09.028
Core and Pancharatra: Informing Sanjaya, Duryodhana enters the lake. Only three chariots, that of Kripa, Krtavarma and Ashwatthama are left, who flee after seeing Pandavas. Yuyutsu takes permission from Yudhishthira and Bhima, and returns.
Sanjaya said:
Then, in a fit of rage, the followers of Saubala, having given up their lives, surrounded the Pandavas in lamentation, O great king.
Arjuna accepted them as part of Sahadeva's victory. Bhimasena, with his radiant and fierce appearance, looked like an angry serpent.
Arjuna, wielding the Gandiva bow, thwarted the intentions of those who sought to kill Sahadeva with their weapons of power, spears, and javelins.
Arjuna, known as Bibhatsu, severed the arms of the warriors who were rushing with weapons, and also cut off the heads and horses with his arrows.
They were slain and fell lifeless to the earth, swiftly struck down by Arjuna, the hero of the world.
Then King Duryodhana, upon witnessing the decimation of his forces, gathered the remaining warriors, filled with rage, and commanded hundreds of chariots, O lord.
O chastiser of the foes, Dhritarashtra's sons addressed all the assembled elephants, horses, and foot soldiers with these words.
After confronting all the Pandavas and their allies in battle, and slaying the son of Panchala along with his forces, he swiftly returned.
Upon accepting your words with respect, those arrogant in battle advanced against the sons of Pritha in the battlefield, following the command of your son.
The Pandavas swiftly attacked the approaching remnants in the great battle, showering them with serpent-like arrows.
O best of the Bharatas, that army was swiftly destroyed by the great souls; upon reaching the battlefield, they found no protector. In fear, they stood but did not remain, as if bitten.
In the battle, the dust raised by the army and the horses running around enveloped everything, making it impossible to recognize the directions and sub-directions.
Then, many people emerged from the Pandava army and attacked your men in battle, as if in an instant, O Bharata. Consequently, your entire army was annihilated, O Bharata.
O Bharata, eleven divisions of your son's army were assembled but were killed in battle by the Pandavas and Srinjayas, O lord.
Among the thousands of kings and your great warriors, only Duryodhana was seen severely wounded, O king.
Then, observing all directions and the earth as empty, devoid of all warriors, and seeing the Pandavas in the battlefield.
The great souls, joyful and accomplished, roared all around upon hearing the noise of the arrows.
Duryodhana, the great king, overwhelmed by confusion, decided to retreat, having lost his strength and chariot.
Dhritarashtra said:
Sanjaya, as you are skilled, tell me what strength of the Pandavas was left when my army was completely destroyed and the camp was annihilated.
Duryodhana, my foolish son, acted in such a way; seeing the loss of strength, he stood as the sole king of the earth.
Sanjaya said:
There are two thousand chariots, seven hundred elephants, five thousand horses, and hundreds of infantry.
This was the remaining great strength of the Pandavas, O king. Dhrishtadyumna was indeed positioned in battle having gathered it.
Alone, O best of the Bharatas, King Duryodhana then found himself without any allies in the battle, despite being the best among the charioteers.
Roaring and witnessing the destruction of his own forces, he abandoned his slain horse and fled eastward in fear.
Duryodhana's son, the commander of the eleven divisions, armed with a mace, courageously advanced towards the lake.
The king, not having gone too far on foot, remembered the wise and virtuous words of the minister.
Vidura, the wise one, foresaw a great calamity for us and the Kshatriyas in battle.
The king, deeply pondering and desiring to enter the lake, was afflicted by sorrow upon witnessing the loss of strength, O king.
The Pandavas, led by Dhrishtadyumna, charged angrily towards your army, O great king.
Arjuna, wielding the Gandiva bow, thwarted the intentions of the roaring forces armed with spears and javelins, rendering their efforts futile.
Arjuna, having slain them with his sharp arrows, along with their ministers and relatives, stood on his chariot drawn by white horses, shining brilliantly.
When Subala's son was killed, along with horses, chariots, and elephants, your army was devastated like a great forest that has been cut down.
In Duryodhana's army, which numbered in the many hundreds of thousands, no other great warrior was seen alive, O king.
O King, except for Drona's son, the hero, Kritavarma, Kripa, Gautama, the prince, and your sons were all involved.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, upon seeing me, smiled and said to Sātyaki: "What is the point of keeping this one alive?"
Upon hearing Dhṛṣṭadyumna's words, the great warrior, grandson of Śini, lifted his sharp sword, ready to strike me.
Upon arriving, the wise sage Krishna Dvaipayana instructed that Sanjaya should be released unharmed and must not be killed under any circumstances.
Upon hearing Vyasa's words, Shini's grandson, with folded hands, then addressed me, saying, 'Farewell, Sanjaya, accomplish your task.'
I was permitted by him to leave, having laid down my arms and unarmed, I set out for the city in the evening, stained with blood.
I saw Duryodhana, standing a short distance away with a mace in his hand, severely wounded, O king.
But he, with eyes full of tears, could not bear to look at me. Seeing me in such a miserable state, he glanced away.
Seeing him lamenting alone in the battle, I too was overwhelmed with sorrow and could not speak for a moment.
Then I told him everything about the acceptance at that time. By the grace of Dvaipayana, he attained liberation in battle while still alive.
After meditating for a moment and regaining his consciousness, he inquired about his brothers and all the armies from me.
I narrated to him everything I witnessed: all the brothers were slain and the entire army was annihilated.
Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana said to me at the time of departure, "O king, indeed three chariots of yours remain."
He sighed deeply, looked around repeatedly, and then, touching me on the shoulder with his hand, your son spoke.
Sanjaya, there is no one else like you who survives in this battle. I do not see anyone else here with allies like the Pandavas.
Sanjaya, you should inform the wise king that your son Duryodhana has entered the lake.
Deprived of friends, sons, and brothers like those, and with the kingdom seized by the Pandavas, who indeed can live a life like mine?
You should recount everything about me being released from the great battle, found here in this lake, asleep yet alive, and severely wounded.
Having spoken thus, the king entered the lake and, by his mystical powers, stopped the water, O great king.
In that lake, I saw three chariots with tired horses, all together, having arrived at that place.
Kṛpa, the valiant son of Śaradvat, along with Drauṇi, the foremost among charioteers, and Bhoja and Kṛtavarmā, were all together wounded by arrows.
All of them, upon seeing me, quickly spurred their horses and approached me, saying, "It's a relief to see you alive, Sanjaya."
All of them asked me, 'Does your son, King Duryodhana, still live, O Sanjaya?'
I informed them about the king's well-being at that time. I also recounted everything that Duryodhana had told me, including the details about the lake that the king had entered.
Ashwatthama, upon hearing my words, O king, looked at the vast lake and lamented with deep sorrow.
"Alas, the king does not know that we are alive. We are indeed sufficient to fight against the enemies together with him."
The great warriors, after lamenting for a long time there, fled upon seeing the sons of Pandu in battle, despite being the best among charioteers.
They placed me on Kṛpa's beautifully adorned chariot and went to the army camp, with only three chariots left after the battle.
There, as the sun set, the terrified troops cried out upon hearing of the destruction of your sons.
Then, O great king, the elders, accompanied by the royal ladies, set out towards the city to ensure the protection of the women.
There arose a great sound everywhere from those crying and weeping, upon hearing the diminution of their strength.
Then those women, O king, cried out repeatedly, their voices echoing like the calls of curlews, filling the earth with sound.
They struck their heads with their nails and hands, and then tore their hair, crying out here and there in distress.
The women, in great distress, were making loud noises and beating their chests. They cried and lamented there, O lord of men.
Then, with throats choked with tears and greatly distressed, Duryodhana's ministers took the king's wives and departed towards the city.
The gatekeepers, holding sticks and clubs, quickly took the clean and excellent bedding with coverings and went to the city to protect the women, O lord of the people.
Other people mounted on mules yoked to chariots, took their wives along and proceeded towards the city.
O great king, the people saw the women, who were never seen before even by the sun in the houses, as they were proceeding towards the city.
The delicate women, grieving the loss of their kin, swiftly made their way to the city, O esteemed Bharata.
The people, confused and terrified by Bhimasena, ran towards the city, seeking refuge with the cowherds and shepherds.
An intense fear gripped them due to the sons of Pritha, and in terror, they looked at each other and fled towards the city.
In the midst of that terrible rout, Yuyutsu, overwhelmed with grief, contemplated the time that had come.
Duryodhana was defeated in the battle by the Pandavas, led by the valiant Bhima. His eleven division commanders and brothers were killed. All the Kuru warriors, including Bhishma and Drona, were slain.
I alone have been liberated by fortune and chance, while all the camps have been scattered everywhere.
The remaining ministers of Duryodhana, taking the royal women with them, fled towards the city.
I believe it is the right time to enter with them, O lord, after having obtained permission from Yudhishthira and Bhimasena.
The mighty-armed warrior informed both parties of this purpose. The king, who was always compassionate, was pleased with him. After embracing, the mighty-armed warrior sent off the merchant's son.
Then he mounted the chariot and quickly drove the horses, unexpectedly taking the royal women towards the city.
Accompanied by them, he quickly went to Hastinapura as the sun set, with a choked throat and tearful eyes.
He saw the wise Vidura, with tears in his eyes, leaving the king's presence, his mind troubled by sorrow.
Satyadhriti addressed him, who was bowed and standing before him, saying: "In this battle of Kurukshetra that has taken place, it is fortunate that you, my son, are alive."
"Why have you come here without the king's permission? Please explain everything to me in detail."
"Desirous of fighting, he said:"
O father, after Shakuni and his relatives, sons, and friends were killed, and with his remaining followers gone, King Duryodhana, abandoning his horse, fled eastward in fear.
When the king left the military camp, everyone, overwhelmed with fear, fled towards the city.
Then, the king's wives and his brothers' wives, along with the women guards, mounted the vehicles and fled in fear.
Then I, along with Keshava, took leave of the king and entered Hastinapura, ensuring protection from any criticism by the people.
Upon hearing the words spoken by the merchant's son, Vidura, who understood it was the right moment and was knowledgeable in all duties, honored Yuyutsu, who was known for his immeasurable soul and expertise in speech.
The time has come for everything to conclude with the end of the Bharata dynasty. Today, you have rested here; tomorrow, you will go to meet Yudhishthira.
After speaking thus, Vidura, who knew all dharmas, allowed Yuyutsu and entered the abode of kings. Yuyutsu also spent that night in his own house.
