Shalya Parva — Sanjaya's grief and colloquy between Vidura and Sanjaya

Sanjaya said After this, the followers of Subala's son, O king, were worked up with rage. Prepared to sacrifice their lives in that dreadful encounter, they began to oppose the Pandavas.

Resolved to help Sahadeva in his victory, the energetic Arjuna and Bhimasena, resembling an infuriated venomous serpent, received those warriors.

With his Gandiva, Dharianjaya baffled the object of those warrior who, armed with darts and swords and lances, desired to kill Sahadeva.

Vibhatsu, with his broad-headed arrows, cut off the horses, the heads and the arms, with weapons in grasp, of those rushing warriors.

The powerful horses of those great heroes, struck by Savyasachin, dropped down on the earth, dead.

Beholding that onslaugh of his own soldiers. O lord, King Duryodhana was filled with rage. Collecting the residue of his cars which was still many hundreds in number, as also his elephants and horse and foot, O scorcher of foes, your son said to those warriors:-"Meeting all the Pandavas with their friends and allies, in this battle and the Panchala prince also with his own army and killing them speedily turn back from the field.

Respectfully obeying that mandate, those invincible warriors proceeded once against the Parthas in that battle.

The Pandavas, however, enshrouded with their arrows resembling venomous snakes, all the remnant of the Kaurava army, that thus rushed quickly against them in that dreadful battle. more

That army, O Bharata chief, as it came to battle, was in no time killed by those great warriors, for it had no protector.

These horses running hither and thither that were all covered with the dust raised by the army, the cardinal and they subsidiary points of the horizon could not be discerned.

Coming out of the Pandava army, O Bharata, many warriors killed your soldiers in a moment in that battle.

Eleven Akshauhinis, O Bharata, of troops had been collected for your son. All those O lord, were killed by the Pandus and the Srinjayas.

Amongst those thousands and thousands of great kings belonging to your party, only Duryodhana now, O king, exceedingly mangled, survives.

Looking on all sides and seeing the earth vacant, himself deprived all his troops while the Pandavas were joyously roaring aloud for the fulfillment of all their objects, Duryodhana, O king, unable to bear the sound of arrows discharged by those great heroes, became stupefied. Deprived of troops and animals, he made up his mind to fly from the field.

Dhritarashtra said When my soldiers were killed and our camp made entirely empty, what was the strength. O Suta, of the remnant the Pandavas army? 1 desire of know this. Therefore, tell me O Sanjaya, for you are a skillful narrator.

Tell me also, O Sanjaya, that which was done by my son, the wicked Duryodhana, that king of the earth, the sole survivor of so many men, when he saw his army entirely destroyed.

Sanjaya continued Two thousand cars, hundred elephants, five thousand horse and ten thousand foot-soldiers was the remnant, O king, of the mighty army of the Pandavas. Looking after this army Dhrishtadyumna waited in that battle.

Meanwhile, O chief of the Bharatas, king Duryodhana, that best of car-warriors, did not find a single warrior on his side.

Seeing his enemies roaring aloud and the destruction of his own army, that lord of earth Duryodhana, without a comrade, left off his seven slain horse and fled from the field with face turned eastwards.

That lord of eleven Akshauhinis, viz., the energetic Duryodhana, taking up his mace, fled on foot towards a lake.

Before he had proceeded far on foot, the king remembered the words of the intelligent and virtuous Vidura. "Forsooth, this had been foreseen by the wise Vidura viz., this great destruction of Kshatriyas and of ourselves in battle.” Reflecting on this, the king, with heart burning in grief at having seen the extermination of his army, desired to go into the depths of that lake.

The Pandavas, O king, with Dhrishtadyumna at their head, worked up with anger, rushed against the residue of your army.

With his Gandiva, Dhananjaya baffled the object of the Kaurava troops, who, armed with darts and swords and {ances, were crying aloud.

Having, with his sharp arrows, killed those troops with allies and relatives, Arjuna, as he stood on his car having white horses yoked to it, shone highly beautiful.

Upon the death of Subala's on along with horse, cars and elephants, your army looked like a large forest divested by a storm.

In Duryodhana's army then, O monarch, which had many hundred thousands of warriors, not one single car-warrior was alive, save the heroic son of Drona and Kritavarman and Kripa the son of Gotama, the lord of earth viz., your son.

Seeing me, Dhrishtadyumna, laughingly addressed Satyaki, saying-What is the use of seizing the man. We will gain nothing by keeping him alive.

Hearing these words of Dhrishtadyumna, the grandson of Shini, that great car-warrior, raising up his sharp sword, was ready to kill me.

Just at the neck of time the wise Vyasa, coming there, said-Let Sanjaya be sent away alive. On no account he should be killed.

Hearing these words of Vyasa, the grandson of Shini joined his hands and then setting me free, said to me-Peace to you, O Sanjaya, you may go away.

Permitted by him, myself then putting off my armour and surrendering my weapons, started in the evening for the city, my limbs covered with blood.

After I had come about two miles O king I beheld Duryodhana, standing alone, mace in hand and greatly wounded.

His eyes were full of tears and, therefore, he could not see me. I stood depressed before him. He saw me but could not recognise me.

Beholding him standing alone on the field, I also, laden with grief could not speak a single word for some time.

Then I described to him everything about my own capture and my release by the favour of Vyasa.

Having reflected for a moment and regained his consciousness he enquired of me after his brother and his soldiers.

I had seen everything with my eyes and therefore, told him everything viz., that his brothers had all been killed and that his entire army destroyed.

I told the king that we had that time only three car-warriors left alive, for Vedavyasa told me so when I set out (froin the Pandaya camp).

Sighing heavily and looking repeatedly at me, your son touched me with his hand and said-"Save you, O Sanjaya, no one else is alive, amongst those engaged in this battle. See there is no one on my side, while the Pandavas have their allies living.

Say, O Sanjaya, to the blind king Dhritarashtra, that his son Duryodhana has entered into a lake.

Shorn of friends, deprived of sons and brothers and seeing his kingdom taken by the Pandavas who is there like me that would desire to live.

Say all this to the king and tell him further that I have escaped with life from that dreadful battle and that, alive, though exceedingly mangled, I shall live within the lake."

Saying this to me, O king, the king, entered that lake. By his power of illusion king Duryodhana charmed the waters of the lake, making room for him.

After he had entered that lake, myself, without anybody on my side, saw those three car-warriors coming together there with their tired animals.

They were Kripa, the son of Saradvat and the heroic Ashvatthaman, that best of carwarriors and Kritavarman of Bhoja's race. Wounded with arrows, all of them came together there.

Seeing me, they all urged their horses to greater speed and coming up to me, said-By good luck, O Sanjaya, you are still alive.

All of them then enquired after your son, saying—"Is our king Duryodhana still alive, O Sanjaya?"

I then told them that the king was physically well. I also related to them everything that Duryodhana had said to me. I also pointed out to them the lake where the king had entered.

O king, having heard those words, then Ashvatthaman looked at that extensive lake and began to wail in grief, saying, "Alas, Alas, the king knew not that we are still alive! With him amongst us, we are still quite competent to fight with our enemies."

Having wept there for a long time, those great car-warriors fled away seeing the sons of Pandu.

Those three car-warriors, the remnant of our army, took me up on the well-adorned car of Kripa and then set out for the Kuru camp.

The sun had set a little before. Learning that all your sons had been killed the troops, forming the outposts of the camp, wept aloud.

Then, O king, the old men, that had been engaged to look after the ladies of the royal household, set out for the city, taking the princesses after them.

The attendants and ladies wept aloud when they heard of the destruction of the whole army.

O king, crying ceaselessly, the women caused the earth to resound with their voices like a warm of she-ospreys.

They tore their bodies with their nails and struck their heads with their hands and loosened their braids, crying all the while aloud.

Filling the sky with exclamations of grief and beating their breasts, they cried aloud and wept, O king.

Then the friends of Duryodhana, deeply afflicted and their voice suppressed by their tears, started for the city, taking the royal ladies with them.

The camp-guards quickly fled towards the city, taking with them many white beds covered with rich sheets.

Others, Placing their wives on cars drawn my mules, set out for the city.

Those ladies, O king, who were not before seen even by the sun, were not, as they started for the city, exposed to the view of the common people.

Those women, O head of the Bharatas, who were very delicate, now proceeded quickly towards the city, having lost their dear ones and kinsmen.

The very cowherds and shepherds and common men, stricken with panic for the fear of Bhimasena, fled towards the city.

They were also filled with a great fear of the Parthas. Looking at one another, all of them fled towards the city.

During that general flight accompanied with fear, Yuyutsu, beside himself with grief, thought upon what he should do under the present circumstances.

Duryodhana has been defeated in battle by the powerful Pandavas. He had eleven Akshauhinis of soldiers under hiin. All his brothers have been killed.

All the Kauravas, led by Bhishma and Drona, have died. By good luck, only I have been saved.

All those that were in the Kuru camp have fled. Alas, dispirited and helpless they are flying on all sides.

Such a spectacle had never been witnessed before. Assailed with sorrow, with eyes anxious in fear, they are flying away on all directions like a herd of deer looking at one another.

Amongst the counsellors of Duryodhana those, that are yet alive, have fled towards the city, taking with them the royal ladies.

I think, O lord, that the time has appeared when I also should enter the city with them, after taking the permission of Yudhishthira and Vasudeva. For this purpose that powerful prince appeared before both those heroes.

King Yudhishthira, who is always kind,। became highly pleased with him. The powerful Pandava embraced that child of a Vaishya mother and sent him away affectionately.

Getting upon his own car, he urged on his horse. He then looked after the departure of the ladies of the royal seraglio for the city.

The sun was setting. With those ladies, Yuyutsu entered the city of Hastinapur, with tearful eyes and with voice suppressed in grief.

He then saw the highly wise Vidura sitting with tearful eyes. He had come away from Dhritarashtra, his heart possessed by great sorrow.

Saluting Vidura, he stood before him. Truthful Vidura said to him-"By good luck, O son you have survived the Kurus.

Why, however have you come without king Duryodhana, in your company? Tell me in detail the cause thereof. "Yuyutsu then said." After the destruction of Shakuni, O sire, with all his relations and friends, king Duryodhana, leaving behind his horse, fled away in fear towards the east.

After the king's flight, all the Kuru people, worked up with fear, fled towards the city.

Then the guards of the ladies, placing the wives of the king, as also those of his brothers, on vehicles, fled away in fear.

With the permission of king Yudhishthira and Keshava, I started for Hastinapura, for protecting the people thus flying away.

Hearing those words of the son of Dhritarashtra's Vaishya wife the great Vidura, conversant with practices and feelings for the hour, praised the eloquent Yuyutsu. come

And he said-"You have acted properly, thinking what has about of this destruction of all the Bharatas. You have also, from pity, maintained the honour of your family.

By good luck we see you alive in this terrible battle in which heroes have been killed like creatures beholding the blazing sun.

O son, you are now the only support of the blind king shorn of foresight, afflicted with calamity, struck by Destiny and who though repeatedly dissuaded, could not abstain from following his evil policy.

Take rest here for this day. Tomorrow you may go to Yudhishthira."-Having said these words, Vidura, with tearful eyes.

Took leave of Yuyutsu and entered the palace of the king which was filled with the lamentations of woe-stricken citizens.

The cheerless place was shorn of beauty, comfort and happiness. It was all empty and disorderly. Already filled with grief, Vidura's sorrow increased at that spectacle.

Dutiful Vidura, with a sorrowful heart, entered the palace, sighing heavily.

As regards Yuyutsu, he passed that night in his own house. Possessed by miscry, he could find no delight at the panegyrics with which he was welcomed. He passed the time, thinking of the terrible onslaught of the Bharatas.