SECTION 30
"Dhritarashtra said, 'After all the Kaurava troops had been slain by the
sons of Pandu on the field of battle, what did those survivors of my
army, Kritavarma and Kripa and the valiant son of Drona do? What also did
the wicked-souled king Duryodhana then do?'
"Sanjaya said, 'After the flight of the ladies of those high-souled
Kshatriyas, and after the (Kaurava) camp had become entirely empty, the
three car-warriors (thou hast mentioned) became filled with anxiety.
Hearing the shouts of the victorious sons of Pandu, and beholding the
camp deserted towards the evening, those three warriors of our side,
desirous of rescuing the king, and unable to stay on the field, proceeded
towards the lake. Yudhishthira, of virtuous soul, with his brothers in
that battle, felt great joy and wandered over the field from desire of
staying Duryodhana. Filled with wrath, the Pandavas, desirous of victory,
searched for your son. Though, however, they looked very carefully for
him, they failed to discover the (Kuru) king. Mace in hand, he had fled
with great speed from the field of battle and penetrated into that lake,
having by the aid of his powers of illusion, solidified its waters. When
at last the animals of the Pandavas became very much tired, the latter
proceeded to their camp and rested there with their soldiers. After the
Parthas had retired to their camp, Kripa and Drona's son and Kritavarma
of the Satwata race, slowly proceeded towards that lake. Approaching the
lake within which lay the king, they addressed that invincible ruler of
men asleep within the water, saying, "Arise, O king, and fight with us
against Yudhishthira! Either obtaining victory enjoy the earth, or,
slain, proceed to heaven! The forces of the Pandavas also, O Duryodhana,
have all been slain by thee! Those amongst them that are yet alive have
been exceedingly mangled! They will not be able, O monarch, to bear thy
impetuosity, especially when you shalt be protected by us! Arise,
therefore, O Bharata!"
"'Duryodhana said, "By good luck, I see you, the bulls among men, come
back with life from this destructive battle between the Pandavas and the
Kauravas! After we have rested a while and dispelled our fatigue, we
shall encounter the enemy and conquer him! Ye also are tired and I myself
am exceedingly mangled! The army of the Pandavas is swelling with might!
For these reasons, I do not like to fight now! These exhortations on your
part, the heroes, are not at all wonderful, for your hearts are noble!
Your devotion also to me is great! This, however, is not the time for
prowess! Resting for this one night, I shall, on the morrow, join you and
fight with the foe! In this there is no doubt!"'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, the son of Drona replied unto the
king, who was invincible in battle, saying, "Arise, O king, blessed be
thou, we shall yet vanquish the foe! I swear by all my religious acts, by
all the gifts I have made, by truth itself, and my silent meditations, O
king, that I shall today slay the Somakas! Let me not obtain the delight
resulting from the performance of sacrifices, that delight which is felt
by all pious men, if this night passes away without my slaying the
Pandavas in battle! Without slaying all the Pancalas, I will not, O lord,
put off my armour! I tell you this truly. Believe me, O ruler of men!"
While they were thus conversing, a number of hunters came there. Fatigued
with the weight of meat they carried, they came there, not of any set
purpose, for slaking their thirst. Those huntsmen, O lord, used every
day, to procure, with great regard, a basketful of meat for Bhimasena, O
king! As they sat concealed on the banks of that lake, those men heard
every word of that conversation between Duryodhana and those warriors.
Finding the Kuru king unwilling to fight, those great bowmen, themselves
desirous of battle, began to urge him greatly to adopt their counsels.
Seeing those car-warriors of the Kaurava army, and understanding that the
king, unwilling to fight, was staying within the waters, and hearing that
conversation between those heroes and their master staying within the
depths of the lake, indeed, O monarch, the huntsmen, clearly perceiving
that it was Duryodhana who was staying within the lake, formed a
resolution. A little while before, the son of Pandu, while searching for
the king, had met those men and asked them about the whereabouts of
Duryodhana. Recollecting the words that the son of Pandu had said, those
hunters, O king, whisperingly said unto one another, "We will discover
Duryodhana (unto the Pandavas). The son of Pandu will then give us
wealth! It is evident to us that the celebrated king Duryodhana is here!
Let us then, all of us, proceed to the spot where king Yudhishthira is,
for telling him that the vindictive Duryodhana is concealed within the
waters of this lake! Let us also, all of us, inform that great bowman,
the intelligent Bhimasena, that the son of Dhritarashtra is concealed
here within the waters of this lake! Gratified with us, he will give us
much wealth! What need of fatiguing ourselves, day after day, with
procuring meat and weakening ourselves with such toil?" Having said these
words, those huntsmen, filled with joy and longing for wealth, took up
their baskets of meat and proceeded towards the (Pandava) camp. Possessed
of sure aim and skilled in smiting, the Pandavas, O monarch, not seeing
in battle Duryodhana, who was then concealed, (were resting in their
camp). Desirous of reaching the end of that sinful wight's evil policy,
they had despatched spies in all directions on the field of battle. All
the soldiers, however, that had been despatched on that mission returned
to the camp together and informed king Yudhishthira the just that no
trace could be found of king Duryodhana. Hearing these words of the
returned messengers, O bull of Bharata's race, king Yudhishthira became
filled with great anxiety and began to breathe heavily. While the
Pandavas, O bull of Bharata's race, were staying in such cheerlessness,
those huntsmen, O lord, having come with great speed from the banks of
that lake, arrived at the camp, filled with joy at having discovered
Duryodhana. Though forbidden, they still entered the camp, in the very
sight of Bhimasena. Having approached that mighty son of Pandu,
Bhimasena, they represented everything unto him about what they had seen
and heard. Then Vrikodara, that scorcher of foes, O king, giving them
much wealth, represented everything unto king Yudhishthira the just,
saying, "Duryodhana, O king, hath been discovered by the huntsmen that
supply me with meat! He, O king, for whom you grievest now lies within a
lake whose waters have been solidified by him!' Hearing these agreeable
words of Bhimasena, O monarch, Kunti's son, Ajatasatru, became, with all
his brothers, filled with joy. Having learnt that the mighty bowman
Duryodhana had penetrated into the waters of a lake, the king proceeded
thither with great speed, with Janardana at his head. Then a tumultuous
noise arose, O monarch, from among the Pandavas and the Pancalas all of
whom were filled with joy. The warriors uttered leonine roars, O bull of
Bharata's race, and shouted loudly. All the Kshatriyas, O king, proceeded
with great speed towards that lake called Dvaipayana. The rejoicing
Somakas all around loudly and repeatedly exclaimed, "The sinful son of
Dhritarashtra has been found!" The noise made by the cars of those
impetuous warriors who proceeded with great speed, became very loud, O
monarch, and touched the heavens. Although their animals were tired, all
of them still proceeded with speed behind king Yudhishthira who was bent
upon finding out Duryodhana. Arjuna, and Bhimasena, and the two sons of
Madri by Pandu, and the Pancala prince Dhrishtadyumna, and the
unvanquished Shikhandi, and Uttamaujas, and Yudhamanyu, and the mighty
car-warrior Satyaki, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and those amongst
the Pancalas, O king, that were yet alive, and all the Pandavas, and all
their elephants, and foot-soldiers by hundreds upon hundreds, all
proceeded with Yudhishthira. Possessed of great valour, king Yudhishthira
the just, O monarch, arrived at the lake known by the name of Dvaipayana
within which Duryodhana then was. Wide as the ocean itself, its aspect
was agreeable and its waters were cool and transparent. Solidifying the
waters by means of his power of illusion, by, indeed, a wonderful method,
thy son Duryodhana, O Bharata, happened to be within that lake. Indeed,
within those waters lay, O lord, that king, armed with his mace, who, O
ruler of men, could not be vanquished by any man! Staying within the
waters of that lake, king Duryodhana heard that tumultuous noise (of the
Pandava army) which resembled the very roar of the clouds. Yudhishthira
then, O king, with his brothers repaired to that lake from desire of
slaying Duryodhana. Raising a thick dust, the son of Pandu caused the
earth to tremble with the sound of his car-wheels and the loud blare of
his conch. Hearing the noise made by the army of Yudhishthira, those
great car-warriors, Kritavarma and Kripa and the son of Drona, said these
words unto the Kuru king, "Filled with joy and longing for victory, the
Pandavas are coming hither! We will, therefore, leave this place. Let it
be known to thee!" Hearing those words of these heroes endued with great
activity, he answered them, saying, "So be it," and remained (as before)
within the waters, having, O lord, solidified them by his powers of
illusion. Those car-warriors headed by Kripa, filled with grief, took
leave of the king, O monarch, and went away to a place far removed from
that spot. Having proceeded far, they beheld a banyan, O sire, under
whose shade they stopped, greatly tired, and exceedingly anxious about
the king and indulging in such thoughts as these, "The mighty son of
Dhritarashtra, having solidified the waters of the lake, lay stretched at
the bottom. The Pandavas have reached that spot, from desire of battle.
How will the battle take place? What will become of the king?' Thinking
of these things, O king, those heroes, Kripa and the others, liberated
their horses from their cars and prepared to rest there for some time.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 30 ---------------------
