l one's
hour comes, since neither myself, nor my mother is deprived of life (at
even such a sight). Alas, alas, the golden coat of mail of this foremost
hero of Kuru's race, slain by me, his son, knowingly, is lying on the
ground, cut off from his body. Alas, ye Brahmanas, behold my heroic sire
lying prostrate on the Earth, on a hero's bed, slain by his son. What
benefit is done to this hero, slain by me in battle, by those Brahmanas
who were commissioned to attend upon this foremost one of Kuru's race
engaged in following the steed? Let the Brahmanas direct what expiation
should now be undergone by me, a cruel and sinful wretch, that has slain
his own sire in battle. Having slain my own sire, I should, suffering
every kind of misery, wander over the Earth, cruel that I am, covering
myself with his skin. Give me the two halves of my sire's head today,
(so that I may wander over the Earth with them for that period), for
there is no other expiation for me that have slain my own sire. Behold, O
daughter of the foremost of snakes, thy husband slain by me. Verily, by
slaying Arjuna in battle I have accomplished what is agreeable to thee. I
shall today follow in the track by which my sire has gone. O blessed one,
I am unable to comfort myself. Be happy today, O mother, seeing myself
and the wielder of Gandiva both embrace death today. I swear to thee by
truth itself (that I shall cast off my life-breaths)." Having said these
words, the king, deeply afflicted with grief, O monarch, touched water,
and exclaimed in sorrow, "Let all creatures, mobile and immobile, listen
to me. Do thou also listen to me, O mother. I say the truth, O best of
all daughters of the snakes. If this best of men, Jaya, my sire, does not
rise up, I shall emaciate my own body, sitting on the field of battle.
Having slain my sire, there is no rescue for me (from that dire sin).
Afflicted as I am with the sin of slaying my sire, I shall without doubt
have to sink in Hell. By slaying a heroic Kshatriya one becomes cleansed
by making a gift of a hundred kine. By slaying my sire, however, so dire
has been my sin that any rescue is impossible. This Dhananjaya, the son
of Pandu, was the one hero endued with mighty energy. Possessed of
righteous soul, he was the author of my being. How can I be rescued after
having slain him?" Having uttered these lamentations, the high-souled son
of Dhananjaya, king Vabhruvahana, touched water and became silent, vowing
to starve h