Jalapradanika Parva — Gandhari's lamentation continued

Gandhari said See, O Madhava, my hundred sons. who never knew fatigue in battle, have all been killed by Bhimasena with his mace in battle.

That which pains me more to-day is that these my young daughter-in-law, deprived of sons and with disheveled hairs, are wandering on the field today.

Alas, they who formerly walked only on the terraces of magnificent edifices with feet decorated with many ornaments, are now, in great misery, obliged to touch with those feet of theirs this hard Earth, covered with blood.

Reeling in sorrow, they are moving about like drunk persons, driving away with difficulty vulture and jackals and crows.

Behold, seeing this terrible destruction, that lady of beautiful limbs, and slender waist, falls down, laden with grief.

Beholding this princess, this mother of Lakshmana, O you of mighty-arms, my heart is torn with sorrow.

Some seeing their brothers, some their husbands, and some their sons, lying down dead on the naked earth, these beautiful ladies of fair arms, and themselves falling down, catching the arms of the killed.

Hear, O unvanquished one, the loud lamentations of those elderly ladies and those others of middle age on witnessing this terrible destruction.

See, O you of great might, those dames, exhausted with fatigue, are taking rest, supporting themselves against broken boxes of cars and the bodies of slain elephants and steeds.

See, O Krishna, taking up some relative's severed head adorned with beautiful nose and ear-rings, some one amongst them, is standing sorrowfully.

I think, O sinless one, they and myself of little understanding must have perpetrated great iniquities in our previous lives, since, O Janarddana, all our relatives and kinsmen have thus been killed by king Yudhishthira. Our acts, fair or unfair, must bear fruits, O you of Vrishni's race.

See, O Madhava, those young ladies having beautiful breasts and abdomen, born in respectable families, of great modesty, having black eye-lashes and tresses of the same color on their heads, having voice sweet and dear like that of swans, are falling down, unconscious from great grief and crying piteously like fights of cranes.

See, O lotus-eyed, hero, there beautiful faces resembling full-blown lotuses, scorched by the sun.

Alas, O Vasudeva, the wives of my proud children who were powerful like infuriate are elephants, are now being looked at by common people.

See, O Govinda, the shields decked with hundred moons, the sunny standards, the golden coats of mail, and the golden collars and cuirasses, and the head-gears, of my sons, scattered on the Earth, are shining like sacrificial fires over which have been poured libation of clarified butter.

There, Dusshasana sleep, killed by Bhima, having the blood of all his limbs drunk by that heroic slayer of foes.

Look at that other son of mine, O Madhava, killed by Bhima with his mace, actuated by Draupadi and the memory of his woes at the time of the match at dice.

Addressing the princess of Panchala, in the midst of the assembly, who had been won by dice, this Dusshasana, desirous of pleasing his (elder) brother and Karna, O Janarddana, had said,-You are now the wife of a slave! With Sahadeva and Nakula and Arjuna, O lady, enter our household now.

At that time, O Krishna, I sad to king Duryodhana,-O son, discard the wrathful Shakuni.

Know your maternal uncle to be very wicked and greatly fond of quarrel. Discard him forthwith and make peace with the Pandavas, O son.

O fool, do you not think of Bhimasena filled with anger. You are cutting him with your words arrows like a person striking an elephant with burning brands.

Alas, neglecting my wordy, he vomited his poison of words at them, who had already been cut with wordy arrows, like a snake vomiting his poison at a bull.

there that Dusshasana sleeps stretching his tow massive arms, killed by Bhimasena like a powerful elephant by a lion.

The very angry Bhimasena perpetrated a most dreadful deed by drinking in battle the blood of his foes.