Time comes, O king, one cannot escape!  Time drags all kinds of creatures.  There is none dear or hateful to Time, O best of the Kurus!  As the wind tears off the ends of all blades of grass, even so all creatures, O bull of Bharatas race, are brought by Time under its influence.  All creatures are like members of the same caravan bound for the same destination.  What cause of sorrow is there if Time meets with one a little earlier than with another?  Those again, O king, that have fallen in battle and for whom thou grievest, are not really objects of thy grief, since all those illustrious ones have gone to heaven.  By sacrifices with profuse presents, by ascetic austerities, and by knowledge, people cannot so easily repair to heaven as heroes by courage in battle.  All those heroes were conversant with the Vedas; all of them were observant of vows; all of them have perished, facing the foe in battle.  What cause of sorrow then is there?  They poured their arrowy libations upon the bodies of their brave foes as upon a fire.  Foremost of men, they bore in return the arrowy libations poured upon themselves.  I tell thee, O king, that there is no better way to heaven for a Kshatriya than through battle.  All of them were high-souled Kshatriyas, all of them were heroes and ornaments of assemblies.  They have attained to a high state of blessedness.  One should not grieve for them.  Do thou comfort thy own self.  Do not grieve, O bull among men!  It behoveth thee not to suffer thyself to be overwhelmed with sorrow and abandon all action.”

10

Vaishampayana said, “Hearing these words of Vidura, that bull of Bharatas race (Dhritarashtra) ordered his car to be yoked.  The king once more said, Bring Gandhari hither without delay, and all the Bharata ladies.  Bring hither Kunti also, as well as all the other ladies with her.  Having said these words unto Vidura, conversant with every duty, Dhritarashtra of righteous soul, deprived of his senses by sorrow, ascended on his car.  Then Gandhari, afflicted with grief on account of the death of her sons, accompanied by Kunti and the other ladies of the royal household, came at the command of her lord to that spot where the latter was waiting for her.  Afflicted with grief, they came together to the king.  As they met, they accosted each other and uttered loud wails of woe.  Then Vidura, who had become more afflicted than those ladies, began to comfort them.  Placing those weeping fair ones on the cars that stood ready for them, he set out (with them) from the city.  At that time a loud wail of woe arose from every Kuru house.  The whole city, including the very children, became exceedingly afflicted with grief.  Thoseladies that had not before this been seen by the very gods were now helpless, as they were, for the loss of their lords, seen by the common people.  With their beautiful tresses all dishevelled and their ornaments cast off, those ladies, each attired in a single piece of raiment,