As soon as the latter
obtained a sight of the blind monarch possessed of great power, the three
heroes sighed in grief and with voices choked in tears weepingly
addressed him, saying, Thy royal son, O king, having achieved the most
difficult feats, has, with all his followers, gone to the region of
Indra. We are the only three car-warriors of Duryodhanas army that have
escaped with life. All the others, O bull of Bharatas race, have
perished. Having said these words unto the king, Sharadvatas son Kripa,
addressing the grief-afflicted Gandhari, said these words unto her, Thy
sons have fallen while engaged in achieving feats worthy of heroes, while
fearlessly fighting in battle and striking down large numbers of foes.
Without doubt, having obtained those bright worlds that are attainable
only by the use of weapons, they are sporting there like celestials,
having assumed resplendent forms. Amongst those heroes there was no one
that turned back from battle. Every one of them has fallen at the end or
edge of weapons. None of them joined his hands, begging for quarter.
Death in battle at the end or edge of weapons has been said by the
ancients to be the highest end that a Kshatriya can obtain. It behoveth
thee not, therefore, to grieve for any of them. Their foes, O queen, the
Pandavas, too, have not been more fortunate. Listen, what we, headed by
Ashvatthama, have done unto them. Learning that thy son had been slain
unrighteously by Bhima, we slaughtered the Pandavas after entering their
camp buried in sleep.
Pages:
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961