SECTION 29
(Hrada-pravesa Parva)
"Sanjaya said, 'After this, the followers of Subala's son, O monarch,
became filled with rage. Prepared to lay down their lives in that
dreadful battle, they began to resist the Pandavas. Resolved to aid
Sahadeva in his victory, Arjuna, as also Bhimasena possessed of great
energy and resembling an angry snake of virulent poison in aspect,
received those warriors. With his Gandiva, Dhananjaya baffled the purpose
of those warriors, who, armed with darts and swords and lances, desired
to slay Sahadeva. Vibhatsu, with his broad-headed arrows, cut off the
steeds, the heads, and the arms, with weapons in grasp of those rushing
combatants. The steeds of those foremost of heroes endued with activity,
struck by Savyasaci, fell down on the earth, deprived of their lives.
King Duryodhana, beholding that carnage of his own troops, O lord, became
filled with rage. Assembling together the remnant of his cars which still
numbered many hundreds, as also his elephants and horse and foot, O
scorcher of foes, your son said these words unto those warriors,
"Encountering all the Pandavas with their friends and allies, in this
battle, and the prince of Pancala also with his own troops, and slaying
them quickly, turn back from the fight!" Respectfully accepting that
command of his, those warriors, difficult of defeat in battle, proceeded
once more against the Parthas in that battle, at the behest of your son.
The Pandavas, however, covered with their arrows resembling snakes of
virulent poison, all those warriors, forming the remnant of the Kaurava
army, that thus rushed quickly against them in that dreadful battle. That
army, O chief of the Bharatas, as it came to battle, was in a moment
exterminated by those high-souled warriors, for it failed to obtain a
protector. In consequence of the (Kaurava) steeds running hither and
thither that were all covered with the dust raised by the army, the
cardinal and the subsidiary points of the compass could not be
distinguished. Many warriors, issuing out of the Pandava array, O
Bharata, slew your troops in a moment in that battle. Eleven Akshauhinis,
O Bharata, of troops had been assembled for your son! All those, O lord,
were slain by the Pandus and the Srinjayas! Amongst those thousands upon
thousands of high-souled kings on your side, only Duryodhana now, O
monarch, exceedingly wounded, was seen to be alive, casting his eyes on
all sides, and seeing the earth empty, himself destitute of all his
troops while the Pandavas, filled with joy in that battle, were roaring
aloud in consequence of the accomplishment of all their objects.
Duryodhana, O monarch, unable to endure the whiz of the shafts shot by
those high-souled heroes, became stupefied! Destitute of troops and
animals, he set his heart on retreat from the field.'
"Dhritarashtra said, 'When my troops were slain and our camp made
entirely empty, what was the strength, O Suta, of the troops that still
remained to the Pandavas? I desire to know this. Therefore, tell me, O
Sanjaya, for you are skilled (in narration). Tell me also, O Sanjaya,
that which was done by my son, the wicked Duryodhana, that lord of the
earth, the sole survivor of so many men, when he saw his army
exterminated.'
"Sanjaya continued, '2,000 cars, 700 elephants, 5,000 horse, and 10,000
foot, this was the remnant, O monarch, of the mighty host of the
Pandavas. Taking care of this force, Dhrishtadyumna waited in that
battle. Meanwhile, O chief of the Bharatas, king Duryodhana, that
foremost of car-warriors, saw not in that battle a single warrior on his
side. Beholding his enemies roaring aloud and witnessing the
extermination of his own army, that lord of the earth, Duryodhana,
without a companion, abandoned his slain steed, and fled from the field
with face turned eastwards. That lord of eleven Akshauhinis, your son
Duryodhana, of great energy, taking up his mace, fled on foot towards a
lake. Before he had proceeded far on foot, the king recalled the words of
the intelligent and virtuous Vidura. Without doubt, this had been
foreseen by Vidura of great wisdom, this great carnage of Kshatriyas and
of ourselves in battle. Reflecting on this, the king, with heart burning
in grief at having witnessed the extermination of his army, desired to
penetrate into the depths of that lake. The Pandavas, O monarch, with
Dhrishtadyumna at their head, filled with rage, rushed against (the small
remnant of) your army. With his Gandiva, Dhananjaya baffled the purpose of
the (Kaurava) troops, who, armed with darts and swords and lances, were
uttering loud roars. Having with his sharp shafts slain those troops with
their allies and kinsmen, Arjuna, as he stood on his car having white
steeds yoked unto it, looked exceedingly beautiful. Upon the fall of
Subala's son along with horse, cars and elephants, your army looked like a
large forest laid low (by the wind). In Duryodhana's army then, O
monarch, which had numbered many hundred thousands of warriors, not
another great car-warrior was seen to be alive, save the heroic son of
Drona, and Kritavarma, and Kripa the son of Gotama, O monarch, and that
lord of the earth, your son! Dhrishtadyumna, seeing me, laughingly
addressed Satyaki, saying, 'What is the use of seizing this one? Nothing
will be gained by keeping him alive.' Hearing these words of
Dhrishtadyumna, the grandson of Sini, that great car-warrior, uplifting
his sharp sword, prepared to slay me. Just at that juncture, the
Island-born Krishna of great wisdom (Vyasa), coming there, said, "Let
Sanjaya be dismissed alive! By no means should he be slain!" Hearing
these words of the Island-born, the grandson of Sini, joined his hands,
and then, setting me free said unto me, "Peace to thee, O Sanjaya, thou
mayest go hence!" Permitted by him, I myself then, putting off my armour
and making over my weapons, set out on the evening on the road leading to
the city, my limbs bathed in blood. After I had come about two miles, O
monarch, I beheld Duryodhana, standing alone, mace in hand, and
exceedingly mangled. His eyes were full of tears and therefore he could
not see me. I stood cheerlessly before him. He looked accordingly at me
without recognising me. Beholding him standing alone on the field and
indulging in grief, I also, overwhelmed with sorrow, succeeded not for a
little while to speak a single word. Then I said unto him everything
about my own capture and my release through the grace of the Island-born.
Having reflected for a moment, and regained his senses, he enquired of me
about his brothers and his troops. I had seen everything with my eyes and
therefore told him everything, that his brothers had all been slain and
that all his troops had been exterminated. I told the king that we had at
that time only three car-warriors left alive, for the Island-born had
said so unto me when I set out (from the place where the Pandavas were).
Drawing deep breaths and looking repeatedly at me, your son touched me
with his hand and said, "Except thee, O Sanjaya, there is none else that
liveth, amongst those engaged in this battle! I do not see another (on my
side), while the Pandavas have their allies living! Say, O Sanjaya, unto
that lord, the blind king Dhritarashtra, that his son Duryodhana hath
entered the depths of a lake! Destitute of friends such as those (I
lately had), deprived of sons and brothers, and seeing his kingdom taken
by the Pandavas, who is there like me that would desire to live? Say all
this unto the king and tell him further that I have escaped with life
from that dreadful battle, and that, alive, though exceedingly wounded, I
shall rest within the depths of this lake." Having said these words unto
me, O monarch, the king entered that lake. That ruler of men, by his
power of illusion, then charmed the waters of that lake, making a space
for him within them. After he had entered that lake, I myself, without
anybody on my side, saw those three car-warriors (of our army) coming
together to that spot with their tired animals. They were Kripa, the son
of Saradwat, and the heroic Ashvatthama, that foremost of car-warriors,
and Kritavarma of Bhoja's race. Mangled with shafts, all of them came
together to that spot. Beholding me, they all urged their steeds to
greater speed and coming up to me, said, "By good luck, O Sanjaya, thou
livest yet!" All of them then enquired after your son, that ruler of men,
saying, 'Is our king Duryodhana still alive, O Sanjaya?' I then told them
that the king was well in body. I also told them everything that
Duryodhana had said unto me. I also pointed out to them the lake that the
king had entered. Then Ashvatthama, O king, having heard those words from
me, cast his eyes on that extensive lake and began to wail in grief,
saying, "Alas, alas, the king knows not that we are still alive! With him
amongst us, we are still quite able to fight with our foes!" Those mighty
car-warriors, having wept there for a long time, fled away at sight of
the sons of Pandu. Those three car-warriors that formed the remnant of
our army took me up on the well-adorned car of Kripa, and then proceeded
to the Kuru camp. The sun had set a little before. The troops forming the
outposts of the camp, learning that all your sons had been slain, wept
aloud. Then, O monarch, the old men that had been appointed to look after
the ladies of the royal household proceeded towards the city, taking the
princesses after them. Loud were the wails uttered by those weeping
ladies when they heard of the destruction of the whole army. The women, O
king, crying ceaselessly, caused the earth to resound with their voices
like a flight of she-ospreys. They tore their bodies with nails and
struck their heads with their hands, and untied their braids, indulging
all the while in loud cries. Filling the air with sounds such as "Oh!"
and "Alas!" and beating their breasts, they cried aloud and wept and
uttered loud shrieks, O monarch! Then the friends of Duryodhana, deeply
afflicted and made voiceless by their tears, set out for the city, taking
the ladies of the royal household with them. The camp-guards quickly fled
towards the city, taking with them many white beds overlaid with costly
coverlets. Others, placing their wives on cars drawn by mules, proceeded
towards the city. Those ladies, O monarch, who, while in their houses
could not be seen by the very sun, were now, as they proceeded towards
the city, exposed to the gaze of the common people. Those women, O chief
of the Bharata's race, who were very delicate, now proceeded with speed
towards the city, having lost their near ones and kinsmen. The very
cow-herds and shepherds and common men, filled with panic and afflicted
with the fear of Bhimasena, fled towards the city. Even these were filled
with a great fear of the Parthas. Looking at one another, all of them
fled towards the city. During the progress of that general flight
attended with such circumstances of fear, Yuyutsu, deprived of his senses
by grief, thought upon what he should do in view of the emergency that
had come. "Duryodhana hath been vanquished in battle by the Pandavas of
terrible prowess! He had eleven Akshauhinis of troops under him! All his
brothers have been slain! All the Kauravas, headed by Bhishma and Drona,
have perished! Through the influence of Destiny, only I have been saved!
All those that were in the Kuru camp have fled! Alas, they are flying on
all sides, deprived of energy and destitute of protectors! Such a sight
had never been seen before! Afflicted with sorrow, with eyes anxious in
fear, they are flying away on all sides like a herd of deer, looking at
one another! Those amongst the counsellors of Duryodhana that are yet
alive have fled towards the city, taking with them the ladies of the
royal household! I think, O lord, that the time hath come when I also
should enter the city with them, after taking the permission of
Yudhishthira and Vasudeva!" For this purpose that mighty-armed prince
presented himself before both those heroes. King Yudhishthira, who is
always compassionate, became highly pleased with him. The mighty-armed
Pandava embraced that child of a Vaisya mother and dismissed him
affectionately. Riding upon his own car, he urged his steeds to great
speed. He then supervised the removal of the ladies of the royal
household to the city. The sun was setting. With those ladies, Yuyutsu
entered the city of Hastinapura, with tearful eyes and with voice choked
in grief. He then saw Vidura of great wisdom, sitting with tearful eyes.
He had come away from Dhritarashtra, his heart having been afflicted with
great sorrow. Bowing down unto Vidura, he stood before him. Devoted to
truth, Vidura addressed him, saying, "By good luck, O son, you livest
amid this general destruction of the Kurus! Why, however, hast you come
without king Duryodhana in your company? Tell me in detail the cause of
this!" Yuyutsu then said, "After the fall of Shakuni, O sire, with all
his kinsmen and friends, king Duryodhana abandoning the steed he rode,
fled away, in fear towards the east. After the king had fled away, all
the people in the (Kaurava) encampment, agitated with fear, fled towards
the city. Then the protectors of the ladies, placing the wives of the
king, as also those of his brothers, on vehicles, fled away in fear.
Obtaining the permission of king Yudhishthira and Keshava, I set out for
Hastinapura, for protecting the people thus flying away!' Hearing these
words spoken by the son of Dhritarashtra's Vaisya wife, Vidura of
immeasurable soul, conversant with every usage and feeling that was
proper at that hour, applauded the eloquent Yuyutsu. And he said, 'Thou
hast acted properly, having regard for what has come, in view of this
destruction of all the Bharatas of which you are speaking! Thou hast
also, from compassion, maintained the honour of your race! By good luck,
we behold you come back with life from this terrible battle that is so
destructive of heroes, like creatures beholding the sun possessed of
blazing glory! Thou, O son, are now in every way the sole staff of the
blind monarch, bereft of foresight, afflicted with calamity, struck by
Destiny, and who, though repeatedly dissuaded, could not abstain from
pursuing his evil policy. Take rest here for this day! Tomorrow thou
mayst return to Yudhishthira!" Having said these words, Vidura, with
tearful eyes, took leave of Yuyutsu and entered the abode of the king,
which resounded with cries of "Oh!" and "Alas!" uttered by citizens and
villagers afflicted with woe. The cheerless mansion seemed to have lost
all its beauty; comfort and happiness seemed to have deserted it. It was
all empty and pervaded by disorder. Already filled with sorrow, Vidura's
grief increased at that sight. Conversant with every duty, Vidura, with a
sorrowful heart, entered the palace, drawing deep breaths. As regards
Yuyutsu, he passed that night in his own abode. Afflicted with woe, he
failed to obtain any joy at the panegyrics with which he was greeted. He
passed the time, thinking of the terrible destruction of the Bharatas at
one another's hands.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 29 ---------------------
