Jalapradanika Parva — Gandhari laments the death of Shalya

Gandhari said There lies Shalya, the maternal uncle himself of Nakula, killed in battle, by the pious and virtuous Yudhishthira.

He used everywhere, O foremost of men, to boast of his equality with you. That powerful car-warrior, viz., the king of the Madras, now lies dead.

When he accepted the drivership of Karna's car in battle, he tried to depress Karna for securing victory for the sons of Pandu.

Alas, alas, look at the smooth face of Shalya, beautiful as the moon, and having eyes resembling lotus petals, eaten away by crows.

There, the tongue of that king, beautiful like molten gold, looting out of his mouth, is, O। Krishna, being devoured by carnivorous birds.

the ladies of the royal house of Madra, crying aloud, are sitting around the body of that king, that ornament of assemblies, killed by Yudhishthira.

Those ladies are sitting around that fallen hero like a herd of she-elephants in their season around their leader sunk in mud.

Look at the brave Shalya, the great protector and the foremost of car-warriors, stretched on the bed of heroes, his body wounded with arrows.

There the highly powerful king Bhagadatta, the king of a mountainous kingdom, the foremost of all holders of good, lies dead on the Earth.

Look at the golden and shining garland that he still wears on his head. Though the body is being devoroured by beasts of prey, that garland still adorns the beautiful hairs on his head.

Dreadful was the battle that took place between this king and Partha, making the hairs stand erect, like that between Shakra and the Asura Vritra.

Having fought Dhananjaya ine son of Pritha, and brought him to a perilous condition,। this mighty-armed one, was at last killed by his antagonist.

He who had no equal on Earth in heroism and energy, that achiever of dreadful feasts in battle, viz., Bhishma, lies there dead.

Behold the son of Shantanu, O Krishna, that hero effulgent like the sun, stretched on the Earth, like the Sun himself dropped off the sky at the end of the Yuga.

Having scorched his enemies with the fire of his weapons in battle, that brave warrior, that Sun among men, O Keshava, has set like the real Sun at evening.

Look at that hero, O Krishna, who in knowledge of duty was equal to Devapi himself, now lying on a bed of arrows, worthy of heroes.

Having spread his bed of barbed and unbarbed arrows, that hero lieth on it like Skanda on a clump of reeds.

Indeed, the son of Ganga lies there, resting his head on that excellent pillow, consisting of three arrows,-given him by Arjuna.

For obeying the mandate of his father, this illustrious one drew up his vital seed. Peerless in battle, that son of Shantanu lies there, O Madhava.

Pious and acquainted with all forms of duty, by the help of his knowledge of both the worlds, that hero, though mortal, is still alive like an immortal.

When Shantanu's son lies to-day, struck down with arrows, it seems that no other person alive on Earth who is learned and powerful and who is competent to perform great feats in battle.

Solicited by the Pandavas, this truthful, righteous, and virtuous hero, communicate to them the means of his own death.

Alas, he who had revived the extinct line of Kuru, that illustrious and highly intelligent person, has left the world with all the Kurus in his company.

From whom, O Madhava, will the Kurus, receive instructions of religion and duty after that foremost of men, viz., Devavrata, who resembles a god, shall have gone to heaven?

See Drona, that best of Brahmanas, that preceptor of Arjuna, of Satyaki, and of the Kurus, is lying on the ground.

The highly energetic Drona, O Madhava, was as a master of the four kinds of arms like Shukra of Vrigu's race.

Through his favour, Vibhatsu the son of Pandu has achieved the most of difficult feats. He now lies dead on the ground. Weapons refused to come at last at his command.

Placing him at their head, the Kauravas had challenged the Pandavas. That foremost of all warriors was in the end wounded with weapons.

As he moved about in battle, scorching his enemies in every direction, his movement resembled that of a blazing fire. Alas, he now lies dead on the ground, like an extinguished fire.

The handle of the bow is yet in his grasp, The leathern fences, O Madhava, pre still on his fingers. Though killed, he still looks as if alive.

The four Vedas, and all kinds, of weapons, O Keshava, did not leave that hero even as they do not the Lord Prajapati.

His auspicious feet, worthy of adoration and adored before by bards and eulogists, and worshipped by disciples, are now being dragged by jackals.

Senseless with sorrow, Kripi sorrowfully attends, O destroyer of Madhu, on that Drona who has been killed by Draupada's son.

Look at that sorrow-stricken lady, fallen upon the Earth, with disheveled hair and face Juser hanging down. Alas, she serves sorrowfully her lifeless husband, that best of all holders of weapons, lying on the ground.

Many Brahmana saints, with matted locks on their head, are serving the body of Drona that is cased in armour cut asunder, O Keshava, with the arrows of Dhrishtadyumna.

The illustrious and delicate Kripi, depressed and Sorrow-stricken, is trying to perform the last rites on the body of her husband killed in battle.

There, having placed the body of Drona on the funeral pyre and having put fire with due rites, those reciters of Samans are singing the three verses.

Those Brahmana saints, with matted locks on their head, have made the funeral pyre of that Brahmana with bows and arrows and carboxes, O Madhava.

Having collected various other sorts of arrows, that highly energetic hero is being consumed by them. Having placed his body on the pyre, they are singing and weeping.

Others are reciting the three well-known Saman verses that are used on such occasions. Burning the dead body of Drona on that fire, like fire in fire, those saintly disciples of his, are proceeding towards the banks of Ganga, along the left side of the pyre and having placed Kripi at their head."