SECTION 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.
