जलप्रदानिक पर्व — धृतराष्ट्र मूर्च्छित भई विलाप गर्छन्; युधिष्ठिरको कार्य

Vaishampayana said “After hearting the words of Vidura, the chief of the Kurus, stricken with grief on account of the death of his sons, dropped down senseless on the Earth.

Seeing him fall down in that state, his friends as also the island-born Vyasa, Vidura, Sanjaya, and other well-wishers, and the trust worthy attendants who used to wait at the gates, sprinkled cool water over his body, and fanned him with palm leaves, and gently rubbed him with their hands. for a long while they solaced the king while in that state.

Regaining his senses, after a long time the monarch, wept for a long time, overwhelmed with grief on account of the death of his sons.

He said:-'Fie on the humanity. Fie out the human body. The miseries that we suffer in this life frequently originate from the very state of humanity.

Alas, O lord great is the grief, like poison or fire, that one suffers at the loss of sons, of riches, of kinsmen, and relatives.

That grief cosumes our limbs, and wisdom. Stricken with that grief, a person welcomes death.

This calamity that has be fallen me terminate with life itself. O best of sages, I shall, therefore, put an end to my life this very day.'

Saying so to his great sire, that foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, Dhritarashtra, laden with grief, became stupefied. The king, O monarch, thinking of his miseries, became silent.

Hearing these words of his the powerful Vyasa thus spoke to his son stricken with grief on account of the death of his children.

Vyasa said O mighty-armed Dhritarashtra, hear what I say. You are learned, intelligent, and you O powerful, one, are skilled in understanding duties.

Everything is know to you. O scorcher of foes. Forsooth you know the instability of all things doomed to death.

When this life is fickle, when this word itself is not eternal, when life is sure to end in death, why then, O Bharata, do you grieve?

Before your very eyes, O king, Time, making your son the cause, created this enmity.

This destruction of the Kurus, O king, was inevitable. Why then do you grieve for those heroes that have achieved the highest end?

The high-souled Vidura knew every thing. he had tried his best, О king, to bring about peace.

I Think the course marked by destiny cannot be controlled by any one, even if one struggles for ever.

The course that was settled by the celestial was known to me direct. I will recite it to you, so that you may enjoy peace of mind.

Once before, I went very quickly to the court of Indra. There I all the inhabitation's of heaven assembled together.

There were, O sinless one, all the celestial Rishis also, headed by Narada. There, O king, I saw also the Earth in her embodied form. saw

The latter had gone to the gods for the accomplishment of a particular mission. Approaching the gods, she said,—While you were in Brahman's abode you promised to do all for me. Let that be accomplished soon.

Hearing these words of hers, Vishnu, adored of all the worlds, smilingly addressed her in the midst of the celestials, saving,-The eldest of the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, viz., Duryodhana, will accomplish your work. Through that king you object will be achieved.

For his sake, many kings assemble together on the field of Kuru, They will cause one another to be killed through hard weapons.

It is evident, O goddess, that your bruden will then he lightened in battle, Go quickly to your won station and continue to bear the the weight of creatures, O beautiful damsel.

From this you should know, O king that your son Duryodhana, born in Gandhari's womb, was a portion of Kali born for bringing about a universal slaughter.

He was vindictive, restless, wrathful and difficult of being pleased. Through the influence of Destiny his brothers also took after him.

Shakuni became his maternal uncle and Karna his great friend. Many other kings were born on Earth for helping him in the work of destruction.

As the king is, so are his subjects. If the king becomes pious, even unrighteousness becomes incarnate in his kingdom.

Servants, forsooth, are affected by the merits and demerits of their masters. O king, having obtained a bad king, your other sons have all been destroyed.

Conversant with truth, Narada knew all this. Through their own faults, your sons have been destroyed, O king! Do not grieve for them, O king. There in no cause for grief.

The Pandavas are not to be blamed, O Bharata, in the least, for what has taken place. Your sons were all wicked. It is they that caused this destruction on Earth.

Narada had truly spoken out to Yudhishthira, all this in his court at the time of the Rajasuya sacrifice, saying, "The Pandavas and the Kauravas, meeting which each other, will be destroyed. Do that, O son of Kunti, which you should.

Hearing these words of Narada, the Pandavas were filled with grief. I have thus communicated to you, an eternal secret of the celestials.

This will dispell your sorrow and restore to you a love of life, and make you love the Pandavas, for all that had taken place has been due to what had been preordained by the gods.

O you, of mighty-arms, I had learnt all this sometime before. I also spoke of it to king Yudhishthira the just at the time of the Rajasuya sacrifice.

When I secretly informed him of all this, Dharma's son, tried his best for preserving peace with the Kauravas. That, however, which is ordained by the gods proved too strong for him too strong for his to defeat.

The determination, O king, of the Destroyer, cannot be baffled any how by mobile and immobile creatures.

You are virtuous and highly intelligent, O Bharata! You know also that which all creatures should do and that which they should not do.

If king Yudhishthira leans that you are overwhelmed with grief and losing your senses frequently, he will put an end to his life.

He is always compassionate and wise. His kindness is displayed even towards all the inferior creatures. How is it possible, O king, that he will not show compassion to you, O king.

At my behest, and knowing that which is ordained is inevitable, as also out of love for the Pandavas, live, O Bharata!

If you live thus, you fame will travel all over the world. You will then acquire a knowledge of all duties and find many years for acquiring ascetic merit.

Thus grief consequent on the death of your sons that has arisen in your heart, like a blazing fire, should always be extinguished, O king, by the water of wisdom.

Vaishampayana said "Hearing these words of the energetic Vyasa and reflecting upon them for a little while, Dhritarashtra said,-'O best of Rishis, I am greatly stricken with grief. I am repeatedly losing consciousness and I am unable to bear up my own self.

Hearing, however, these your words about what had been ordained by the gods, I shall not think of putting an end to my life and shall live and act without indulging in grief.'

Hearing these words of Dhritarashtra, O king, Satyavati's son Vyasa, disappeared then and there. Hearing these words of Dhritarashtra, O king, Satyavati's son Vyasa, disappeared then and there.