“Sanjaya said, ‘When that terrible day, so fraught with the slaughter of
creatures, departed, and when the sun set, the beautiful twilight of the
evening spread itself. The troops, O bull of Bharata’s race, of both
parties, had retired to their tents. Then the ape-bannered Jishnu, having
slain a large number of Samsaptakas by means of his celestial weapons,
proceeded towards his tent, mounted on that victorious car of his. And as
he was proceeding, he asked Govinda, with voice choked with tears, “Why
is my heart afraid, O Kesava, and why both my speech falter? Evil omens
encounter me, and my limbs are weak. Thoughts of disaster possess my mind
without living it. On earth, on all sides, various omens strike me with
fear. Of many kinds are those omens and indications, and seen everywhere,
foreboding dire calamity. Is it all right with my venerable superior,
viz., the king with all his friends?”
“‘Vasudeva said, “It is evident that everything is right with thy brother
and his friends. Do not grieve, some trifling evil in another direction
will happen.”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘Then those two heroes (viz., Krishna and Arjuna),
having adored the Twilight,[125] mounted on their car and proceeded,
talking of the day’s battle so destructive of heroes. Having achieved
feats exceedingly difficult of accomplishment, Vasudeva and Arjuna, at
last, reached the (Pandava) encampment. Then that slayer of hostile
heroes, viz., Vibhatsu, beholding the camp joyless and melancholy and
everything to be in confusion, addressed Krishna with an agonised heart,
and said, “O Janardana, no auspicious trumpet blows today, its blasts
mingled with the beat of drums and the loud blare of conchs. The sweet
Vina also is nowhere played upon in accompaniment with slapping of
palms.[126] Auspicious and delightful songs fraught with praise are
nowhere recited or sung by our bards amongst the troops. The warriors
also, all recede hanging down their heads. They do not tell me beholding
me, as before, of the feats achieved by them. O Madhava, is it all right
with my brothers today? Beholding our own men plunged in grief, I know no
peace. Is it all right, O giver of honours, with the ruler of the
Panchalas, or Virata, or all our warriors, O thou of unfading glory?
Alas, Subhadra’s son, ever cheerful, doth not today, with his brothers,
come out with smiles to receive me returning from battle.”’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Thus conversing, those two, (viz., Krishna and Arjuna),
entered their own camp. And they saw that the Pandavas, all cheerless,
were sitting, plunged in great grief. Beholding his brothers and sons,
the ape-bannered Arjuna became very cheerless. Not seeing the son of
Subhadra there, Arjuna said, “Pale is the colour I behold of the faces of
you all. I do not, again, see Abhimanyu. Nor doth he come to congratulate
me. I heard that Drona had today formed the circular array. None amongst
you, save the boy Abhimanyu, could break that array. I, however, did not
teach him how to come out of that array, after having pierced it. Did you
cause the boy to enter that array? Hath that slayer of heroes, viz., the
son of Subhadra, that mighty bowman, having pierced that array, through
numberless warriors of the enemy in battle, fallen, at last in the fight?
Oh, tell me, how that hero of mighty arms and red eyes, born (in our
line) like a lion on the mountain breast, and equal unto the younger
brother of Indra himself, hath fallen on the field of battle? What
warrior, deprived on his senses by Death ventured to slay that dear son
of Subhadra, that favourite of Draupadi and Kesava, that child ever loved
by Kunti? Equal unto the high-souled Vrishni hero, Kesava, himself in
prowess and learning and dignity, how hath he been slain on the field of
battle? The favourite son of that daughter of the Vrishni race, always
cherished by me, alas, if I do not see him I will repair to the abode of
Yama. With locks ending in soft curls, of tender years, with eyes like
those of a young gazelle, with tread like that of an infuriated elephant,
tall like a Sala offshoot, of sweet speech accompanied with smiles,
quiet, ever obedient to the behest of his superiors, acting like one of
mature years though tender in age, of agreeable speech, reft of vanity,
of great courage and great energy, of large eyes resembling lotus-petals,
kind to those devoted to him, self-restrained, following nothing mean,
grateful, possessed of knowledge, accomplished in weapons, unretreating
from battle, always delighting in fight, and enhancing the fears of foes,
engaged in the welfare of kinsmen, desirous of victory into sires, never
striking first, perfectly fearless in battle, alas, if I do not behold
that son, I will repair to the abode of Yama. In the counting of
car-warriors always reckoned as a Maharatha, superior to me one and a
half times, of tender years, of mighty arms, even dear to Pradyumna and
Kesava and myself, alas, if I do not behold that son I will repair to the
abode of Yama. Of beautiful nose, of beautiful forehead, of fair eyes and
eyebrows and lips, if I do not behold that face, what peace can my heart
have? Melodious as the voice of the male Kokila, delightful, and sweet as
the warblings of the Vina, without listening to his voice, what peace can
my heart have? His beauty was unrivalled, rare even among the celestials.
Without casting my eyes on that form, what peace can my heart have?
Accomplished in saluting (his superiors) with reverence, and always
obedient to the behests of his sires, alas, if I do not behold him, what
peace can my heart have? Brave in battle, accustomed to every luxury,
deserving of the softest bed, alas, he sleepeth today on the bare earth,
as if there is none to take care of him, although he is foremost of those
that have protectors to look after them. He on whom, while on his bed,
the foremost of beautiful women used to attend, alas, he mangled with
shafts, will have inauspicious jackals, prowling over the field, to
attend upon him today. He who was formerly roused from his slumbers by
singers and bards and panegyrists, alas, he will today be surely awakened
by discordant beasts of prey. That beautiful face of his eminently
deserved to be shaded by the umbrella, alas, the dust of battle-field
will surely befoul today. O child, unfortunate that I am, death forcibly
takes thee away from me, who was never satiated with looking at thee.
Without doubt, that abode of Yama, which is always the goal of persons of
righteous deeds, that delightful mansion, illuminated today by thy own
splendours, is rendered exceedingly beautiful by thee. Without doubt,
Yama and Varuna and Satakratu and Kuvera, obtaining thee as a favourite
guest, are making much of thy heroic self.” Thus indulging in diverse
lamentations, like a merchant whose vessel has been sunken, Arjuna,
afflicted with great grief, asked Yudhishthira, saying, “O, thou of
Kuru’s race, hath he ascended to heaven, having caused a great slaughter
among the enemy and contended with the foremost warriors in the face of
battle? Without doubt, while contending single-handed with foremost of
warriors, countless in number, and fighting with vigour and resolution,
his heart turned towards me from a desire of help. While afflicted by
Karna and Drona and Kripa and others with sharp shafts of diverse kinds
and bright points, my son of little strength, must have repeatedly
thought, ‘My father will in this press be my rescuer.’ I think, while
indulging in such lamentations, he was felled on the ground by cruel
warriors. Or, perhaps, when he was begotten by me, when he was the nephew
of Madhva, when he was born in Subhadra he could not have uttered such
lamentations. Without doubt, my heart, hard as it is, is made of the
essence of the thunder, since it breaketh not, even though I do not
behold that mighty-armed hero of red eyes. How could those mighty bowmen
of cruel hearts shoot their deep-piercing shafts upon that child of
tender years, who, again, was my son and the nephew of Vasudeva? That
noble-hearted youth who, coming forward every day, used to congratulate
me, alas, why doth he not present himself today to me when I come back
having slain the foe? Without doubt, overthrown, he lieth today on the
bare earth bathed in blood. Beautifying the earth by his body, he lieth
like the sun fallen (from the firmament). I grieve for Subhadra, who,
hearing of the death in battle of her unretreating son, will, afflicted
with sorrow, cast away her life. What will Subhadra missing Abhimanyu,
say unto me? What also will Draupadi say unto me? Afflicted with grief as
they are, what also shall I say unto them? Without doubt, my heart is
made of the essence of the thunder, since it breaketh not in a thousand
fragments at the sight of my weeping daughter-in-law, pierced with grief.
The leonine shouts of the Dhritarashtras swelling with pride did, indeed,
enter my ears.” Krishna also heard Yuyutsu, censuring the heroes (of the
Dhritarashtra army in these words): “Ye mighty car-warriors, having been
unable to vanquish Vibhatsu, and having slain only a child, why do ye
rejoice? Why, having done what is disagreeable to those two, viz., Kesava
and Arjuna, in battle, why do you in joy roar like lions, when truly the
hour for sorrow is come? The fruits of this sinful deed of yours will
soon overtake you. Heinous is the crime perpetrated by you. How long will
it not bear its fruits?” Rebuking them in these words, the high-souled
son of Dhritarashtra by his Vaisya wife, went away, casting off his
weapons afflicted with rage and grief. “O Krishna, why did you not tell me
all this during the battle? I would then have consumed all those
car-warriors of cruel hearts.”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘Then Vasudeva, consoling Partha who was afflicted
with grief on account of his son, who was exceedingly anxious, whose eyes
were bathed in tears, and who was, in fact, overwhelmed with this sorrow
caused by the slaughter of his child, said unto him, “Do not yield so to
grief. This is the way of all brave, unretreating heroes, especially of
Kshatriyas, whose profession is battle. O foremost of intelligent men,
even this is the goal ordained by the authors of our scriptures for
unretreating heroes engaged in battle. Death is certain for heroes that
do not retreat. There is no doubt that Abhimanyu hath ascended to those
regions that are reserved for persons of righteous acts. O bull of
Bharata’s race, even this is coveted by all that are brave, viz., that
they may die in battle, facing their foes. As regards Abhimanyu, he
having slain in battle many heroic and mighty princes, hath met with that
death in the face of battle which is coveted by heroes. Do not grieve, O
tiger among men. The legislators of old have declared this to be the
eternal merit of the Kshatriyas, viz., their death in battle. O best of
the Bharatas, these brothers of thine are all exceedingly cheerless, as
also the king, and these thy friends, seeing thee plunged in grief. O
giver of honours, comfort them in consoling words. That which should be
is known to thee. It behoveth thee not to grieve.” Thus comforted by
Krishna of wonderful deeds, Partha then said these words unto all his
brothers, with voice choked with sorrow: “O lord of the earth, I desire
to hear how the mighty-armed Abhimanyu, how that hero of large eyes,
resembling lotus-petals, fought. Ye will see that I will exterminate the
foe with his elephants and cars and steeds, I will exterminate in battle
those slayers of my son with all their followers and kinsmen. Ye all are
accomplished in arms. Ye all were armed with weapons, how then could
Subhadra’s son be slain, even if it were the wielder of the thunder-bolt
himself with whom he fought? Alas, if I had known that Pandavas and the
Panchalas would be able to protect my son in battle, I myself would have
then protected him. Ye were then on your cars, ye were shooting your
shafts. Alas, how then could Abhimanyu be slain by the foe, causing a
great carnage in your ranks? Alas, ye have no manliness, nor have ye any
prowess, since in the very sight of you all was Abhimanyu slain. Or, I
should chide my own self, since knowing that ye all are weak, cowardly,
and irresolute, I went away! Alas, are your coats of mail and weapons of
all kinds only ornaments for decking your persons, and were words given
to you only for speaking in assemblies, that ye failed to protect my son
(even though ye were clad in mail, armed from head to foot, and even
though you had assured me in words of your competence)?”--Having said
these words, Partha sat down, holding bow and his excellent sword.
Indeed, none could, at that time, even look at Vibhatsu who then
resembled the Destroyer himself in wrath, repeatedly drawing deep
breaths. None of his friends or kinsmen could venture to look at or speak
unto Arjuna, as he sat there exceedingly afflicted with grief on account
of his son, and with face bathed in tears. None, indeed could address
him, save Vasudeva or Yudhishthira. These two, under all circumstances,
were acceptable to Arjuna. And because they were highly reverenced and
dearly loved, therefore, could they alone address him at such times. Then
king Yudhishthira addressing Partha, of eyes like lotus-petals, who was
then filled with rage and exceedingly afflicted with grief on account of
the death of his son, said these words.’”