Mahabharata 11.26: ṣaḍviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

11.26.1

vāsudeva uvāca |
uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha gāndhāri mā ca śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ |
tavaiva hyaparādhena kuravo nidhanaṃ gatāḥ || 1 ||

"The holy one said, ‘Arise, arise, O Gandhari, do not set thy heart on grief! Through thy fault, this vast carnage has taken place! Thy son Duryodhana was wicked-souled, envious, and exceedingly arrogant. Applauding his wicked acts, thou regardest them to be good. Exceedingly cruel, he was the embodiment of hostilities, and disobedient to the injunctions of the old. Why dost thou wish to ascribe thy own faults to me? Dead or lost, the person that grieves for what has already occurred, obtaineth more grief. By indulging in grief, one increases it two-fold. A woman of the regenerate class bears children for the practice of austerities; the cow brings forth offspring for bearing burdens; the mare brings forth her young for acquiring speed of motion; the Shudra woman bears a child for adding to the number of servitors; the Vaishya woman for adding to the number of keepers of cattle. A princess, however, like thee, brings forth sons for being slaughtered!’"

11.26.2

yā tvaṃ putraṃ durātmānamīrṣumatyantamāninam |
duryodhanaṃ puraskṛtya duṣkṛtaṃ sādhu manyase || 2 ||

11.26.3

niṣṭhuraṃ vairaparuṣaṃ vṛddhānāṃ śāsanātigam |
kathamātmakṛtaṃ doṣaṃ mayyādhātumihecchasi || 3 ||

11.26.4

mṛtaṃ vā yadi vā naṣṭaṃ yo'tītamanuśocati |
duḥkhena labhate duḥkhaṃ dvāvanarthau prapadyate || 4 ||

11.26.5

taporthīyaṃ brāhmaṇī dhatta garbhaṃ gaurvoḍhāraṃ dhāvitāraṃ turaṃgī |
śūdrā dāsaṃ paśupālaṃ tu vaiśyā vadhārthīyaṃ tvadvidhā rājaputrī || 5 ||

11.26.6

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tacchrutvā vāsudevasya punaruktaṃ vaco'priyam |
tūṣṇīṃ babhūva gāndhārī śokavyākulalocanā || 6 ||

Vaishampayana said, "Hearing these words of Vasudeva that were disagreeable to her, Gandhari, with heart exceedingly agitated by grief, remained silent. The royal sage Dhritarashtra, however, restraining the grief that arises from folly, enquired of Yudhishthira the just, saying, ‘If, O son of Pandu, thou knowest it, tell me the number of those that have fallen in this battle, as also of those that have escaped with life!’

11.26.7

dhṛtarāṣṭrastu rājarṣirnigṛhyābuddhijaṃ tamaḥ |
paryapṛcchata dharmātmā dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram || 7 ||

11.26.8

jīvatāṃ parimāṇajñaḥ sainyānāmasi pāṇḍava |
hatānāṃ yadi jānīṣe parimāṇaṃ vadasva me || 8 ||

11.26.9

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
daśāyutānāmayutaṃ sahasrāṇi ca viṃśatiḥ |
koṭyaḥ ṣaṣṭiśca ṣaṭcaiva ye'sminrājamṛdhe hatāḥ || 9 ||

"Yudhishthira answered, ‘One billion 660 million and 20,000 men have fallen in this battle. Of the heroes that have escaped, the number is 240,165.’

11.26.10

alakṣyāṇāṃ tu vīrāṇāṃ sahasrāṇi caturdaśa |
daśa cānyāni rājendra śataṃ ṣaṣṭiśca pañca ca || 10 ||

11.26.11

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
yudhiṣṭhira gatiṃ kāṃ te gatāḥ puruṣasattamāḥ |
ācakṣva me mahābāho sarvajño hyasi me mataḥ || 11 ||

"Dhritarashtra said, ‘Tell me, O mighty-armed one, for thou art conversant with everything, what ends have those foremost of men attained.’

11.26.12

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
yairhutāni śarīrāṇi hṛṣṭaiḥ paramasaṃyuge |
devarājasamām̐llokāngatāste satyavikramāḥ || 12 ||

"Yudhishthira said, ‘Those warriors of true prowess that have cheerfully cast off their bodies in fierce battle have all attained regions like those of Indra. Knowing death to be inevitable, they that have encountered it cheerlessly have attained the companionship of the gandharvas. Those warriors that have fallen at the edge of weapons, while turning away from the field or begging for quarter, have attained the world of the guhyakas. Those high-souled warriors who, observant of the duties of kshatriya-hood and regarding flight from battle to be shameful, have fallen, mangled with keen weapons, while advancing unarmed against fighting foes, have all assumed bright forms and attained the regions of Brahman. The remaining warriors, that have in anyhow met with death on the precincts of the field of battle, have attained the region of the Uttara-Kurus.’"

11.26.13

ye tvahṛṣṭena manasā martavyamiti bhārata |
yudhyamānā hatāḥ saṃkhye te gandharvaiḥ samāgatāḥ || 13 ||

11.26.14

ye tu saṃgrāmabhūmiṣṭhā yācamānāḥ parāṅmukhāḥ |
śastreṇa nidhanaṃ prāptā gatāste guhyakānprati || 14 ||

11.26.15

pīḍyamānāḥ parairye tu hīyamānā nirāyudhāḥ |
hrīniṣedhā mahātmānaḥ parānabhimukhā raṇe || 15 ||

11.26.16

chidyamānāḥ śitaiḥ śastraiḥ kṣatradharmaparāyaṇāḥ |
gatāste brahmasadanaṃ hatā vīrāḥ suvarcasaḥ || 16 ||

11.26.17

ye tatra nihatā rājannantarāyodhanaṃ prati |
yathā kathaṃcitte rājansaṃprāptā uttarānkurūn || 17 ||

11.26.18

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
kena jñānabalenaivaṃ putra paśyasi siddhavat |
tanme vada mahābāho śrotavyaṃ yadi vai mayā || 18 ||

"Dhritarashtra said, ‘By the power of what knowledge, O son, thou seest these things like one crowned with ascetic success? Tell me this, O mighty-armed one, if thou thinkest that I can listen to it without impropriety!’

11.26.19

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
nideśādbhavataḥ pūrvaṃ vane vicaratā mayā |
tīrthayātrāprasaṅgena saṃprāpto'yamanugrahaḥ || 19 ||

"Yudhishthira said, ‘While at thy command I wandered in the forest, I obtained this boon on the occasion of sojourning to the sacred places. I met with the celestial rishi Lomasa and obtained from him the boon of spiritual vision. Thus on a former occasion I obtained second sight through the power of knowledge!’

11.26.20

devarṣirlomaśo dṛṣṭastataḥ prāpto'smyanusmṛtim |
divyaṃ cakṣurapi prāptaṃ jñānayogena vai purā || 20 ||

11.26.21

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
ye'trānāthā janasyāsya sanāthā ye ca bhārata |
kaccitteṣāṃ śarīrāṇi dhakṣyanti vidhipūrvakam || 21 ||

"Dhritarashtra said, ‘It is necessary that our people should burn, with due rites, the bodies of both the friendless and the friended slain. What shall we do with those that have none to look after them and that have no sacred fires? The duties that await us are many. Who are those whose (last) rites we should perform? O Yudhishthira, will they obtain regions of blessedness by the merit of their acts, they whose bodies are now being torn and dragged by vultures and other birds?’"

11.26.22

na yeṣāṃ santi kartāro na ca ye'trāhitāgnayaḥ |
vayaṃ ca kasya kuryāmo bahutvāttāta karmaṇaḥ || 22 ||

11.26.23

yānsuparṇāśca gṛdhrāśca vikarṣanti tatastataḥ |
teṣāṃ tu karmaṇā lokā bhaviṣyanti yudhiṣṭhira || 23 ||

11.26.24

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
evamukto mahāprājñaḥ kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
ādideśa sudharmāṇaṃ dhaumyaṃ sūtaṃ ca saṃjayam || 24 ||

Vaishampayana continued, "Thus addressed, Kunti’s son Yudhishthira of great wisdom commanded Sudharma (the priest of the Kauravas) and Dhaumya, and Sanjaya of the suta order, and Vidura of great wisdom, and Yuyutsu of Kuru’s race, and all his servants headed by Indrasena, and all the other sutas that were with him, saying, ‘Cause the funeral rites of the slain, numbering by thousands, to be duly performed, so that nobody may perish for want of persons to take care of them!’ At this command of king Yudhishthira the just, Vidura and Sanjaya and Sudharma and Dhaumya and Indrasena and others, procuring sandal, aloe and other kinds of wood used on such occasions, as also clarified butter and oil and perfumes and costly silken robes and other kinds of cloth, and large heaps of dry wood, and broken cars and diverse kinds of weapons, caused funeral pyres to be duly made and lighted and then without haste burnt, with due rites the slain kings in proper order. They properly burned upon those fires that blazed forth with libations of clarified butter in torrents over them, the bodies of Duryodhana and his hundred brothers, of Shalya, and king Bhurishrava; of king Jayadratha and Abhimanyu, O Bharata; of Duhshasana’s son and Lakshmana and king Dhrishtaketu; of Vrihanta and Somadatta and the hundreds of Srinjayas; of king Kshemadhanva and Virata and Drupada; of Shikhandi the prince of Pancalas, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata’s race; of the valiant Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja; of the ruler of the Kosalas, the sons of Draupadi, and Shakuni the son of Subala; of Acala and Vrishaka, and king Bhagadatta; of Karna and his son of great wrath; of those great bowmen, the Kekaya princes, and those mighty car-warriors, the Trigartas; of Ghatotkaca the prince of rakshasas, and the brother of Vaka, of Alambusha, the foremost of rakshasas, and king Jalasandha; and of hundreds and thousands of other kings. The pitri-medha rites in honour of some of the illustrious dead were performed there, while some sang Samas, and some uttered lamentations for the dead. With the loud noise of Samas and Riks, and the lamentations of the women, all creatures became stupefied that night. The funeral fires, smokeless and blazing brightly (amid the surrounding darkness), looked like luminous planets in the firmament enveloped by clouds. Those among the dead that had come from diverse realms and were utterly friendless were piled together in thousands of heaps and, at the command of Yudhishthira, were caused to be burnt by Vidura through a large number of persons acting coolly and influenced by good-will and affection, on pyres made of dry wood. Having caused their last rites to be performed, the Kuru king Yudhishthira, placing Dhritarashtra at his head, proceeded towards the river Ganga."

11.26.25

viduraṃ ca mahābuddhiṃ yuyutsuṃ caiva kauravam |
indrasenamukhāṃścaiva bhṛtyānsūtāṃśca sarvaśaḥ || 25 ||

11.26.26

bhavantaḥ kārayantveṣāṃ pretakāryāṇi sarvaśaḥ |
yathā cānāthavatkiṃciccharīraṃ na vinaśyati || 26 ||

11.26.27

śāsanāddharmarājasya kṣattā sūtaśca saṃjayaḥ |
sudharmā dhaumyasahita indrasenādayastathā || 27 ||

11.26.28

candanāgurukāṣṭhāni tathā kālīyakānyuta |
ghṛtaṃ tailaṃ ca gandhāṃśca kṣaumāṇi vasanāni ca || 28 ||

11.26.29

samāhṛtya mahārhāṇi dārūṇāṃ caiva saṃcayān |
rathāṃśca mṛditāṃstatra nānāpraharaṇāni ca || 29 ||

11.26.30

citāḥ kṛtvā prayatnena yathāmukhyānnarādhipān |
dāhayāmāsuravyagrā vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā || 30 ||

11.26.31

duryodhanaṃ ca rājānaṃ bhrātṝṃścāsya śatādhikān |
śalyaṃ śalaṃ ca rājānaṃ bhūriśravasameva ca || 31 ||

11.26.32

jayadrathaṃ ca rājānamabhimanyuṃ ca bhārata |
dauḥśāsaniṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ ca dhṛṣṭaketuṃ ca pārthivam || 32 ||

11.26.33

bṛhantaṃ somadattaṃ ca sṛñjayāṃśca śatādhikān |
rājānaṃ kṣemadhanvānaṃ virāṭadrupadau tathā || 33 ||

11.26.34

śikhaṇḍinaṃ ca pāñcālyaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ ca pārṣatam |
yudhāmanyuṃ ca vikrāntamuttamaujasameva ca || 34 ||

11.26.35

kausalyaṃ draupadeyāṃśca śakuniṃ cāpi saubalam |
acalaṃ vṛṣakaṃ caiva bhagadattaṃ ca pārthivam || 35 ||

11.26.36

karṇaṃ vaikartanaṃ caiva sahaputramamarṣaṇam |
kekayāṃśca maheṣvāsāṃstrigartāṃśca mahārathān || 36 ||

11.26.37

ghaṭotkacaṃ rākṣasendraṃ bakabhrātarameva ca |
alambusaṃ ca rājānaṃ jalasaṃdhaṃ ca pārthivam || 37 ||

11.26.38

anyāṃśca pārthivānrājañśataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ |
ghṛtadhārāhutairdīptaiḥ pāvakaiḥ samadāhayan || 38 ||

11.26.39

pitṛmedhāśca keṣāṃcidavartanta mahātmanām |
sāmabhiścāpyagāyanta te'nvaśocyanta cāparaiḥ || 39 ||

11.26.40

sāmnāmṛcāṃ ca nādena strīṇāṃ ca ruditasvanaiḥ |
kaśmalaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ niśāyāṃ samapadyata || 40 ||

11.26.41

te vidhūmāḥ pradīptāśca dīpyamānāśca pāvakāḥ |
nabhasīvānvadṛśyanta grahāstanvabhrasaṃvṛtāḥ || 41 ||

11.26.42

ye cāpyanāthāstatrāsannānādeśasamāgatāḥ |
tāṃśca sarvānsamānāyya rāśīnkṛtvā sahasraśaḥ || 42 ||

11.26.43

citvā dārubhiravyagraḥ prabhūtaiḥ snehatāpitaiḥ |
dāhayāmāsa viduro dharmarājasya śāsanāt || 43 ||

11.26.44

kārayitvā kriyāsteṣāṃ kururājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ puraskṛtya gaṅgāmabhimukho'gamat || 44 ||