The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3: Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
General
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3: Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
Epic literature, Sanskrit
shafts of Subhadra's son, deprived of consciousness, and bathed in blood,
Karna drew deep breaths, inflamed with rage. At last, afflicted with
arrows, he was obliged to turn his back upon the field. Eagerly desirous
of flying away and becoming hopeless of life, he stayed for some time in
battle, perfectly stupefied and exhausted with the wounds he had
received. At last hearing those cruel words of Drona in battle--words
that were suited to the hour--Karna cut off Abhimanyu's bow. Made bowless
by him in that battle, five great car-warriors then, well-versed in the
ways of foul warfare, slew that hero with showers of shafts. Upon the
slaughter of that hero, grief entered the heart of everyone. Only, the
wicked-souled Karna and Suyodhana laughed in joy. (Thou rememberest also)
the harsh and bitter words that Karna cruelly said unto Krishna in the
(Kuru) assembly, in the presence of the Pandavas and Kurus, 'The
Pandavas, O Krishna, are dead! They have sunk into eternal hell! O thou
of large hips, choose other lords now, O thou of sweet speeches! Enter
now the abode of Dhritarashtra as a serving woman, for, O thou of curving
eye-lashes, thy husbands are no more! The Pandavas will not, O Krishna,
be of any service to thee today! Thou art the wife of men that are
slaves, O princess of Pancala, and thou art thyself, O beautiful lady, a
slave! Today only Duryodhana is regarded as the one king on earth; all
other kings of the world are worshipping the agency by which his
administration is kept up. Behold now, O amiable one, how all the sons of
Pandu have equally fallen! Overwhelmed by the energy of Dhritarashtra's
son, they are now silently eyeing one another. It is evident that they
are all sesame seeds without kernel, and have sunk into hell. They will
have to serve the Kaurava (Duryodhana), that king of kings, as his
slaves.' Even these were the foul words that that wretch, viz., the
sinful Karna of exceedingly wicked heart, spoke on that occasion, in thy
hearing, O Bharata! Let gold-decked shafts whetted on stone and capable
of taking the life of him at whom they are sped, shot by thee, quench
(the fire of) those words and all the other wrongs that that
wicked-souled wight did unto thee. Let thy shafts quench all those wrongs
and the life also of that wicked wight. Feeling the touch of terrible
arrows sped from Gandiva, let the wicked-souled Karna recollect today the
words of Bhishma and Drona! Let foe-killing cloth-yard shafts, equipped
with the effulgence of lightning, shot by thee, pierce his vital limbs
and drink his blood! Let fierce and mighty shafts, of great impetuosity,
sped by thy arms, penetrate the vitals of Karna today and despatch him to
Yama's abode. Let all the kings of the earth, cheerless and filled with
grief and uttering wails of woe, behold Karna fall down from his car
today, afflicted with thy arrows. Let his kinsmen, with cheerless faces,
behold Karna today, fallen down and stretched at his length on the earth,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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