In the meantime trembling poorly and crying aloud "Where is my son?
Where is my child?" Kansa’s mother arrived there (38). Beholding her son
like unto the moon shorn of its lustre her heart as if broke assunder
and she repeatedly lost her consciousness (39). Beholding her son and
exclaiming "Alas! I am undone!" she began to bewail along with her
daughters-in-law (40). Placing on her lap the head of her son, that one,
fond of sons, began to bewail plaintively saying "O my son, O thou the
enhancer of the delight of thy kinsmen, O thou ever devoted to the vow
of a hero, why hast thou departed so soon? O my son observant of vows,
why art thou asleep before all men? The kings should never lie down on
earth in this way (41–43). When in the days of yore all the Rākshasas
assembled Rāvana, the foremost of the strong in all the worlds, uttered
the following verse, spoken well of by the sages (44). ’Although I am of
great strength and a destroyer of the immortals, a terrible and
irresistable calamity will proceed to me from my kinsmen (45). And such
a life-destroying great calamity will also proceed to my intelligent son
from my relatives (46)’". Thereupon weeping like unto a cow, separated
from her calf, she said to her husband the old king Ugrasena (47). "Come
and see, O pious king, this thy royal son is lying on the bed of a hero
like a mountain clapped by a thunderbolt (48). O king, you are to
perform the obsequial rites of this thy son who has repaired to the
abode of Death and attained to the state of a ghost (49). Kingdoms are
worthy of being enjoyed by heroes and we have been defeated. Go and ask
Krishna about Kansha’s funeral rites (50). Enmity terminates with
death—it ceases with the death of the enemy. His obsequial rites should
therefore be performed. What offence has the dead body committed (51)?"
Having said this to the Bhoja king with a heart laden with sorrow and
casting her looks again on the face of her son Kansa’s mother began to
bewail anew, saying (52): "O king, what will thy wives do hereafter,
who, even having obtained a husband like thee, have their desires
frustrated? (53) How shall I now see thy aged father dried up under the
subjection of Krishna like water in the pool (54)? O my son, I am thy
mother, why dost thou not speak to me? Leaving behind thy beloved people
thou hast departed to a distant land (55). O hero, the inevitable Death
has, against the knowledge of this unfortunate woman, taken away a son
like thee well-read in moral laws (56). O the master of thy clan, thy
servants, who were pleased with thy qualities on receiving honors and
various presents from thee, are now weeping (57). O foremost of kings, O
thou of large arms and great strength, rise up and save the people of
thy house and other poor men (58)."
While the wives of Kansa, stricken with great misery, were thus
bewailing the sun, smitten with evening rays, set in (59).
CHAPTER LXXXVII. KRISHNA’S REPLY TO UGRASENA.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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