“Sanjaya said, ‘After the slaughter of that hero, that leader of
car-divisions, viz., the son of Subhadra, the Pandava warriors, leaving
their cars and putting off their armour, and throwing aside their bows,
sat, surrounding king Yudhishthira. And they were brooding over that
grief of theirs, their hearts fixed upon the (deceased) Abhimanyu.
Indeed, upon the fall of that heroic nephew of his, viz., the mighty
car-warrior Abhimanyu, king Yudhishthira, overwhelmed with grief,
indulged in (these) lamentations: “Alas, Abhimanyu, from desire of
achieving my good, pierced the array formed by Drona and teeming with his
soldiers. Encountering him in battle, mighty bowmen endued with great
courage, accomplished in weapons and incapable of being easily defeated
in battle, were routed and forced to retreat. Encountering our implacable
foe Duhsasana in battle, he with his arrows, caused that warrior to fly
away from the field, deprived of his senses. Alas, the heroic son of
Arjuna, having crossed the vast sea of Drona’s army, was ultimately
obliged to become a guest of Yama’s abode, upon encountering the son of
Duhsasana. When Abhimanyu is slain, how shall I cast my eyes on Arjuna
and also the blessed Subhadra deprived of her favourite son? What
senseless, disjointed, and improper words shall we have to say today unto
Hrishikesa and Dhananjaya! Desirous of achieving what is good, and
expectant of victory, it is I who have done this great evil unto Subhadra
and Kesava and Arjuna. He that is covetous never beholdeth his faults.
Covetousness spring from folly. Collectors of honey see not the fall that
is before them; I am even like them. He who was only a child, he who
should have been provided with (good) food, with vehicles, with beds,
with ornaments, alas, even he was placed by us in the van of battle. How
could good come to a child of tender years, unskilled in battle, in such
a situation of great danger. Like a horse of proud mettle, he sacrificed
himself instead of refusing to do the bidding of his master. Alas, we
also shall today lay ourselves down on the bare earth, blasted by the
glances of grief, cast by Arjuna filled with wrath. Dhananjaya, liberal,
intelligent, modest, forgiving, handsome, mighty, possessed of
well-developed and beautiful limbs, respectful to superiors, heroic,
beloved, and devoted to truth, of glorious achievements, the very gods
applaud his feats. That valiant hero slew the Nivatakavachas and the
Kalakeyas, those enemies of Indra having their abode in Hiranyapura. In
the twinkling of an eye he slew the Paulomas with all their followers.
Endued with great might, he granteth quarter to implacable enemies asking
for quarter. Alas, we could not protect today the son of even such a
person from danger. A great fear hath overtaken the Dhartarashtras endued
though they might be with great strength![81] Enraged at the slaughter of
his son, Partha will exterminate the Kauravas. It is evident also that
the mean-minded Duryodhana having mean counsellors, that destroyer of his
own race and partisans, beholding this extermination of the Kaurava army,
will give up his life in grief. Beholding this son of Indra’s son, of
unrivalled energy and prowess, on the field of battle, neither victory,
nor sovereignty, nor immortality, nor abode with the very celestials,
causeth me the least delight!”’”