Kripa, Kritavarma and Ashvatthama Meet Dhritarashtra

Verse 1 (11.10.1)

क्रोशमात्रं ततो गत्वा ददृशुस्तान्महारथान् । शारद्वतं कृपं द्रौणिं कृतवर्माणमेव च ॥

krośamātraṃ tato gatvā dadṛśustānmahārathān | śāradvataṃ kṛpaṃ drauṇiṃ kṛtavarmāṇameva ca

Going on about a krosha, they saw those great chariot-warriors: Kripa, son of Sharadvat, Ashvatthama, and Kritavarma.

Verse 2 (11.10.2)

ते तु दृष्ट्वैव राजानं प्रज्ञाचक्षुषमीश्वरम् । अश्रुकण्ठा विनिःश्वस्य रुदन्तमिदमब्रुवन् ॥

te tu dṛṣṭvaiva rājānaṃ prajñācakṣuṣamīśvaram | aśrukaṇṭhā viniḥśvasya rudantamidamabruvan

The moment they saw the king, the lord whose eyes were wisdom, they sighed, their throats choked with tears, and spoke these words to the weeping king.

Verse 3 (11.10.3)

पुत्रस्तव महाराज कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम् । गतः सानुचरो राजञ्शक्रलोकं महीपते ॥

putrastava mahārāja kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram | gataḥ sānucaro rājañśakralokaṃ mahīpate

Your son, O great king, having done a most difficult deed, has gone with his followers to the world of Indra, O lord of the earth.

Note on the text: Spoken jointly by the three warriors (the page prints no heading; the preceding verse says "they spoke").

Verse 4 (11.10.4)

दुर्योधनबलान्मुक्ता वयमेव त्रयो रथाः । सर्वमन्यत्परिक्षीणं सैन्यं ते भरतर्षभ ॥

duryodhanabalānmuktā vayameva trayo rathāḥ | sarvamanyatparikṣīṇaṃ sainyaṃ te bharatarṣabha

Of Duryodhana's force only we three chariot-warriors have escaped; all the rest of your army, O best of the Bharatas, is destroyed.

Verse 5 (11.10.5)

इत्येवमुक्त्वा राजानं कृपः शारद्वतस्ततः । गान्धारीं पुत्रशोकार्तामिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

ityevamuktvā rājānaṃ kṛpaḥ śāradvatastataḥ | gāndhārīṃ putraśokārtāmidaṃ vacanamabravīt

Having spoken thus to the king, Kripa, son of Sharadvat, then addressed these words to Gandhari, who was afflicted by grief for her sons.

Verse 6 (11.10.6)

अभीता युध्यमानास्ते घ्नन्तः शत्रुगणान्बहून् । वीरकर्माणि कुर्वाणाः पुत्रास्ते निधनं गताः ॥

abhītā yudhyamānāste ghnantaḥ śatrugaṇānbahūn | vīrakarmāṇi kurvāṇāḥ putrāste nidhanaṃ gatāḥ

Fearless, fighting, slaying many hosts of enemies and performing deeds of heroes, your sons have met their end.

Note on the text: Kripa speaks to Gandhari from here to verse 17 (the page prints no heading; the previous verse introduces his speech).

Verse 7 (11.10.7)

ध्रुवं सम्प्राप्य लोकांस्ते निर्मलाञ्शस्त्रनिर्जितान् । भास्वरं देहमास्थाय विहरन्त्यमरा इव ॥

dhruvaṃ samprāpya lokāṃste nirmalāñśastranirjitān | bhāsvaraṃ dehamāsthāya viharantyamarā iva

Surely they have won the spotless worlds gained by the sword, and, taking on shining bodies, they move about like immortals.

Note on the text: Corrected ध्रवं → ध्रुवं (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped vowel sign (ध्रवं for ध्रुवं); the critical edition reads dhruvaṃ).

Verse 8 (11.10.8)

सर्वे ह्यभिमुखा राज्ञि युध्यमाना हता युधि । न हि कश्चिद्धि शूराणां युध्यमानः पराङ्मुखः । शस्त्रेण निधनं प्राप्तो न च कश्चित्कृताञ्जलिः ॥

sarve hyabhimukhā rājñi yudhyamānā hatā yudhi | na hi kaściddhi śūrāṇāṃ yudhyamānaḥ parāṅmukhaḥ | śastreṇa nidhanaṃ prāpto na ca kaścitkṛtāñjaliḥ

All of them, O queen, fell in battle facing the enemy, fighting; for none of those heroes, while fighting, ever turned his back, and none met death by the weapon with folded hands.

Note on the text: Lines 2-3 are CE 11.10.8 (ab, cd). Line 1 corresponds to the CE star passage *0032_01 (after 11.10.7d: sarve hy abhimukhāḥ śūrā yudhyamānā hatāribhiḥ), in different wording.

Verse 9 (11.10.9)

एतां तां क्षत्रियस्याहुः पुराणाः परमां गतिम् । शस्त्रेण निधनं सङ्ख्ये तान्न शोचितुमर्हसि ॥

etāṃ tāṃ kṣatriyasyāhuḥ purāṇāḥ paramāṃ gatim | śastreṇa nidhanaṃ saṅkhye tānna śocitumarhasi

The ancients call this the highest goal of a kshatriya: death by the weapon in battle. You should not grieve for them.

Verse 10 (11.10.10)

न चापि शत्रवस्तेषां मुच्यन्ते राज्ञि पाण्डवाः । शृणु यत्कृतमस्माभिरश्वत्थामपुरोगमैः ॥

na cāpi śatravasteṣāṃ mucyante rājñi pāṇḍavāḥ | śṛṇu yatkṛtamasmābhiraśvatthāmapurogamaiḥ

Nor, O queen, are their enemies, the Pandavas, to be let go free. Hear what we, with Ashvatthama at our head, have done.

Verse 11 (11.10.11)

अधर्मेण हतं श्रुत्वा भीमसेनेन ते सुतम् । सुप्तं शिबिरमासाद्य पाण्डूनां कदनं कृतम् ॥

adharmeṇa hataṃ śrutvā bhīmasenena te sutam | suptaṃ śibiramāsādya pāṇḍūnāṃ kadanaṃ kṛtam

Hearing that your son had been struck down unjustly by Bhimasena, we entered the camp of the sleeping Pandavas and made a slaughter among them.

Verse 12 (11.10.12)

पाञ्चाला निहताः सर्वे धृष्टद्युम्नपुरोगमाः । द्रुपदस्यात्मजाश्चैव द्रौपदेयाश्च पातिताः ॥

pāñcālā nihatāḥ sarve dhṛṣṭadyumnapurogamāḥ | drupadasyātmajāścaiva draupadeyāśca pātitāḥ

All the Panchalas, headed by Dhrishtadyumna, were killed, and the sons of Drupada and the sons of Draupadi were struck down.

Verse 13 (11.10.13)

तथा विशसनं कृत्वा पुत्रशत्रुगणस्य ते । प्राद्रवाम रणे स्थातुं न हि शक्ष्यामहे त्रयः ॥

tathā viśasanaṃ kṛtvā putraśatrugaṇasya te | prādravāma raṇe sthātuṃ na hi śakṣyāmahe trayaḥ

Having thus made a slaughter of your son's enemies, we fled; for we three cannot hold our ground in battle.

Verse 14 (11.10.14)

ते हि शूरा महेष्वासाः क्षिप्रमेष्यन्ति पाण्डवाः । अमर्षवशमापन्ना वैरं प्रतिजिहीर्षवः ॥

te hi śūrā maheṣvāsāḥ kṣiprameṣyanti pāṇḍavāḥ | amarṣavaśamāpannā vairaṃ pratijihīrṣavaḥ

Those heroic Pandavas, mighty archers, will come swiftly, in the grip of rage, wishing to avenge the enmity.

Verse 15 (11.10.15)

ते हतानात्मजाञ्श्रुत्वा प्रमत्ताः पुरुषर्षभाः । अन्विष्यन्तः पदं शूराः क्षिप्रमेष्यन्ति पाण्डवाः ॥

te hatānātmajāñśrutvā pramattāḥ puruṣarṣabhāḥ | anviṣyantaḥ padaṃ śūrāḥ kṣiprameṣyanti pāṇḍavāḥ

When they hear that their sons are slain, those bulls among men, beside themselves with grief, will come quickly, heroes seeking our track.

Verse 16 (11.10.16)

तेषां तु किल्बिषं कृत्वा संस्थातुं नोत्सहामहे । अनुजानीहि नो राज्ञि मा च शोके मनः कृथाः ॥

teṣāṃ tu kilbiṣaṃ kṛtvā saṃsthātuṃ notsahāmahe | anujānīhi no rājñi mā ca śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ

Having wronged them, we dare not stay here. Give us leave, O queen, and do not set your mind on grief.

Verse 17 (11.10.17)

राजंस्त्वमनुजानीहि धैर्यमातिष्ठ चोत्तमम् । दिष्टान्तं पश्य चापि त्वं क्षात्रं धर्मं च केवलम् ॥

rājaṃstvamanujānīhi dhairyamātiṣṭha cottamam | diṣṭāntaṃ paśya cāpi tvaṃ kṣātraṃ dharmaṃ ca kevalam

O king, give us leave, and hold to the highest steadiness. See that death is the end ordained by fate, and see the warrior's duty alone.

Verse 18 (11.10.18)

इत्येवमुक्त्वा राजानं कृत्वा चाभिप्रदक्षिणम् । कृपश्च कृतवर्मा च द्रोणपुत्रश्च भारत ॥

ityevamuktvā rājānaṃ kṛtvā cābhipradakṣiṇam | kṛpaśca kṛtavarmā ca droṇaputraśca bhārata

Having spoken thus to the king and circled him with respect, Kripa, Kritavarma and Drona's son, O Bharata,

Note on the text: Corrected द्रोमपुत्रश्च → द्रोणपुत्रश्च (misprint in Wikisource; a mistyped consonant (म for ण); the critical edition reads droṇaputraś ca).

Verse 19 (11.10.19)

अवेक्षमाणा राजानं धृतराष्ट्रं मनीषिणम् । गङ्गामनु महाराज तूर्णमश्वानचोदयन् ॥

avekṣamāṇā rājānaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ manīṣiṇam | gaṅgāmanu mahārāja tūrṇamaśvānacodayan

looking back at the wise king Dhritarashtra, O great king, swiftly urged their horses along the Ganga.

Verse 20 (11.10.20)

अपक्रम्य तु ते राजन्सर्व एव महारथाः । आमन्त्र्यान्योन्यमुद्विग्नास्त्रिधा ते प्रययुस्तदा ॥

apakramya tu te rājansarva eva mahārathāḥ | āmantryānyonyamudvignāstridhā te prayayustadā

Having moved away, O king, all those great chariot-warriors took leave of one another, distressed, and then set off in three directions.

Verse 21 (11.10.21)

जगाम हास्तिनपुरं कृपः शारद्वतस्तदा । स्वमेव राष्ट्रं हार्दिक्यो द्रौणिर्व्यासाश्रमं ययौ ॥

jagāma hāstinapuraṃ kṛpaḥ śāradvatastadā | svameva rāṣṭraṃ hārdikyo drauṇirvyāsāśramaṃ yayau

Kripa, son of Sharadvat, went to Hastinapura; Hardikya, Kritavarma, to his own kingdom; and Drona's son to Vyasa's hermitage.

Verse 22 (11.10.22)

एवं ते प्रययुर्वीरा वीक्षमाणाः परस्परम् । भयार्ताः पाण्डुपुत्राणामागस्कृत्वा महात्मनाम् ॥

evaṃ te prayayurvīrā vīkṣamāṇāḥ parasparam | bhayārtāḥ pāṇḍuputrāṇāmāgaskṛtvā mahātmanām

So those heroes went, looking at one another, fearful because they had wronged the great-souled sons of Pandu.

Verse 23 (11.10.23)

समेत्य वीरा राजानं तदा त्वनुदिते रवौ । विप्रजग्मुर्महात्मानो यथेष्टकमरिन्दमाः ॥

sametya vīrā rājānaṃ tadā tvanudite ravau | viprajagmurmahātmāno yatheṣṭakamarindamāḥ

Having met the king, those great-souled heroes, tamers of foes, dispersed as they pleased, when the sun had not yet risen.

Note on the text: Corrected रषौ → रवौ (misprint in Wikisource; a mistyped consonant (ष for व); the critical edition reads ravau).

Verse 24 (11.10.24)

समासाद्याथ वै द्रौणिं पाण्डुपुत्रा महारथाः । व्यजयंस्ते रणे राजन्विक्रम्य तदनन्तरम् ॥

samāsādyātha vai drauṇiṃ pāṇḍuputrā mahārathāḥ | vyajayaṃste raṇe rājanvikramya tadanantaram

Afterwards the great chariot-warriors, the sons of Pandu, came upon Drona's son and, putting forth their prowess, overcame him in battle, O king.

Note on the text: Removed the editorial square brackets (and the doubled danda) that Wikisource prints around this verse. Not in the main text of the critical edition; the same two lines occur there only as star passage *0033_01-02 (after 11.10.23d), with the reading vyajayanta for vyajayaṃs te. Wikisource prints the verse in square brackets.