the son
of Pandu, hath achieved the most difficult feats. Deprived of life, he
now lies on the ground. Weapons refused to come (at last) at his bidding.
Placing him at their head, the Kauravas had challenged the Pandavas. That
foremost of all wielders of weapons was at last mangled with weapons. As
he careered in battle, scorching his foes in every direction, his course
resembled that of a blazing conflagration. Alas, deprived of life, he now
lieth on the ground, like an extinguished fire. The handle of the bow is
yet in his grasp. The leathern fences, O Madhava, still encase his
fingers. Though slain, he still looketh as if alive. The four Vedas, and
all kinds of weapons, O Keshava, did not abandon that hero even as these
do not abandon the Lord Prajapati himself. His auspicious feet, deserving
of every adoration and adored as a matter of fact by bards and eulogists
and worshipped by disciples, are now being dragged by jackals. Deprived
of her senses by grief, Kripi woefully attendeth, O slayer of Madhu, on
that Drona who hath been slain by Drupada's son. Behold that afflicted
lady, fallen upon the Earth, with dishevelled hair and face hanging down.
Alas, she attendeth in sorrow upon her lifeless lord, that foremost of all
wielders of weapons, lying on the ground. Many brahmacaris, with matted
locks on their head, are attending upon the body of Drona that is cased
in armour rent through and through, O Keshava, with the shafts of
Dhrishtadyumna. The illustrious and delicate Kripi, cheerless and
afflicted, is endeavouring to perform the last rites on the body of her
lord slain in battle. There, those reciters of Samas, having placed the
body of Drona on the funeral pyre and having ignited the fire with due
rites, are singing the three (well-known) Samas. Those brahmacaris, with
matted locks on their heads, have piled the funeral pyre of that Brahmana
with bows and darts and car-boxes, O Madhava! Having collected diverse
other kinds of shafts, that hero of great energy is being consumed by
them. Indeed, having placed him on the pyre, they are singing and
weeping. Others are reciting the three (well-known) Samas that are used
on such occasions. Consuming Drona on that fire, like fire in fire, those
disciples of his of the regenerate class are proceeding towards the banks
of the Ganga, along the left side of the pyre and having placed Kripi at
their head!'"

24

"Gandhari said, 'Behold the son of Somadatta, who was sl