SECTION 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!"
