11.023
Pancharatra and Core: Gandhari mourns the death of Śalya, Bhagadatta, Bhishma, and Droṇa.
गान्धार्युवाच॥
Gandhari said:
एष शल्यो हतः शेते साक्षान्नकुलमातुलः। धर्मज्ञेन सता तात धर्मराजेन संयुगे ॥११-२३-१॥
O father, this is Śalya, Nakula's maternal uncle, lying slain here in battle, killed by the virtuous Dharmarāja, the knower of dharma.
यस्त्वया स्पर्धते नित्यं सर्वत्र पुरुषर्षभ। स एष निहतः शेते मद्रराजो महारथः ॥११-२३-२॥
O best of men, the one who always rivaled you everywhere, the king of Madra, that great chariot-warrior, now lies slain.
येन सङ्गृह्णता तात रथमाधिरथेर्युधि। जयार्थं पाण्डुपुत्राणां तथा तेजोवधः कृतः ॥११-२३-३॥
O dear one, by whom the chariot of the son of a charioteer was restrained in battle, and for the victory of the sons of Pandu, the destruction of energy was also accomplished.
अहो धिक्पश्य शल्यस्य पूर्णचन्द्रसुदर्शनम्। मुखं पद्मपलाशाक्षं वडैरादष्टमव्रणम् ॥११-२३-४॥
Ah! Look at Śalya's face, beautiful as the full moon, with eyes like lotus leaves, bitten by vaṭa fruits, yet without a wound.
एषा चामीकराभस्य तप्तकाञ्चनसप्रभा। आस्याद्विनिःसृता जिह्वा भक्ष्यते कृष्ण पक्षिभिः ॥११-२३-५॥
This tongue, which has the radiance of heated gold and resembles gold, having emerged from the mouth, is being eaten by black birds.
युधिष्ठिरेण निहतं शल्यं समितिशोभनम्। रुदन्त्यः पर्युपासन्ते मद्रराजकुलस्त्रियः ॥११-२३-६॥
Shalya, who shone in battle, was slain by Yudhishthira. The women of the Madra royal family, weeping, gathered around him.
एताः सुसूक्ष्मवसना मद्रराजं नरर्षभम्। क्रोशन्त्यभिसमासाद्य क्षत्रियाः क्षत्रियर्षभम् ॥११-२३-७॥
These women, adorned in very fine garments, having approached the king of Madra, the foremost among men, cry out to the foremost among Kṣatriyas.
शल्यं निपतितं नार्यः परिवार्याभितः स्थिताः। वाशिता गृष्टयः पङ्के परिमग्नमिवर्षभम् ॥११-२३-८॥
Shalya had fallen, and women stood all around him, crying out, like wives around a bull completely sunk in the mud.
शल्यं शरणदं शूरं पश्यैनं रथसत्तमम्। शयानं वीरशयने शरैर्विशकलीकृतम् ॥११-२३-९॥
Behold Śalya, the heroic giver of refuge and foremost among charioteers, lying on the hero's bed, his body pierced all over with arrows.
एष शैलालयो राजा भगदत्तः प्रतापवान्। गजाङ्कुशधरः श्रेष्ठः शेते भुवि निपातितः ॥११-२३-१०॥
Here lies Bhagadatta, the mighty king who dwelled among the mountains and was famed for his skill with the elephant-goad, now fallen to the earth.
यस्य रुक्ममयी माला शिरस्येषा विराजते। श्वापदैर्भक्ष्यमाणस्य शोभयन्तीव मूर्धजान् ॥११-२३-११॥
The golden garland on his head shines, as if adorning the hair of the one being devoured by beasts.
एतेन किल पार्थस्य युद्धमासीत्सुदारुणम्। लोमहर्षणमत्युग्रं शक्रस्य बलिना यथा ॥११-२३-१२॥
By this, indeed, Arjuna’s battle was very terrible and hair-raising, extremely fierce, like that of mighty Indra.
योधयित्वा महाबाहुरेष पार्थं धनञ्जयम्। संशयं गमयित्वा च कुन्तीपुत्रेण पातितः ॥११-२३-१३॥
After making this mighty-armed one fight Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), and dispelling doubt, he was slain by the son of Kuntī.
यस्य नास्ति समो लोके शौर्ये वीर्ये च कश्चन। स एष निहतः शेते भीष्मो भीष्मकृदाहवे ॥११-२३-१४॥
He, Bhishma, the doer of terrible deeds, who had no equal in the world in heroism or strength, now lies slain in battle.
पश्य शान्तनवं कृष्ण शयानं सूर्यवर्चसम्। युगान्त इव कालेन पातितं सूर्यमम्बरात् ॥११-२३-१५॥
O Kṛṣṇa, behold the son of Śantanu, radiant as the sun, lying fallen by the force of time, like the sun dropped from the sky at the end of an age.
एष तप्त्वा रणे शत्रूञ्शस्त्रतापेन वीर्यवान्। नरसूर्योऽस्तमभ्येति सूर्योऽस्तमिव केशव ॥११-२३-१६॥
O Keśava, this powerful hero, having scorched his enemies in battle by the heat of weapons, now approaches his end like the sun setting, O Keśava.
शरतल्पगतं वीरं धर्मे देवापिना समम्। शयानं वीरशयने पश्य शूरनिषेविते ॥११-२३-१७॥
Behold the hero who has gone to the bed of arrows, lying in righteousness together with Devāpi, resting on the hero's bed, attended by valiant men.
कर्णिनालीकनाराचैरास्तीर्य शयनोत्तमम्। आविश्य शेते भगवान्स्कन्दः शरवणं यथा ॥११-२३-१८॥
Skanda, the revered one, lies on an excellent bed made of arrowheads, reed-arrows, and iron-shafted arrows, just as he once lay on the bed of reeds.
अतूलपूर्णं गाङ्गेयस्त्रिभिर्बाणैः समन्वितम्। उपधायोपधानाग्र्यं दत्तं गाण्डीवधन्वना ॥११-२३-१९॥
The son of Ganga, filled with immeasurable arrows, was provided with an excellent cushion made of three arrows by the wielder of the Gandiva bow.
पालयानः पितुः शास्त्रमूर्ध्वरेता महायशाः। एष शान्तनवः शेते माधवाप्रतिमो युधि ॥११-२३-२०॥
Here lies the son of Śantanu, who protected his father's command, whose vital energy was upward, and who was of great fame, equal to Mādhava, on the battlefield.
धर्मात्मा तात धर्मज्ञः पारम्पर्येण निर्णये। अमर्त्य इव मर्त्यः सन्नेष प्राणानधारयत् ॥११-२३-२१॥
O dear one, whose nature is dharma and who knows dharma by tradition in decision, though mortal, he sustained his life like an immortal.
नास्ति युद्धे कृती कश्चिन्न विद्वान्न पराक्रमी। यत्र शान्तनवो भीष्मः शेतेऽद्य निहतः परैः ॥११-२३-२२॥
In this battle, there is no one accomplished, wise, or valiant, where Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, lies today slain by others.
स्वयमेतेन शूरेण पृच्छ्यमानेन पाण्डवैः। धर्मज्ञेनाहवे मृत्युराख्यातः सत्यवादिना ॥११-२३-२३॥
Death was declared in battle by the knower of dharma, the truth-speaker, when asked by the brave Pāṇḍavas themselves.
प्रनष्टः कुरुवंशश्च पुनर्येन समुद्धृतः। स गतः कुरुभिः सार्धं महाबुद्धिः पराभवम् ॥११-२३-२४॥
He who had once restored the destroyed Kuru dynasty, that great-intellect has now gone to ruin together with the Kurus.
धर्मेषु कुरवः कं नु परिप्रक्ष्यन्ति माधव। गते देवव्रते स्वर्गं देवकल्पे नरर्षभे ॥११-२३-२५॥
O Mādhava, now that Devavrata (Bhīṣma), the bull among men and like a god, has gone to heaven, whom will the Kauravas consult regarding their duties?
अर्जुनस्य विनेतारमाचार्यं सात्यकेस्तथा। तं पश्य पतितं द्रोणं कुरूणां गुरुसत्तमम् ॥११-२३-२६॥
See Droṇa, the foremost among the teachers of the Kurus, fallen; he was the teacher of Arjuna, the charioteer, and also of Satyaki.
अस्त्रं चतुर्विधं वेद यथैव त्रिदशेश्वरः। भार्गवो वा महावीर्यस्तथा द्रोणोऽपि माधव ॥११-२३-२७॥
O Mādhava, just as Indra or the mighty Paraśurāma, so also Droṇa knows the four kinds of weapons.
यस्य प्रसादाद्बीभत्सुः पाण्डवः कर्म दुष्करम्। चकार स हतः शेते नैनमस्त्राण्यपालयन् ॥११-२३-२८॥
By whose grace Arjuna, the Pāṇḍava, accomplished the difficult task; now he lies slain, unprotected by his weapons.
यं पुरोधाय कुरव आह्वयन्ति स्म पाण्डवान्। सोऽयं शस्त्रभृतां श्रेष्ठो द्रोणः शस्त्रैः पृथक्कृतः ॥११-२३-२९॥
He whom the Kurus once called upon to lead against the Pāṇḍavas—this Droṇa, the best among weapon-bearers, has now been set apart by weapons.
यस्य निर्दहतः सेनां गतिरग्नेरिवाभवत्। स भूमौ निहतः शेते शान्तार्चिरिव पावकः ॥११-२३-३०॥
He, whose advance burned up the army like fire, now lies slain on the ground like a fire with its flames extinguished.
धनुर्मुष्टिरशीर्णश्च हस्तावापश्च माधव। द्रोणस्य निहतस्यापि दृश्यते जीवतो यथा ॥११-२३-३१॥
O Mādhava, the bow, the fist still tight, and the grasp in the hand of the slain Droṇa appear as if he were still alive.
वेदाः यस्मात् च चत्वारः सर्वास्त्राणि च केशव। अनपेतानि वै शूरात् यथा एव आदौ प्रजापतेः ॥११-२३-३२॥
O Keśava, just as in the beginning all the Vedas and all weapons did not depart from Prajāpati, so too they have not departed from the hero.
वन्दनार्हाविमौ तस्य बन्दिभिर्वन्दितौ शुभौ। गोमायवो विकर्षन्ति पादौ शिष्यशतार्चितौ ॥११-२३-३३॥
These two feet, once worthy of reverence, praised by his bards and honored by hundreds of disciples, are now auspicious only for jackals who drag them.
द्रोणं द्रुपदपुत्रेण निहतं मधुसूदन। कृपी कृपणमन्वास्ते दुःखोपहतचेतना ॥११-२३-३४॥
O Madhusūdana, Droṇa has been slain by the son of Drupada; Kṛpī, his wife, grieves miserably, her mind overwhelmed by sorrow.
तां पश्य रुदतीमार्तां मुक्तकेशीमधोमुखीम्। हतं पतिमुपासन्तीं द्रोणं शस्त्रभृतां वरम् ॥११-२३-३५॥
Behold her—she weeps, stricken, her hair unbound, her face cast down, as she approaches her slain husband, Droṇa, the foremost among warriors.
बाणैर्भिन्नतनुत्राणं धृष्टद्युम्नेन केशव। उपास्ते वै मृधे द्रोणं जटिला ब्रह्मचारिणी ॥११-२३-३६॥
O Keśava, the matted-haired celibate woman is attending upon Droṇa in the battle, whose body armor has been pierced by Dhṛṣṭadyumna's arrows.
प्रेतकृत्ये च यतते कृपी कृपणमातुरा। हतस्य समरे भर्तुः सुकुमारी यशस्विनी ॥११-२३-३७॥
Kṛpī, the illustrious and delicate lady, distressed with grief, strives in the funeral rites of her husband who was slain in battle.
अग्नीनाहृत्य विधिवच्चितां प्रज्वाल्य सर्वशः। द्रोणमाधाय गायन्ति त्रीणि सामानि सामगाः ॥११-२३-३८॥
Having brought the fires and kindled the funeral pyre according to the prescribed rites, placing the wooden vessel, the singers of Sāman chant the three Sāman hymns.
किरन्ति च चितामेते जटिला ब्रह्मचारिणः। धनुर्भिः शक्तिभिश्चैव रथनीडैश्च माधव ॥११-२३-३९॥
O Mādhava, these matted-haired celibates scatter the funeral pyre with bows, spears, and chariot-frames.
शस्त्रैश्च विविधैरन्यैर्धक्ष्यन्ते भूरितेजसम्। त एते द्रोणमाधाय शंसन्ति च रुदन्ति च ॥११-२३-४०॥
They, of great brilliance, will be burnt by various weapons and others. Having placed Drona, these proclaim and also weep.
सामभिस्त्रिभिरन्तःस्थैरनुशंसन्ति चापरे। अग्नावग्निमिवाधाय द्रोणं हुत्वा हुताशने ॥११-२३-४१॥
Some, with three internal Sāma hymns, praise (the offering); others, having placed fire in the fire, offer the vessel in the consuming fire.
गच्छन्त्यभिमुखा गङ्गां द्रोणशिष्या द्विजातयः। अपसव्यां चितिं कृत्वा पुरस्कृत्य कृपीं तदा ॥११-२३-४२॥
Then Droṇa's disciples, the twice-born, facing the Gaṅgā, proceeded; having constructed the funeral pyre to the left, they placed Kṛpī (Droṇa's wife) in front.
