Chapter 20
Vaisampayana said, “After Yudhishthira had stopped, the great asceticDevasthana, possessed of eloquence, said these words, fraught withreason, unto the king.”
Vaisampayana said, “After Yudhishthira had stopped, the great asceticDevasthana, possessed of eloquence, said these words, fraught withreason, unto the king.”
Sanjaya said,–“O king, I will now describe to thee the combats ofhundreds and thousands of foot-soldiers. O Bharata, in utterforgetfulness of all consideration due to others.
Janamejaya said,–“What, O Brahmana, was that great fear entertained byYudhishthira in respect of Karna, for which Lomasa had conveyed to theson of Pandu a message of deep import from Indra in these words,
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Tell me what description of hell is obtained by aReciter? I feel, O king, a curiosity to know this. It behoveth thee todiscourse on the subject.’
Om! Having bowed down unto Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, asalso to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word “Jaya” be uttered.
“Sauti said, ‘While those illustrious Brahmanas were sitting around thedead body of Pramadvara, Ruru, sorely afflicted, retired into a deep woodand wept aloud. And overwhelmed with grief he indulged in much piteouslamentation. And, remembering his beloved Pramadvara, he gave vent to hissorrow in the following words, ‘Alas! The delicate fair one thatincreaseth my affliction lieth upon the bare ground.
“Sanjaya said, ‘Srutakarman then, O king, filled with wrath, struck thatlord of Earth, viz., Citrasena, in that battle, with fifty shafts.
“Devasthana said, ‘In this connection is cited an old history, viz., thediscourse that Vrihaspati, asked by Indra, delivered unto him.
Sanjaya said,–“After the great part of the forenoon of that awful dayhad worn out, in that terrific engagement, O king, that was (so)destructive of foremost of men[333], Durmukha and Kritavarman, and Kripa,and Salya, and Vivinsati, urged by thy son, approached
“Markandeya continued, ‘When the night had passed away, and the solar orbhad risen, those ascetics, having performed their morning rites,assembled together.