What
shall we do with those that have none to look after them and that have no
sacred fires? The duties that await us are many. Who are those whose
(last) rites we should perform? O Yudhishthira, will they obtain regions
of blessedness by the merit of their acts, they whose bodies are now
being torn and dragged by vultures and other birds?"
Vaishampayana continued, "Thus addressed, Kuntis son Yudhishthira of
great wisdom commanded Sudharma (the priest of the Kauravas) and Dhaumya,
and Sanjaya of the suta order, and Vidura of great wisdom, and Yuyutsu of
Kurus race, and all his servants headed by Indrasena, and all the other
sutas that were with him, saying, Cause the funeral rites of the slain,
numbering by thousands, to be duly performed, so that nobody may perish
for want of persons to take care of them! At this command of king
Yudhishthira the just, Vidura and Sanjaya and Sudharma and Dhaumya and
Indrasena and others, procuring sandal, aloe and other kinds of wood used
on such occasions, as also clarified butter and oil and perfumes and
costly silken robes and other kinds of cloth, and large heaps of dry
wood, and broken cars and diverse kinds of weapons, caused funeral pyres
to be duly made and lighted and then without haste burnt, with due rites
the slain kings in proper order. They properly burned upon those fires
that blazed forth with libations of clarified butter in torrents over
them, the bodies of Duryodhana and his hundred brothers, of Shalya, and
king Bhurishrava; of king Jayadratha and Abhimanyu, O Bharata; of
Duhshasanas son and Lakshmana and king Dhrishtaketu; of Vrihanta and
Somadatta and the hundreds of Srinjayas; of king Kshemadhanva and Virata
and Drupada; of Shikhandi the prince of Pancalas, and Dhrishtadyumna of
Prishatas race; of the valiant Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja; of the ruler of
the Kosalas, the sons of Draupadi, and Shakuni the son of Subala; of
Acala and Vrishaka, and king Bhagadatta; of Karna and his son of great
wrath; of those great bowmen, the Kekaya princes, and those mighty
car-warriors, the Trigartas; of Ghatotkaca the prince of rakshasas, and
the brother of Vaka, of Alambusha, the foremost of rakshasas, and king
Jalasandha; and of hundreds and thousands of other kings.
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