When the night had gone away, on the morning of the next day, eulogists,
accomplished bards, genealogists skilled in reciting, and singers versed
in musical permutation, presenting themselves at the place of the
sovereign, began to perform separately. And as they eulogized the
monarch with benedictions loudly uttered, the palace resounded with the
sounds of the eulogies. And as the bards hymned the monarch,
palm-players celebrating the deeds of the kings of the Raghu race, began
to play with their palms. And awakened by those sounds, birds on boughs
and in cages worthy of the royal race, uttered notes. And the sacred
words uttered (by these), the notes of _Vinas_, and the valedictory
songs of singers filled that mansion. And as on former occasions, men
practising purity and well up in serving, with numerous women and
eunuchs entered appearance. Persons acquainted with the ceremonials
connected with bath, according to the ordinance and in due time, in
golden vessels brought water impregnated with _hari-_ sandal powder.
Pure females together with many virgins brought kine &c, which were to
be touched, Ganges water for sipping, mirrors, cloths, ornaments and
other articles. All the things that were procured (for presentation unto
the monarch) were worshipped in accordance with prescription, were
furnished with auspicious marks, and were of excellent virtues and
possessed of auspiciousness. As long as the sun did not rise, all these
people remained expecting the presence of the king; but then they were
alarmed as to what had occurred.
Those ladies that were beside the bed of the lord of Kocala, were
consoling their husband. And engaged in tending the monarch with mild
and pliant words, those females knowing the condition of sleep, feeling
him as he lay in his bed, did not perceive any action in the ever-moving
pulse. Thereupon apprehensive for the king's life, they began to tremble
like a blade of grass on a torrent. Filled with doubts at sight of the
king, the ladies at last concluded that what had been apprehended (by
the monarch) had certainly taken place. Overcome by grief for their
sons, Sumitra and Kaucalya were sleeping as if they were dead, and had
not yet awaked. Deprived of lustre, pallid, stricken by sorrow, and
lying with her limbs contracted, Kaucalya looked like a star enveloped
in darkness. And after Kaucalya, the king, and after him, Sumitra; and
with her countenance faded from grief, this noble lady did not look
particularly lovely. Finding these two ladies asleep and the king
seeming as if sleeping, the inmates of the inner apartment showed
themselves as if their lives had departed out of them. Thereupon
exceedingly distressed, those paragons of their sex, like she-elephants
in the forest deprived of their leader of the herd, broke out into
wailing. At the sounds of their lamentations, bpth Kaucalya and Sumitra
suddenly regaining consciousness, awoke from their sleep. And Kaucalya
and Sumitra looking at the king and feeling him, felt down to the earth,
exclaiming, "Ah lord." As the daughter of Kocala's lord rolled on the
ground, she covered with dust did not appear in all her loveliness, like
a star fallen from the sky to the earth below. And when the king had
departed this life, the women saw Kaucalya fallen on the earth like the
slain mate of an elephant. Then all the wives of the monarch headed by
Kaikeyi, burning with grief and weeping, were well nigh rendered
senseless. And the loud sounds emitted by these, mingling with those
(who had been lamenting before them), attained greater proportions and
filled the hall. And the mansion of the king became filled with people
exceedingly excited and frightened, eager to know all about the
matter,--became filled with lamentations, with friends afflicted with
distress, its joy instantaneously vanished--a scene of distress and
dole. Knowing that the lord of earth had departed, his wives surrounding
that illustrious one, smitten with excess of sorrow and weeping bitterly
and piteously, holding the king's hands indulged in lamentations, like
forlorn ones.