Critical Edition
गान्धार्युवाच अध्यर्धगुणमाहुर्यं बले शौर्ये च माधव पित्रा त्वया च दाशार्ह दृप्तं सिंहमिवोत्कटम्
AI Translation: Gandhari said: O Madhava, they say that you are half as strong and half as brave as your father. O Dasharha, you are like a fierce and powerful lion.
यो बिभेद चमूमेको मम पुत्रस्य दुर्भिदाम् स भूत्वा मृत्युरन्येषां स्वयं मृत्युवशं गतः
AI Translation: He who alone split the army of my son, which was difficult to split, Having become the death of others, has himself come under the power of death.
तस्योपलक्षये कृष्ण कार्ष्णेरमिततेजसः अभिमन्योर्हतस्यापि प्रभा नैवोपशाम्यति
M. N. Dutt: I see, O Krishna, the splendour of that son of Arjuna, of that great hero, viz., Abhimanyu, has not diminished even in death.
एषा विराटदुहिता स्नुषा गाण्डीवधन्वनः आर्ता बाला पतिं वीरं शोच्या शोचत्यनिन्दिता
M. N. Dutt: There, the daughter of Virata, the daughterin-law of Arjuna, that girl of faultless beauty, stricken with grief on seeing her heroic husband, is bewailing.
तमेषा हि समासाद्य भार्या भर्तारमन्तिके विराटदुहिता कृष्ण पाणिना परिमार्जति
M. N. Dutt: Approaching her husband, that young wife, viz., the daughter of Virata, is gently rubbing him, O Krishna, with her hand.
तस्य वक्त्रमुपाघ्राय सौभद्रस्य यशस्विनी विबुद्धकमलाकारं कम्बुवृत्तशिरोधरम्
AI Translation: Having sniffed the face of the glorious Subhadra, with a face like a blossoming lotus, with a neck like a conch shell,
काम्यरूपवती चैषा परिष्वजति भामिनी लज्जमाना पुरेवैनं माध्वीकमदमूर्छिता
AI Translation: This beautiful one, who has a desirable form, embraces him, as if shy, intoxicated with the intoxication of honey.
तस्य क्षतजसंदिग्धं जातरूपपरिष्कृतम् विमुच्य कवचं कृष्ण शरीरमभिवीक्षते
M. N. Dutt: Taking of her husband's golden armour, O hero, that damsel is now looking on the body of her husband covered with blood.
अवेक्षमाणा तं बाला कृष्ण त्वामभिभाषते अयं ते पुण्डरीकाक्ष सदृशाक्षो निपातितः
M. N. Dutt: Beholding her lord, O Krishna, that girl addresses you saying:-'O lotus-eyed one, this hero whose eyes resembled yours, has been killed.
बले वीर्ये च सदृशस्तेजसा चैव तेऽनघ रूपेण च तवात्यर्थं शेते भुवि निपातितः
M. N. Dutt: In power, energy, and prowess, he has your equal, O sinless one! He resembled you very much in beauty. Yet he sleeps on the ground, killed by the enemy.
अत्यन्तसुकुमारस्य राङ्कवाजिनशायिनः कच्चिदद्य शरीरं ते भूमौ न परितप्यते
M. N. Dutt: Addressing her own husband, she says again,-'You were reared up in every luxury. You used to sleep on soft skins of the Ranku deer. Alas, does not your body feet pain to-day by lying thus on this naked Earth.
मातङ्गभुजवर्ष्माणौ ज्याक्षेपकठिनत्वचौ काञ्चनाङ्गदिनौ शेषे निक्षिप्य विपुलौ भुजौ
AI Translation: With the thickness of the skin of the arms of the elephant, with the hardness of the bowstring, Having placed the two large arms on the ground, with golden armlets,
व्यायम्य बहुधा नूनं सुखसुप्तः श्रमादिव एवं विलपतीमार्तां न हि मामभिभाषसे
AI Translation: Having exerted yourself in many ways, you now sleep happily, as if from fatigue. Thus, while I lament in sorrow, you do not address me.
Supplementary Passages:
11.20.13 After 13, K1-3 Ñ1 B Dn D1-6.8.9 G ins.: *54 न स्मराम्यपराधं ते किं मां न प्रतिभाषसे ननु मां त्वं पुरा दूरादभिवीक्ष्याभिभाषसे
आर्यामार्य सुभद्रां त्वमिमांश्च त्रिदशोपमान् पितॄन्मां चैव दुःखार्तां विहाय क्व गमिष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: Where will you go, leaving behind you the much-respected Subhadra, these your sires who take after the very celestials, and my own wretched self distracted with grief.
तस्य शोणितसंदिग्धान्केशानुन्नाम्य पाणिना उत्सङ्गे वक्त्रमाधाय जीवन्तमिव पृच्छति स्वस्रीयं वासुदेवस्य पुत्रं गाण्डीवधन्वनः
M. N. Dutt: See, O Krishna, collecting with her hands the blood-dyed hair of her husband and placing his head on her lap, beautiful lady is addressing him as if he were alive,-How could those great car-warriors kill you in the midst of battle,-you who are the sister's son of Vasudeva and the son of the bolder of Gandiva?
Supplementary Passages:
11.20.15 After 15e, B1.2 ins.: *55 तं गृध्राः पर्युपासते साक्षान्मघवतः पौत्रं
कथं त्वां रणमध्यस्थं जघ्नुरेते महारथाः धिगस्तु क्रूरकर्तॄंस्तान्कृपकर्णजयद्रथान्
AI Translation: How did these great warriors kill you, standing in the midst of the battle? Shame on those cruel-hearted ones, Kripa, Karna and Jayadratha,
द्रोणद्रौणायनी चोभौ यैरसि व्यसनीकृतः रथर्षभाणां सर्वेषां कथमासीत्तदा मनः
AI Translation: And Drona and Drona's son, by whom you were made miserable. What was the state of mind of all those bull-like warriors then?
बालं त्वां परिवार्यैकं मम दुःखाय जघ्नुषाम् कथं नु पाण्डवानां च पाञ्चालानां च पश्यताम् त्वं वीर निधनं प्राप्तो नाथवान्सन्ननाथवत्
M. N. Dutt: How could you, O hero, who had so many protectors, be killed so helplessly before the very eyes of the Pandavas and the Panchalas?
दृष्ट्वा बहुभिराक्रन्दे निहतं त्वामनाथवत् वीरः पुरुषशार्दूलः कथं जीवति पाण्डवः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing you, O hero, killed in battle by many warriors in a body, how is that foremost of men, that son of Pandu, viz., your father, able to bear the burden of life?
न राज्यलाभो विपुलः शत्रूणां वा पराभवः प्रीतिं दास्यति पार्थानां त्वामृते पुष्करेक्षण
M. N. Dutt: Neither the acquisition of a vast territory, nor the discomfitures of their foes, gives joy to the Parthas bereft of you, O lotus-eyed one.
तव शस्त्रजिताँल्लोकान्धर्मेण च दमेन च क्षिप्रमन्वागमिष्यामि तत्र मां प्रतिपालय
M. N. Dutt: By the practice of virtue and self-restraint, I shall very soon go to those blissful regions which you have acquired by the use of weapons. Protect me, O hero, when I go there.
दुर्मरं पुनरप्राप्ते काले भवति केनचित् यदहं त्वां रणे दृष्ट्वा हतं जीवामि दुर्भगा
M. N. Dutt: Until the appointed time comes, one cannot die, since, wretched that I am, I am still alive after seeing you killed in battle.
कामिदानीं नरव्याघ्र श्लक्ष्णया स्मितया गिरा पितृलोके समेत्यान्यां मामिवामन्त्रयिष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: Having gone to the region of the departed manes, whom else, like me, do you address now, O foremost of men, in sweet and smiling words.
नूनमप्सरसां स्वर्गे मनांसि प्रमथिष्यसि परमेण च रूपेण गिरा च स्मितपूर्वया
M. N. Dutt: Forsooth, you will agitated the hearts of the Apsaras in heaven, with your great beauty and soft and smiling words.
प्राप्य पुण्यकृताँल्लोकानप्सरोभिः समेयिवान् सौभद्र विहरन्काले स्मरेथाः सुकृतानि मे
M. N. Dutt: Having attained the regions reserved for pious persons, you are now united, O son of Subhadra, with the Apsaras. While playing with them, recollect now and then my good acts towards you.
एतावानिह संवासो विहितस्ते मया सह षण्मासान्सप्तमे मासि त्वं वीर निधनं गतः
M. N. Dutt: Your union with me in this world had, it seems, been ordained for only six months, for on the seventh, O hero, you lost your life.
Supplementary Passages:
11.20.26 For 26cd, K2 subst.: *56 सुभद्रां भद्रचरित स्मरेथास्त्रिदिवं गतः
इत्युक्तवचनामेतामपकर्षन्ति दुःखिताम् उत्तरां मोघसंकल्पां मत्स्यराजकुलस्त्रियः
M. N. Dutt: O Krishna, the ladies of the royal house of Matsya are dragging away the sorrowful Uttara, disappointed, and even lamenting in this way.
उत्तरामपकृष्यैनामार्तामार्ततराः स्वयम् विराटं निहतं दृष्ट्वा क्रोशन्ति विलपन्ति च
M. N. Dutt: Dragging away the sorrow-stricken Uttara, those ladies, themselves still more aggrieved then that girl, are weeping and bewailing aloud at sight of the slain Virata.
द्रोणास्त्रशरसंकृत्तं शयानं रुधिरोक्षितम् विराटं वितुदन्त्येते गृध्रगोमायुवायसाः
M. N. Dutt: Wounded with the weapons and arrows of Drona, lying down oi. earth, and bathed in blood, Virata is encompassed by the screaming vultures and yelling jackals and crows ravens.
वितुद्यमानं विहगैर्विराटमसितेक्षणाः न शक्नुवन्ति विवशा निवर्तयितुमातुराः
M. N. Dutt: Those black-eyed ladies, approaching the dead body of Matsya king over which carnivorous birds are uttering cries of joy, are trying to turn the body. Weakened by grief, they are unable to do what they wish.
आसामातपतप्तानामायासेन च योषिताम् श्रमेण च विवर्णानां रूपाणां विगतं वपुः
M. N. Dutt: Scorched by the Sun, and exhausted with fatigue and toil, their faces have become colourless and pale.
उत्तरं चाभिमन्युं च काम्बोजं च सुदक्षिणम् शिशूनेतान्हतान्पश्य लक्ष्मणं च सुदर्शनम् आयोधनशिरोमध्ये शयानं पश्य माधव
M. N. Dutt: See also, O Madhava, those other children besides Abhimanyu, viz., Uttara, Sudakshina the prince of the Kamvojas, and the beautiful Lakshmana, all lying on the field of battle.' Scorched by the Sun, and exhausted with fatigue and toil, their faces have become colourless and pale.
Supplementary Passages:
11.20.32 After 32cd, T G1 M ins.: *57 कार्ष्णिनाभिहतं कृष्ण लक्ष्मणं प्रियदर्शनम्