जनमेजय उवाच श्रुत्वा कर्णं हतं युद्धे पुत्रांश्चैव निपातितान्। नरेन्द्रः किंचिदाश्वस्तो द्विजश्रेष्ठ किमब्रवीत्॥
Janamejaya said O foremost of regenerate persons, being consoled a little, what did the lord of kings say, when he heard of the death of Karna, as well as the fall of his sons?
प्राप्तवान् परम् दुखं पुत्रव्यसनजं महत्। तस्मिन् यदुक्तवान् काले तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः॥
He (the monarch) attained exceedingly great uneasiness in the mind) arising from the fault of his sons. Relate to me, as I ask you, what did he say at that time.
वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वा कर्णस्य निधनमश्रद्धेयमिवाद्भुतम्। भूतसम्मोहनं भीमं मेहोः संसर्पणं यथा।॥
Vaishampayana said Having heard of the death of Karna, which, being extraordinary, was incredible, which stupefied the senses of all creatures, which was most dreadful and which was like the downfall of the mountain of Meru.
चित्तमोहमिवायुक्त भार्गवस्य महामतेः। पराजयमिवेन्द्रस्य द्विषद्भयो भीमकर्मणः॥
And which (the fall of Karna), was as impossible as the dullness of the intellect of highly energetic Bhargava and which, again, was like the defeat of Indra of formidable deeds at the hands of the enemies.
दिवः प्रपतनं भानोरुपया॑मिव महाद्युतेः। संशोषणमिवाचिन्त्यं समुद्रस्याक्षयाम्भसः॥
And which (the fall of Karna), also, was like the falling of the highly blazing Sun upon the earth from the heaven and which was as incomprehensible as the drying up of the ocean, whose waters are never exhausted.
महीवियद्दिगम्बूनां सर्वनाशमिवाद्भुतम्। कर्मणोरिव वैफल्यमुभयोः पुण्यपापयोः॥
And which (the fall of Karna), again, was as extraordinary as the total destruction of the earth, the firmament, the different points of the horizon and the waters and also as the fruitlessness of both virtuous and vicious acts.
संचिन्त्य निपुणं बुद्धया धृतराष्ट्रो जनेश्वरः। नेदमस्तीति संचिन्त्य कर्णस्य समरे वधम्॥
And then having meditated most skillfully in the mind upon the slaying of Karna in battle in the similar manner and also having deeply thought upon this viz. that his army was no more.
प्राणीनामेवमन्येषां स्यादपीति विनाशनम्। शोकाग्निना दह्यमानो धम्यमान इवाशये॥
And also having argued that the other creatures would be of the similar fate, Dhritarashtra, the lord of men, was burnt by the fire of grief and looked like a burning serpent.
विस्त्रस्ताङ्ग श्वसन् दीनो हाहेत्युकत्वा सुदुःखित। विललाप महाराज धृतराष्ट्रोऽम्बिकासुतः॥
With paralysed limbs, sighing long, looking helpless, uttering-woe and alas and highly oppressed with with sorrow, the great king Dhritarashtra, the son of Ambika, became to weep most bitterly.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच संजयाधिररथिवीर सिंहद्विरदविक्रमः। वृषभप्रतिमस्कन्धो वृषभाक्षगतिश्चरन्॥
Dhritarashtra said O Sanjaya, the war-like son of Adhiratha was possessed of the strength of a lion or an elephant; and his neck was like that of a bull; and his eyes, speed and voice were also like those of a bull.
वृषभो वृषभस्येव यो युद्धे न निवर्तते। शत्रोरपि महेन्द्रस्य वज्रसंहननो युवा॥
That young man of limbs as strong as the thunderbolt never desisted from battle even with so great an enemy as Indra himself, even as a bull never desists from battle with another bull.
यस्य ज्यातलशब्देन शरवृष्टिरवेण च। रथाश्वनरमातङ्गा नावतिष्ठन्ति संयुगे॥
At the sound of whose bowstring and at the roaring of whose arrowy showers, the men and horses (ihe infantry and the cavalry), the cars and elephants could not stand in the field of battle.
यमाश्रित्य महाबाहुं विद्विषां जयकाङ्क्षया। दुर्योधनोऽकरोद् वैरं पाण्डुपुत्रैर्महारथैः॥
Having taken refuge under the mighty arms of that imperishable slayer of innumerable foes, Duryodhana made enemies of the sons of Pandu, those great car-warriors.
स कथं रथिनां श्रेष्ठः कर्णः पार्थेन संयुगे। निहतः पुरुष व्याघ्रः प्रसह्यासह्यविक्रमः॥
How could Karna, that foremost of carwarriors, that powerful hero, that one of mighty prowess, was slain in battle by force by the son of Pritha?
यो नामन्यत वै नित्यमच्युतं च धनंजयम्। न वृष्णीन् सहितान्यान् स्वबाहुबलदर्पितः॥
Placing confidence upon the strength of his own arms, he (Karna) always indeed did care neither for Achyuta, nor for Dhananjaya, nor for the whole of the Vrishni race nor for the other enemies.
शार्ङ्गगाण्डीवधन्वानौ सहितावपराजितौ। अहं दिव्याद् रथादेकः पातयिष्यायमि संयुगे॥
'In the field of battle, alone I shall hurl down at once both the wielder of Gandiva bow, who are unconquerable and are united together, from their celestial cars.'
इति यः सततं मन्दमवोचल्लोभमोहितम्। दुर्योधनमवाचीनं राज्यकामुकमातुरम्॥
This (the above saying) he always uttered to Duryodhana, who was bad, darkened by avarice, foolish and desirous of kingdom and also who was highly afflicted.
योऽजयत् सर्वकाम्बोजानावन्त्यान् केकयैः सह। गान्धारान् मद्रकान् मत्स्यास्त्रिगर्तास्तङ्गणाशकान्॥१८
That hero (Karna) had subdued the unusually powerful and invincible enemies namely the Gandharvas, the Madrakas, the Matsyas, the Trigartas, the Tanganas the Shashas.
पञ्चारां विदेहांश्च कुलिन्दान् काशिकोसलान्। सुह्यानङ्गांश्च वङ्गांश्च निषादान् पुण्ड्रचीरकान्॥
And the Panchalas, the Videhas, the Kulindas, the Kashi-Kosalas, the Suhmas, the Angas, the Bangas, the Nishadhas, the Pundras, the Kichakas.
वत्सान् कलिङ्गाहस्तरलानश्मकानृषिकानपि। जित्वैतान् समरे वीरश्चके वलिभृतः पुरा॥
And the Vatsyas, the Kalingas, the Taralas, the Ashmakas and the Rishikas. In the days of yore, he subjugated these (above-mentioned) heroes in battle and made then pay tribute (to us).
शरवातैः सुनिशितैः सुतीक्ष्णैः कङ्कपत्रिभिः। दुर्योधनस्य वृद्ध्यर्थं राधेयो रथिनां वरः॥ दिव्यास्त्रविन्महातेजाः कर्णो वैकर्तनो वृषः। सेनागोपश्च स कथं शत्रुभिः परमास्त्रवित्॥ घातितः पाण्डवैः शूरैः समरे वीर्यशालिभिः।
By means of his sharpened and keen arrows, that were adorned with the Kanka feathers for the sake of Duryodhana's aggrandisement. That one (Karna) was still waiting in the field for winning victory (for Duryodhana). How was that protector of armies (on my side), that one well-versed in the use of weapons, viz. Vaikartana Karna was slain in battle by the foes, the heroic sons of Pandu, who were possessed of immense strength?
वृषो महेन्द्रो देवेषु वृषः कर्णो नरेष्वपि॥ तृतीयमन्यं लोकेषु वृषं नैवानुशुश्रुम।
Indra is the foremost of the celestials even as Karna is the best amongst men. In this world we have not heard of a third one, who was the most exalted like them.
उच्चैःश्रवा वरोऽश्वानां राज्ञां वैश्रवणो वरः॥ वरो महेन्द्रो देवानां कर्णः प्रहरतां वरः।
Uchchaishravas is the best of all horses, Vaishravana is the best of the Yakshas; and Indra is the foremost of the celestials; so also Karna is the best of all smiters.
योजितः पार्थिवः शूरैः समथैवीर्यशालिभिः॥ दुर्योधनस्य वृद्ध्यर्थं कृत्स्त्रामुर्वीमथाजयत्।
Having been unsubdued by the heroic and mightest monarchs of immense prowess, he then subjugated the entire earth for the aggrandisement of Duryodhana.
यं लब्ध्वा मागधो राजा सान्त्वमानोऽथ सौहदैः॥२६ अरौत्सीत् पार्थिवं क्षत्रमृते यादवकौरवान्।
Having obtained his (Karna's) alliance, by means of conciliating terms, by paying honours and wealth to him and also by speaking gloriously of him, the king of Magadha and opposed all the Kshatriyas of the world excepting the Kauravas and the Yadavas.
तं श्रुत्वा निहतं कर्णं द्वैरथे सव्यसाचिना॥ शोकार्णवे निमग्नोऽहं भिन्ना नौरिव सागरे।
Having heard of the slaughter of that Karna by Savyasachin in a single combat I am plunged deep in the ocean of grief, even as a ship-wrecked one (is plunged) in the vast sea.
तं वृषं निहतं श्रुत्वा द्वैरथे रथिनां वरम्॥ शोकार्णवे निमग्नोऽहमप्लवः सागरे यथा।
Having heard of the fall of that best of men, that foremost of car-warriors, in a single combat, I am lunged in the ocean of grief, even as a person without a boat (is plunged) in the sea.
ईदृशैर्यद्यहं दुःखैन विनश्यामि संजय॥ वज्राद् दृढतरं मन्ये हृदयं मम दुर्भिदम्।
O Sanjaya, when having been afflicted with such a grief as this, I do not die, I suppose that my heart is harder than the thunderbolt and most impenetrable.
ज्ञातिसम्बन्धिमित्राणामिमं श्रुत्वा पराभवम्॥ को मदन्यः पुमाँल्लोके न जह्यात् सूत जीवितम।
O Suta, having heard of this utter defeat of kinsmen, relatives and friends, what other person in this world except myself would not give up his life?
विषमग्निं प्रपातं च पर्वतग्रादहं वृणे। न हि शक्ष्यामि दुःखानि सोढुं कष्टानि संजय॥
I desire (to swallow) poison, (to be burnt in) fire and the fall from the summit of a mountain; for I am indeed unable, O Sanjaya, to bear the grief and pain.