11.021
Pancharatra and Core: Gandhari laments on Karna's death.
gāndhāry uvāca॥
Gandhari said:
eṣa vaikartanaḥ śete maheṣvāso mahārathaḥ। jvalitānalavat saṅkhye saṃśāntaḥ pārthatejasā ॥11-21-1॥
Here lies Karna, the son of Vikartana, a mighty archer and great chariot-warrior, who, blazing like fire in battle, has been subdued by the energy of Partha (Arjuna).
paśya vaikartanaṃ karṇaṃ nihatya atirathān bahūn | śoṇitaugha-parītāṅgaṃ śayānaṃ patitaṃ bhuvi ||11-21-2||
Behold Karna, the son of Vikartana, who, after slaying many great chariot-warriors, now lies fallen on the ground, his body surrounded by streams of blood.
amarṣī dīrgharōṣaś ca maheṣvāso mahārathaḥ। raṇe vinihataḥ śete śūro gāṇḍīvadhanvanā ॥11-21-3॥
The hero, who was intolerant and long-angered, a great bowman and mighty chariot-warrior, now lies slain in battle by the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva bow.
yaṃ sma pāṇḍavasantrāsān mama putrā mahārathāḥ। prāyudhyanta puraskṛtya mātaṅgā iva yūthapam ॥11-21-4॥
He whom, out of fear of the Pāṇḍavas, my sons, the great chariot-warriors, fought by placing in front, just as elephants do with the leader of their herd.
śārdūlam iva siṃhena samare savyasācinā। mātaṅgam iva mattena mātaṅgena nipātitam ॥11-21-5॥
Just as a tiger is struck down by a lion in battle by Savyasācin (Arjuna), and just as an elephant is struck down by an intoxicated elephant, so was he struck down.
sametāḥ puruṣavyāghra nihataṃ śūramāhave। prakīrṇamūrdhajāḥ patnyo rudatyaḥ paryupāsate ॥11-21-6॥
O tiger among men, the wives with disheveled hair, weeping, gathered around and surrounded the slain hero on the battlefield.
udvignaḥ satataṃ yasmāddharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। trayodaśa samā nidrāṃ cintayannnādhyagacchata ॥11-21-7॥
Because of this, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, being constantly disturbed, could not sleep for thirteen years, always thinking about it.
anādhṛṣyaḥ parairyuddhe śatrubhirmaghavāniva। yugāntāgnirivārciṣmānhimavāniva ca sthiraḥ॥11-21-8॥
He is invincible by enemies in battle, like Indra; radiant like the fire at the end of an age; and firm like the Himalaya.
sa bhūtvā śaraṇaṃ vīro dhārtarāṣṭrasya mādhava। bhūmau vinihataḥ śete vātarugṇa iva drumaḥ ॥11-21-9॥
O Mādhava, he who was the refuge and hero of Dhritarashtra's son now lies struck down on the ground, like a tree broken by the wind.
paśya karṇasya patnīṃ tvaṃ vṛṣasenāsya mātaram। lālapyamānāḥ karuṇaṃ rudatīṃ patitāṃ bhuvi ॥11-21-10॥
Behold Karṇa's wife, the mother of Vṛṣasena, lamenting piteously, weeping and fallen on the ground.
ācāryaśāpo'nugato dhruvaṃ tvāṃ; yadagrasaccakramiyaṃ dharā te. tataḥ śareṇāpahṛtaṃ śiraste; dhanañjayenāhave śatrumadhye ॥11-21-11॥
The teacher's curse inevitably befell you; thus, this earth, with the wheel at its forefront, became yours. Then, in the midst of enemies on the battlefield, your head was struck off by Dhananjaya (Arjuna) with an arrow.
aho dhigeṣā patitā visañjñā; samīkṣya jāmbūnadabaddhaniṣkam। karṇaṃ mahābāhumadīnasattvaṃ; suṣeṇamātā rudatī bhṛśārtā ॥11-21-12॥
"Alas! Fie upon this! She has fallen unconscious; seeing the gold necklace bound on Karna, the mighty-armed and distressed in spirit, Suṣeṇa's mother weeps, greatly afflicted."
alpāvaśeṣo hi kṛto mahātmā; śarīrabhakṣaiḥ paribhakṣayadbhiḥ. draṣṭuṃ na samprītikaraḥ śaśīva; kṛṣṇaśya pakṣasya caturdaśāhe ॥11-21-13॥
The great-souled one was left with only a little of his body, having been devoured by flesh-eating beings; he was not pleasant to look at, like the moon on the fourteenth night of the dark fortnight.
sāvartamānā patitā pṛthivyā; mutthāya dīnā punareva caiṣā. karṇasya vaktraṃ parijighramāṇā; rorūyate putravadhābhitaptā ॥11-21-14॥
She, turning around and fallen on the earth, rises again in distress. Sniffing Karṇa's face, tormented by her son's death, she cries aloud.
