Gandhari Shows Krishna the Fallen: Shalya, Bhishma and Drona

Verse 1 (11.23.1)

एष शल्यो हतः शेते साक्षान्नकुलमातुलः । धर्मज्ञेन हतस्तात धर्मराजेन संयुगे ॥

eṣa śalyo hataḥ śete sākṣānnakulamātulaḥ | dharmajñena hatastāta dharmarājena saṃyuge

Here lies Shalya, slain, the very maternal uncle of Nakula, struck down in battle, my dear, by Yudhishthira, the king of dharma, who knows what is right.

Verse 2 (11.23.2)

यस्त्वया स्पर्धते नित्यं सर्वत्र पुरुषर्षभ । स एष निहतः शेते मद्रराजो महाबलः ॥

yastvayā spardhate nityaṃ sarvatra puruṣarṣabha | sa eṣa nihataḥ śete madrarājo mahābalaḥ

He who always vied with you everywhere, O best of men, that mighty king of the Madras, lies here slain.

Verse 3 (11.23.3)

जयद्रथे यदि ब्रूयुरुपरोधं कथञ्चन । मद्रपुत्रे कथं ब्रूयुरुपरोधं विवक्षवः ॥

jayadrathe yadi brūyuruparodhaṃ kathañcana | madraputre kathaṃ brūyuruparodhaṃ vivakṣavaḥ

If anyone were somehow to lay blame on Jayadratha, how could they, for all their wish to speak, lay blame on the Madra king's son?

Note on the text: Removed the backtick and stray quote mark Wikisource prints around the couplet, and the stray double danda inside it. Not in the critical edition's constituted text; the CE has it as the star passage 11.23.2d*0059_01-02 (jayadrathe yadi brūyur aparādhaṃ kathaṃ cana / madraputre kathaṃ brūyur aparādhaṃ vivakṣavaḥ), with aparādham for उपरोधम्, a recension variant, kept.

Verse 4 (11.23.4)

येन सङ्गृह्णता तात रथमाधिरथेर्युधि । जयार्थं पाण्डुपुत्राणां तदा तेजोवधः कृतः ॥

yena saṅgṛhṇatā tāta rathamādhiratheryudhi | jayārthaṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ tadā tejovadhaḥ kṛtaḥ

He is the one who, taking the reins of Karna's chariot in battle, my dear, then drained Karna's fire away, to win victory for the sons of Pandu.

Verse 5 (11.23.5)

अहो धिक् पश्य शल्यस्य पूर्णचन्द्रसुदर्शनम् । मुखं पद्मपलाशाक्षं काकैरादष्टमव्रणम् ॥

aho dhik paśya śalyasya pūrṇacandrasudarśanam | mukhaṃ padmapalāśākṣaṃ kākairādaṣṭamavraṇam

Ah, shame! Look at Shalya's face, lovely as the full moon, with eyes like lotus petals, now pecked at by crows, though it bears no wound.

Note on the text: Corrected धिक्फश्य → धिक्पश्य (misprint in Wikisource; फ for प; CE aho dhik paśya) and प्द्मपलाशाक्षं → पद्मपलाशाक्षं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel; CE padmapalāśākṣaṃ). Line 2 has काकैः for the CE's vaḍaiḥ, a recension variant, kept.

Verse 6 (11.23.6)

एषा चामीकराभस्य तप्तकाञ्चनसप्रभा । आस्याद्विनिःसृता जिह्वा भक्ष्यते कृष्ण पक्षिभिः ॥

eṣā cāmīkarābhasya taptakāñcanasaprabhā | āsyādviniḥsṛtā jihvā bhakṣyate kṛṣṇa pakṣibhiḥ

And this tongue, bright as gold, shining like molten gold, that has slipped out of the mouth of the golden-hued king, is being eaten by birds, Krishna.

Note on the text: Corrected विनिः सृता → विनिःसृता (misprint in Wikisource; the compound is printed as two words; CE viniḥsṛtā).

Verse 7 (11.23.7)

युधिष्ठिरेण निहतं शल्यं समितिशोभनम् । रुदन्त्यः पर्युपासन्ते मद्रराजं कुलाङ्गनाः ॥

yudhiṣṭhireṇa nihataṃ śalyaṃ samitiśobhanam | rudantyaḥ paryupāsante madrarājaṃ kulāṅganāḥ

Around Shalya, the ornament of every gathering, slain by Yudhishthira, the women of the Madra royal house sit weeping.

Verse 8 (11.23.8)

एताः सुसूक्ष्मवसना मद्रराजं नरर्षभम् । क्रोशन्त्योऽथ समासाद्य क्षत्रियाः क्षत्रियर्षभम् ॥

etāḥ susūkṣmavasanā madrarājaṃ nararṣabham | krośantyo'tha samāsādya kṣatriyāḥ kṣatriyarṣabham

These Kshatriya women, in their very fine garments, crying out, have come to the Madra king, the bull among men, the bull among Kshatriyas.

Verse 9 (11.23.9)

शल्यं निपतितं नार्यः परिवार्याभितः स्थिताः । वासिता गृष्टयः पङ्के परिमग्नमिवर्षभम् ॥

śalyaṃ nipatitaṃ nāryaḥ parivāryābhitaḥ sthitāḥ | vāsitā gṛṣṭayaḥ paṅke parimagnamivarṣabham

The women stand all round the fallen Shalya, like cows around a bull sunk in the mud.

Verse 10 (11.23.10)

शल्यं शरणदं शूरं पश्येमं वृष्णिनन्दन । शयानं वीरशयने शरैर्विशकलीकृतम् ॥

śalyaṃ śaraṇadaṃ śūraṃ paśyemaṃ vṛṣṇinandana | śayānaṃ vīraśayane śarairviśakalīkṛtam

Look at Shalya, the giver of refuge, the hero, O delight of the Vrishnis, lying on the hero's bed, shattered by arrows.

Verse 11 (11.23.11)

एष शैलालयो राजा भगदत्तः प्रतापवान् । गजाङ्कुशधरः श्रीमाञ्शेते भुवि निपातितः ॥

eṣa śailālayo rājā bhagadattaḥ pratāpavān | gajāṅkuśadharaḥ śrīmāñśete bhuvi nipātitaḥ

Here is the mountain-dwelling king Bhagadatta, the mighty and illustrious holder of the elephant-goad, struck down and lying on the ground.

Verse 12 (11.23.12)

यस्य रुक्ममयी माला शिरस्येषा विराजते । श्वापदैर्भक्ष्यमाणस्य शोभयन्तीव मूर्धजान् ॥

yasya rukmamayī mālā śirasyeṣā virājate | śvāpadairbhakṣyamāṇasya śobhayantīva mūrdhajān

This golden garland shines on the head of him whom beasts are devouring; it seems to adorn his hair.

Verse 13 (11.23.13)

एतेन किल पार्थस्य युद्धमासीत्सुदारुणम् । रोमहर्षणमत्युग्रं शक्रस्य त्वहिना यथा ॥

etena kila pārthasya yuddhamāsītsudāruṇam | romaharṣaṇamatyugraṃ śakrasya tvahinā yathā

With him, they say, Partha fought a most dreadful battle, hair-raising and extremely fierce, like Indra's battle with the serpent Vritra.

Verse 14 (11.23.14)

योधयित्वा महाबाहुरेष पार्थं धनञ्जयम् । संशयं गमयित्वा च कुन्तीपुत्रेण पातितः ॥

yodhayitvā mahābāhureṣa pārthaṃ dhanañjayam | saṃśayaṃ gamayitvā ca kuntīputreṇa pātitaḥ

This mighty-armed king fought Partha Dhananjaya and put him in peril, and was then struck down by Kunti's son.

Note on the text: Corrected माहाबाहुः → महाबाहुः (misprint in Wikisource; long ā for a; CE mahābāhur).

Verse 15 (11.23.15)

यस्य नास्ति समो लोके शौर्ये वीर्ये च कश्चन । स एष निहतः शेते भीष्मो भीष्मकृदाहवे ॥

yasya nāsti samo loke śaurye vīrye ca kaścana | sa eṣa nihataḥ śete bhīṣmo bhīṣmakṛdāhave

He who had no equal in the world in valour or in strength, Bhishma, the maker of terror in battle, lies here slain.

Note on the text: Corrected कश्चन् → कश्चन (misprint in Wikisource; stray virama; CE kaś cana).

Verse 16 (11.23.16)

पश्य शान्तनवं कृष्ण शयानं सूर्यवर्चसम् । युगान्त इव कालेन पातितं सूर्यमम्बरात् ॥

paśya śāntanavaṃ kṛṣṇa śayānaṃ sūryavarcasam | yugānta iva kālena pātitaṃ sūryamambarāt

Look, Krishna, at Shantanu's son lying there, radiant as the sun, like the sun cast down from the sky by Time at the end of an age.

Verse 17 (11.23.17)

एष तप्त्वा रणे शत्रूञ्शस्त्रतापेन वीर्यवान् । नरसूर्योऽस्तमभ्येति सूर्योऽस्तमिव केशव ॥

eṣa taptvā raṇe śatrūñśastratāpena vīryavān | narasūryo'stamabhyeti sūryo'stamiva keśava

Having scorched his enemies in battle with the heat of his weapons, this mighty man, a sun among men, goes to his setting, as the sun does, Keshava.

Verse 18 (11.23.18)

शरतल्पगतं भीष्ममूर्ध्वरेतसमच्युतम् । शयानं वीरशयने पश्य शूरनिषेविते ॥

śaratalpagataṃ bhīṣmamūrdhvaretasamacyutam | śayānaṃ vīraśayane paśya śūraniṣevite

Look at Bhishma, the lifelong celibate who never wavered, lying on his bed of arrows, on the hero's bed that heroes have lain on.

Verse 19 (11.23.19)

कर्णिनालीकनाराचैरास्तीर्य शयनोत्तमम् । आविश्य शेते भगवान्स्कन्दः शरवणं यथा ॥

karṇinālīkanārācairāstīrya śayanottamam | āviśya śete bhagavānskandaḥ śaravaṇaṃ yathā

Having spread the best of couches with karnis, nalikas and naracas, he lies there entered into it, like the blessed Skanda in the thicket of reeds.

Verse 20 (11.23.20)

अतूलपूर्णं गाङ्गेयस्त्रिभिर्बाणैः समन्वितम् । उपधायोपधानाग्र्यं दत्तं गाण्डीवधन्वना ॥

atūlapūrṇaṃ gāṅgeyastribhirbāṇaiḥ samanvitam | upadhāyopadhānāgryaṃ dattaṃ gāṇḍīvadhanvanā

Ganga's son lies with the finest of pillows, one not stuffed with cotton but made of three arrows, which the wielder of the Gandiva gave him.

Verse 21 (11.23.21)

पालयानः पितुः शास्त्रमूर्ध्वरेता महायशाः । एष शान्तनवः शेते माधवाप्रतिमो युधि ॥

pālayānaḥ pituḥ śāstramūrdhvaretā mahāyaśāḥ | eṣa śāntanavaḥ śete mādhavāpratimo yudhi

Keeping his father's command, a lifelong celibate of great fame, this son of Shantanu lies here, O Madhava, unequalled in battle.

Verse 22 (11.23.22)

धर्मात्मा तात सर्वज्ञः पारावर्येण निर्णये । अमर्त्य इव मर्त्यः सन्नेष प्राणानधारयत् ॥

dharmātmā tāta sarvajñaḥ pārāvaryeṇa nirṇaye | amartya iva martyaḥ sanneṣa prāṇānadhārayat

Righteous in soul, my dear, all-knowing, sure in his judgment through knowledge of both this world and the next, though mortal he held on to his life breath like an immortal.

Verse 23 (11.23.23)

नास्ति युद्धे कृती कश्चिन्न विद्वान्न पराक्रमी । यत्र शान्तनवो भीष्मः शेतेऽद्य निहतः परैः ॥

nāsti yuddhe kṛtī kaścinna vidvānna parākramī | yatra śāntanavo bhīṣmaḥ śete'dya nihataḥ paraiḥ

In war no one is truly accomplished, learned or valiant, when Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, lies today slain by his enemies.

Note on the text: Removed a stray zero-width non-joiner after न् in विद्वान्‌न (a typing artefact).

Verse 24 (11.23.24)

स्वयमेतेन शूरेण पृच्छयमानेन पाण्डवैः । धर्मज्ञेनाहवे मृत्युरादिष्टः सत्यवादिना ॥

svayametena śūreṇa pṛcchayamānena pāṇḍavaiḥ | dharmajñenāhave mṛtyurādiṣṭaḥ satyavādinā

This hero, who knows dharma and speaks the truth, himself told the Pandavas, when they asked him, how he might meet his death in battle.

Verse 25 (11.23.25)

प्रनष्टः कुरुवंशश्च पुनर्येन समुद्वृतः । स गतः कुरुभिः सार्धं महाबुद्धिः पराभवम् ॥

pranaṣṭaḥ kuruvaṃśaśca punaryena samudvṛtaḥ | sa gataḥ kurubhiḥ sārdhaṃ mahābuddhiḥ parābhavam

He by whom the lost Kuru line was raised up again, that man of great wisdom, has gone to his ruin together with the Kurus.

Verse 26 (11.23.26)

धर्मेण कुरवः केन परिद्रक्ष्यन्ति माधव । हते देवव्रते भीष्मे देवकल्पे नरर्षभे ॥

dharmeṇa kuravaḥ kena paridrakṣyanti mādhava | hate devavrate bhīṣme devakalpe nararṣabhe

Who now, Madhava, will watch over the Kurus in righteousness, with Devavrata Bhishma, the godlike best of men, slain?

Note on the text: Reads परिद्रक्ष्यन्ति ('will look to/watch over'), which is valid Sanskrit but differs from the CE (dharmeṣu kuravaḥ kaṃ nu pariprakṣyanti … gate devavrate svargaṃ); the page's commentary records the CE-like reading as the झ-manuscript variant. Recension variant, kept.

Verse 27 (11.23.27)

अर्जुनस्य विनेतारमाचार्यं सात्यकेस्तथा । तं पश्य पतितं द्रोणं कुरूणां गुरुमुत्तमम् ॥

arjunasya vinetāramācāryaṃ sātyakestathā | taṃ paśya patitaṃ droṇaṃ kurūṇāṃ gurumuttamam

Look at the fallen Drona, the teacher of Arjuna and of Satyaki, the highest preceptor of the Kurus.

Verse 28 (11.23.28)

अस्त्रं चतुर्विधं वेद यथैव त्रिदशेश्वरः । भार्गवो वा महावीर्यस्तथा द्रोणोऽपि माधव ॥

astraṃ caturvidhaṃ veda yathaiva tridaśeśvaraḥ | bhārgavo vā mahāvīryastathā droṇo'pi mādhava

He knew the fourfold science of weapons as Indra, lord of the gods, knows it, or as mighty Bhargava did, and so did Drona, Madhava.

Verse 29 (11.23.29)

यस्य प्रसादाद्बीभत्सुः पाण्डवः कर्म दुष्करम् । चकार स हतः शेते नैनमस्त्राण्यपालयन् ॥

yasya prasādādbībhatsuḥ pāṇḍavaḥ karma duṣkaram | cakāra sa hataḥ śete nainamastrāṇyapālayan

By whose grace Bibhatsu the Pandava performed his hard deeds, he lies slain, and his weapons did not protect him.

Verse 30 (11.23.30)

यं पुरोधाय कुरव आह्वयन्ति स्म पाण्डवान् । सोऽयं शस्त्रभृतां श्रेष्ठो द्रोणः शस्त्रपृथक्कृतः ॥

yaṃ purodhāya kurava āhvayanti sma pāṇḍavān | so'yaṃ śastrabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭho droṇaḥ śastrapṛthakkṛtaḥ

He whom the Kurus put at their head when they challenged the Pandavas, Drona, the best of those who bear arms, now lies parted from his weapons.

Verse 31 (11.23.31)

यस्य निर्दहतः सेनां गतिरग्नेरिवाभवत् । स भूमौ निहतः शेते शान्तार्चिरिव पावकः ॥

yasya nirdahataḥ senāṃ gatiragnerivābhavat | sa bhūmau nihataḥ śete śāntārciriva pāvakaḥ

He whose course, as he burned the host, was like fire's, lies slain on the ground like a fire whose flames have died.

Note on the text: Corrected अग्नरिवाभवत् → अग्नेरिवाभवत् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign; CE agner ivābhavat).

Verse 32 (11.23.32)

धनुर्मुष्टिरशीर्णश्च हस्तावापश्च माधव । द्रोणस्य निहतस्यापि दृश्यते जीवतो यथा ॥

dhanurmuṣṭiraśīrṇaśca hastāvāpaśca mādhava | droṇasya nihatasyāpi dṛśyate jīvato yathā

His bow is still unbroken in his fist and the guard is still on his hand, Madhava; even slain, Drona looks as if he were alive.

Verse 33 (11.23.33)

वेदा यस्माच्च चत्वारः सर्वाण्यस्त्राणि केशव । अनपेतानि वै शूराद्यथैवादौ प्रजापतेः ॥

vedā yasmācca catvāraḥ sarvāṇyastrāṇi keśava | anapetāni vai śūrādyathaivādau prajāpateḥ

From that hero, Keshava, the four Vedas and all the weapons never departed, just as they never left Prajapati in the beginning.

Verse 34 (11.23.34)

चन्दनार्हाविमौ तस्य बन्दिभिर्वन्दितौ शुभौ । गोमायवो विकर्षन्ति पादौ शिष्यशतार्चितौ ॥

candanārhāvimau tasya bandibhirvanditau śubhau | gomāyavo vikarṣanti pādau śiṣyaśatārcitau

These two fair feet, worthy of sandal paste, praised by bards and worshipped by hundreds of pupils, are being dragged about by jackals.

Verse 35 (11.23.35)

द्रोणं द्रुपदपुत्रेण निहतं मधुसूदन । कृपी कृपणमन्वास्ते दुःखोपहतचेतना ॥

droṇaṃ drupadaputreṇa nihataṃ madhusūdana | kṛpī kṛpaṇamanvāste duḥkhopahatacetanā

Drona, slain by Drupada's son, Madhusudana, is attended by pitiable Kripi, her mind crushed by grief.

Verse 36 (11.23.36)

तां पश्य रुदतीमार्तां मुक्तकेशीमधोमुखीम् । हतं पतिमुपासन्तीं द्रोणं शस्त्रभृतां वरम् ॥

tāṃ paśya rudatīmārtāṃ muktakeśīmadhomukhīm | hataṃ patimupāsantīṃ droṇaṃ śastrabhṛtāṃ varam

Look at her, weeping in anguish, her hair loose and her face downcast, sitting by her slain husband Drona, the best of those who bear arms.

Verse 37 (11.23.37)

बाणैर्भिन्नतनुत्राणं धृष्टद्युम्नेन केशव । उपास्ते वै मृधे द्रोणं जटिला ब्रह्मचारिणी ॥

bāṇairbhinnatanutrāṇaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnena keśava | upāste vai mṛdhe droṇaṃ jaṭilā brahmacāriṇī

On the battlefield, Keshava, Kripi, with matted hair and the vows of a celibate, sits by Drona, whose armour was pierced by arrows from Dhrishtadyumna.

Verse 38 (11.23.38)

प्रेतकृत्ये च यतते कृपी कृपणमातुरा । हतस्य समरे भर्तुः सुकुमारी यशस्विनी ॥

pretakṛtye ca yatate kṛpī kṛpaṇamāturā | hatasya samare bhartuḥ sukumārī yaśasvinī

Wretched and distraught, tender and renowned Kripi strives to perform the funeral rites for her husband slain in battle.

Verse 39 (11.23.39)

अग्नीनाधाय विविधवच्चितां प्रज्वाल्य सर्वतः । द्रोणमाधाय गायन्ति त्रीणि सामानि सामगाः ॥

agnīnādhāya vividhavaccitāṃ prajvālya sarvataḥ | droṇamādhāya gāyanti trīṇi sāmāni sāmagāḥ

Having set up the fires in the various prescribed ways and kindled the pyre all around, the Sama singers lay Drona upon it and chant three Samans.

Verse 40 (11.23.40)

कुर्वन्ति च चितामेते जटिला ब्रह्मचारिणः । धनुर्भिः शक्तिभिश्चैव रथनीडैश्च माधव ॥

kurvanti ca citāmete jaṭilā brahmacāriṇaḥ | dhanurbhiḥ śaktibhiścaiva rathanīḍaiśca mādhava

These matted-haired celibate pupils are building the pyre with bows, spears and chariot-seats, Madhava.

Verse 41 (11.23.41)

शरैश्च विविधैरन्यैर्धक्ष्यन्ते भूरितेजसम् । त एते द्रोणमादाय गायन्ति च रुदन्ति च ॥

śaraiśca vividhairanyairdhakṣyante bhūritejasam | ta ete droṇamādāya gāyanti ca rudanti ca

With various other arrows they will burn the greatly radiant one; taking Drona up, these men sing and weep.

Verse 42 (11.23.42)

सामभिस्त्रिभिरन्तस्थैरनुशंसन्ति चापरे । अग्नावग्निं समाधाय द्रोणं हुत्वा हुताशने ॥

sāmabhistribhirantasthairanuśaṃsanti cāpare | agnāvagniṃ samādhāya droṇaṃ hutvā hutāśane

Others chant the three Samans, intoned inwardly, after placing the fire in the fire and offering Drona into the blaze.

Verse 43 (11.23.43)

गच्छन्त्यभिमुखा गङ्गां द्रोणशिष्या द्विजातयः । अपसव्यां चितिं कृत्वा पुरस्कृत्य कृपीं तथा ॥

gacchantyabhimukhā gaṅgāṃ droṇaśiṣyā dvijātayaḥ | apasavyāṃ citiṃ kṛtvā puraskṛtya kṛpīṃ tathā

Drona's twice-born pupils go toward the Ganga, having made the pyre keep to their left and put Kripi in front.