जनमेजय उवाच गते भगवति व्यासे धृतराष्ट्रो महीपतिः। किमचेष्टत विप्रर्षे तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि॥
Janamejaya said After the holy Vyasa had gone away, what, O Rishi, did king Dhritarashtra do? You should tell me this.
तथैव कौरवो राजा धर्मपुत्रो महामनाः। कृपप्रभृतयश्चैव किमकुर्वत ते त्रयः॥
What also did the Kuru king, the great son of Dharma, do? And what did those three, viz., Kripa and others do?
अश्वत्थाम्नः श्रुतं कर्म शापश्चान्योन्यकारितः। वृत्तान्तमुत्तरं ब्रूहि यदभाषत संजयः॥
I have heard of the wonderful deeds of Ashvatthaman and the exchange of curses. Tell me what took place next, and what Sanjaya next said to the old king."
वैशम्पायन उवाच हते दुर्योधने चैव हते सैन्ये च सर्वशः। संजयो विगतप्रज्ञो धृतराष्ट्रमुपस्थितः॥
Vaishampayana said "After Duryodhana and all his soldiers had been killed, Sanjaya, deprived of spiritual sight, returned to Dhritarashtra.
संजय उवाच आगम्य नानादेशेभ्यो नानाजनपदेश्वराः। पितृलोकं गता राजन् सर्वे तव सुतैः सह॥
Sanjaya said The kings of various races, that came from various kingdoms, have all, O king, gone to the abode of Death along with your sons.
याच्यमानेन सततं तव पुत्रेण भारत। घातिता पृथिवी सर्वा वैरस्यान्तं विधित्सता॥
Your son, O king, who had constantly been requested (for peace) but who always desired to terminate his hostility after killing the Pandavas has caused the Earth exterminated.
पुत्राणामथ पौत्राणां पितॄणां च महीपते। आनुपूर्येण सर्वेषां प्रेतकार्याणि कारय॥
Do you, O king, cause the obsequia rites of your sons and grandsons and fathers to be duly performed.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं घोरं संजयस्य महीपतिः। गतासुरिव निश्चेष्टो न्यपतत् पृथिवीतले॥
Vaishampayana said Hearing these dreadful words of Sanjaya, the king dropped down on the Earth and lay unconscious like one deprived of life.
तं शयानमुपागम्य पृथिव्यां पृथिवीपतिम्। विदुरः सर्वधर्मज्ञ इदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥ उत्तिष्ठ राजन् किं शेषे मा शुचो भरतर्षभ। एषा वै सर्वसत्त्वानां लोकेश्वर परा गतिः॥
Approaching the king, who was lying prostrate on the Earth, Vidura, conversant with all forms of duty, said: 'Rise, O king, why do you lie down thus? Do not grieve, O foremost of Bharata's! This O king, is the final end of all creatures.
अभावादीनि भूतानि भावमध्यानि भारत। अभावनिधनान्येव तत्र का परिदेवना॥
In the beginning creatures are non-existent. In the middle, O Bharata, they become existent. At the end, they once more become non-existent. What is there to be sorry for in all this.
न शोचन् मृतमन्वेति न शोचन म्रियते नरः। एवं सांसिद्धिके लोके किमर्थमनुशोचसि॥
By grieving one cannot get back the dead. By indulging in grief, one cannot die himself. When such is the course of the world, why do you grieve?
अयुध्यमानो म्रियते युद्धयमानस्तु जीवति। कालं प्राप्य महाराज न कश्चिदतिवर्तते॥
One may die without fighting in battle. One also escapes alive after having engaged in battle. When one's appointed Time comes, O king, he cannot escape.
कालः कर्षति भूतानि सर्वाणि विविधानि च। न कालस्य प्रियः कश्चिन्न द्वेष्यः कुरुसत्तम॥
Time drags all creatures. There is none dear or loathsome to Time, O Kuru's chief.
यथा वायुस्तृणाग्राणि संवर्तयति सर्वतः। तथा कालवशं यान्ति भूतानि भरतर्षभ॥
As the wind tears off the ends of all blades of grass, so all creatures, O Bharata chief, are subjected by Time under its influence.
एकसार्थप्रयातानां सर्वेषां तत्र गामिनाम्। यस्य कालः प्रयात्यग्रे तत्र का परिदेवना॥
All creatures are like members of the same caravan bound for one destination. What is there to be sorry for if Time meets with one a little earlier than with another.
यांश्चापि निहतान् युद्धे राजंस्त्वमनुशोचसि। न शोच्या हि महात्मानः सर्वे ते त्रिदिवं गताः॥
Those again, O king, that have fallen in battle and for whom you bewail, are not really objects of your grief, since all those illustrious persons to heaven.
न यज्ञैर्दक्षिणावद्भिर्न तपोभिर्न विद्यया। तथा स्वर्गमुपायान्ति यथा शूरास्तनुत्यजः॥
By celebrating sacrifices with enough presents, by practising ascetic austerities, and by knowledge, people cannot so easily go to heaven as heroes by displaying courage in battle.
सर्वे वेदविदः शूराः सर्वे सुचरितव्रताः। सर्वे चाभिमुखाः क्षीणास्तत्र का परिदेवना॥
All those heroes were conversant with the Vedas; all of them were observant of vows: all of them have died, fighting the foe in battle. What is there to be sorry for then.
शरीराग्निषु शूराणां जुहुवुस्ते शराहुतीः। हूयमानाशरांश्चैव सेहुरुत्तमपूरुषाः॥
have gone They poured their libations of arrows upon the bodies of their brave enemies as upon a fire. Great as they were, they bore in return the libations of arrows poured upon themselves.
एवं राजंस्तवाचक्षे स्वयं पन्थानमुत्तमम्। न युद्धादधिकं किंचित् क्षत्रियस्येह विद्यते॥
I tell you. O king, that these is no superior way to heaven for a Kshatriya to one thought battle.
क्षत्रियास्ते महात्मानः शूराः समितिशोभनाः। आशिषं परमां प्राप्ता न शोच्याः सर्व एव हि॥
All of them were great Kshatriya, all of them were heroes and ornaments of assemblies. They have attained to a highly blessed state. One should not grieve for them.
आत्मनाऽऽत्मानमाश्वास्य मा शुचः पुरुषर्षभ। नाद्य शोकाभिभूतस्त्वं कार्यमुत्स्रष्टुमर्हसि।॥
Do you comfort your oneself. Do not grieve, O foremost of men. You should not allow yourself to be overwhelmed with so row and give up all work.