गान्धार्युवाच एष वैकर्तनः शेते महेष्वासो महारथः। ज्वलितानलवत् संख्ये संशान्तः पार्थतेजसा॥
Gandhari said There the powerful Karna, that great bowman, lies prostrate on the earth. In battle he was like a burning fire. That fire, however, has now been put out by the power of Partha.
पश्य वैकर्तनं कर्णं निहत्यातिरथान् बहून्। शोणितौघपरीताङ्गं शयानं पतितं भुवि॥
See, Vikartana's son Karna, after having killed many Atirathas, has been prostrated on the naked Earth and is covered with blood.
अमर्षी दीर्घरोषश्च महेष्वासो महाबलः। रणे विनिहतः शेते शूरो गाण्डीवधन्वना॥
Wrathful and energetic, he was a great bowman and a powerful car-warrior. Killed in battle by holder of Gandiva, that hero now sleeps on the ground.
यं स्म पाण्डवसंत्रासान्मम पुत्रा महारथाः। प्रायुध्यन्त पुरस्कृत्य मातङ्गा इव यूथपम्॥
My sons, those powerful car-warriors, from fear of the Pandavas, fought, fled by Karna, like a heart of elephants with its leader standing first.
शार्दूलमिव सिंहेन समरे सव्यसाचिना। मातङ्गमिव मत्तेन मातङ्गेन निपातितम्॥
Alas, like a tiger killed by a lion, or an elephant by an infuriate elephant, that warrior has been killed in battle by Savyasachin.
समेताः पुरुषव्याघ्र निहतं शूरमाहवे। प्रकीर्णमूर्धजाः पत्न्यो रुदत्यः पर्युपासते॥
collected together, O foremost of men, the wives of that warrior, with disheveled hairs and loud cried of grief, and sitting around that fallen hero.
उद्विग्नः सततं यस्माद् धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः। त्रयोदश समा निद्रां चिन्तयन् नाध्यगच्छत॥
Anxious about that warrior, king Yudhishthira the just could not sleep for thirteen years.
अनाधृष्यः परैयुद्धे शत्रुभिर्मघवानिव। युगान्ताग्निरिवार्चिष्मान् हिमवानिव निश्चलः॥
Incapable of being restrained by foes in battle like Indra himself who is invincible by enemies, Karna was like the all-destroying fire of dreadful flames at the end of a cycle, and immovable like Himavat himself.
स भूत्वा शरणं वीरो धार्तराष्ट्रस्य माधव! भूमौ विनिहतः शेते वातभग्न इव द्रुमः॥
That hero became the protector of Dhritarashtra's son, O Madhava! Alas killed, he now lies on the bare ground, like a tree struck down by the wind.
पश्य कर्णस्य पत्नीं त्वं वृषसेनस्य मातरम्। लालप्यमानां करुणं रुदतीं पतितां भुवि।॥
Behold, the wife of Karna and mother of Vrishasena, is bewailing piteously and crying and weeping and falling upon the ground.
आचार्यशापोऽनुगतो ध्रुवं त्वां यदग्रसच्चक्रमिदं धरित्री। ततः शरेणापहृतं शिरस्ते धनंजयेनाहवशोभिना युधि॥
Even now she exclaims-Forsooth your preceptors' curse has followed you. When the wheel of your car was sunk in the Earth, the cruel Dhananjaya cut off your head with a shaft.
हाहा धिगेषा पतिता विसंज्ञा समीक्ष्य जाम्बूनदबद्धकक्षम्। कर्णं महाबाहुमदीनसत्त्वं सुषेणमाता रुदती भृशार्ता॥
That lady, the mother of Sushena, greatly stricken with woe and uttering cries of woe, is falling down, unconscious at the sight of the mighty-armed and brave Karna prostrated on the Earth, with his waist still encircled with a golden belt.
अल्पावशेषोऽपि कृतो महात्मा शरीरभक्षैः परिभक्षयद्भिः। द्रष्टुं न नः प्रीतिकरः शशीव कृष्णस्य पक्षस्य चतुर्दशाहे॥
Feasting on the body of that illustrious hero, carnivorous animals, have reduced it greatly. This spectacle is indeed pitiable, like that of the moon on the fourteenth night of the darkfortnight.
मुत्थाय दीना पुनरेव चैषा। कर्णस्य वक्त्रं परिजिघ्रमाणा रोरूयते पुत्रवधाभितप्ता॥
Falling down on the ground the cheerless lady is rising up again. Filled with grief for the death of her son also, she comes and smelleth the face of her husband.