Chapter 5

Vaishampayana said: “Meanwhile Daruka, going to the Kurus and seeingthose mighty car-warriors, the son of Pritha, informed them of how theVrishnis had slain one another with iron bolts. Hearing that the Vrishnisalong with the Bhojas and Andhakas and Kukuras had all been slain, thePandavas, burning with grief, became highly agitated. Then Arjuna, thedear friend of Keshava, bidding them farewell, set out for seeing hismaternal uncle. He said that destruction would soon overtake everything.Proceeding to the city of the Vrishnis with Daruka in his company, Opuissant king, that hero beheld that the city of Dwaraka looked like awoman bereft of her husband. Those ladies who had, before this, the veryLord of the universe for their protector, were now lordless. Seeing thatPartha had come for protecting them, they all set up a loud wail. 16,000ladies had been wedded to Vasudeva. Indeed, as soon as they saw Arjunaarrive, they uttered a loud cry of sorrow. As soon as the Kuru prince metthose beauteous ones deprived of the protection of Krishna and of theirsons as well, he was unable to look at them, his vision being obstructedby tears. The Dwaraka river had the Vrishnis and the Andhakas for itswater, steeds for its fishes, cars for its rafts, the sound of musicalinstruments and the rattle of cars for its waves, houses and mansions andpublic squares for its lakes. Gems and precious stones were its abundantmoss. The walls of adamant were the garlands of flowers that floated onit. The streets and roads were the strong currents running in eddiesalong its surface. The great open squares were the still large lakes inits course. Rama and Krishna were its two mighty alligators. Thatagreeable river now seemed to Arjuna to be the fierce Vaitarani bound upwith Times net. Indeed, the son of Vasava, endued with greatintelligence, beheld the city to look even thus, reft as it was of theVrishni heroes. Shorn of beauty, and perfectly cheerless, it presentedthe aspect of a lotus flower in the season of winter. Beholding the sightthat Dwaraka presented, and seeing the numerous wives of Krishna, Arjunawailed aloud with eyes bathed in tears and fell down on the earth. ThenSatya, the daughter of Satrajit, and Rukmini too, O king, fell downbeside Dhananjaya and uttered loud wails of grief. Raising him then theycaused him to be seated on a golden seat. The ladies sat around thathigh-souled one, giving expression to their feelings. Praising Govindaand talking with the ladies, the son of Pandu comforted them and thenproceeded to see his maternal uncle.”