have perished, my heart seems to break into pieces.
Although in consequence of my blindness I never saw
their forms, still I cherished a great love for them
in consequence of the affection one feels for his
children. Hearing that they had passed out of
childhood and entered the period of youth and then
of early manhood, I became exceedingly glad, O sinless
one. Hearing today that have been slain and divested
of prosperity and energy, I fail to obtain peace of
mind, being overwhelmed with grief on account of the
distress that has overtaken them. Come, come,
O king of kings (Duryodhana) to me that am without
a protector now! Deprived of thee, O mighty-armed
one, what will be my plight? Why, O sire, abandoning
all the assembled kings dost thou lie on the bare
ground, deprived of life, like an ordinary and wretched
king? Having been, O monarch, the refuge of kinsmen
and friends, where dost thou go now, O hero, abandoning
me that am blind and old? Where now, O king,
is that compassion of thine, that love, and that respectfulness?
Invincible as thou wert in battle, how, alas, hast
thou been slain by the Parthas? Who will now,
after I will have waked from sleep at the proper hour,
repeatedly address me in such endearing and respectful
words as, “O father, O father,” “O
great king,” “O Lord of the world”
and affectionately clasping my neck with moistened
eyes, will seek my orders, saying, “Command me,
O thou of Kuru’s race.” Address me,
O son, in that sweet language once more. O dear
child, I heard even these words from thy lips, “This
wide earth is as much ours as it is of Pritha’s
son. Bhagadatta and Kripa and Shalya and the two
princes of Avanti and Jayadratha and Bhurishrava and
Sala and Somadatta and Bahlika and Ashvatthama and
the chief of the Bhojas and the mighty prince of Magadha
and Vrihadvala and the ruler of the Kasi and Shakuni
the son of Subala and many thousands of Mlecchas and
Sakas and Yavanas, and Sudakshina the ruler of the
Kambojas and the king of the Trigartas and the grandsire
Bhishma and Bharadwaja’s son and Gotama’s
son (Kripa) and Srutayush and Ayutayush and Satayush
of great energy, and Jalasandha and Rishyasringa’s
son and the Rakshasa Alayudha, and the mighty-armed
Alambusa and the great car-warrior Subala—these
and numerous other kings, O best of monarchs, have
taken up arms for my sake, prepared to cast away their
very lives in great battle, stationed on the field
amidst these, and surrounded by my brothers, I will
fight against all the Parthas and the Pancalas and
the Cedis, O tiger among kings, and the sons of Draupadi
and Satyaki and Kunti-Bhoja and the rakshasa Ghatotkaca.
Even one amongst these, O king, excited with rage,
is able to resist in battle the Pandavas rushing towards
him. What need I say then of all these heroes,
every one of whom has wrong to avenge on the Pandavas,
when united together? All these, O monarch, will
fight with the followers of the Pandavas and will
slay them in battle. Karna alone, with myself,