11.010
Pancharatra-Ext and Core: Kripa, Ashwatthama and Kritaverma meet Dhritarashtra and Gandhari on their way, inform about the massacre, and they depart fearing the Pandavas, each parting ways.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
krośamātraṃ tato gatvā dadṛśus tān mahārathān। śāradvataṃ kṛpaṃ drauṇiṃ kṛtavarmāṇam eva ca ॥11-10-1॥
After traveling about a krosha from there, they saw the great chariot-warriors: Kripa, the son of Śaradvat; Ashvatthama, the son of Drona; and Kritavarma.
te tu dṛṣṭvaiva rājānaṃ prajñācakṣuṣam īśvaram। aśrukaṇṭhā viniḥśvasya rudantam idam abruvan ॥11-10-2॥
But when they saw the king, the lord endowed with the eye of wisdom, their throats choked with tears; sighing deeply and weeping, they said this.
putras tava mahārāja kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram। gataḥ sānucaro rājañ chakralokaṃ mahīpatiḥ ॥11-10-3॥
O great king, your son, after accomplishing a most difficult task, has departed with his followers to Indra's realm.
duryodhanabalānmuktā vayam eva trayo rathāḥ। sarvam anyat parikṣīṇaṃ sainyaṃ te bharatarṣabha ॥11-10-4॥
O best of the Bharatas, only we three chariot-warriors have escaped from Duryodhana's force; all the rest of your army has been destroyed.
ityevamuktvā rājānaṃ kṛpaḥ śāradvatas tadā। gāndhārīṃ putraśokārtām idaṃ vacanam abravīt ॥11-10-5॥
Having thus addressed the king, Kṛpa, the son of Śaradvat, then spoke these words to Gāndhārī, who was overwhelmed with grief for her son.
abhītā yudhyamānās te ghnantaḥ śatrugaṇān bahūn। vīrakarmāṇi kurvāṇāḥ putrās te nidhanaṃ gatāḥ ॥11-10-6॥
Your sons, fearless and fighting, slew many hosts of enemies and, performing heroic deeds, met their death.
dhruvaṃ samprāpya lokāṃs te nirmalāñ śastranirjitān। bhāsvaraṃ deham āsthāya viharanti amarā iva ॥11-10-7॥
Having reached the eternal, pure worlds won by valor, they move about in radiant bodies, like the immortals.
na hi kaścid dhi śūrāṇāṃ yudhyamānaḥ parāṅmukhaḥ। śastreṇa nidhanaṃ prāpto na ca kaścit kṛtāñjaliḥ॥11-10-8॥
Indeed, none of the heroes who fought and turned away from battle has ever met death by weapon, nor has anyone with folded hands (in supplication) done so.
etāṃ tāṃ kṣatriyasyāhuḥ purāṇāṃ paramāṃ gatim। śastreṇa nidhanaṃ saṅkhye tān na śocitum arhasi ॥11-10-9॥
This is said to be the ancient and supreme path of a kṣatriya: death in battle by weapons. You ought not to grieve for them.
na cāpi śatravasteṣāmṛdhyante rājñi pāṇḍavāḥ। śṛṇu yatkṛtamasmābhiraśvatthāmapurogamaiḥ ॥11-10-10॥
O queen, the Pāṇḍavas, who are their enemies, do not prosper. Listen to what we have done with Aśvatthāma as our leader.
adharmeṇa hataṃ śrutvā bhīmasenena te sutam। suptaṃ śibiram āviśya pāṇḍūnāṃ kadanaṃ kṛtam ॥11-10-11॥
Hearing that your son was killed unrighteously by Bhimasena, he entered the camp at night while they slept and carried out the massacre of the Pandavas.
pāñcālā nihatāḥ sarve dhṛṣṭadyumnapurogamāḥ। drupadasyātmajāścaiva draupadeyāśca pātitāḥ ॥11-10-12॥
All the Pāñcālas, led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, have been slain; the sons of Drupada and the sons of Draupadī too have fallen.
tathā viśasanaṃ kṛtvā putraśatrugaṇasya te। prādravāma raṇe sthātuṃ na hi śakyāmahe trayaḥ॥11-10-13॥
Thus, after slaying the host of your son's enemies, the three of us were unable to stand our ground in battle and fled.
te hi śūrā maheṣvāsāḥ kṣiprameṣyanti pāṇḍavāḥ। amarṣavaśamāpannā vairaṃ pratijihīrṣavaḥ ॥11-10-14॥
Indeed, those heroic and mighty-armed Pāṇḍavas, overcome by anger and eager to retaliate the enmity, will soon arrive.
nihatān-ātmajān-śrutvā pramattān-puruṣarṣabhāḥ। ninīṣantaḥ padaṃ śūrāḥ kṣipram-eva yaśasvini ॥11-10-15॥
O illustrious one, when the heroes, the foremost among men, heard that their sons had been slain due to carelessness, they quickly resolved to go to the place.
pāṇḍūnāṃ kilbiṣaṃ kṛtvā saṃsthātuṃ notsahāmahe. anujānīhi no rājñi mā ca śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ ॥11-10-16॥
We are unable to stay here after committing a sin against the Pāṇḍavas. Please allow us to go, O queen, and do not let your mind be troubled by grief.
rājamstvamanujānīhi dhairyamātiṣṭha cottamam। niṣṭhāntaṃ paśya cāpi tvaṃ kṣatradharmaṃ ca kevalam ॥11-10-17॥
O king, permit it and hold on to supreme courage. Also, see that your final duty is only the duty of a warrior.
ityevamuktvā rājānaṃ kṛtvā cābhipradakṣiṇam| kṛpaś ca kṛtavarmā ca droṇaputraś ca bhārata ॥11-10-18॥
O Bhārata, after saying this to the king and circumambulating him, Kṛpa, Kṛtavarmā, and the son of Droṇa acted accordingly.
avekṣamāṇā rājānaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ manīṣiṇam। gaṅgāmanu mahātmānastūrṇamaśvānacodayan ॥11-10-19॥
Looking at King Dhritarashtra, the wise one, the great souls quickly urged their horses after the Ganga.
apakramya tu te rājan sarva eva mahārathāḥ। āmantryānyonyam udvignās tridha te prayayus tataḥ॥11-10-20॥
But having withdrawn, O king, all those great chariot-warriors, after addressing each other in distress, departed in three groups.
jagāma hāstinapuraṃ kṛpaḥ śāradvatastadā। svameva rāṣṭraṃ hārdikyo drauṇirvyāsāśramaṃ yayau ॥11-10-21॥
At that time, Kṛpa, the son of Śaradvat, went to Hastinapura; Hārdikya returned to his own kingdom; and Drauṇi went to the hermitage of Vyāsa.
evaṃ te prayayur vīrā vīkṣamāṇāḥ parasparam | bhayārtāḥ pāṇḍu-putrāṇām āgas kṛtvā mahātmanām ||11-10-22||
Thus, the heroes departed, glancing at each other in fear, having wronged the noble sons of Pandu.
sametya vīrā rājānaṃ tadā tvanudite ravau। viprajagmurmahārāja yathecchakamariṃdamāḥ ॥11-10-23॥
O great king, when the sun had not yet risen, the heroes gathered before the king and then departed as they pleased, O subduer of enemies.
