SECTION LXXVII

“Sanjaya said, ’Both Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, afflicted with sorrow and grief and frequently sighing like two snakes, got no sleep that night.  Understanding that both Nara and Narayana were in rage, the gods with Vasava became very anxious thinking, ‘What will come of it?’ Fierce winds, that were again dry and foreboded danger, began to blow.  And a headless trunk and a mace appeared on the disc of the sun.  And although it was cloudless, frequent thunders were heard, of loud report, mixed with flashes of lightning.  The earth with her mountains and waters and forests, shook.  The seas, those habitation of Makaras, swelled O king, in agitation.  The rivers ran in directions opposite to their usual course.  The nether and upper lips of car-warriors and steeds and men and elephants began to tremble.  And as if for gladdening the cannibals, on that occasion foreboding a great accession of population to the domain of Yama, the animals (on the field) began to eject urine and excreta, and utter loud cries of woe.  Beholding these fierce omens that made the hair stand on end, and hearing also of the fierce vow of the mighty Arjuna, all thy warriors, O bull of Bharata’s race became exceedingly agitated.  Then the mighty-armed son of Pakasasana said unto Krishna.  ’Go, and comfort thy sister Subhadra with her daughter-in-law.  And, O Madhava, let also that daughter-in-law, and her companions, be comforted by thee; O lord, comfort them with soothing words that are again fraught with truth.’  Thus addressed, Vasudeva, with a cheerless heart, wending to Arjuna’s abode, began to comfort his sorrowing sister afflicted with grief on account of the death of her son.’

“Vasudeva said, ’O lady of Vrishni’s race, do not grieve, with thy daughter-in-law, for thy son.  G timid one, all creatures have but one end ordained by Time.  The end thy son hath met with-that becometh a hero of proud lineage, especially who is a Kshatriya.  Do not, therefore, grieve.  By good luck it is that mighty car-warrior of great wisdom, of prowess equal to that of his father, hath, after the Kshatriya custom, met with an end that is coveted by heroes.  Having vanquished numberless foes and despatched them unto Yama’s presence, he hath himself repaired to those eternal regions, that grant the fruition of every wish, and that are for the righteous.  Thy son hath attained that end which the righteous attain by penance, by Brahmacharya, by knowledge of the scriptures, and by wisdom.  The mother of a hero, the wife of a hero, the daughter of a hero, and a kinsman of heroes, O amiable one, grieve not thou for thy son who hath obtained the supreme end.  The wretched ruler of the Sindhus, O beautiful lady, that murderer of a child, that perpetrator of a sinful act, shall, with his friends and kinsmen, obtain the fruit of this arrogance of his on the expiry of this night.  Even if he enters the abode of Indra himself he will not escape from the hands of