11.015
Core and Pancharatra: Pandavas, Kunti, Draupadi, Gandhari, and Dhritarashta reconcile and mourn their dear ones.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
evam-uktvā tu gāndhārī yudhiṣṭhiram-apṛcchata। kva sa rājeti sakrodhā putrapautravadhārditā ॥11-15-1॥
Having spoken thus, Gāndhārī, afflicted by the slaughter of her sons and grandsons, angrily asked Yudhiṣṭhira: "Where is that king?"
tām abhyagacchad rājendraḥ vepamānaḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ। yudhiṣṭhira idaṃ ca enām madhuraṃ vākyam abravīt ॥11-15-2॥
Trembling and with joined palms, King Yudhishthira approached her and addressed her with these sweet words.
putra-hantā nṛśaṁso'ham tava devi yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। śāpārhaḥ pṛthivī-nāśe hetu-bhūtaḥ śapasva mām ॥11-15-3॥
O goddess, I, Yudhiṣṭhira, your son, am a cruel slayer of sons, deserving of a curse, having become the cause of the earth's destruction; therefore, curse me.
na hi me jīvitena arthaḥ na rājyena dhanena vā। tādṛśān suhṛdaḥ hatvā mūḍhasya asya suhṛd-druhaḥ ॥11-15-4॥
Truly, I have no desire for life, kingdom, or wealth; for, having slain such friends for the sake of this deluded enemy of friends, I find no purpose in them.
tam evaṃ-vādinam bhītam saṃnikarṣa-gatam tadā। na uvāca kiñcid gāndhārī niḥśvāsa-paramā bhṛśam ॥11-15-5॥
Then Gandhari, deeply sighing, did not say anything to him, though he was frightened, had come near, and was speaking thus.
tasyāvanatadehasya pādayor nipatiṣyataḥ। yudhiṣṭhirasya nṛpater dharmajñā dharmadarśinī ॥ aṅgulyagrāṇi dadṛśe devī paṭṭāntareṇa sā ॥11-15-6॥
As he, with his body bent, was falling at the feet of King Yudhishthira, the knower and perceiver of dharma, the goddess saw the tips of his fingers through the edge of the cloth.
tataḥ sa kunakībhūto darśanīyanakho nṛpaḥ। taṃ dṛṣṭvā cārjuno'gacchadvāsudevasya pṛṣṭhataḥ ॥11-15-7॥
Then, the king, whose nails had become deformed and who was worthy of being seen, was seen by Arjuna, who then went behind Vāsudeva.
evaṃ sañceṣṭamānāṃs tān itaś cetaś ca bhārata। gāndhārī vigatakrodhā sāntvayāmāsa mātṛvat ॥11-15-8॥
O Bhārata, seeing them moving about here and there in such a manner, Gāndhārī, her anger gone, consoled them as a mother would.
tayā te samanujñātā mātaraṃ vīramātaram। abhyagacchanta sahitāḥ pṛthāṃ pṛthulavakṣasaḥ ॥11-15-9॥
Having been permitted by her, the broad-chested ones together approached their mother, Pṛthā, the mother of heroes.
cirasya dṛṣṭvā putrānsā putrādhibhirabhiplutā। bāṣpamāhārayaddevī vastreṇāvṛtya vai mukham ॥11-15-10॥
After a long time, upon seeing her sons, she, overwhelmed with grief for them, covered her face with a cloth and shed tears.
tato bāṣpaṃ samutsṛjya saha putraistathā pṛthā। apaśyadetāñśastraughairbahudhā parivikṣatān ॥11-15-11॥
Then, after shedding tears together with her sons, Kuntī saw her sons wounded in many ways by showers of weapons.
sā tān ekaikaśaḥ putrān saṃspṛśantī punaḥ punaḥ। anvaśocanta duḥkhārtā draupadīṃ ca hatātmajām॥ rudatīm atha pāñcālīṃ dadarśa patitāṃ bhuvi॥11-15-12॥
She touched her sons one by one, again and again, lamenting in her grief. Draupadī, whose sons had been slain, was weeping; then she saw Pāñcālī fallen on the ground.
draupadyuvāca॥
Draupadī said:
ārye pautrāḥ kva te sarve saubhadra-sahitā gatāḥ। na tvāṃ te'dyābhigacchanti ciradṛṣṭāṃ tapasvinīm॥ kiṃ nu rājyena vai kāryaṃ vihīnāyāḥ sutair mama॥11-15-13॥
O noble lady, where have all your grandsons, including Saubhadra, gone? Today, they do not come to you, who have long been unseen and are devoted to austerity. What use is the kingdom to me, now that I am bereft of my sons?
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
tāṃ samāśvāsayāmāsa pṛthā pṛthulalocanā। utthāpya yājñasenīṃ tu rudatīṃ śokakarśitām ॥11-15-14॥
Pṛthā, the large-eyed, comforted her. She raised Yājñasenī, who was weeping and emaciated by grief.
tayāiva sahitā cāpi putrair anugatā pṛthā। abhyagacchata gāndhārīm ārtām ārtatarā svayam ॥11-15-15॥
Pṛthā, accompanied and followed by her sons, herself even more afflicted, approached Gāndhārī who was in deep distress.
tām uvācātha gāndhārī saha vadhvā yaśasvinīm। maivaṃ putrīti śokārtā paśya mām api duḥkhitām ॥11-15-16॥
Then Gandhari, together with the illustrious bride, said to her: "Do not be like this, my daughter; see, I too am sorrowful."
manye lokavināśo'yaṃ kālaparyāyacoditaḥ। avaśyabhāvī samprāptaḥ svabhāvallomaharṣaṇaḥ ॥11-15-17॥
I believe this destruction of the world, driven by the course of time, is inevitable; it has come, terrifying by its very nature.
idaṃ tatsamanuprāptaṃ vidurasya vaco mahat। asiddhānunaye kṛṣṇe yaduvāca mahāmatiḥ ॥11-15-18॥
This is that great speech of Vidura, which was delivered by the wise one of the Yadu race to Kṛṣṇa when the conciliation had failed.
tasminnaparihārye'rthe vyatīte ca viśeṣataḥ। mā śuco na hi śocyāste saṅgrāme nidhanaṃ gatāḥ ॥11-15-19॥
In that inevitable situation, especially after it has passed, do not grieve; for those who have met death in battle are not to be mourned.
yathaiva tvaṃ tathaivāhaṃ ko vā māśvāsayiṣyati। mamaiva hyaparādhena kulamagryaṃ vināśitam ॥11-15-20॥
Just as you are, so am I; who then will console me? For it is by my own fault that the noble family has been destroyed.
