Vaishampayana continued, “Hearing these cruel words, Dhritarashtra, that ruler of men, fell down, O monarch, on the earth, deprived of his senses.  As soon as the king fell down, Vidura also, of great fame, O monarch, afflicted with sorrow on account of the king’s distress, fell down on the earth.  Gandhari also, O best of kings, and all the Kuru ladies, suddenly fell down on the ground, hearing those cruel words.  That entire conclave of royal persons remained lying on the ground, deprived of their senses and raving deliriously, like figures painted on a large piece of canvas.  Then king Dhritarashtra, that lord of earth, afflicted with the calamity represented by the death of his sons, slowly and with difficulty regained his life-breaths.  Having recovered his senses, the king, with trembling limbs and sorrowful heart, turned his face on every side, and said these words unto Kshattri (Vidura).  ’O learned Kshattri, O thou of great wisdom, thou, O bull of Bharata’s race, art now my refuge.  I am lordless and destitute of all my sons.’  Having said this, he once more fell down, deprived of his senses.  Beholding him fallen, all his kinsmen that were present there sprinkled cold water over him and fanned him with fans.  Comforted after a long while, that lord of earth, afflicted with sorrow on account of the death of his sons, remained silent, sighing heavily, O monarch, like a snake put into a jar.  Sanjaya also wept aloud, beholding the king so afflicted.  All the ladies too, with Gandhari of great celebrity, did the same.  After a long while, O best of men, Dhritarashtra, having repeatedly swooned, addressed Vidura, saying, ’Let all the ladies retire, as also Gandhari of great fame, and all these friends.  My mind hath become greatly unsettled.’  Thus addressed, Vidura, repeatedly trembling, slowly dismissed the ladies, O bull of Bharata’s race.  All those ladies retired, O chief of the Bharatas, as also all those friends, beholding the king deeply afflicted.  Then Sanjaya cheerlessly looked at the king, O scorcher of foes, who, having recovered his senses, was weeping in great affliction.  With joined hands, Vidura then, in sweet words, comforted that ruler of men who was sighing incessantly.’”

2

Vaishampayana said, “After the ladies had been dismissed, Dhritarashtra, the son of Ambika, plunged into grief greater than that which had afflicted him before, began, O monarch, to indulge in lamentations, exhaling breaths that resembled smoke, and repeatedly waving his arms, and reflecting a little, O monarch, he said these words.

“Dhritarashtra said, ’Alas, O Suta, the intelligence is fraught with great grief that I hear from thee, that the Pandavas are all safe and have suffered no loss in battle.  Without doubt, my hard heart is made of the essence of thunder, since it breaketh not upon hearing of the fall of my sons.  Thinking of their ages, O Sanjaya, and of their sports in childhood, and learning today that all of them