this ones," and are weeping more bitterly! Others,

uniting arms and thighs and feet, cut off with shafts, are giving way to

grief and losing their senses repeatedly (at the sight of the restored

forms). Some amongst the Bharata ladies, beholding the bodies of their

lords,--bodies that have been mangled by animals and birds and severed of

their heads,--are not succeeding in recognising them. Others, beholding

their brothers, sires, sons, and husbands slain by foes, are, O destroyer

of Madhu, striking their heads with their own hands. Miry with flesh and

blood, the Earth has become impassable with arms still holding swords in

their grasp, and with heads adorned with earrings. Beholding the field

strewn with their brothers and sires, and sons, those faultless ladies,

who had never before suffered the least distress, are now plunged into

unutterable woe. Behold, O Janardana, those numerous bevies of

Dhritarashtras daughters-in-law, resembling successive multitudes of

handsome fillies adorned with excellent manes! What, O Keshava, can be a

sadder spectacle for me to behold than that presented by those ladies of

fair forms who have assumed such an aspect? Without doubt, I must have

perpetrated great sins in my former lives, since I am beholding, O

Keshava, my sons and grandsons and brothers all slain by foes. While

indulging in such lamentations in grief, Gandharis eyes fell upon her son

(Duryodhana)."

17

Vaishampayana said, "Beholding Duryodhana, Gandhari, deprived of her

senses by grief, suddenly fell down on the earth like an uprooted

plantain tree. Having regained her senses soon, she began to weep,

repeatedly uttering loud wails at the sight of her son lying on the bare

ground, covered with blood. Embracing her son, Gandhari indulged in

piteous lamentations for him. Stricken with grief, and with senses

exceedingly agitated, the Kuru queen exclaimed, Alas, O son! Alas, O son!

Burning with sorrow, the queen drenched with her tears the body of her

son, possessed of massive and broad shoulders, and adorned with garlands

and collar. Addressing Hrishikesha who stood near, she said, On the eve

of this battle, O puissant one, that has exterminated this race, this

foremost of kings, O thou of Vrishnis race, said unto me, "In this

internecine battle, O mother, wish me victory!" When he had said these

words, I myself, knowing that a great calamity had come upon us, told him

even this, tiger among men, "Thither is victory where righteousness is.

And since, son, thy heart is set on battle, thou wilt, without doubt,

obtain those regions that are attainable by (the use of) weapons (and

sport there) like a celestial." Even these were the words that I then

said unto him. I did not then grieve for my son. I grieve, however, for

the helpless Dhritarashtra bereaved of friends and kinsmen. Behold, O

Madhava, my son, that foremost of warriors, wrathful, skilled in weapons,

and irresistible in battle, sleeping on the bed of heroes. Behold the

reverses brought about by Time. This scorcher of foes that used of old to

walk at the head of all crowned persons now sleepeth on the dust. Without

doubt, the heroic Duryodhana, when he sleeps on that bed which is the

heros hath obtained the most unattainable end. Inauspicious jackals are

now delighting that prince asleep on the heros bed, who was formerly

delighted by the fairest of ladies sitting round him. He who was formerly

encircled by kings vying with one another to give him pleasure, alas, he,

slain and lying on the ground, is now encircled by vultures! He who was

formerly fanned with beautiful fans by fair ladies is now fanned by

(carnivorous) birds with flaps of their wings! Possessed of great

strength and true prowess, this mighty-armed prince, slain by Bhimasena

in battle, sleeps like an elephant slain by a lion! Behold Duryodhana, O

Krishna, lying on the bare ground, covered with blood, slain by Bhimasena

with his mace. That mighty-armed one who had in battle assembled together

eleven akshauhinis of troops, O Keshava, hath, in consequence of his own

evil policy, been now slain. Alas, there that great bowman and mighty

car-warrior sleeps, slain by Bhimasena, like a tiger slain by a lion!

Having disregarded Vidura, as also his own sire, this reckless, foolish,

and wicked prince hath succumbed to death, in consequence of his

disregard of the old. He who had ruled the earth, without a rival, for

thirteen years, alas, that prince, that son of mine, sleepeth to-day on

the bare ground, slain by his foes. Not long before, O Krishna, I beheld

the Earth, full of elephants and kine and horses, ruled by Duryodhana!

Today, O thou of mighty arms, I see her ruled by another, and destitute

of elephants and kine and horses! What need have I, O Madhava, of life?

Behold, again, this sight that is more painful than the death of my son,

the sight of these fair ladies weeping by the side of the slain heroes!

Behold, O Krishna, the mother of Lakshmana, that lady of large hips, with

her tresses dishevelled, that dear spouse of Duryodhana, resembling a

sacrificial altar of gold. Without doubt, this damsel of great

intelligence, while her mighty-armed lord was formerly alive, used to

sport within the embrace of her lords handsome arms! Why, indeed, does

not this heart of mine break into a hundred fragments at the sight of my

son and grandson slain in battle? Alas, that faultless lady now smells

(the head of) her son covered with blood. Now, again, that lady of fair

thighs is gently rubbing Duryodhanas body with her fair hand. At one time

she is sorrowing for her lord and at another for her son. At one time she

looketh on her lord, at another on her son. Behold, O Madhava, striking

her head with her hands, she falls upon the breast of her heroic spouse,

the king of the Kurus. Possessed of complexion like that of the filaments

of the lotus, she still looketh beautiful like a lotus. The unfortunate

princess now rubbeth the face of her son and now that of her lord. If the

scriptures and the shrutis be true, without doubt, this king has obtained

those regions (of blessedness) that one may win by the use of weapons!"

18

"Gandhari said, Behold, O Madhava, my century of sons, incapable of

fatigue (from exertion in battle), have all been slain by Bhimasena with

his mace in battle! That which grieves me more today is that these my

daughters-in-law, of tender years, deprived of sons and with dishevelled

hair, are wandering on the field today. Alas, they who formerly walked

only on the terraces of goodly mansions with feet adorned with many

ornaments, are now, in great affliction of heart, obliged to touch with

those feet of theirs this hard earth, miry with blood! Reeling in sorrow,

they are wandering like inebriated persons, driving away vultures and

jackals and crows with difficulty. Behold, that lady of faultless limbs

and slender waist, seeing this terrible carnage, falleth down,

overwhelmed with grief. Beholding this princess, this mother of

Lakshmana, O thou of mighty arms, my heart is torn with grief. These

beautiful ladies of fair arms, some seeing their brothers, some their

husbands, and some their sons, lying down in death on the bare ground,

are themselves falling down, seizing the arms of the slain. Listen, O

unvanquished one, to the loud wails of those elderly ladies and those

others of middle age at sight of this terrible carnage. Supporting

themselves against broken boxes of cars and the bodies of slain elephants

and steeds, behold, O thou of great might, those ladies, worn out with

fatigue, are resting themselves. Behold, O Krishna, some one amongst

them, taking up some kinsmans severed head decked with beautiful nose and

earrings, is standing in grief. I think, O sinless one, that both those

and myself of little understanding must have committed great sins in our

former lives, since, O Janardana, all our relatives and kinsmen have thus

been slain by king Yudhishthira the just! Our acts, righteous or

unrighteous, cannot go for nothing, O thou of Vrishnis race! Behold, O

Madhava, those young ladies of beautiful bosoms and abdomen, well-born,

possessed of modesty, having black eye-lashes and tresses of the same

colour on their heads, endued with voice sweet and dear like that of

swans, are falling down, deprived of their senses in great grief and

uttering piteous cries like flights of cranes. Behold, O lotus-eyed hero,

their beautiful faces resembling full-blown lotuses, are scorched by the

sun. Alas, O Vasudeva, the wives of my proud children possessed of

prowess like that of infuriated elephants, are now exposed to the gaze of

common people. Behold, O Govinda, the shields decked with hundred moons,

the standards of solar effulgence, the golden coats of mail, and the

collars and cuirasses made of gold, and the head-gears, of my sons,

scattered on the earth, are blazing with splendour like sacrificial fires

over which have been poured libations, of clarified butter. There,

Duhshasana sleepeth, felled by Bhima, and the blood of all his limbs

quaffed by that heroic slayer of foes. Behold that other son of mine, O

Madhava, slain by Bhima with his mace, impelled by Draupadi and the

recollection of his woes at the time of the match at dice. Addressing the

dice-won princess of Pancala in the midst of the assembly, this

Duhshasana, desirous of doing what was agreeable to his (elder) brother

as also to Karna, O Janardana, had said, "Thou art now the wife of a

slave! With Sahadeva and Nakula and Arjuna, O lady, enter our household

now!" On that occasion, O Krishna, I said unto king Duryodhana, "O son,

cast off (from thy side) the wrathful Shakuni. Know that thy maternal

uncle is of very wicked soul and exceedingly fond of quarrel. Casting him

off without delay, make peace with the Pandavas, O son! O thou of little

intelligence, thinkest thou not of Bhimasena filled with wrath? Thou art

piercing him with thy wordy shafts like a person striking an elephant

with burning brands." Alas, disregarding my words, he vomitted his wordy

poison at them, like a snake vomitting its poison at a bull,--at them who

had already been pierced with his wordy darts. There, that Duhshasana

sleepeth, stretching his two massive arms, slain by Bhimasena like a

mighty elephant by a lion. The very wrathful Bhimasena perpetrated a most

horrible act by drinking in battle the blood of his foe!"

19

"Gandhari said, There, O Madhava, my son Vikarna, applauded by the wise,

lieth on the bare ground, slain by Bhima and mangled horribly! Deprived

of life, O slayer of Madhu, Vikarna lieth in the midst of (slain)

elephants like the moon in the autumnal sky surrounded by blue clouds.

His broad palm, cased in leathern fence, and scarred by constant wielding

of the bow, is pierced with difficulty by vultures desirous of feeding

upon it. His helpless young wife, O Madhava, is continually endeavouring,

without success, to drive away those vultures desirous of feeding on

carrion. The youthful and brave and handsome Vikarna, O bull among men,

brought up in luxury and deserving of every kind of weal, now sleepeth

amid the dust, O Madhava! Though all his vital parts have been pierced

with clothyard shafts and bearded arrows and nalikas, yet that beauty of

person which was his hath not forsaken this best of the Bharatas. There,

my son Durmukha, that slayer of large band of foes, sleepeth, with face

towards the enemy, slain by the heroic Bhimasena in observance of his

vow. His face, O Krishna, half-eaten away by beasts of prey, looketh more

handsome, O child, even like the moon on the seventh day of the lighted

fortnight. Behold, O Krishna, the face of that heroic son of mine, which

is even such. How could that son of mine be slain by foes and thus made

to eat the dust? O amiable one, how could that Durmukha, before whom no

foe could stand, be slain by foes, O subjugator of celestial regions!

Behold, O slayer of Madhu, that other son of Dhritarashtra, Citrasena,

slain and lying on the ground, that hero who was the model of all bowmen?

Those young ladies, afflicted with grief and uttering piteous cries, are

now sitting, with beasts of prey, around his fair form adorned with

wreaths and garlands. These loud wails of woe, uttered by women, and

these cries and roars of beasts of prey, seem exceedingly wonderful to

me, O Krishna! Youthful and handsome, and always waited upon and served

by the most beautiful ladies, my son Vivinsati, O Madhava, sleepeth

there, stained with dust. His armour hath been pierced with arrows. Slain

in the midst of the carnage, alas, the heroic Vivimshati is now

surrounded and waited upon by vultures! Having in battle penetrated the

ranks of the Pandava army, that hero now lieth on the bed of a hero,--on

the bed, that is, of an exalted Kshatriya! Behold, O Krishna, his very

beautiful face, with a smile playing on it, adorned with excellent nose

and fair eyebrows, and resembling the resplendent Moon himself! Formerly

a large number of the most beautiful ladies used to wait upon him, like

thousands of celestial girls upon a sporting gandharva. Who again could

endure my son Duhsaha, that slayer of heroic foes, that hero, that

ornament of assemblies, that irresistible warrior, that resister of foes?

The body of Duhsaha, covered with arrows, looks resplendent like a

mountain overgrown with flowering karnikaras. With his garland of gold

and his bright armour, Duhsaha, though deprived of life, looks

resplendent yet, like a white mountain of fire!"

20

"Gandhari said, He whose might and courage were regarded, O Keshava, as a

one and half times superior to those of his sire and thee, he who

resembled a fierce and proud lion, he who, without a follower, alone

pierced the impenetrable array of my son, he who proved to be the death

of many, alas, he now sleepeth there, having himself succumbed to death!

I see, O Krishna, the splendour of that son of Arjuna, of that hero of

immeasurable energy, Abhimanyu, hath not been dimmed even in death.

There, the daughter of Virata, the daughter-in-law of the wielder of

gandiva, that girl of faultless beauty overwhelmed with grief at sight of

her heroic husband, is indulging in lamentations! That young wife, the

daughter of Virata, approaching her lord, is gently rubbing him, O

Krishna, with her hand. Formerly, that highly intelligent and exceedingly

beautiful girl, inebriated with honeyed wines, used bashfully to embrace

her lord, and kiss the face of Subhadras son, that face which resembled a

full-blown lotus and which was supported on a neck adorned with three

lines like those of a conch-shell. Taking of her lords golden coat of

mail, O hero, that damsel is gazing now on the blood-dyed body of her

spouse. Beholding her lord, O Krishna, that girl addresses thee and says,

"O lotus-eyed one, this hero whose eyes resembled thine, hath been slain.

In might and energy, and prowess also, he was thy equal, O sinless one!

He resembled thee very much in beauty. Yet he sleeps on the ground, slain

by the enemy!" Addressing her own lord, the damsel says again, "Thou wert

brought up in every luxury. Thou usedst to sleep on soft skins of the

ranku deer. Alas, does not thy body feel pain today by lying thus on the

bare ground? Stretching thy massive arms adorned with golden angadas,

resembling a couple of elephants trunks and covered with skin hardened by

frequent use of the bow, thou sleepest, O lord, in peace, as if exhausted

with the toil of too much exercise in the gymnasium. Alas, why dost thou

not address me that am weeping so? I do not remember to have ever

offended thee. Why dost thou not speak to me then? Formerly, thou usedst

to address me even when thou wouldst see me at a distance. O reverend

sir, whither wilt thou go, leaving behind thee the much-respected

Subhadra, these thy sires that resemble the very celestials, and my own

wretched self distracted with woe?" Behold, O Krishna, gathering with her

hands the blood-dyed locks of her lord and placing his head on her lap,

the beautiful damsel is speaking to him as if he were alive, "How couldst

those great car-warriors slay thee in the midst of battle,--thee that art

the sisters son of Vasudeva and the son of the wielder of gandiva? Alas,

fie on those warriors of wicked deeds, Kripa and Karna and Jayadratha and

Drona and Dronas son, by whom thou wert deprived of life. What was the

state of mind of those great car-warriors at that time when they

surrounded thee, a warrior of tender years, and slew thee to my grief?

How couldst thou, O hero, who had so many protectors, be slain so

helplessly in the very sight of the Pandavas and the Pancalas? Beholding

thee, O hero, slain in battle by many persons united together, how is

that tiger among men, that son of Pandu, thy sire, able to bear the

burden of life? Neither the acquisition of a vast kingdom nor the defeat

of their foes conduces to the joy of the Parthas bereft of thee, O

lotus-eyed one! By the practice of virtue and self-restraint, I shall

very soon repair to those regions of bliss which thou hast acquired by

the use of weapons. Protect me, O hero, when I repair to those regions.

When ones hour does not come, one cannot die, since, wretched that I am,

I still draw breath after seeing thee slain in battle. Having repaired to

the region of the pitris, whom else, like me, dost thou address now, O

tiger among men, in sweet words mingled with smiles? Without doubt, thou

wilt agitate the hearts of the apsaras in heaven, with thy great beauty

and thy soft words mingled with smiles! Having obtained the regions

reserved for persons of righteous deeds, thou art now united, O son of

Subhadra, with the apsaras! While sporting with them, recollect at times

my good acts towards thee. Thy union with me in this world had, it seems,

been ordained for only six months, for in the seventh, O hero, thou hast

been bereft of life!" O Krishna, the ladies of the royal house of Matsya

are dragging away the afflicted Uttara, baffled of all her purposes,

while lamenting in this strain. Those ladies, dragging away the afflicted

Uttara, themselves still more afflicted than that girl, are weeping and

uttering loud wails at sight of the slain Virata. Mangled with the

weapons and shafts of Drona, prostrate on the ground, and covered with

blood, Virata is encompassed by screaming vultures and howling jackals

and crowing ravens. Those black-eyed ladies, approaching the prostrate

form of the Matsya king over which carnivorous birds are uttering cries

of joy, are endeavouring to turn the body. Weakened by grief and

exceedingly afflicted, they are unable to do what they intend. Scorched

by the Sun, and worn out with exertion and toil, their faces have become

colourless and pale. Behold also, O Madhava, those other children besides

Abhimanyu--Uttara, Sudakshina the prince of the Kambhojas, and the

handsome Lakshmana--all lying on the field of battle!"

21

"Gandhari said, Then the mighty Karna, that great bowman, lieth on the

ground! In battle he was like a blazing fire! That fire, however, hath

now been extinguished by the energy of Partha. Behold, Vikartanas son

Karna, after having slain many atirathas, has been prostrated on the bare

ground, and is drenched with blood. Wrathful and possessed of great

energy, he was a great bowman and a mighty car-warrior. Slain in battle

by the wielder of gandiva, that hero now sleepeth on the ground. My sons,

those mighty car-warriors, from fear of the Pandavas, fought, placing

Karna at their head, like a herd of elephants with its leader to the

fore. Alas, like a tiger slain by a lion, or an elephant by an infuriated

elephant, that warrior hath been slain in battle by Savyasaci. Assembled

together, O tiger among men, the wives of that warrior, with dishevelled

tresses and loud wails of grief, are sitting around that fallen hero!

Filled with anxiety caused by the thoughts of that warrior, king

Yudhishthira the just could not, for thirteen years, obtain a wink of

sleep! Incapable of being checked by foes in battle like Maghavat himself

who is invincible by enemies, Karna was like the all-destroying fire of

fierce flames at the end of the yuga, and immovable like Himavat himself!

That hero became the protector of Dhritarashtras son, O Madhava! Alas,

deprived of life, he now lieth on the bare ground, like a tree prostrated

by the wind! Behold, the wife of Karna and mother of Vrishasena, is

indulging in piteous lamentations and crying and weeping and falling upon

the ground! Even now she exclaims, "Without doubt, thy preceptors curse

hath pursued thee! When the wheel of thy car was swallowed up by the

Earth, the cruel Dhananjaya cut off thy head with an arrow! Alas, fie (on

the heroism and skill)!" That lady, the mother of Sushena, exceedingly

afflicted and uttering cries of woe, is falling down, deprived of her

senses, at the sight of the mighty-armed and brave Karna prostrated on

the earth, with his waist still encircled with a belt of gold.

Carnivorous creatures, feeding on the body of that illustrious hero, have

reduced it to very small dimensions. The sight is not gladdening, like

that of the moon on the fourteenth night of the dark fortnight. Falling

down on the earth, the cheerless dame is rising up again. Burning with

grief on account of the death of her son also, she cometh and smelleth

the face of her lord!"

22

"Gandhari said, Slain by Bhimasena, behold, the lord of Avanti lies

there! Vultures and jackals and crows are feeding upon that hero! Though

possessed of many friends, he lies now perfectly friendless! Behold, O

slayer of Madhu, having made a great slaughter of foes, that warrior is

now lying on the bed of a hero, covered with blood. Jackals, and kankas,

and other carnivorous creatures of diverse kinds, are dragging him now.

Behold the reverses brought about by Time. His wives, assembled together,

and crying in grief, are sitting around that hero who in life was a

terrible slayer of foes but who now lies on the bed of a hero. Behold,

Pratipas son Bahlika, that mighty bowman possessed of great energy, slain

with a broad-headed shaft, is now lying on the ground like a sleeping

tiger. Though deprived of life, the colour of his face is still

exceedingly bright, like that of the moon at full, risen on the fifteenth

day of the lighted fortnight! Burning with grief on account of the death

of his son, and desirous of accomplishing his vow, Indras son (Arjuna)

hath slain there that son of Vriddhakshatra! Behold that Jayadratha, who

was protected by the illustrious Drona, slain by Partha bent on

accomplishing his vow, after penetrating through eleven Akshauhinis of

troops. Inauspicious vultures, O Janardana, are feeding upon Jayadratha,

the lord of the Sindhu-Sauviras, full of pride and energy! Though sought

to be protected by his devoted wives, see, O Acyuta, carnivorous

creatures are dragging his body away to a jungle in the vicinity. The

Kamboja and Yavana wives of that mighty-armed lord of the Sindhus and the

Sauviras are waiting upon him for protecting him (from the wild beasts).

At that time, O Janardana, when Jayadratha, assisted by the Kekayas,

endeavoured to ravish Draupadi, he deserved to be slain by the Pandavas!

From regard, however, for Duhshala, they set him free on that occasion.

Why, O Krishna, did they not show some regard for that Duhshala once

more? That daughter of mine, of tender years, is now crying in grief. She

is striking her body with her own hands and censuring the Pandavas. What,

O Krishna, can be a greater grief to me than that my daughter of tender

years should be a widow and all my daughters-in-law should become

lordless. Alas, alas, behold, my daughter Duhshala, having cast off her

grief and fears, is running hither and thither in search of the head of

her husband. He who had checked all the Pandavas desirous of rescuing

their son, after causing the slaughter of a vast force, at last himself

succumbed to death. Alas, those wives of his, with faces as beautiful as

the moon, are crying, sitting around that irresistible hero who resembled

an infuriated elephant!"

23

"Gandhari said, There lies Shalya, the maternal uncle himself of Nakula,

slain in battle, O sire, by the pious and virtuous Yudhishthira! He used

everywhere, O bull among men, to boast of his equality with thee! That

mighty car-warrior, the ruler of the Madras, now lieth, deprived of life.

When he accepted the drivership of Karnas car in battle, he sought to

damp the energy of Karna for giving victory to the sons of Pandu! Alas,

alas, behold the smooth face of Shalya, beautiful as the moon, and

adorned with eyes resembling the petals of the lotus, eaten away by

crows! There, the tongue of that king, of the complexion of heated gold,

rolling out of his mouth, is, O Krishna, being eaten away by carnivorous

birds! The ladies of the royal house of Madra, uttering loud wails of

woe, are sitting around the body of that king, that ornament of

assemblies, deprived of life by Yudhishthira! Those ladies are sitting

around that fallen hero like a herd of she-elephants in their season

around their leader sunk in a slough. Behold the brave Shalya, that giver

of protection, that foremost of car-warriors, stretched on the bed of

heroes, his body mangled with shafts. There, king Bhagadatta of great

prowess, the ruler of a mountainous kingdom, the foremost of all wielders

of the elephant-hook, lieth on the ground, deprived of life. Behold the

garland of gold that he still wears on his head, looketh resplendent.

Though the body is being eaten away by beasts of prey, that garland still

adorns the fair locks on his head. Fierce was the battle that took place

between this king and Partha, making the very hair stand on end, like

that between Shakra and the Asura Vritra. This mighty-armed one, having

fought Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, and having reduced him to great

straits, was at last slain by his antagonist. He who had no equal on

earth in heroism and energy, that achiever of terrible feats in battle,

Bhishma, lieth there, deprived of life. Behold the son of Shantanu, O

Krishna, that warrior of solar effulgence, stretched on the earth, like

the Sun himself fallen from the firmament at the end of the yuga. Having

scorched his foes with the fire of his weapons in battle, that valiant

warrior, that Sun among men, O Keshava, hath set like the real Sun at

evening. Behold that hero, O Krishna, who in knowledge of duty was equal

to Devapi himself, now lying on a bed of arrows, so worthy of heroes.

Having spread his excellent bed of barbed and unbarbed arrows, that hero

lieth on it like the divine Skanda on a clump of heath. Indeed, the son

of Ganga lieth, resting his head on that excellent pillow, consisting of

three arrows,--becoming complement of his bed--given him by the wielder

of gandiva. For obeying the command of his sire, this illustrious one

drew up his vital seed. Unrivalled in battle, that son of Shantanu lieth

there, O Madhava! Of righteous soul and acquainted with every duty, by

the aid of his knowledge relating to both the worlds, that hero, though

mortal, is still bearing his life like an immortal. When Shantanus son

lieth today, struck down with arrows, it seems that no other person is

alive on earth that possesseth learning and prowess that is competent to

achieve great feats in battle. Truthful in speech, this righteous and

virtuous hero, solicited by the Pandavas, told them the means of his own

death. Alas, he who had revived the line of Kuru that had become extinct,

that illustrious person possessed of great intelligence, hath left the

world with all the Kurus in his company. Of whom, O Madhava, will the

Kurus enquire of religion and duty after that bull among men, Devavrata,

who resembles a god, shall have gone to heaven? Behold Drona, that

foremost of brahmanas, that preceptor of Arjuna, of Satyaki, and of the

Kurus, lying on the ground! Endued with mighty energy, Drona, O Madhava,

was as conversant with the four kinds of arms as the chief of the

celestials or Shukra of Bhrigus race. Through his grace, Vibhatsu the son

of Pandu, hath achieved the most difficult feats. Deprived of life, he

now lies on the ground. Weapons refused to come (at last) at his bidding.

Placing him at their head, the Kauravas had challenged the Pandavas. That

foremost of all wielders of weapons was at last mangled with weapons. As

he careered in battle, scorching his foes in every direction, his course

resembled that of a blazing conflagration. Alas, deprived of life, he now

lieth on the ground, like an extinguished fire. The handle of the bow is

yet in his grasp. The leathern fences, O Madhava, still encase his

fingers. Though slain, he still looketh as if alive. The four Vedas, and

all kinds of weapons, O Keshava, did not abandon that hero even as these

do not abandon the Lord Prajapati himself. His auspicious feet, deserving

of every adoration and adored as a matter of fact by bards and eulogists

and worshipped by disciples, are now being dragged by jackals. Deprived

of her senses by grief, Kripi woefully attendeth, O slayer of Madhu, on

that Drona who hath been slain Drupadas son. Behold that afflicted lady,

fallen upon the Earth, with dishevelled hair and face hanging down. Alas,

she attendeth in sorrow upon her lifeless lord, that foremost of all

wielders of weapons, lying on the ground. Many brahmacaris, with matted

locks on their head, are attending upon the body of Drona that is cased

in armour rent through and through, O Keshava, with the shafts of

Dhrishtadyumna. The illustrious and delicate Kripi, cheerless and

afflicted, is endeavouring to perform the last rites on the body of her

lord slain in battle. There, those reciters of Samas, having placed the

body of Drona on the funeral pyre and having ignited the fire with due

rites, are singing the three (well-known) Samas. Those brahmacaris, with

matted locks on their heads, have piled the funeral pyre of that brahmana

with bows and darts and car-boxes, O Madhava! Having collected diverse

other kinds of shafts, that hero of great energy is being consumed by

them. Indeed, having placed him on the pyre, they are singing and

weeping. Others are reciting the three (well-known) Samas that are used

on such occasions. Consuming Drona on that fire, like fire in fire, those

disciples of his of the regenerate class are proceeding towards the banks

of the Ganga, along the left side of the pyre and having placed Kripi at

their head!"

24

"Gandhari said, Behold the son of Somadatta, who was slain by Yuyudhana,

pecked at and torn by a large number of birds! Burning with grief at the

death of his son, Somadatta, O Janardana, (as he lies there) seems to

censure the great bowman Yuyudhana. There the mother of Bhurishrava, that

faultless lady, overcome with grief, is addressing her lord Somadatta,

saying, "By good luck, O king, thou seest not this terrible carnage of

the Bharatas, this extermination of the Kurus, this sight that resembles

the scenes occurring at the end of the yuga. By good luck, thou seest not

thy heroic son, who bore the device of the sacrificial stake on his

banner and who performed numerous sacrifices with profuse presents to

all, slain on the field of battle. By good luck, thou hearest not those

frightful wails of woe uttered amidst this carnage by thy

daughters-in-law like the screams of a flight of cranes on the bosom of

the sea. Thy daughters-in-law, bereaved of both husbands and sons, are

running hither and thither, each clad in a single piece of raiment and

each with her black tresses all dishevelled. By good luck, thou seest not

thy son, that tiger among men, deprived of one of his arms, overthrown by

Arjuna, and even now in course of being devoured by beasts of prey. By

good luck, thou seest not today thy son slain in battle, and Bhurishrava

deprived of life, and thy widowed daughters-in-law plunged into grief. By

good luck, thou seest not the golden umbrella of that illustrious warrior

who had the sacrificial stake for the device on his banner, torn and

broken on the terrace of his car. There the black-eyed wives of

Bhurishrava are indulging in piteous lamentations, surrounding their lord

slain by Satyaki. Afflicted with grief on account of the slaughter of

their lords, those ladies, indulging in copious lamentations, are falling

down on the earth with their faces towards the ground, and slowly

approaching thee, O Keshava! Alas, why did Arjuna of pure deeds

perpetrate such a censurable act, since he struck off the arm of a

heedless warrior who was brave and devoted to the performance of

sacrifices. Alas, Satyaki did an act that was still more sinful, for he

took the life of a person of restrained soul while sitting in the

observance of the praya vow. Alas, O righteous one, thou liest on the

ground, slain unfairly by two foes." Even thus, O Madhava, those wives of

Bhurishrava are crying aloud in woe. There, those wives of that warrior,

all possessed of slender waists, are placing upon their laps the lopped

off arm of their lord and weeping bitterly!

"Here is that arm which used to invade the girdles, grind the deep

bosoms, and touch the navel, the thighs, and the hips, of fair women, and

loosen the ties of the drawers worn by them! Here is that arm which slew

foes and dispelled the fears of friends, which gave thousands of kine and

exterminated Kshatriyas in battle! In the presence of Vasudeva himself,

Arjuna of unstained deeds, lopped it off thy heedless self while thou

wert engaged with another in battle. What, indeed, wilt thou, O

Janardana, say of this great feat of Arjuna while speaking of it in the

midst of assemblies. What also will the diadem-decked Arjuna himself say

of it?" Censuring thee in this way, that foremost of ladies hath stopped

at last. The co-wives of that lady are piteously lamenting with her as if

she were their daughter-in-law!

"There the mighty Shakuni, the chief of gandharvas, of prowess incapable

of being baffled, hath been slain by Sahadeva, the maternal uncle by the

sisters son! Formerly, he used to be fanned with a couple of gold-handed

fans! Alas, now, his prostrate form is being fanned by birds with their

wings! He used to assume hundreds and thousands of forms. All the

illusions, however, of that individual possessed of great deceptive

powers, have been burnt by the energy of the son of Pandu. An expert in

guile, he had vanquished Yudhishthira in the assembly by his powers of

deception and won from him his vast kingdom. The son of Pandu, however,

hath now won Shakunis life-breaths. Behold, O Krishna, a large number of

birds is now sitting around Shakuni. An expert in dice, alas, he had

acquired that skill for the destruction of my sons. This fire of

hostility with the Pandavas had been ignited by Shakuni for the

destruction of my children as also of himself and his followers and

kinsmen. Like those acquired by my sons, O puissant one, by the use of

weapons, this one too, however wicked-souled, has acquired many regions

of bliss by the use of weapons. My fear, O slayer of Madhu, is that that

crooked person may not succeed in fomenting dissensions even (there, the

region attained by them) between my children, all of whom are confiding

and possessed of candour!"

25

"Gandhari said, Behold that irresistible ruler of the Kambojas, that

bull-necked hero, lying amid the dust, O Madhava, though deserving of

being stretched at his ease on Kamboja blankets. Stricken with great

grief, his wife is weeping bitterly at sight of his blood-stained arms,

which, however, formerly used to be smeared with sandal-paste. Indeed,

the beauteous one exclaims, "Even now adorned with beautiful palms and

graceful fingers, these two arms of thine resemble a couple of spiked

maces, getting within whose clasp, joy never left me for a moment! What

will be my end, O ruler of men, when I am deprived of thee?" Endued with

a melodious voice, the Kamboja queen is weeping helplessly and quivering

with emotion. Behold that bevy of fair ladies there. Although tired with

exertion and worn out with heat, yet beauty leaves not their forms, like

the sightliness of the wreaths worn by the celestials although exposed to

the Sun. Behold, O slayer of Madhu, the heroic ruler of the Kalingas

lying there on the ground with his mighty arms adorned with a couple of

angadas. Behold, O Janardana, those Magadha ladies crying and standing

around Jayatsena, the ruler of the Magadhas. The charming and melodious

wails of those long-eyed and sweet-voiced girls, O Krishna, are

stupefying my heart exceedingly. With all their ornaments displaced,

crying, and afflicted with grief, alas, those ladies of Magadha, worthy

of resting on costly beds, are now lying down on the bare ground! There,

again, those other ladies, surrounding their lord, the ruler of the

Kosalas, prince Brihadbala, are indulging in loud wails. Engaged in

plucking from his body the shafts with which it was pierced by Abhimanyu

with the full might of his arms, those ladies are repeatedly losing their

senses. The faces of those beautiful ladies, O Madhava, through toil and

the rays of the Sun, are looking like faded lotuses. There, the brave

sons of Dhrishtadyumna, of tender years and all adorned with garlands of

gold and beautiful angadas, are lying, slain by Drona. Like insects on a

blazing fire, they have all been burnt by falling upon Drona, whose car

was the chamber of fire, having the bow for its flame and shafts and

darts and maces for its fuel. Similarly, the five Kekaya brothers,

possessed of great courage, and adorned with beautiful angadas, are lying

on the ground, slain by Drona and with their faces turned towards that

hero. Their coats of mail, of the splendour of heated gold, and their

tall standards and cars and garlands, all made of the same metal, are

shedding a bright light on the earth like so many blazing fires. Behold,

O Madhava, king Drupada overthrown in battle by Drona, like a mighty

elephant in the forest slain by a huge lion. The bright umbrella, white

in hue of the king of the Pancalas, shines, O lotus-eyed one, like the

moon in the autumnal firmament. The daughters-in-law and the wives of the

old king, afflicted with grief, having burnt his body on the funeral

pyre, are proceeding, keeping the pyre to their right. There those

ladies, deprived of their senses, are removing the brave and great bowman

Dhrishtaketu, that bull among the Cedis, slain by Drona. This crusher of

foes, O slayer of Madhu, this great bowman, having baffled many weapons

of Drona, lieth there, deprived of life, like a tree uprooted by the

wind. Alas, that brave ruler of the Cedis, that mighty car-warrior

Dhrishtaketu, after having slain thousands of foes, lies himself deprived

of life! There, O Hrishikesha, the wives of the ruler of the Cedis are

sitting around his body still decked with fair locks and beautiful

earrings, though torn by carnivorous birds. Those foremost of ladies

placing upon their laps the prostrate form of the heroic Dhrishtaketu

born of the Dasharha race, are crying in sorrow. Behold, O Hrishikesha,

the son, possessed of fair locks and excellent earrings, of that

Dhrishtaketu, hacked in battle by Drona with his shafts. He never

deserted his sire while the latter battled with his foes. Mark, O slayer

of Madhu, he does not, even in death, desert that heroic parent. Even

thus, my sons son, that slayer of hostile heroes, the mighty-armed

Lakshmana, hath followed his sire Duryodhana! Behold, O Keshava, the two

brothers of Avanti, Vinda and Anuvinda, lying there on the field, like

two blossoming shala trees in the spring overthrown by the tempest. Clad

in golden armour and adorned with Angadas of gold, they are still armed

with swords and bows. Possessed of eyes like those of a bull, and decked

with bright garlands, both of them are stretched on the field. The

Pandavas, O Krishna, with thyself, are surely unslayable, since they and

thou have escaped from Drona, from Bhishma, from Karna the son of

Vikartana, from Kripa, from Duryodhana, from the son of Drona, from the

mighty car-warrior Jayadratha, from Somadatta, from Vikarna, and from the

brave Kritavarma. Behold the reverses brought about by Time! Those bulls

among men that were capable of slaying the very celestials by force of

their weapons have themselves been slain. Without doubt, O Madhava, there

is nothing difficult for destiny to bring about, since even these bulls

among men, these heroes, have been slain by Kshatriya warriors. My sons

endued with great activity were (regarded by me as) slain even then, O

Krishna, when thou returnedst unsuccessfully to Upaplavya. Shantanus son

and the wise Vidura told me then, "Cease to bear affection for thy

children!" The interviews of those persons could not go for nothing.

Soon, O Janardana, have my sons been consumed into ashes!"

Vaishampayana continued, "Having said these words, Gandhari, deprived of

her senses by grief, fell down on the earth! Casting off her fortitude,

she suffered her senses to be stupefied by grief. Filled with wrath and

with sorrow at the death of her sons, Gandhari, with agitated heart,

ascribed every fault to Keshava.

"Gandhari said, The Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, O Krishna, have both

been burnt. Whilst they were thus being exterminated, O Janardana, why

wert thou indifferent to them? Thou wert competent to prevent the

slaughter, for thou hast a large number of followers and a vast force.

Thou hadst eloquence, and thou hadst the power (for bringing about

peace). Since deliberately, O slayer of Madhu, thou wert indifferent to

this universal carnage, therefore, O mighty-armed one, thou shouldst reap

the fruit of this act. By the little merit I have acquired through

waiting dutifully on my husband, by that merit so difficult to attain, I

shall curse thee, O wielder of the discus and the mace! Since thou wert

indifferent to the Kurus and the Pandavas whilst they slew each other,

therefore, O Govinda, thou shalt be the slayer of thy own kinsmen! In the

thirty-sixth year from this, O slayer of Madhu, thou shalt, after causing

the slaughter of thy kinsmen and friends and sons, perish by disgusting

means in the wilderness. The ladies of thy race, deprived of sons,

kinsmen, and friends, shall weep and cry even as these ladies of the

Bharata race!"

Vaishampayana continued, "Hearing these words, the high-souled Vasudeva,

addressing the venerable Gandhari, said unto her these words, with a

faint smile, There is none in the world, save myself, that is capable of

exterminating the Vrishnis. I know this well. I am endeavouring to bring

it about. In uttering this curse, O thou of excellent vows, thou hast

aided me in the accomplishment of that task. The Vrishnis are incapable

of being slain by others, be they human beings or gods or Danavas. The

Yadavas, therefore shall fall by one anothers hand. After he of Dasharhas

race had said these words, the Pandavas became stupefied. Filled with

anxiety all of them became hopeless of life!"

26

"The holy one said, Arise, arise, O Gandhari, do not set thy heart on

grief! Through thy fault, this vast carnage has taken place! Thy son

Duryodhana was wicked-souled, envious, and exceedingly arrogant.

Applauding his wicked acts, thou regardest them to be good. Exceedingly

cruel, he was the embodiment of hostilities, and disobedient to the

injunctions of the old. Why dost thou wish to ascribe thy own faults to

me? Dead or lost, the person that grieves for what has already occurred,

obtaineth more grief. By indulging in grief, one increases it two-fold. A

woman of the regenerate class bears children for the practice of

austerities; the cow brings forth offspring for bearing burdens; the mare

brings forth her young for acquiring speed of motion; the Shudra woman

bears a child for adding to the number of servitors; the Vaishya woman

for adding to the number of keepers of cattle. A princess, however, like

thee, brings forth sons for being slaughtered!"

Vaishampayana said, "Hearing these words of Vasudeva that were

disagreeable to her, Gandhari, with heart exceedingly agitated by grief,

remained silent. The royal sage Dhritarashtra, however, restraining the

grief that arises from folly, enquired of Yudhishthira the just, saying,

If, O son of Pandu, thou knowest it, tell me the number of those that

have fallen in this battle, as also of those that have escaped with life!

"Yudhishthira answered, One billion 660 million and 20,000 men have

fallen in this battle. Of the heroes that have escaped, the number is

240,165.

"Dhritarashtra said, Tell me, O mighty-armed one, for thou art conversant

with everything, what ends have those foremost of men attained.

"Yudhishthira said, Those warriors of true prowess that have cheerfully

cast off their bodies in fierce battle have all attained regions like

those of Indra. Knowing death to be inevitable, they that have

encountered it cheerlessly have attained the companionship of the

gandharvas. Those warriors that have fallen at the edge of weapons, while

turning away from the field or begging for quarter, have attained the

world of the guhyakas. Those high-souled warriors who, observant of the

duties of kshatriya-hood and regarding flight from battle to be shameful,

have fallen, mangled with keen weapons, while advancing unarmed against

fighting foes, have all assumed bright forms and attained the regions of

Brahman. The remaining warriors, that have in anyhow met with death on

the precincts of the field of battle, have attained the region of the

Uttara-Kurus."

"Dhritarashtra said, By the power of what knowledge, O son, thou seest

these things like one crowned with ascetic success? Tell me this, O

mighty-armed one, if thou thinkest that I can listen to it without

impropriety!

"Yudhishthira said, While at thy command I wandered in the forest, I

obtained this boon on the occasion of sojourning to the sacred places. I

met with the celestial rishi Lomasa and obtained from him the boon of

spiritual vision. Thus on a former occasion I obtained second sight

through the power of knowledge!

"Dhritarashtra said, It is necessary that our people should burn, with

due rites, the bodies of both the friendless and the friended slain. What

shall we do with those that have none to look after them and that have no

sacred fires? The duties that await us are many. Who are those whose

(last) rites we should perform? O Yudhishthira, will they obtain regions

of blessedness by the merit of their acts, they whose bodies are now

being torn and dragged by vultures and other birds?"

Vaishampayana continued, "Thus addressed, Kuntis son Yudhishthira of

great wisdom commanded Sudharma (the priest of the Kauravas) and Dhaumya,

and Sanjaya of the suta order, and Vidura of great wisdom, and Yuyutsu of

Kurus race, and all his servants headed by Indrasena, and all the other

sutas that were with him, saying, Cause the funeral rites of the slain,

numbering by thousands, to be duly performed, so that nobody may perish

for want of persons to take care of them! At this command of king

Yudhishthira the just, Vidura and Sanjaya and Sudharma and Dhaumya and

Indrasena and others, procuring sandal, aloe and other kinds of wood used

on such occasions, as also clarified butter and oil and perfumes and

costly silken robes and other kinds of cloth, and large heaps of dry

wood, and broken cars and diverse kinds of weapons, caused funeral pyres

to be duly made and lighted and then without haste burnt, with due rites

the slain kings in proper order. They properly burned upon those fires

that blazed forth with libations of clarified butter in torrents over

them, the bodies of Duryodhana and his hundred brothers, of Shalya, and

king Bhurishrava; of king Jayadratha and Abhimanyu, O Bharata; of

Duhshasanas son and Lakshmana and king Dhrishtaketu; of Vrihanta and

Somadatta and the hundreds of Srinjayas; of king Kshemadhanva and Virata

and Drupada; of Shikhandi the prince of Pancalas, and Dhrishtadyumna of

Prishatas race; of the valiant Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja; of the ruler of

the Kosalas, the sons of Draupadi, and Shakuni the son of Subala; of

Acala and Vrishaka, and king Bhagadatta; of Karna and his son of great

wrath; of those great bowmen, the Kekaya princes, and those mighty

car-warriors, the Trigartas; of Ghatotkaca the prince of rakshasas, and

the brother of Vaka, of Alambusha, the foremost of rakshasas, and king

Jalasandha; and of hundreds and thousands of other kings. The pitri-medha

rites in honour of some of the illustrious dead were performed there,

while some sang Samas, and some uttered lamentations for the dead. With

the loud noise of Samas and Riks, and the lamentations of the women, all

creatures became stupefied that night. The funeral fires, smokeless and

blazing brightly (amid the surrounding darkness), looked like luminous

planets in the firmament enveloped by clouds. Those among the dead that

had come from diverse realms and were utterly friendless were piled

together in thousands of heaps and, at the command of Yudhishthira, were

caused to be burnt by Vidura through a large number of persons acting

coolly and influenced by good-will and affection, on pyres made of dry

wood. Having caused their last rites to be performed, the Kuru king

Yudhishthira, placing Dhritarashtra at his head, proceeded towards the

river Ganga."

27

Vaishampayana said, "Arrived at the auspicious Ganga full of sacred

water, containing many lakes, adorned with high banks and broad shores,

and having a vast bed, they cast off their ornaments, upper garments, and

belts and girdles. The Kuru ladies, crying and afflicted with great

grief, offered oblations of water unto their sires and grandsons and

brothers and kinsmen and sons and reverend seniors and husbands.

Conversant with duties, they also performed the water-rite in honour of

their friends. While those wives of heroes were performing this rite in

honour of their heroic lords, the access to the stream became easy,

although the paths (made by the tread of many feet) disappeared

afterwards. The shores of the stream, though crowded with those spouses

of heroes, looked as broad as the ocean and presented a spectacle of

sorrow and cheerlessness. Then Kunti, O king, in a sudden paroxysm of

grief, weepingly addressed her sons in these soft words, That hero and

great bowman, that leader of leaders of car-divisions, that warrior

distinguished by every mark of heroism, who hath been slain by Arjuna in

battle, that warrior whom, ye sons of Pandu, ye took forth, Sutas child

born of Radha, that hero who shone in the midst of his forces like the

lord Surya himself, who battled with all of you and your followers, who

looked resplendent as he commanded the vast force of the Duryodhana, who

had no equal on earth for energy, that hero who preferred glory to life,

that unretiring warrior firm in truth and never fatigued with exertion,

was your eldest brother. Offer oblations of water unto that eldest

brother of yours who was born of me by the god of day. That hero was born

with a pair of earrings and clad in armour, and resembled Surya himself

in splendour! Hearing these painful words of their mother, the Pandavas

began to express their grief for Karna. Indeed, they became more

afflicted than ever. Then that tiger among men, the heroic Yudhishthira,

sighing like a snake, asked his mother, That Karna who was like an ocean

having shafts for his billows, his tall standard for his vortex, his own

mighty arms for a couple of huge alligators, his large car for his deep

lake, and the sound of his palms for his tempestuous roar, and whose

impetuosity none could withstand save Dhananjaya, O mother, wert thou the

authoress of that heroic being? How was that son, resembling a very

celestial, born of thee in former days? The energy of his arms scorched

all of us. How, mother, couldst thou conceal him like a person concealing

a fire within the folds of his cloth? His might of arms was always

worshipped by the Dhartarashtras even as we always worship the might of

the wielder of gandiva! How was that foremost of mighty men, that first

of car-warriors, who endured the united force of all lords of earth in

battle, how was he a son of thine? Was that foremost of all wielders of

weapons our eldest brother? How didst thou bring forth that child of

wonderful prowess? Alas, in consequence of the concealment of this affair

by thee, we have been undone! By the death of Karna, ourselves with all

our friends have been exceedingly afflicted. The grief I feel at Karnas

death is a hundred times greater than that which was caused by the death

of Abhimanyu and the sons of Draupadi, and the destruction of the

Pancalas and the Kurus. Thinking of Karna, I am burning with grief, like

a person thrown into a blazing fire. Nothing could have been unattainable

by us, not excepting things belonging to heaven. Alas, this terrible

carnage, so destructive of the Kurus, would not have occurred. Copiously

indulging in lamentations like these, king Yudhishthira the just uttered

loud wails of woe. The puissant monarch then offered oblations of water

unto his deceased elder brother. Then all the ladies that crowded the

shores of the river suddenly sent up a loud wail of grief. The

intelligent king of the Kurus, Yudhishthira, caused the wives and members

of Karnas family to be brought before him. Of righteous soul, he

performed, with them, the water-rite in honour of his eldest brother.

Having finished the ceremony, the king with his senses exceedingly

agitated, rose from the waters of Ganga."

The end of Stri-parv