Jalapradanika Parva — Lamentation of Dhritarastra after the loss of his hundred sons and the lose of his hundred sons and consolation

Having saluted the Supreme Deity (Narayana) and the highest of all male beings (Nara) and the goddess of learning (Sarasvati) let us cry success.

Janamejaya said “After Duryodhana, and all the warriors had fallen, what, O sage, did king Dhritarashtra do after hearing of it.

What also did the great Kuru king Yudhishthira the son of Dharma do? What did the three survivors (of the Kuru army, viz.,) Kripa and the others do?

I have heard everything about the deeds of Ashvatthaman. Tell me what took place after that mutual denunciation of curses. Tell me all that Sanjaya said to the blind old king!”

Vaishampayana said “After he had lost his hundred sons, king Dhritarashtra. stricken with grief on that account, dejected, and looking like a tree shorn of its branches became stupefied with anxiety and lost his power of speech.

Possessed of great wisdom, approaching the king the greatly wise Sanjaya, addressed him, saying-Why do you grieve, O monarch? Grief is absolutely useless.

Eight and ten Akshauhinis of warriors, O king, have been killed. The Earth had become desolate, and is almost empty now.

Kings of various countries, united with your son, and have all been killed.

Let now the obsequial rites of your fathers, sons, grandsons, kinsmen and friends and preceptors be performed duly.

Vaishampayana continued Deprived of sons, counselors and all his friends, the energetic king Dhritarashtra suddenly dropped down on the Earth like a tree uprooted by the wind.

Dhritarashtra said Deprived as I am of sons, counselors and all my friends, I shall, forsooth, have to rove about sorrowfully over the Earth.

What necessity have I now of life itself, deprived as I am of relatives and friends, I am like a bird shorn of its wings and afflicted with decrepitude?

Deprived of kingdom, deprived of relatives, and shorn of eyes, I cannot, O you of great wisdom, shine any longer on Earth like a luminary divested of its splendour.

I did not follow the advice of friends, of Jamadagni's son, of the celestial Rishi Narada, and of Krishna-Dvaipayana.

In the midst of the assembly, Krishna told me what was for my good, saying,-Do away with hostilities, O king! Let your son take the entire kingdom. I did not foolishly follow that advice, and I am now obliged to repent.

I did not listen to the good counsels of Bhishma. Alas, having heard of the destruction of Duryodhana whose roars were as deep as those of a bull, of the death of Dusshasana and the extinction of Karna and the setting of the Drona-sun, my-heart is not sundered into pieces.

I do not, O Sanjaya, remember any evil act committed by me in my pristine birth, consequences of which fool as I am, I am now suffering.

Forsooth, I committed great sins in my previous lives, for which the great God has made me suffer such a grief.

This destruction of all my relatives, wellwishers and friends, at this old age has been brought about by Destiny. Who is there on Earth more afflicted than my wretched self.

Therefore, let the Pandavas come and see me this very day determined upon following the long way that leads to the regions of Brahman."

Vaishampayana continued-"While king Dhritarashtra was thus bewailing, Sanjaya addressed him in the following words for driving away his grief.

Cast off your grief, O king! You have heard the teachings of the Vedas and various scriptures, from the lips of the old, O king! You have heard those words which the sages said to Srinjaya while the latter was stricken with grief on account of the death of his son.

When your son, O king, grew elated with pride, you did not accept the advice offered to you by your well-wisher. You did not, through covetousness, do what was really for your good.

Your own intelligence, like a sharp sword, has cut you. You only sought the company of wicked men,

Your son had Dusshasana, the wicked son of Radha, the equally wicked Shakuni, Chritrasena and Shalya for his counsellor. Your son made the entire world his enemy.

You son, O Bharata, did not follow the words of Bhishma the reverend chief of the Kurus, of Gandhari and Vidura, of Drona, O king, of Kripa the son of Sharadvat of the mighty-armed Krishna, of the intelligent Narada, of many other Rishis, and of Vyasa himself.

Though powerful your son was of little intelligence, proud, always anxious to fight, wicked, ungovernable, and discontented.

You are learned, intelligent, and always truthful. Righteous and intelligent persons like yourself, are never stupefied by grief.

For this the Kshatriya order has been exterminated, because they did not care for virtue, and always talked of battle, and the fame of your foes enhanced.

You had occupied the position of an umpire, but you did not utter a word of wholesome advice. Unfitted as you were for the work, you did not hold the scales evenly.

Every one should, at the beginning follow such a line of action that he mey not have, in the end, to repent for something already done by him.

Out of affection for your son, O king, you did what was agreeable to Duryodhana. You are obliged to repent for that now. You should not, however, grieve.

The man who always looks at the honey without seeing the fall, meets with destruction through his covetousness for honey. Such a man is obliged to repent like yourself.

The man who indulges in grief never acquires wealth. By grieving one loses the fruits he seeks for. Grief again stands in the way of the acquisition of objects dear to us. The man who grieves loses even his salvation.

The man who keeps a burning coal within the folds of his cloth and is burnt by the fire thereof is surely called a fool if he grieves for his injuries.

with your You and your son, had with your words fanned the Partha-fire, and covetousness as clarified butter made that fire blaze forth into burning flames.

Yours fell into that burning fire like insects. You should not, however, grieve for them now that they have all been burnt in the fire of the enemy's arrows.

The shedding of tears, O king, is not approved by the scriptures or praised by the wise.

These tears, like sparks of fire, consume the head for whom they are shed. Drive away your grief with your intelligence, and cheer yourself up with your mental strength.

Thus was the king consoled by the great Sanjaya. Vidura then, O scorcher of foes, once again addressed the king, showing great intelligence."