Chapter 69

“Vaisampayana said, ‘The helpless Uttara, desirous of getting back herchild, having indulged in these piteous lamentations, fell down inaffliction on the earth like a demented creature. Beholding the princessfallen on the earth deprived of her son and with her body uncovered,Kunti as also all the (other) Bharata ladies deeply afflicted, began toweep aloud. Resounding with the voice of lamentation, the palace of thePandavas, O king, was soon converted into a mansion of sorrow wherenobody could remain. Exceedingly afflicted by grief on account of herson, Virata’s daughter, O king, seemed to be struck down for some time bysorrow and cheerlessness. Regaining consciousness, O chief of Bharata’srace, Uttara took up her child on her lap and said these words: Thou artthe child of one who was conversant with every duty. Art thou notconscious then of the sin thou committest, since thou dost not salutethis foremost one of the Vrishni’s race? O son, repairing to thy siretell him these words of mine, viz.,–it is difficult for living creaturesto die before their time comes, since though reft of thee, my husband,and now deprived of my child also, I am yet alive when I should die,unendued as I am with everything auspicious and everything possessed ofvalue.–O mighty-armed one, with the permission of king Yudhishthira thejust I shall swallow some virulent poison or cast myself on the blazingfire. O sire, difficult of destruction is my heart since, though I amdeprived of husband and child, that heart of mine does not yet break intoa thousand pieces. Rise, O son and behold this thy afflictedgreat-grandmother. She is deeply afflicted with grief, bathed in tears,exceedingly cheerless, and plunged in an ocean of sorrow. Behold thereverend princess of Panchala, and the helpless princess of the Satwatarace. Behold myself, exceedingly afflicted with grief, and resembling adeer pierced by a hunter. Rise, O child, and behold the face of this lordof the worlds, that is endued with great wisdom, and possessed of eyeslike lotus-petals and resembling thy sire of restless glance. BeholdingUttara, who indulged in these lamentations, fallen on the earth, allthose ladies, raising her, caused her to sit up. Having sat up, thedaughter of the king of the Matsyas, summoning her patience, joined herhands in reverence and touched the earth with her head for salutingKesava of eyes like the petals of the lotus. That foremost of beings,hearing those heart-rending lamentations of hers, touched water andwithdrew the (force of the) Brahma-weapon.[185] That hero of unfadingglory, belonging to the race of the Dasarhas, promised to give the childhis life. Then he of pure soul, said these words in the hearing of thewhole universe,–‘O Uttara, I never utter an untruth. My words will provetrue. I shall revive this child in the presence of all creatures. Neverbefore have I uttered an untruth even in jest. Never have I turned backfrom battle. (By the merit of those acts) let this child revive! Asrighteousness is dear to me, as Brahmanas are specially dear to me, (bythe merit of that disposition of mine) let Abhimanyu’s son, who is borndead, revive! Never hath a misunderstanding arisen between me and myfriend Vijaya. Let this dead child revive by that truth! As truth andrighteousness are always established in me, let this dead child ofAbhimanyu revive (by the merit of these)! As Kansa and Kesi have beenrighteously slain by me, let this child revive today by that truth!’After these words were uttered by Vasudeva, that child, O foremost one ofBharata’s race, became animate and began gradually to move, O monarch.’