वैशम्पायन उवाच विदुरस्य तु तद् वाक्यं श्रुत्वा तु पुरुषर्षभः। युज्यतां यानमित्युक्त्वा पुनर्वचनमब्रवीत्॥ शीघ्रमानय गान्धारीं सर्वाश्च भरतस्त्रियः। वधूं कुन्तीमुपादाय याश्चान्यास्तत्र योषितः॥
Vaishampayana said "Hearing these words of Vidura, that foremost of Bharata's race, viz., Dhritarashtra, ordered for his car. The king once more said,—'Bring Gandhari here forthwith, and all the Bharata ladies. Bring here Kunti also, as well as all the other ladies with her.
एवमुक्त्वा स धर्मात्मा विदुरं धर्मवित्तमम्। शोकविप्रहतज्ञानो यानमेवान्वपद्यत॥
Having said these words to Vidura conversant with every duty, the pious on Dhritarashtra, deprived of his senses by sorrow got on his car.
गान्धारी पुत्रशोकार्ता भर्तुर्वचननोदिता। सह कुन्त्या यतो राजा सह स्त्रीभिरुपाद्रवत्॥
Then Gandhari, stricken stricken with grief consequent the death of his sons, accompanied by Kunti and the other ladies of the royal household, came, as ordered by her lord, where the latter was waiting for her.
ताः समासाद्य राजानं भृशं शोकसमन्विताः। आमन्त्र्यान्योन्यमीयुः स्म भृशमुच्चुक्रुशुस्ततः॥
Stricken with great grief, they came together to the king. As they met, they addressed each other and cried aloud.
ताः समाश्वासयत् क्षत्ता ताभ्यश्चार्ततरः स्वयम्। अश्रुकण्ठी: समारोप्य ततोऽसौ निर्ययौ पुरात्॥
Then Vidura, who had become more afflicted than those ladies, began to solace them. Placing those weeping ladies on the cars that stood ready for them, he left the city.
ततः प्रणादः संजज्ञे सर्वेषु कुरुवेश्मसु। आकुमारं पुरं सर्वमभवच्छोककर्षितम्॥
At that time a loud cry of sorrow arose from every Kuru house. The whole city, including the very children, were stricken with grief.
अदृष्टपूर्वा या नार्यः पुरा देवगणैरपि। पृथग्जनेन दृश्यन्ते तास्तदा निहतेश्वराः॥
Those ladies who had not before this been seen by the very celestials were now helpless as they were in the absence of their lords, seen by the common people.
प्रकीर्य केशान् सुशुभान् भूषणान्यवमुच्य च। एकवस्त्रधरा नार्यः परिपेतुरनाथवत्॥
With their beautiful dishevelled hairs, and their ornaments thrown off, those ladies, each clad in a single piece of cloth, proceeded most sorrowfully.
श्वेतपर्वतरूपेभ्यो गृहेभ्यस्तास्त्वपाक्रमन्। गुहाभ्य इव शैलानां पृषत्यो हतयूथपाः॥
Indeed, they came out of their houses looking like white mountains, like a herd of deer from their mountain caves after the fall of their leader.
तान्युदीर्णानि नारीणां तदा वृन्दान्यनेकशः। शोकार्तान्यद्रवन् राजन् किशोरीणामिवाङ्गने॥
Those bevies of fair damsels, O king, came out filled with sorrow, and ran here and here like a herd of fillies on a circus yard.
प्रगृह्य बाहून् क्रोशन्त्यः पुत्रान् भ्रातॄन् पितॄनपि। दर्शयन्तीव ता ह स्म युगान्ते लोकसंक्षयम्॥
Seizing each other's hands, they began to bewail aloud after their sons, brothers, and fathers. The presented a spectacle that takes place on the occasion of the universal destruction at the end of a cycle.
विलपन्त्यो रुदत्यश्च धावमानास्ततस्ततः। शोकेनोपहतज्ञानाः कर्तव्यं न प्रजज्ञिरे॥
Weeping and crying and running here and there, deprived of their senses by sorrow, they knew not what to do.
व्रीडां जग्मुः पुरा याः स्म सखीनामपि योषितः। ता एकवस्त्रा निर्लज्जाः श्वश्रूणां पुरतोऽभवन्॥
Those ladies who formerly felt abashed even in the presence of companions of their own sex, now felt no shame, though scantily clad, in coming out before their mothers-in-law.
परस्परं सुसूक्ष्मेषु शोकेष्वाश्वासयंस्तदा। ताः शोकविह्वला राजन्नवैक्षन्त परस्परम्॥
Formerly they used to console each other while stricken with even slightest grief, Stupefied by grief, they, O king, could not look upon each other.
ताभिः परिवृतो राजा रुदतीभिः सहस्रशः। निर्ययौ नगराद् दीनस्तूर्णमायोधनं प्रति॥
Surrounded by those thousands of wailing ladies, the king issued out of the city in great depression and proceeded quickly towards the battle-field.
शिल्पिनो वणिजो वैश्याः सर्वकर्मोपजीविनः। ते पार्थिवं पुरस्कृत्य निर्ययुर्नगराद् बहिः॥
Issuing out of the city, artisans and traders and Vaishyas and all kinds of mechanics, followed the king.
तासां विक्रोशमानानामार्तानां कुरुसंक्षये। प्रादुरासीन्महाशब्दो व्यथयन् भुवनान्युत॥
As those ladies, afflicted by the entire destruction of Kurus, cried in sorrow, a loud wail arose from among them that pierced all the words.
युगान्तकाले सम्प्राप्ते भूतानां दह्यतामिव। अभावः स्यादयं प्राप्त इति भूतानि मेनिरे॥
All creatures that heard that cry thought that the hour of universal destruction was near at hand when all things would be devoured by the fire that arises at the end of the cycle.
भृशमुद्विग्नमनसस्ते पौराः कुरुसंक्षये। प्राक्रोशन्त महाराज स्वनुरक्तास्तदा भृशम्॥
The citizens also of Hastinapura devoted to the Kurus, whit hearts filled with anxiety at the destruction of their rulers, O king, cried aloud like those ladies.