Jalapradanika Parva: Chapter 23

Gandhari laments the death of Shalya

गान्धार्युवाच एष शल्यो हतः शेते साक्षान्नकुलमातुल: धर्मज्ञेन हतस्तात धर्मराजेन संयुगे॥
Gandhari said There lies Shalya, the maternal uncle himself of Nakula, killed in battle, by the pious and virtuous Yudhishthira.

यस्त्वया स्पर्धते नित्यं सर्वत्र पुरुषर्षभ। स एष निहतः शेते मद्रराजो महाबलः॥
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.

येन संगृह्णता तात रथमाधिरथेर्युधि। जयार्थं पाण्डुपुत्राणां तथा तेजोवधः कृतः॥
When he accepted the drivership of Karna's car in battle, he tried to depress Karna for securing victory for the sons of Pandu.

अहो धिक्पश्य शल्यस्य पूर्णचन्द्रसुदर्शनम्। मुखं पद्मपलाशाक्षं काकैरादष्टमव्रणम्॥
Alas, alas, look at the smooth face of Shalya, beautiful as the moon, and having eyes resembling lotus petals, eaten away by crows.

अस्य चामीकराभस्य तप्तकाञ्चनसप्रभा। आस्याद् विनिः सृता जिह्वा भक्ष्यते कृष्ण पक्षिभिः॥५
There, the tongue of that king, beautiful like molten gold, looting out of his mouth, is, O। Krishna, being devoured by carnivorous birds.

युधिष्ठिरेण निहतं शल्यं समितिशोभनम्। रुदत्यः पर्युपासन्ते मद्रराजं कुलाङ्गनाः॥
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.

एताः सुसूक्ष्मवसना मद्रराजं नरर्षभम्। क्रोशन्त्योऽथ समासाद्य क्षत्रियाः क्षत्रियर्षभम्॥ शल्यं निपतितं नार्यः परिवार्याभितः स्थिताः। वासिता गृष्टयः पङ्के परिमग्नमिव द्विपम्॥
Those ladies are sitting around that fallen hero like a herd of she-elephants in their season around their leader sunk in mud.

शल्यं शरणदं शूरं पश्येमं वृष्णिनन्दन। शयानं वीरशयने शरैर्विशकलीकृतम्॥
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.

एष शैलालयो राजा भगदत्तः प्रतापवान्। गजाङ्कुशधरः श्रीमाशेते भुवि निपातितः॥
There the highly powerful king Bhagadatta, the king of a mountainous kingdom, the foremost of all holders of good, lies dead on the Earth.

यस्य रुक्ममयी माला शिरस्येषा विराजते। श्वापदैर्भक्ष्यमाणस्य शोभयन्तीव मूर्धजान्॥
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.

एतेन किल पार्थस्य युद्धमासीत् सुदारुणम्। रोमहर्षणमत्युग्रं शक्रस्य त्वहिना यथा॥
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.

योधयित्वा महाबाहुरेष पार्थं धनंजयम्। संशयं गमयित्वा च कुन्तीपुत्रेण पातितः॥
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.

यस्य नास्ति समो लोके शौर्ये वीर्ये च कश्चन। स एष निहतः शेते भीष्मो भीष्मकृताहवे॥
He who had no equal on Earth in heroism and energy, that achiever of dreadful feasts in battle, viz., Bhishma, lies there dead.

पश्य शान्तनवं कृष्ण शयानं सूर्यवर्चसम्। युगान्त इव कालेन पतितं सूर्यमम्बरात्॥
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.

एष तप्त्वा रणे शत्रूशस्त्रतापेन वीर्यवान्। नरसूर्योऽस्तमभ्येति सूर्योऽस्तमिव केशव॥
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.

शरतल्पगतं भीष्ममूर्ध्वरेतसमच्युतम्। शयानं वीरशयने पश्य शूरनिषेविते॥
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.

कर्णिनालीकनाराचैरास्तीर्य शयनोत्तमम्। आविश्य शेते भगवान् स्कन्दः शरवणं यथा॥
Having spread his bed of barbed and unbarbed arrows, that hero lieth on it like Skanda on a clump of reeds.

अतूलपूर्ण गाङ्गेयस्त्रिभिर्बाणैः समन्वितम्। उपधायोपधानाग्रयं दत्तं गाण्डीवधन्वना॥
Indeed, the son of Ganga lies there, resting his head on that excellent pillow, consisting of three arrows,-given him by Arjuna.

पालयानः पितुः शास्त्रमूर्ध्वरेता महायशाः। एष शान्तनवः शेते माधवप्रतिमो युधि॥
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.

धर्मात्मा तात सर्वज्ञः पारावर्येण निर्णये। अमर्त्य इव मर्त्यः सन्नेष प्राणानधारयत्॥
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.

नास्ति युद्धे कृती कश्चिन्न विद्वान् न पराक्रमी। यत्र शान्तनवो भीष्मः शेतेऽद्य निहतः शरैः॥
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.

स्वयमेते शूरेण पृच्छ्यमानेन पाण्डवैः। धर्मज्ञेनाहवे मृत्युरादिष्टःसत्यवादिना॥
Solicited by the Pandavas, this truthful, righteous, and virtuous hero, communicate to them the means of his own death.

प्रणष्टः कुरुवंशश्च पुनर्येन समुद्धृतः। स गतः कुरुभिः सार्धं महाबुद्धिः पराभवम्॥
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.

कं नु परिप्रक्ष्यन्ति माधव। गते देवव्रते स्वर्ग देवकल्पे नरर्षभे॥
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?

अर्जुनस्य विनेतारमाचार्यं सात्यकेस्तथा। तं पश्य पतितं द्रोणं कुरूणां गुरुमुत्तमम्॥
See Drona, that best of Brahmanas, that preceptor of Arjuna, of Satyaki, and of the Kurus, is lying on the ground.

अस्त्रं चतुर्विधं वेद यथैव त्रिदशेश्वरः। भार्गवो वा महावीर्यस्तथा द्रोणोऽपि माधव॥
The highly energetic Drona, O Madhava, was as a master of the four kinds of arms like Shukra of Vrigu's race.

यस्य प्रसादाद् बीभत्सुः पाण्डव: कर्म दुष्करम्। चकार स हतः शेते नैनमस्त्राण्यपालयन्॥ धर्मेषु कुरवः
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.

यं पुरोधाय कुरव आह्वयन्ति स्म पाण्डवान्। सोऽयं शस्त्रभृतां श्रेष्ठो द्रोणः शस्त्रैः परिक्षतः॥
Placing him at their head, the Kauravas had challenged the Pandavas. That foremost of all warriors was in the end wounded with weapons.

यस्य निर्दहतः सेनां गतिरग्नेरिवाभवत्। स भूमौ निहतः शेते शान्तार्चिरिव पावकः॥
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.

धनुर्मुष्टिरशीर्णश्च हस्तावापश्च माधव। द्रोणस्य निहतस्याजौ दृश्यते जीवतो यथा॥
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.

वेदा यस्माच चत्वारः सर्वाण्यस्त्राणि केशव। अनपेतानि वै शूराद् यथैवादौ प्रजापतैः॥
The four Vedas, and all kinds, of weapons, O Keshava, did not leave that hero even as they do not the Lord Prajapati.

वन्दनार्हविमौ तस्य बन्दिभिर्वन्दितौ शुभौ। गोमायवो विकर्षन्ति पादौ शिष्यशतार्चितौ॥
His auspicious feet, worthy of adoration and adored before by bards and eulogists, and worshipped by disciples, are now being dragged by jackals.

द्रोणं दुपदपुत्रेण निहतं मधुसूदन। कृपी कृपणमन्वास्ते दुःखोपहतचेतना॥
Senseless with sorrow, Kripi sorrowfully attends, O destroyer of Madhu, on that Drona who has been killed by Draupada's son.

तां पश्य रुदतीमार्ता मुक्तकेशीमधोमुखीम्। हतं पतिमुपासन्ती द्रोणं शस्त्रभृतां वरम्॥
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.

बाणैर्भिन्नतनुत्राणं धृष्टद्युम्नेन केशव। उपास्ते वै मृधे द्रोणं जटिला ब्रह्मचारिणी॥
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.

प्रेतकृत्यं च यतते कृपी कृपणमातुरा। हतस्य समरे भर्तुः सुकुमारी यशस्विनी॥
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.

अग्नीनाधाय विधिवञ्चितां प्रज्वाल्य सर्वतः। द्रोणमाधाय गायन्ति त्रीणि सामानि सामगाः॥
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.

कुर्वन्ति च चितामेते जटिला ब्रह्मचारिणः। धनुभिः शक्तिभिश्चैव रथनीडैश्च माधव॥
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.

शरैश्च विविधैरन्यैर्धक्ष्यते भूरितेजसम्। इति द्रोणं समाधाय शंसन्ति च रुदन्ति च॥
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.

सामभिस्त्रिभिरन्तस्थैरनुशंसन्ति चापरे। अग्नावग्निं समाधाय द्रोणं हुत्वा हुताशने॥ गच्छन्त्यभिमुखा गङ्गां द्रोणशिष्या द्विजातयः। अपसव्यां चितिं कृत्वा पुरस्कृत्य कृपी च ते॥
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."