Chapter 5

Vaishampayana said, “Hearing these words, O monarch, Ambika’s sonDhritarashtra, with heart agitated by grief, addressed his driverSanjaya, saying, ‘Though the evil policy, O sire, of my son of littleforesight, Vikartana’s son hath been slain! This intelligence is cuttingthe very core of my heart! I am desirous of crossing this sea of grief!Remove my doubts, therefore, by telling me who are still alive and whoare dead amongst the Kurus and the Pandavas!’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Endued with great prowess and invincible in battle,Bhishma the son of Shantanu, O king, having slain large numbers ofSrinjayas and Pancalas, hath been slain after ten days. The mighty andinvincible bowman Drona of the golden car, having slaughtered the Pancaladivisions in battle, hath been slain. Having slaughtered the half of whatremained after the carnage by Bhishma and the illustrious Drona,Vikartana’s son Karna hath been slain. Endued with great strength, Omonarch, prince Vivingsati, having slain hundreds of Anarta warriors inbattle, hath been slain. Thy heroic son Vikarna, deprived of steeds andweapons, stood, facing the foe, remembering the duties of Kshatriyas.Remembering the many foul wrongs inflicted upon him by Duryodhana, andbearing in mind his own vow, Bhimasena hath slain him. Possessed of greatmight, Vinda and Anuvinda, the two princes of Avanti, after achieving themost difficult feats, have gone to Yama’s abode. That hero who had underhis sway ten kingdoms, having Sindhu for their chief, him who was everobedient to thee, Jayadratha of mighty energy, O king, Arjuna hath slainafter vanquishing eleven akshauhinis of troops with his keen arrows.Endued with great activity and incapable of being easily defeated inbattle, the son of Duryodhana, ever obedient to his sire’s commands, hathbeen slain by the son of Subhadra. The brave son of Duhshasana, possessedof mighty arms and fierce in battle, hath been despatched to Yama’s abodeby Draupadi’s son exerting himself with great prowess! The ruler of theKiratas and other dwellers of the lowlands on the seacoast, the muchrespected and dear friend of the chief of the celestials himself, thevirtuous king Bhagadatta, who was ever devoted to Kshatriya duties, hathbeen despatched to Yama’s abode by Dhananjaya exerting himself great withprowess. The kinsman of the Kauravas, the son of Somadatta, the brave andcelebrated Bhurishrava, O king, hath been slain by Satyaki in battle. TheAmvashtha king Srutayus, that foremost of Kshatriyas, who used to careerin battle most fearlessly, hath been slain by Arjuna. Thy son Duhshasana,accomplished in arms and invincible in battle, and who was alwayswrathful, hath, O monarch, been slain by Bhimasena. Sudakshina, O king,who had many thousands of wonderful elephants, hath been slain in battleby Arjuna. The ruler of the Kosolas, having slain many hundreds of foes,hath himself been despatched to Yama’s abode by Subhadra’s son exertinghimself with prowess. Having fought with many thousands of foes and withthe mighty car-warrior Bhimasena himself, thy son Citrasena hath beenslain by Bhimasena. The brave younger brother of the ruler of the Madras,that enhancer of the fears of foes, that handsome warrior armed withsword and shield, hath been slain by Subhadra’s son. He who was equal toKarna himself in battle, Karna’s son Vrishasena, accomplished in arms, ofmighty energy and steady prowess, hath, in the very sight of Karna, beendespatched to Yama’s abode by Dhananjaya who put forth his prowessremembering the slaughter of his own son Abhimanyu and bearing in mindthe vow he had made. That lord of Earth, Srutayus, who always displayed adeep-rooted antipathy towards the Pandavas, hath been slain by Partha whoreminded him of that antipathy before taking his life. Shalya’s son ofgreat prowess, O sire, Rukmaratha, hath, O king, been slain in battle bySahadeva although the former happened to be the latter’s brother, havingbeen the son of the latter’s maternal uncle. The old king Bhagiratha, andVrihatkshatra the ruler of the Kaikeyas both endued with great prowessand might and energy, have been slain. Bhagadatta’s son, O king who waspossessed of great wisdom and great strength, hath been slain by Nakulawho always careers in battle with the activity of the hawk. Thy grandsireBahlika, possessed of great might and prowess, hath, with all hisfollowers, been slain by Bhimasena. The mighty Jayatsena the son ofJarasandha, the prince of the Magadhas, O king, hath been slain in battleby the high-souled son of Subhadra. Thy son Durmukha, O king, as also thyother son Dussaha, that mighty car-warrior, both of whom were regarded asheroes, have been slain by Bhimasena with his mace. Durmarshana andDurvisaha and the mighty car-warrior Durjaya, having achieved the mostdifficult feats, have gone to Yama’s abode. The two brothers Kalinga andVrishaka, who were invincible in battle, having achieved very difficultfeats have gone to Yama’s abode. Thy counsellor Vrishavarman of the Sutacaste, endued with great energy, hath been despatched to Yama’s abode byBhimasena exerting himself with prowess. So also king Paurava who wasendued with the might of 10,000 elephants, hath, with all his followers,been slain by Pandu’s son Arjuna. The Vasatis, O king, numbering 2,000,effectual smiters of all, as also the Surasenas endued with prowess, haveall been slain in battle. The Abhishahas, clad in mail, capable ofsmiting effectually, and fierce in battle, also the Sivis, those foremostof car-warriors, with the Kalingas, have all been slain. Those otherheroes also, (the Narayana Gopas) who live and grew in Gokula, who wereexceedingly wrathful in battle, and who never retreated from the fieldhave been slain by Savyasaci. Many thousands of Srenis, as also thesamsaptakas, approaching Arjuna, have all repaired to the abode of Yama.Thy two brothers-in-law, viz., the princes Vrishaka and Achala, who wereendued with great prowess, have for thy sake been slain by Savyasaci.King Shalva of mighty arms and fierce deeds, who was a great bowman bothin name and feats, hath been slain by Bhimasena. Oghavat, O king, andVrishanta, fighting together in battle and exerting themselves with greatvigour for the sake of their ally, have both repaired to Yama’s abode. Soalso that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Kshemadhurti, O monarch, hathbeen slain in battle by Bhimasena with his mace. So also that greatbowman, viz., the mighty king Jalasandha, after causing an immensecarnage, hath been slain by Satyaki in battle. That prince of Rakshasas,viz., Alayudha, unto whose vehicle were yoked asses (of monstrous shape)hath been despatched to Yama’s abode by Ghatotkaca exerting himself withgreat prowess. Radha’s son of the Suta caste, and those mightycar-warriors who were his brothers, and the Kaikeyas, the Malavas, theMadrakas the Dravidas of fierce prowess, the Yaudheyas, the Lalittyas,the Kshudrakas, the Usinaras, the Tundikeras, the Savitriputras, theEasterners, the Northerners, the Westerners, and the Southerners, O sire,have all been slain by Savyasaci. Large bands of foot-soldiers, myriadsupon myriads of steeds, large number of car-warriors, and many hugeelephants, have been slain. Many heroes also, with standards and weapons,and with armour and attire and ornaments, and endued with perseveranceand possessed of high birth and good conduct, have been slain in battleby Partha who is never fatigued with exertion. Others, endued withimmeasurable might, and desirous of slaying their foes, (have met with asimilar fate). These and many other kings, numbering thousands, withtheir followers, have, O monarch, been slain in battle. That which thouaskest me I am answering now. Even thus did the destruction take placewhen Arjuna and Karna fought. Even as Mahendra slew Vritra, and Rama slewRavana; even as Krishna slew Naraka or Mura in battle; even as the mightyRama of Bhrigu’s race slew the heroic Kartavirya, invincible in battle,with all his kinsmen and friends, after fighting a terrible battlecelebrated through the three worlds; even as Skanda slew (the Asura)Mahisha, and Rudra slew (the Asura) Andhaka, even so hath Arjuna, O king,in single combat, slain, with all his kinsmen, that foremost of smiters,viz., Karna, who was invincible in battle and upon whom theDhartarashtras had placed their hopes of victory, and who was the greatcause of the hostility with the Pandavas! Pandu’s son hath nowaccomplished that which at one time thou couldst not believe him capableof accomplishing, although, O monarch, well-meaning friends failed not toapprise thee of it. That calamity, fraught with great destruction, hathnow come! Thou, O king wishing them well, hast heaped those evils on theheads of thy covetous sons! The fruit of those evils is now manifestingitself!'”