cestors!"

2

Vaishampayana said, "Upon the fall of Karna, O monarch, the son of
Gavalgana, with a cheerless heart, set out that night for Nagapura, on
steeds that rivalled the wind in speed. Arrived at Hastinapura, with a
heart filled with deep anxiety, he proceeded to Dhritarashtra's abode
which no longer teemed with kinsmen and friends. Beholding the king
deprived of all energy by grief, joining his hands he worshipped, with a
bend of his head, the monarch's feet. Having duly worshipped king
Dhritarashtra, he uttered an exclamation of woe and then began, 'I am
Sanjaya, O lord of Earth! Art thou not happy? I hope thou art not
stupefied, having through thy own faults fallen into such distress?
Counsels for thy good had been uttered by Vidura and Ganga's son and
Keshava. I hope thou feelest no pain now, remembering thy rejection of
those counsels? Counsels for thy good had also been uttered in the
assembly by Rama and Narada and Kanwa and others. I hope thou feelest no
pain now, remembering their rejection by thee? I hope thou feelest no
pain, remembering the slaughter in battle, by the foe, of Bhishma and
Drona and others, those friends that were ever engaged in thy good?' Unto
the Suta's son who with joined hands was telling him so, the monarch
afflicted with grief and drawing a long and hot breath, said these words.

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Hearing, O Sanjaya, of the fall of the heroic son
of Ganga, that warrior of all celestial weapons, as also of the fall of
that foremost of all bowmen, Drona, my heart feeleth great pain! That
hero endued with great energy and born of the Vasus themselves, who slew
every day 10,000 car-warriors clad in mail, that high-souled one unto
whom Bhrigu's son had given the highest weapons, that warrior who in his
childhood had been trained in the science of the bow by Rama, alas, even
he hath been slain by Yajnasena's son Shikhandi protected by the
Pandavas! At this my heart is greatly pained! That hero through whose
grace those mighty car-warriors, the royal sons of Kunti, as also many
other lords of Earth, have become maharathas, alas, hearing of the
slaughter of that great bowman of sure aim, Drona, by Dhrishtadyumna, my
heart is exceedingly pained! Those two had not in the world a person
equal to them in (knowledge and use of) the four kinds of weapons! Alas,
hearing of the slaughter of these two, Bhishma and Drona, in battle my
heart is exceedingly pained! That warrior who had not