Chapter 9

Sanjaya said, “Having slain all the Pancalas and the sons of Draupadi,the three Kuru heroes together came to that spot where Duryodhana lay,struck down by the foe. Arrived there, they beheld that life had not beenwholly extinct in the king. Jumping down from their cars, they surroundedthy son. The Kuru king, O monarch, was lying there with broken thighs.Almost senseless, his life was about to ebb away. He was vomiting bloodat intervals, with downcast eyes. He was then surrounded by a largenumber of carnivorous animals of terrible forms, and by wolves andhyenas, that awaited at no great distance for feeding upon his body. Withgreat difficulty the king was keeping off those beasts of prey that stoodin expectation of feasting upon him. He was writhing on the earth ingreat agony. Beholding him thus lying on the earth, bathed in his ownblood, the three heroes who were the sole survivors of his army,Ashvatthama and Kripa and Kritavarma, became afflicted with grief and satsurrounding him. Encompassed by those three mighty car-warriors who werecovered with blood and who breathed hot sighs, the Kuru king looked likea sacrificial altar surrounded by three fires. Beholding the king lyingin that highly undeserving plight, the three heroes wept in unendurablesorrow. Wiping the blood from off his face with their hands, they utteredthese piteous lamentations in the hearing of the king lying on the fieldof battle.

Kripa said, “There is nothing too difficult for destiny to bring about,since even this king Duryodhana who was the lord of eleven akshauhinis oftroops sleepeth on the bare ground, struck down by the foes and coveredwith blood! Behold, fond he was of the mace, and that mace decked withpure gold still lieth by the side of the king whose splendour stillresembles that of pure gold! In no battle did that mace abandon thishero! Even now, when he is about to ascend to heaven, that weapon leavethnot this illustrious warrior. Behold, that weapon, adorned with puregold, still lieth by the side of this hero like a loving wife by the sideof her lord stretched on his bed in his chamber of sleep. Behold thereverses brought about by Time! This scorcher of foes that used to walkat the head of all crowned kings, now eateth the dust struck down (by thefoe)! He who had formerly struck down many foes and caused them to lie onthe bare ground, alas, that king of the Kurus lieth today on the bareground, struck down by foes. He to whom hundreds of kings used to bowdown in fear, lieth today on the field of battle, surrounded by beasts ofprey. The brahmanas formerly used to wait upon this lord for wealth.Alas, beasts of prey wait upon him today for feeding upon his body!”

Sanjaya continued, “Beholding that chief of Kuru’s race lying on theground, Ashvatthama, O best of the Bharatas, uttered these piteouslamentations: “O tiger among kings, all people indicated thee as theforemost of all bowmen! People also said that (in encounters with themace) thou, a disciple of Sankarshana, wert like the Lord of treasures(Kuvera), himself! How then, O sinless one, could Bhima notice any lapsesin thee! Thou wert ever mighty and possessed of skill! He, on the otherhand, O king, is a wicked-souled wight! Without doubt, O monarch, Time inthis world is mightier than everything else, for we behold even theestruck down by Bhimasena in battle! Alas, how could the wretched and meanVrikodara unrighteously strike thee down, thee that wert conversant withevery rule of righteousness! Without doubt, Time is irresistible. Alas,having summoned thee to a fair fight, Bhimasena, putting forth his might,fractured thy thighs. Fie on that wretched Yudhishthira who tolerated thehead of one unrighteously struck down in battle to be touched with thefoot! In all battles warriors will certainly reprove Vrikodara as long asthe world will last. Without doubt, thou hast been struck downunrighteously!

The valiant Rama of Yadu’s race, O king, always used to say that there isno one equal to Duryodhana in encounters with the mace. He of the Vrishnirace, O Bharata, used to boast of thee, O lord, in every assembly,saying, Duryodhana of Kurus race is a worthy disciple of mine!’ Thou hastobtained that end which great rishis have declared to be the high rewardof a kshatriya slain in battle with his face towards the foe. I do not, Obull among men, grieve for thee, O Duryodhana! I grieve only for thymother Gandhari and thy sire, childless as they now are. Afflicted withsorrow, they will have to wander over the earth, begging their food. Fieon Krishna, Vrishni’s race, and on Arjuna of wicked understanding! Theyregard themselves conversant with the duties of morality, yet both ofthem stood indifferent whilst thou wert being slain! How will the otherPandavas, shameless though they are, O king, speak of the manner in whichthey have accomplished thy death? Thou art highly fortunate, O son ofGandhari, since thou hast been slain on the field of battle, O bull amongmen, while advancing fairly against the foe. Alas, what will be theplight of Gandhari who is now childless, and who hath lost all herkinsmen and relatives! What also will be the plight of the blind king!

Fie on Kritavarma, on myself, as also on mighty car-warrior Kripa, sincewe have not yet gone to heaven with thy royal self before us! Fie on us,lowest of mortals, since we do not follow thee that wert the granter ofall wishes, the protector of all men, and the benefactor of all thysubjects! Through thy power, the abodes of Kripa, of myself, and of mysire, along with those of our dependants, O tiger among men, are full ofwealth. Through thy grace, ourselves with our friends and relatives haveperformed many foremost of sacrifices with a profusion of presents tobrahmanas. Where shall such sinful persons as ourselves now go, sincethou hast gone to heaven, taking with thee all the kings of the earth?Since we three, O king, do not follow thee that art about to obtain thehighest end (of life), it is for this that we are indulging in suchlamentations. Deprived of thy companionship, reft of wealth, our memoriespainfully dwelling upon thy prosperity, alas, what will be our lot sincewe do not go with thee? Without doubt, O chief of Kuru’s race, we shallhave to wander in grief on the earth. Deprived of thee, O king, where canwe have peace and where can we have happiness?

Going from this world, O monarch, and meeting with those mightycar-warriors (that have preceded thee), show thy regards to them, at myrequest, one after another, according to the order of their rank andyears. Having offered worship to thy preceptor, that foremost of allwielders of bows, tell him, O king, that Dhrishtadyumna hath been slainby me. Embrace king Bahlika, that mighty car-warrior, as also the rulerof the Sindhus, and Somadatta, Bhurishrava, and the other foremost ofkings that have preceded thee to heaven. At my request, embrace all ofthem and enquire after their welfare.”

Sanjaya continued, “Having said these words unto the king deprived of hissenses and lying with broken thighs, Ashvatthama once more cast his eyeson him and uttered these words, “If, O Duryodhana, thou hast any life inthee still, listen to these words that are so pleasant to hear. On theside of the Pandavas, only seven are alive, and among the Dhartarashtras,only we three! The seven on their side are the five brothers and Vasudevaand Satyaki; on our side, we three are myself and Kripa and Kritavarma!All the sons of Draupadi have been slain, as also all the children ofDhrishtadyumna! All the Pancalas too have been slain, as also the remnantof the Matsyas, O Bharata! Behold the vengeance taken for what they haddone! The Pandavas are now childless! While buried in sleep, the men andanimals in their camp have all been slain! Penetrating into their camp inthe night, O king, I have slain Dhrishtadyumna, that wight of sinfuldeeds, as one kills an animal.”

Duryodhana then, having heard those words that were so agreeable to hisheart, regained his senses and said these words in reply, “That whichneither Ganga’s son, nor Karna, nor thy sire, could achieve, hath at lastbeen achieved by thee today, accompanied by Kripa and Bhoja. Thou hastslain that low wretch (Dhrishtadyumna) who was commander of the Pandavaforces, as also Shikhandi. In consequence of this I regard myself equalto Maghavat himself! Good be to you all! Let prosperity be yours! All ofus will again meet together in heaven!”

Having said these words the high-souled king of the Kurus became silent.Casting off his griefs for all his (slain) kinsmen, he then gave up hislife-breath. His soul ascended to sacred heaven, while his body onlyremained on earth. Even thus, O king, thy son Duryodhana breathed hislast. Having provoked the battle first, he was slain by his foes at last.The three heroes repeatedly embraced the king and gazed steadfastly onhim. They then ascended their cars. Having heard these piteouslamentations of Drona’s son, I came away at early dawn towards the city.Even thus the armies of the Kurus and Pandavas have been destroyed. Greatand terrible have been that carnage, O king, caused by thy evil policy.After thy son had ascended to heaven, I became afflicted with grief andthe spiritual sight which the rishi gave hath been lost by me!”

Vaishampayana continued, “The king, hearing of his son’s death, breathedlong and hot sighs, and became plunged in great anxiety.”