Abhimanyu, Uttara and the Matsya Women

Verse 1 (11.20.1)

अध्यर्धगुणमाहुर्यं बले शौर्ये च केशव । पित्रा त्वया च दाशार्ह दृप्तं सिंहमिवोत्कटम् ॥

adhyardhaguṇamāhuryaṃ bale śaurye ca keśava | pitrā tvayā ca dāśārha dṛptaṃ siṃhamivotkaṭam

Him whom people called one and a half times his father and you in strength and valour, Keshava, O Dasharha: proud, fierce as a lion.

Verse 2 (11.20.2)

यो बिभेद चमूमेको मम पुत्रस्य दुर्भिदाम् । स भूत्वा मृत्युरन्येषां स्वयं मृत्युवशं गतः ॥

yo bibheda camūmeko mama putrasya durbhidām | sa bhūtvā mṛtyuranyeṣāṃ svayaṃ mṛtyuvaśaṃ gataḥ

He who alone broke through the army of my son, so hard to break, and who became Death to others, has himself fallen under Death's power.

Verse 3 (11.20.3)

तस्योपलक्षये कृष्ण कार्ष्णेरमिततेजसः । अभिमन्योर्हतस्यापि प्रभा नैवोपशाम्यति ॥

tasyopalakṣaye kṛṣṇa kārṣṇeramitatejasaḥ | abhimanyorhatasyāpi prabhā naivopaśāmyati

Even though he is slain, Krishna, I can see that the radiance of Abhimanyu, Arjuna's son of boundless splendour, does not fade.

Verse 4 (11.20.4)

एषा विराटदुहिता स्नुषा गाण्डीवधन्वनः । हतं बाला पतिं वीरं दृष्ट्वा शोचत्यनिन्दिता ॥

eṣā virāṭaduhitā snuṣā gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ | hataṃ bālā patiṃ vīraṃ dṛṣṭvā śocatyaninditā

Here is Virata's daughter, the daughter-in-law of the wielder of the Gandiva; seeing her heroic husband slain, the poor young woman, herself blameless, grieves.

Verse 5 (11.20.5)

तमेषा हि समागम्य भार्या भर्तारमन्तिके । विराटदुहिता कृष्ण पाणिना परिमार्जति ॥

tameṣā hi samāgamya bhāryā bhartāramantike | virāṭaduhitā kṛṣṇa pāṇinā parimārjati

This wife, Krishna, Virata's daughter, has come close to her husband and wipes him with her hand.

Verse 6 (11.20.6)

तस्य वक्त्रमुपाघ्राय सौभद्रस्य मनस्विनी । विबुद्धकमलाकारं कम्बुवृत्तशिरोधरम् ॥

tasya vaktramupāghrāya saubhadrasya manasvinī | vibuddhakamalākāraṃ kambuvṛttaśirodharam

The high-minded woman has kissed the face of Saubhadra, a face like an opened lotus, with a neck rounded like a conch,

Verse 7 (11.20.7)

कामरूपवती चैषा परिष्वजति भामिनी । लज्जमाना पुरा चैनं माध्वीकमदमूर्च्छिता ॥

kāmarūpavatī caiṣā pariṣvajati bhāminī | lajjamānā purā cainaṃ mādhvīkamadamūrcchitā

and now this lovely woman embraces him, shy as she once was, and swooning as if drunk on honey-wine.

Verse 8 (11.20.8)

तस्य क्षतजसन्दिग्धं जातरूपपरिष्कृतम् । विमुच्य कवचं कृष्ण शरीरमभिवीक्षते ॥

tasya kṣatajasandigdhaṃ jātarūpapariṣkṛtam | vimucya kavacaṃ kṛṣṇa śarīramabhivīkṣate

She frees his blood-smeared body, adorned with gold, from its armour, Krishna, and gazes at it.

Note on the text: Corrected शीरम → शरीरम (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped syllable (शीर is not a word); the critical edition reads śarīram abhivīkṣate).

Verse 9 (11.20.9)

अवेक्षमाणा तं बाला कृष्ण त्वामभिभाषते । अयं ते पुण्डरीकाक्ष सदृशाक्षो निपातितः ॥

avekṣamāṇā taṃ bālā kṛṣṇa tvāmabhibhāṣate | ayaṃ te puṇḍarīkākṣa sadṛśākṣo nipātitaḥ

Gazing at him, the young woman speaks to you, Krishna: "Lotus-eyed one, this man, whose eyes were like yours, has been struck down.

Note on the text: Corrected कुष्ण → कृष्ण (misprint in Wikisource; vowel ृ lost). Corrected कसदृशाक्षो → सदृशाक्षो (misprint in Wikisource; a stray क; the critical edition reads sadṛśākṣo).

Verse 10 (11.20.10)

बले वीर्ये च सदृशस्तेजसा चैव तेऽनघ । रूपेण च तथाऽत्यर्थं शेते भुवि निपातितः ॥

bale vīrye ca sadṛśastejasā caiva te'nagha | rūpeṇa ca tathā'tyarthaṃ śete bhuvi nipātitaḥ

Equal to you in strength and valour, sinless one, and in splendour too, and in beauty likewise exceedingly, he lies struck down on the ground.

Note on the text: Speaker: the whole verse is Uttara's own speech, begun in the previous verse; the page prints no heading.

Verse 11 (11.20.11)

अत्यन्तं सुकुमारस्य राङ्कवाजिनशायिनः । कच्चिदद्य शरीरं ते भूमौ न परितप्यते ॥

atyantaṃ sukumārasya rāṅkavājinaśāyinaḥ | kaccidadya śarīraṃ te bhūmau na paritapyate

You, so very delicate, who slept on hides of the ranku deer: does your body not suffer today, lying on the ground?

Note on the text: Speaker: Uttara addresses the dead Abhimanyu from here to verse 15; the page prints no heading.

Verse 12 (11.20.12)

मातङ्गभुजवर्ष्माणौ ज्याक्षेपकठिनत्वचौ । काञ्चनाङ्गदिनौ शेते निक्षिप्य विपुलौ भुजौ । व्यायम्य बहुधा नूनं सुखसुप्तः श्रमादिव ॥

mātaṅgabhujavarṣmāṇau jyākṣepakaṭhinatvacau | kāñcanāṅgadinau śete nikṣipya vipulau bhujau | vyāyamya bahudhā nūnaṃ sukhasuptaḥ śramādiva

With arms like the trunks of elephants, the skin hardened by the lash of the bowstring, adorned with golden armlets, he lies with his two huge arms flung out, stretched in every way, as though asleep from weariness.

Note on the text: Corrected वर्ष्णाणौ → वर्ष्माणौ (misprint in Wikisource; a wrong conjunct; the critical edition reads varṣmāṇau). Not matched by the alignment. Three-line verse: lines 1–2 are the critical edition's 11.20.12ac (line 2 there reads śeṣe where Wikisource has शेते) and line 3 is 11.20.13a.

Verse 13 (11.20.13)

एवं विलपतीमार्तां किं मां न प्रतिभाषसे । न स्मराम्यपराधं ते किं मां न प्रतिभाषसे ॥

evaṃ vilapatīmārtāṃ kiṃ māṃ na pratibhāṣase | na smarāmyaparādhaṃ te kiṃ māṃ na pratibhāṣase

I am weeping like this in my distress; why do you not answer me? I remember no wrong I have done you; why do you not answer me?

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 is a variant of the critical edition's 11.20.13c (evaṃ vilapatīm ārtāṃ na hi mām abhibhāṣase); line 2 is its star passage 11.20.13d*0054_01 (na smarāmy aparādhaṃ te kiṃ māṃ na pratibhāṣase).

Verse 14 (11.20.14)

ननु मां त्वं पुरा दूरादभिवीक्ष्याभिभाषसे । न स्मराम्यपराधं मे किं मां न प्रतिभाषसे ॥

nanu māṃ tvaṃ purā dūrādabhivīkṣyābhibhāṣase | na smarāmyaparādhaṃ me kiṃ māṃ na pratibhāṣase

Did you not once speak to me, looking at me even from afar? I remember no wrong of mine; why do you not answer me?

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); line 1 is its star passage 11.20.13d*0054_02 (nanu māṃ tvaṃ purā dūrād abhivīkṣyābhibhāṣase), and line 2 repeats the previous verse's line 2 with मे for ते.

Verse 15 (11.20.15)

आर्यामार्य सुभद्रां त्वमिमांश्च त्रिदशोपमान् । पितॄन्मां चैव दुःखार्तां विहाय क्व गमिष्यसि ॥

āryāmārya subhadrāṃ tvamimāṃśca tridaśopamān | pitṝnmāṃ caiva duḥkhārtāṃ vihāya kva gamiṣyasi

Noble one, leaving your noble mother Subhadra, and these elders who are like gods, your fathers, and me in my grief, where will you go?"

Note on the text: Corrected तवमिमां श्च → त्वमिमांश्च (misprint in Wikisource; a garbled word and a stray space; the critical edition reads tvam imāṃś ca).

Verse 16 (11.20.16)

तस्य शोणितदिग्धान्वै केशानुन्नम्य पाणिना । उत्सङ्गे वक्त्रमाधाय जीवन्तमिव पृच्छति ॥

tasya śoṇitadigdhānvai keśānunnamya pāṇinā | utsaṅge vaktramādhāya jīvantamiva pṛcchati

She lifts his blood-smeared hair with her hand, lays his face in her lap, and questions him as though he were alive,

Note on the text: Corrected वक्तमाधाय → वक्त्रमाधाय (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped conjunct; the critical edition reads vaktram ādhāya). Not matched by the alignment; lines 1–2 are the critical edition's 11.20.15ac.

Verse 17 (11.20.17)

स्वस्रीयं वासुदेवस्य पुत्रं गाण्डीवधन्वनः । कथं त्वां रणमध्यस्थं जघ्नुरेते महारथाः ॥

svasrīyaṃ vāsudevasya putraṃ gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ | kathaṃ tvāṃ raṇamadhyasthaṃ jaghnurete mahārathāḥ

Vasudeva's nephew, the son of the wielder of the Gandiva: "How could these great chariot-warriors have killed you, standing in the midst of the battle?

Note on the text: Corrected जघ्रु → जघ्नु (misprint in Wikisource; घ्र for घ्न; the critical edition reads jaghnur). Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 is the critical edition's 11.20.15e and line 2 is 11.20.16a. The first line still narrates (it completes the question's introduction), so the verse stays with Gandhari; the quoted words begin in line 2.

Verse 18 (11.20.18)

धिगस्तु क्रूरकर्तॄंस्तान्कृपकर्णजयद्रथान् । द्रोणद्रौणायनी चोभौ यैरहं विधवा कृता ॥

dhigastu krūrakartṝṃstānkṛpakarṇajayadrathān | droṇadrauṇāyanī cobhau yairahaṃ vidhavā kṛtā

Shame on those cruel doers, Kripa, Karna and Jayadratha, and on Drona and Drona's son, both of them, by whom I have been made a widow!

Note on the text: Corrected द्रौणायतनी → द्रौणायनी (misprint in Wikisource; तन for न; the critical edition reads drauṇāyanī). Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 is the critical edition's 11.20.16c; line 2 corresponds to 11.20.17a (droṇadrauṇāyanī cobhau yair asi vyasanīkṛtaḥ), which Wikisource words differently (यैरहं विधवा कृता). Speaker: Uttara's own words, no heading on the page.

Verse 19 (11.20.19)

रथर्षभाणां सर्वेषां कथमासीत्तदा मनः । बालं त्वां परिवार्यैकमनेकेषां च जघ्नताम् ॥

ratharṣabhāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ kathamāsīttadā manaḥ | bālaṃ tvāṃ parivāryaikamanekeṣāṃ ca jaghnatām

What was the state of mind then of all those best of chariot-warriors, when many of them together surrounded you, a lone boy, and struck you down?

Note on the text: Corrected पिरवार्य → परिवार्य (misprint in Wikisource; a transposed vowel; the critical edition reads parivārya). Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 is the critical edition's 11.20.17c; line 2 corresponds to 11.20.18a (bālaṃ tvāṃ parivāryaikaṃ mama duḥkhāya jaghnuṣām), with a different second half in Wikisource.

Verse 20 (11.20.20)

कथं नु पाण्डवानां च पाञ्चालानां तु पश्यताम् । त्वं वीर निधनं प्राप्तो नाथवान्सन्ननाथवत् ॥

kathaṃ nu pāṇḍavānāṃ ca pāñcālānāṃ tu paśyatām | tvaṃ vīra nidhanaṃ prāpto nāthavānsannanāthavat

How was it, hero, that while the Pandavas and the Panchalas looked on, you met your death, a man with protectors, like a man with none?

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: lines 1–2 are the critical edition's 11.20.18c and 18e.

Verse 21 (11.20.21)

दृष्ट्वा बहुभिराक्रन्दे निहतं त्वां पिता तव । वीरः पुरुषशार्दूलः कथं जीवति पाण्डवः ॥

dṛṣṭvā bahubhirākrande nihataṃ tvāṃ pitā tava | vīraḥ puruṣaśārdūlaḥ kathaṃ jīvati pāṇḍavaḥ

Seeing you killed in the melee by so many, how does your father, that tiger among men, the Pandava hero, go on living?

Verse 22 (11.20.22)

न राज्यलाभो विपुलः शत्रूणां च पराभवः । प्रीतिं धास्यति पार्थानां त्वामृते पुष्करेक्षण ॥

na rājyalābho vipulaḥ śatrūṇāṃ ca parābhavaḥ | prītiṃ dhāsyati pārthānāṃ tvāmṛte puṣkarekṣaṇa

Neither the winning of a vast kingdom nor the defeat of his enemies will bring joy to the sons of Pritha without you, lotus-eyed one.

Verse 23 (11.20.23)

तव शस्त्रजिताँल्लोकान्धर्मेण च दमेन च । क्षिप्रमन्वागमिष्यामि तत्र मां प्रतिपालय ॥

tava śastrajitām̐llokāndharmeṇa ca damena ca | kṣipramanvāgamiṣyāmi tatra māṃ pratipālaya

Through dharma and self-control I shall soon follow you to the worlds you have won by your arms; wait for me there.

Verse 24 (11.20.24)

दुर्मरं पुनरप्राप्ते काले भवति केनचित् । यदहं त्वां रणे दृष्ट्वा हतं जीवामि दुर्भगा ॥

durmaraṃ punaraprāpte kāle bhavati kenacit | yadahaṃ tvāṃ raṇe dṛṣṭvā hataṃ jīvāmi durbhagā

It is hard for anyone to die before the time has come, for I, unfortunate, see you slain in battle and still live.

Note on the text: The page's footnote records दुष्करं पुनरप्राप्तं काले भवति केनचित् as another reading in some manuscripts; Wikisource's own text, matching the critical edition, is kept.

Verse 25 (11.20.25)

कामिदानीं नरव्याघ्र श्लक्ष्णया स्मितया गिरा । पितृलोके समेत्यान्यां मामिवामन्त्रयिष्यसि ॥

kāmidānīṃ naravyāghra ślakṣṇayā smitayā girā | pitṛloke sametyānyāṃ māmivāmantrayiṣyasi

Tiger among men, whom will you now address with a gentle smile and tender voice when you meet another woman in the world of the fathers, as you addressed me?

Verse 26 (11.20.26)

नूनमप्सरसां स्वर्गे मनांसि प्रमथिष्यसि । परमेण च रूपेण गिरा च स्मितपूर्वया ॥

nūnamapsarasāṃ svarge manāṃsi pramathiṣyasi | parameṇa ca rūpeṇa girā ca smitapūrvayā

Surely you will stir the minds of the apsarases in heaven with your supreme beauty and your speech that begins with a smile.

Verse 27 (11.20.27)

प्राप्य पुण्यकृताँल्लोकानप्सरोभिः समेयिवान् । सौभद्र विहरन्काले स्मरेथाः सुकृतानि मे ॥

prāpya puṇyakṛtām̐llokānapsarobhiḥ sameyivān | saubhadra viharankāle smarethāḥ sukṛtāni me

Having reached the worlds of the righteous and joined the apsarases, Saubhadra, remember my good deeds when you roam there in due time.

Note on the text: Corrected विहन्काले → विहरन्काले (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped र; the critical edition reads viharan kāle).

Verse 28 (11.20.28)

एतावानिह संवासो विहितस्ते मया सह । षण्मासान्सप्तमे मासि त्वं वीर निधनं गतः ॥

etāvāniha saṃvāso vihitaste mayā saha | ṣaṇmāsānsaptame māsi tvaṃ vīra nidhanaṃ gataḥ

This much was the time we were ordained to live together: six months, and in the seventh month, hero, you met your death."

Verse 29 (11.20.29)

इत्युक्तवचनामेनामपकर्षन्ति दुःखिताम् । उत्तरां मोघसङ्कल्पां मत्स्यराजकुलस्त्रियः ॥

ityuktavacanāmenāmapakarṣanti duḥkhitām | uttarāṃ moghasaṅkalpāṃ matsyarājakulastriyaḥ

As she speaks thus, the women of the royal house of the Matsyas draw away the wretched Uttara, whose hopes have come to nothing.

Note on the text: Speaker: narration resumes with Gandhari after Uttara's speech.

Verse 30 (11.20.30)

उत्तरामपकृष्यैनामार्तामार्ततराः स्वयम् । विराटं निहतं दृष्ट्वा क्रोशन्ति विलपन्ति च ॥

uttarāmapakṛṣyaināmārtāmārtatarāḥ svayam | virāṭaṃ nihataṃ dṛṣṭvā krośanti vilapanti ca

Having drawn Uttara away, they, in even greater distress themselves, cry out and lament at the sight of Virata slain.

Verse 31 (11.20.31)

द्रोणास्त्रशरसङ्कृत्तं शयानं रुधिरोक्षितम् । विराटं वितुदन्त्येते गृध्रगोमायुवायसाः ॥

droṇāstraśarasaṅkṛttaṃ śayānaṃ rudhirokṣitam | virāṭaṃ vitudantyete gṛdhragomāyuvāyasāḥ

Cut by Drona's missiles and arrows, lying drenched in blood, Virata is being torn at by these vultures, jackals and crows.

Verse 32 (11.20.32)

वितुद्यमानं विहगैर्विराटमसितेक्षणाः । न शक्नुवन्ति विहगान्निवारयितुमातुराः ॥

vitudyamānaṃ vihagairvirāṭamasitekṣaṇāḥ | na śaknuvanti vihagānnivārayitumāturāḥ

The dark-eyed women, distraught, are unable to drive off the birds that are tearing at Virata.

Verse 33 (11.20.33)

आसामातपतप्तानामायासेन च योषिताम् । श्रमेण च विवर्णानां वक्त्राणां विप्लुतं वपुः ॥

āsāmātapataptānāmāyāsena ca yoṣitām | śrameṇa ca vivarṇānāṃ vaktrāṇāṃ viplutaṃ vapuḥ

The bloom of these women's faces, scorched by the sun, exhausted by toil and pale with weariness, is ruined.

Verse 34 (11.20.34)

उत्तरं चाभिमन्युं च काम्भोजं च सुदक्षिणम् । कार्ष्णिनाऽभिहतं पश्य लक्ष्मणं प्रियदर्शनम् ॥

uttaraṃ cābhimanyuṃ ca kāmbhojaṃ ca sudakṣiṇam | kārṣṇinā'bhihataṃ paśya lakṣmaṇaṃ priyadarśanam

See Uttara, Abhimanyu, and Sudakshina the Kamboja, and Lakshmana, so pleasing to look upon, who was struck down by Abhimanyu.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 is the critical edition's 11.20.32a; line 2 is its star passage 11.20.32d*0057_01 (kārṣṇinābhihataṃ kṛṣṇa lakṣmaṇaṃ priyadarśanam), which Wikisource uses in place of the critical edition's line 32c (śiśūn etān hatān paśya lakṣmaṇaṃ ca sudarśanam).

Verse 35 (11.20.35)

आयोधनशिरोमध्ये शयानं पश्य माधव ॥

āyodhanaśiromadhye śayānaṃ paśya mādhava

See him, Madhava, lying at the very head of the battlefield.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment: this is the critical edition's 11.20.32e. The page's closing colophon is cut off after इति श्रीमन्महाभारते कर्णपर्वणि (it should read स्त्रीपर्वणि स्त्रीविलापपर्वणि विंशतितमोऽध्यायः); the count "विंशतितमोऽध्यायः" appears in the footnotes.