bhatsu who then
resembled the Destroyer himself in wrath, repeatedly drawing deep
breaths. None of his friends or kinsmen could venture to look at or speak
unto Arjuna, as he sat there exceedingly afflicted with grief on account
of his son, and with face bathed in tears. None, indeed could address
him, save Vasudeva or Yudhishthira. These two, under all circumstances,
were acceptable to Arjuna. And because they were highly reverenced and
dearly loved, therefore, could they alone address him at such times. Then
king Yudhishthira addressing Partha, of eyes like lotus-petals, who was
then filled with rage and exceedingly afflicted with grief on account of
the death of his son, said these words.'"

SECTION LXXIII

"'Yudhishthira said,--"O mighty-armed one, after thou hadst gone towards
the army of the Samsaptakas, the preceptor Drona made fierce endeavours
for seizing me. We succeeded, however, in resisting Drona at the head of
the array at all points, having in that battle, disposed our vigorously
contending car-divisions in counter-array. Held in check by a large
number of warriors, and myself also having been well protected, Drona
began to smite us with great activity, afflicting us with his whetted
shafts. Thus afflicted by him, we could not then even gaze at his army,
far less face it in battle. All of us then, addressing thy son by
Subhadra, who was equal to thyself, O lord, in prowess said unto him, [O
son, pierce this array of Drona!]--That valorous hero thus urged by us,
then sought, like a good horse, to take that burden on himself, however
unbearable it might have been for him. Endued as he was with thy energy,
aided by that knowledge of weapons which he derived from thee, that child
then penetrated unto that array, like Garuda penetrating into the ocean.
As regards ourselves, we followed that hero, that son of Subhadra,
desirous in that battle, of penetrating (into the Dhritarashtra army) by
the same path by which Abhimanyu had entered it. Then, O sire, the
wretched king of the Sindhus, viz., Jayadratha, in consequence of the
boon granted to him by Rudra, checked all of us! Then Drona, Kripa and
Karna and Drona's son, and the king of the Kosalas, and Kritavarman,
these six car-warriors surrounded the son of Subhadra. Having surrounded
that child all those great car-warriors--too many for him although he was
contending to the utmost of his power, deprived him of his car. After he
had been deprived of his car