of my son, O Krishna"--and fell down on the earth (in a swoon).
Vasudeva beheld his daughter fallen on the ground. As soon as he saw
this, he also fell down, deprived of his senses by grief. (Regaining his
senses) Vasudeva, afflicted with grief at the death of his daughter's
son, O king, addressed Krishna, saying, "O lotus-eyed one, thou art famed
on Earth for being truthful in speech. Why, however, O slayer of foes,
dost thou not tell me today of the death of my daughter's son? O puissant
one, tell me in detail of the slaughter of thy sister's son. Possessed of
eyes resembling thine, alas, how was he slain in battle by foes? Since my
heart does not from grief break into a hundred pieces, it seems, O thou
of the Vrishni's race, that it does not die with men when its hour does
not come. Oh, at the time of his fall, what words did he utter,
apostrophising his mother? O lotus-eyed one what did that darling of
mine, possessed of restless eyes, say unto me? I hope he has not been
slain by foes while retreating from battle with his back towards them? I
hope, O Govinda, that, his face did not become cheerless while fighting?
He was possessed, O Krishna, of mighty energy. From a spirit of
boyishness, that puissant hero, boasting (of his prowess) in my presence,
used to speak of his skill (in battle). I hope that boy does not lie on
the field, slain deceitfully by Drona and Karna and Kripa and others? Do
thou tell me this. That son of my daughter always used to challenge
Bhishma and that foremost of all mighty warriors, viz., Karna, in
battle." Unto his sire who, from excess of grief, indulged in such
lamentations, Govinda, more afflicted than he answered in these words.
"His face did not become cheerless as he fought in the van of battle.
Fierce though that battle was, he did not turn his back upon it. Having
slain hundreds and thousands of kings of Earth, he was brought to grief
by Drona and Karna and at last succumbed to the son of Dussasana. If, O
lord, he had been encountered, one to one, without intermission, he was
incapable of being slain in battle by even the wielder of the
thunderbolt. When his sire Arjuna was withdrawn from the main body by the
Samsaptakas (who challenged to fight him separately), Abhimanyu was
surrounded by the enraged Kaurava heroes headed by Drona in battle. Then,
O sire, after he had slaughtered a very large number of foes in battle,
thy daughter's son at last succumbed to the son of Dussasana. With