Chapter 65

“Sanjaya said, ‘Having heard of Duryodhana’s fall from the messengers,those mighty car-warriors, the unslain remnant of the Kaurava army,exceedingly wounded with keen shafts, and maces and lances and darts,those three, Ashvatthama and Kripa and Kritavarma of the Satwata race,came quickly on their fleet steeds to the field of battle. They beheldthere the high-souled son of Dhritarashtra prostrate on the ground like agigantic Sala tree laid low in the forest by a tempest. They beheld himwrithing on the bare ground and covered with blood even like a mightyelephant in the forest laid low by a hunter. They saw him weltering inagony and bathed in profuse streams of blood. Indeed, they saw him lyingon the ground like the sun dropped on the earth or like the ocean driedby a mighty wind, or like the full Moon in the firmament with his discshrouded by a fog. Equal to an elephant in prowess and possessed of longarms, the king lay on the earth, covered with dust. Around him were manyterrible creatures and carnivorous animals like wealth-covetingdependants around a monarch in state. His forehead was contracted intofurrows of rage and his eyes were rolling in wrath. They beheld the king,that tiger among men, full of rage, like a tiger struck down (byhunters). Those great archers Kripa and others, beholding the monarchlaid low on the Earth, became stupefied. Alighting from their cars, theyran towards the king. Seeing Duryodhana, all of them sat on the eartharound him. Then Drona’s son, O monarch, with tearful eyes and breathinglike a snake, said these words unto that chief of Bharata’s race, thatforemost of all the kings on earth, “Truly, there is nothing stable inthe world of men, since thou, O tiger among men, liest on the bare earth,stained with dust! Thou wert a king who had laid thy commands on thewhole Earth! Why then, O foremost of monarchs, dost thou lie alone on thebare ground in such a lonely wilderness? I do not see Duhshasana besidethee, nor the great car-warrior Karna, nor those friends of thinenumbering in hundreds! What is this, O bull among men? Without doubt, itis difficult to learn the ways of Yama, since thou, O lord of all theworlds, thus liest on the bare ground, stained with dust! Alas, thisscorcher of foes used to walk at the head of all Kshatriyas that hadtheir locks sprinkled with holy water at ceremonies of coronation! Alas,he now eateth the dust! Behold the reverses that Time bringeth on itscourse! Where is that pure white umbrella of thine? Where is that fanningyak-tail also, O king? Where hath that vast army of thine now gone, Obest of monarchs? The course of events is certainly a mystery when causesother than those relied upon are at book, since even thou that wert themaster of the world hast been reduced to this plight! Without doubt, theprosperity of all mortals is very unstable, since thou that wert equalunto Shakra himself hast now been reduced to such a sorry plight!”Hearing these words of the sorrowing Ashvatthama, thy son answered him inthese words that were suited to the occasion. He wiped his eyes with hishands and shed tears of grief anew. The king then addressed all thoseheroes headed by Kripa and said, “This liability to death (of all livingcreatures) is said to have been ordained by the Creator himself. Deathcomes to all beings in course of time. That death hath now come to me,before the eyes of you all! I who reigned over the whole earth have nowbeen reduced to this plight! By good luck, I never turned back frombattle whatever calamities overtook me. By good luck, I have been slainby those sinful men, by the aid particularly of deception. By good luck,while engaged in hostilities, I always displayed courage andperseverance. By good luck, I am slain in battle, along with all mykinsmen and friends. By good luck, I behold you escaped with life fromthis great slaughter, and safe and sound. This is highly agreeable to me.Do not, from affection, grieve for my death. If the Vedas are anyauthority, I have certainly acquired many eternal regions! I am notignorant of the glory of Krishna of immeasurable energy. He hath notcaused me to fall off from the proper observance of Kshatriya duties. Ihave obtained him. On no account should anybody grieve from me. Ye havedone what persons like ye should do. Ye have always striven for mysuccess. Destiny, however, is incapable of being frustrated.” Having saidthis much, the king, with eyes laved with tears, became silent, Omonarch, agitated as he was with agony. Beholding the king in tears andgrief, Drona’s son flamed up in anger like the fire that is seen at theuniversal destruction. Overwhelmed with rage, he squeezed his hand andaddressing the king in a voice hoarse with tears, he said these words,”My sire was slain by those wretches with a cruel contrivance. That act,however, doth not burn me so keenly as this plight to which thou hastbeen reduced, O king! Listen to these words of mine that I utter,swearing by Truth itself, O lord, and by all my acts of piety, all mygifts, my religion, and the religious merits I have won. I shall today,in the very presence of Vasudeva, despatch all the Pancalas, by all meansin my power, to the abode of Yama? It behoveth thee, O monarch, to grantme permission!” Hearing these words of Drona’s son, that were highlyagreeable to his heart, the Kuru king addressing Kripa, said, “Opreceptor, bring me without delay a pot full of water!” At these words ofthe king, that foremost of Brahmanas soon brought a vessel full of waterand approached the king. Thy son then, O monarch, said unto Kripa, “Letthe son of Drona, O foremost of Brahmanas, (blessed be thou), be at mycommand installed as generalissimo, if thou wishest to do me the good! Atthe command of the king, even a Brahmana may fight, specially one thathas adopted Kshatriya practices! Those learned in the scriptures saythis!” Hearing these words of the king, Kripa, the son of Saradwat,installed Drona’s son as generalissimo, at the king’s command! Theinstallation over, O monarch, Ashvatthama embraced that best of kings andleft the spot, having caused the ten points to resound with his leonineroars. That foremost of kings, Duryodhana, profusely covered with blood,began to pass there that night so frightful to all creatures. Wendingaway quickly from the field of battle, O king, those heroes, with heartsagitated by grief, began to reflect anxiously and earnestly.'”