Chapter 2

Vaishampayana said, “Upon the fall of Karna, O monarch, the son ofGavalgana, with a cheerless heart, set out that night for Nagapura, onsteeds that rivalled the wind in speed. Arrived at Hastinapura, with aheart filled with deep anxiety, he proceeded to Dhritarashtra’s abodewhich no longer teemed with kinsmen and friends. Beholding the kingdeprived of all energy by grief, joining his hands he worshipped, with abend of his head, the monarch’s feet. Having duly worshipped kingDhritarashtra, he uttered an exclamation of woe and then began, ‘I amSanjaya, O lord of Earth! Art thou not happy? I hope thou art notstupefied, having through thy own faults fallen into such distress?Counsels for thy good had been uttered by Vidura and Ganga’s son andKeshava. I hope thou feelest no pain now, remembering thy rejection ofthose counsels? Counsels for thy good had also been uttered in theassembly by Rama and Narada and Kanwa and others. I hope thou feelest nopain now, remembering their rejection by thee? I hope thou feelest nopain, remembering the slaughter in battle, by the foe, of Bhishma andDrona and others, those friends that were ever engaged in thy good?’ Untothe Suta’s son who with joined hands was telling him so, the monarchafflicted with grief and drawing a long and hot breath, said these words.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Hearing, O Sanjaya, of the fall of the heroic sonof Ganga, that warrior of all celestial weapons, as also of the fall ofthat foremost of all bowmen, Drona, my heart feeleth great pain! Thathero endued with great energy and born of the Vasus themselves, who slewevery day 10,000 car-warriors clad in mail, that high-souled one untowhom Bhrigu’s son had given the highest weapons, that warrior who in hischildhood had been trained in the science of the bow by Rama, alas, evenhe hath been slain by Yajnasena’s son Shikhandi protected by thePandavas! At this my heart is greatly pained! That hero through whosegrace those mighty car-warriors, the royal sons of Kunti, as also manyother lords of Earth, have become maharathas, alas, hearing of theslaughter of that great bowman of sure aim, Drona, by Dhrishtadyumna, myheart is exceedingly pained! Those two had not in the world a personequal to them in (knowledge and use of) the four kinds of weapons! Alas,hearing of the slaughter of these two, Bhishma and Drona, in battle myheart is exceedingly pained! That warrior who had not in the three worldsa person equal to him in knowledge of weapons, alas, hearing of theslaughter of that hero, Drona, what did the people of my side do? Afterthe high-souled son of Pandu, Dhananjaya, exerting himself with prowess,had despatched unto Yama’s abode the strong force of the samsaptakas,after the Narayana weapon of the intelligent son of Drona had beenbaffled, and after the (Kaurava) divisions had begun to fly away, what,indeed, did the people of my side do? I think that, after Drona’s deathmy troops, flying away and sinking in an ocean of grief, resembledshipwrecked mariners struggling on the bosom of the vast deep. What also,O Sanjaya, became the colour of the faces of Duryodhana, and Karna, andKritavarma the chief of the Bhojas and Shalya, the ruler of the Madras,and of my remaining sons, and of the others, when the Kuru divisions fledaway from the field? Tell me all this as it truly happened in battle, Oson of Gavalgana, and describe to me the prowess put forth by thePandavas and the warriors of my side!”

“Sanjaya said, ‘O sire, hearing all that has happened unto the Kauravasthrough thy fault, thou shouldst not feel any anguish! He that is wisenever feeleth any pain at what Destiny bringeth! And since Destiny isunconquerable, human purposes may or may not become attainable. Hence, hethat is wise never feeleth pain on the acquisition or the reverse of theobjects cherished by him.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘I do not feel great pain, O Sanjaya! I regard allthis to be the result of Destiny! Tell me all that thou wishest!'”