धृतराष्ट्र उवाच व्यथयेयुरिमे सेनां देवानामपि संजय। आहवे ये न्यवर्तन्त वृकोदरमुखा नृपाः॥
Dhritarashtra said O Sanjaya, those heroic sovereigns who now returned to the charge, being headed by Vrikodara, were capable of crushing even the host of the celestials themselves.
सम्प्रयुक्तः किलैवायं दिष्टैर्भवति पूरुषः। तस्मिन्नेव च सर्वार्थाः प्रदृश्यन्ते पृथग्विधाः॥
Led by Destiny, man surely engages in any action and it is through the decrees of Destiny that his various acts are attended with various results.
दीर्घ विप्रोषितः कालमरण्ये जटिलोऽजिनी। अज्ञातश्चैव लोकस्य विजहार युधिष्ठिरः॥
That Yudhishthira, who wandered exiled in woods, for a long time, wearing matted locks and black deer-skin and who also had to wander incognito.
स एव महतीं सेनां समावर्तयदाहवे। किमन्यद् दैवसंयोगान्मम पुत्रस्य चाभवत्॥
Even that very Yudhishthira is now leading this mighty host in battle! What else but evil. can befall my son through this adverse influence of Destiny?
युक्त एव हि भाग्येन ध्रुवमुत्पद्यते नरः। स तथाऽऽकृष्यते तेन न यथा स्वयमिच्छति॥
Surely man is born subject to the decrees of Destiny; and so he is compelled by it to do what he does not at all desire.
द्यूतव्यसनमासाद्य क्लेशितो हि युधिष्ठिरः। स पुनर्भागधेयेन सहायानुपलब्धवान्॥
Becoming addicted to the vice of gambling at dice, Yudhishthira reaped great affliction; but now through the agency of Destiny, he has again been united to his supporters.
अद्य मे केकया लब्धाः काशिका: कोसलाश मे। चेदयश्चापरे वङ्गा मामेव समुपाश्रिताः॥
*Today the Kekayas are rallying to me; the Kausikas, the Kosalas, the Chedis, the Vangas and others are all betaking to me.
पृथिवी भूयसी तात मम पार्थस्य नो तथा। इति मामब्रवीत् सूत मन्दो दुर्योधनः पुरा॥
All this extensive earth has taken my side, O sire and not that of the sons of Pritha.' 0 Suta, these were the words that were spoken to ine by the wicked Duryodhana before.
तस्य सेनासमूहस्य मध्ये द्रोणः सुरक्षितः। निहतः पार्षतेनाजौ किमन्यद् भागधेयतः॥
Drona, guarded amidst this host of his warriors, as slain by the son of Prisata in battle; what can it be but there decree of Fate?
मध्ये राज्ञां महाबाहुं सदा युद्धाभिनन्दिनम्। सर्वास्त्रपारगं द्रोणं कथं मृत्युरुपेयिवान्॥
Amidst that royal host how could Death approach that mighty-armed Drona who ever delighted in battle and who was accomplished in the use of all sorts of weapons?
समनुप्राप्तकृच्छोऽहं मोहं परममागतः। भीष्मद्रोणौ हतौ श्रुत्वा नाहं जीवितुमुत्सहे॥
I am plunged in distress and a swoon overwhelms me. Oh, I cannot live hearing both Bhishma and Drona slain.
यन्मां क्षत्ताब्रवीत् तात प्रपश्यन् पुत्रगृद्धिनम्। दुर्योधनेन तत् सर्वे प्राप्तं सूत मया सह॥
O Suta, that which the prophetic Khatva said to me, seeing me, infatuated with the affection for my son, O sire, everything of that has now overtaken me and Duryodhana himself.
नृशंसं तु परं नु स्यात् तयक्त्वा दुर्योधनं यदि। पुत्रशेषं चिकीर्षेयं कृत्स्नं न मरणं व्रजेत्॥
It would have been very cruel had I saved the rest of my progeny by abandoning Duryodhana, but then the rest could have lived.
यो हि धर्मं परित्यज्य भवत्यर्थपरो नरः। सोऽस्माच्च हीयते लोकात् क्षुद्रभावं च गच्छति॥
The monarch, that abandoning righteousness, pursues interest, is debarred from the enjoyment of felicity and imbibes meanness.
अद्य चाप्यस्य राष्ट्रस्य हतोत्साहस्य संजय। अवशेषं न पश्यामि ककुदे मृदिते सति॥
O Sanjaya, today, when the hump of this kingdom has been crushed, I see that nothing will be left of it, as it has lost all energy (by the death of Drona).
कथं स्यादवशेषो हि धुर्ययोरभ्यतीतयोः। यो नित्यमुपजीवामः क्षमिणौ पुरुषर्षभौ॥
When those two foremost of men, viz. Bhishma and Drona of forgiving nature who used to be our primary support, when they both have been killed, how can any thing remain of this kingdom?
व्यक्तमेव च मे शंस यथा युद्धमवर्तत। केऽयुध्यन् के व्यापकुर्वन् के क्षुद्राः प्राद्रवन् भयात्॥१७
Relate to me, in detail, as to how that battle raged: who were they that fought, who assaulted (the enemy) and what mean fellows fled, out of terror?
धनंजयं च मे शंस यद् यच्चक्रे रथर्षभः। तस्माद् भयं नो भूयिष्ठं भ्रातृव्याच्च वृकोदरात्॥
Tell me also what that foremost of carwarriors, namely, Dhananjaya, did? We are much afraid of him and of his brother, Vrikodara, who is our (implacable) enemy.
यथाऽऽसीच्च निवृत्तेषु पाण्डवेयेषु संजय। मम सैन्यावशेषस्य संनिपातः सुदारुणः॥
Tell me, O Sanjaya, of the terrible collusion that took place between the Pandava hosts and the remnant of my army, when the former returned to the charge?
कथं च वो मनस्तात निवृत्तेष्वभवत् तदा। मामकानां च ये शूराः के कांस्तत्र न्यवारयन्॥
What also, O sire, was the state of your mind when they returned to the attack. What heroes of our army with stood them on the field of battle?