11.023
Pancharatra and Core: Gandhari mourns the death of Śalya, Bhagadatta, Bhishma, and Droṇa.
gāndhāryuvāca॥
Gandhari said:
eṣa śalyo hataḥ śete sākṣānnakulamātulaḥ। dharmajñena satā tāta dharmarājena saṃyuge ॥11-23-1॥
O father, this is Śalya, Nakula's maternal uncle, lying slain here in battle, killed by the virtuous Dharmarāja, the knower of dharma.
yastvayā spardhate nityaṃ sarvatra puruṣarṣabha। sa eṣa nihataḥ śete madrarājo mahārathaḥ ॥11-23-2॥
O best of men, the one who always rivaled you everywhere, the king of Madra, that great chariot-warrior, now lies slain.
yena saṅgṛhṇatā tāta ratham-ādhirather-yudhi। jayārthaṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ tathā tejovadhaḥ kṛtaḥ ॥11-23-3॥
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.
aho dhikpaśya śalyasya pūrṇacandrasudarśanam। mukhaṃ padmapalāśākṣaṃ vaḍairādaṣṭamavraṇam ॥11-23-4॥
Ah! Look at Śalya's face, beautiful as the full moon, with eyes like lotus leaves, bitten by vaṭa fruits, yet without a wound.
eṣā cāmīkarābhasya taptakāñcanasaprabhā। āsyādviniḥsṛtā jihvā bhakṣyate kṛṣṇa pakṣibhiḥ ॥11-23-5॥
This tongue, which has the radiance of heated gold and resembles gold, having emerged from the mouth, is being eaten by black birds.
yudhiṣṭhireṇa nihataṃ śalyaṃ samitiśobhanam। rudantyaḥ paryupāsante madrarājakulastriyaḥ ॥11-23-6॥
Shalya, who shone in battle, was slain by Yudhishthira. The women of the Madra royal family, weeping, gathered around him.
etāḥ susūkṣmavasanā madrarājaṃ nararṣabham। krośantyabhisamāsādya kṣatriyāḥ kṣatriyarṣabham ॥11-23-7॥
These women, adorned in very fine garments, having approached the king of Madra, the foremost among men, cry out to the foremost among Kṣatriyas.
śalyaṃ nipatitaṃ nāryaḥ parivāryābhitaḥ sthitāḥ। vāśitā gṛṣṭayaḥ paṅke parimagnam iva ṛṣabham ॥11-23-8॥
Shalya had fallen, and women stood all around him, crying out, like wives around a bull completely sunk in the mud.
śalyaṃ śaraṇadaṃ śūraṃ paśyainaṃ rathasattamam। śayānaṃ vīraśayane śarairviśakalīkṛtam ॥11-23-9॥
Behold Śalya, the heroic giver of refuge and foremost among charioteers, lying on the hero's bed, his body pierced all over with arrows.
eṣa śailālayo rājā bhagadattaḥ pratāpavān। gajāṅkuśadharaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ śete bhuvi nipātitaḥ ॥11-23-10॥
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.
yasya rukmamayī mālā śirasyeṣā virājate। śvāpadairbhakṣyamāṇasya śobhayantīva mūrdhajān ॥11-23-11॥
The golden garland on his head shines, as if adorning the hair of the one being devoured by beasts.
etena kila pārthasya yuddham āsīt sudāruṇam। lomaharṣaṇam atyugraṃ śakrasya balinā yathā ॥11-23-12॥
By this, indeed, Arjuna’s battle was very terrible and hair-raising, extremely fierce, like that of mighty Indra.
yodhayitvā mahābāhureṣa pārthaṃ dhanañjayam। saṃśayaṃ gamayitvā ca kuntīputreṇa pātitaḥ ॥11-23-13॥
After making this mighty-armed one fight Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), and dispelling doubt, he was slain by the son of Kuntī.
yasya nāsti samo loke śaurye vīrye ca kaścana। sa eṣa nihataḥ śete bhīṣmo bhīṣmakṛdāhave ॥11-23-14॥
He, Bhishma, the doer of terrible deeds, who had no equal in the world in heroism or strength, now lies slain in battle.
paśya śāntanavaṃ kṛṣṇa śayānaṃ sūryavarchasam। yugānta iva kālena pātitaṃ sūryamambarāt ॥11-23-15॥
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.
eṣa taptvā raṇe śatrūñ śastratāpena vīryavān। narasūryo'stamabhyeti sūryo'stam iva keśava ॥11-23-16॥
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.
śaratalpagataṃ vīraṃ dharme devāpinā samam। śayānaṃ vīraśayane paśya śūraniṣevite ॥11-23-17॥
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.
karṇinālīkanārācair āstīrya śayanottamam। āviśya śete bhagavān skandaḥ śaravaṇaṃ yathā ॥11-23-18॥
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.
atūlapūrṇaṃ gāṅgeyastribhirbāṇaiḥ samanvitam। upadhāyopadhānāgryaṃ dattaṃ gāṇḍīvadhanvanā ॥11-23-19॥
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.
pālayānaḥ pituḥ śāstramūrdhvaretā mahāyaśāḥ। eṣa śāntanavaḥ śete mādhavāpratimo yudhi ॥11-23-20॥
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.
dharmātmā tāta dharmajñaḥ pāramparyeṇa nirṇaye। amartya iva martyaḥ san neṣa prāṇān adhārayat॥11-23-21॥
O dear one, whose nature is dharma and who knows dharma by tradition in decision, though mortal, he sustained his life like an immortal.
nāsti yuddhe kṛtī kaścin na vidvān na parākramī। yatra śāntanavo bhīṣmaḥ śete'dya nihataḥ paraiḥ ॥11-23-22॥
In this battle, there is no one accomplished, wise, or valiant, where Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, lies today slain by others.
svayam etena śūreṇa pṛcchyamānena pāṇḍavaiḥ। dharmajñenāhave mṛtyurākhyātaḥ satyavādinā ॥11-23-23॥
Death was declared in battle by the knower of dharma, the truth-speaker, when asked by the brave Pāṇḍavas themselves.
pranaṣṭaḥ kuruvaṃśaś ca punar yena samuddhṛtaḥ। sa gataḥ kurubhiḥ sārdhaṃ mahābuddhiḥ parābhavam ॥11-23-24॥
He who had once restored the destroyed Kuru dynasty, that great-intellect has now gone to ruin together with the Kurus.
dharmeṣu kuravaḥ kaṃ nu pariprakṣyanti mādhava। gate devavrate svargaṃ devakalpe nararṣabhe ॥11-23-25॥
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?
arjunasya vinētāram-ācāryaṃ sātyakēs-tathā। taṃ paśya patitaṃ drōṇaṃ kurūṇāṃ gurusattamam ॥11-23-26॥
See Droṇa, the foremost among the teachers of the Kurus, fallen; he was the teacher of Arjuna, the charioteer, and also of Satyaki.
astraṃ caturvidhaṃ veda yathaiva tridaśeśvaraḥ। bhārgavo vā mahāvīryastathā droṇo'pi mādhava ॥11-23-27॥
O Mādhava, just as Indra or the mighty Paraśurāma, so also Droṇa knows the four kinds of weapons.
yasya prasādādbībhatsuḥ pāṇḍavaḥ karma duṣkaram। cakāra sa hataḥ śete nainamastrāṇyapālayan ॥11-23-28॥
By whose grace Arjuna, the Pāṇḍava, accomplished the difficult task; now he lies slain, unprotected by his weapons.
yaṃ purodhāya kurava āhvayanti sma pāṇḍavān। so'yaṃ śastrabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭho droṇaḥ śastraiḥ pṛthakkṛtaḥ ॥11-23-29॥
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.
yasya nirdahataḥ senāṃ gatir agner ivābhavat। sa bhūmau nihataḥ śete śāntārcir iva pāvakaḥ ॥11-23-30॥
He, whose advance burned up the army like fire, now lies slain on the ground like a fire with its flames extinguished.
dhanurmuṣṭiraśīrṇaśca hastāvāpaśca mādhava। droṇasya nihatasyāpi dṛśyate jīvato yathā॥11-23-31॥
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.
vedāḥ yasmāt ca catvāraḥ sarvāstrāṇi ca keśava। anapetāni vai śūrāt yathā eva ādau prajāpateḥ ॥11-23-32॥
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.
vandanārhāvimau tasya bandibhir vanditau śubhau। gomāyavo vikarṣanti pādau śiṣyaśatārcitau ॥11-23-33॥
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.
droṇaṃ drupadaputreṇa nihataṃ madhusūdana। kṛpī kṛpaṇamanvāste duḥkhopahatacetanaā ॥11-23-34॥
O Madhusūdana, Droṇa has been slain by the son of Drupada; Kṛpī, his wife, grieves miserably, her mind overwhelmed by sorrow.
tāṃ paśya rudatīm ārtāṃ muktakeśīm adhomukhīm। hataṃ patim upāsantīṃ droṇaṃ śastrabhṛtāṃ varam॥11-23-35॥
Behold her—she weeps, stricken, her hair unbound, her face cast down, as she approaches her slain husband, Droṇa, the foremost among warriors.
bāṇair bhinna-tanu-trāṇaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnena keśava। upāste vai mṛdhe droṇaṃ jaṭilā brahmacāriṇī ॥11-23-36॥
O Keśava, the matted-haired celibate woman is attending upon Droṇa in the battle, whose body armor has been pierced by Dhṛṣṭadyumna's arrows.
pretakṛtye ca yatate kṛpī kṛpaṇamāturā | hatasya samare bhartuḥ sukumārī yaśasvinī ||11-23-37||
Kṛpī, the illustrious and delicate lady, distressed with grief, strives in the funeral rites of her husband who was slain in battle.
agnīn āhṛtya vidhivac citāṃ prajvālya sarvaśaḥ। droṇam ādhāya gāyanti trīṇi sāmani sāmagāḥ॥11-23-38॥
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.
kiranti ca citāmete jaṭilā brahmacāriṇaḥ। dhanurbhiḥ śaktibhiścaiva rathanīḍaiśca mādhava ॥11-23-39॥
O Mādhava, these matted-haired celibates scatter the funeral pyre with bows, spears, and chariot-frames.
śastraiś ca vividhair anyair dhakṣyante bhūritejasam। ta ete droṇam ādhāya śaṁsanti ca rudanti ca ॥11-23-40॥
They, of great brilliance, will be burnt by various weapons and others. Having placed Drona, these proclaim and also weep.
sāmabhis tribhir antaḥsthair anuśaṁsanti cāpare। agnāv agnim ivādhāya droṇaṁ hutvā hutāśane ॥11-23-41॥
Some, with three internal Sāma hymns, praise (the offering); others, having placed fire in the fire, offer the vessel in the consuming fire.
gacchantyabhimukhā gaṅgāṃ droṇaśiṣyā dvijātayaḥ| apasavyāṃ citiṃ kṛtvā puraskṛtya kṛpīṃ tadā ॥11-23-42॥
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.
