Chapter 22

“Gandhari said, Slain by Bhimasena, behold, the lord of Avanti liesthere! Vultures and jackals and crows are feeding upon that hero! Thoughpossessed of many friends, he lies now perfectly friendless! Behold, Oslayer of Madhu, having made a great slaughter of foes, that warrior isnow lying on the bed of a hero, covered with blood. Jackals, and kankas,and other carnivorous creatures of diverse kinds, are dragging him now.Behold the reverses brought about by Time. His wives, assembled together,and crying in grief, are sitting around that hero who in life was aterrible slayer of foes but who now lies on the bed of a hero. Behold,Pratipas son Bahlika, that mighty bowman possessed of great energy, slainwith a broad-headed shaft, is now lying on the ground like a sleepingtiger. Though deprived of life, the colour of his face is stillexceedingly bright, like that of the moon at full, risen on the fifteenthday of the lighted fortnight! Burning with grief on account of the deathof his son, and desirous of accomplishing his vow, Indras son (Arjuna)hath slain there that son of Vriddhakshatra! Behold that Jayadratha, whowas protected by the illustrious Drona, slain by Partha bent onaccomplishing his vow, after penetrating through eleven Akshauhinis oftroops. Inauspicious vultures, O Janardana, are feeding upon Jayadratha,the lord of the Sindhu-Sauviras, full of pride and energy! Though soughtto be protected by his devoted wives, see, O Acyuta, carnivorouscreatures are dragging his body away to a jungle in the vicinity. TheKamboja and Yavana wives of that mighty-armed lord of the Sindhus and theSauviras are waiting upon him for protecting him (from the wild beasts).At that time, O Janardana, when Jayadratha, assisted by the Kekayas,endeavoured to ravish Draupadi, he deserved to be slain by the Pandavas!From regard, however, for Duhshala, they set him free on that occasion.Why, O Krishna, did they not show some regard for that Duhshala oncemore? That daughter of mine, of tender years, is now crying in grief. Sheis striking her body with her own hands and censuring the Pandavas. What,O Krishna, can be a greater grief to me than that my daughter of tenderyears should be a widow and all my daughters-in-law should becomelordless. Alas, alas, behold, my daughter Duhshala, having cast off hergrief and fears, is running hither and thither in search of the head ofher husband. He who had checked all the Pandavas desirous of rescuingtheir son, after causing the slaughter of a vast force, at last himselfsuccumbed to death. Alas, those wives of his, with faces as beautiful asthe moon, are crying, sitting around that irresistible hero who resembledan infuriated elephant!”