e bare ground, struck down by the foes and covered
with blood! Behold, fond he was of the mace, and that mace decked with
pure gold still lieth by the side of the king whose splendour still
resembles that of pure gold! In no battle did that mace abandon this
hero! Even now, when he is about to ascend to heaven, that weapon leaveth
not this illustrious warrior. Behold, that weapon, adorned with pure
gold, still lieth by the side of this hero like a loving wife by the side
of her lord stretched on his bed in his chamber of sleep. Behold the
reverses brought about by Time! This scorcher of foes that used to walk
at the head of all crowned kings, now eateth the dust struck down (by the
foe)! He who had formerly struck down many foes and caused them to lie on
the bare ground, alas, that king of the Kurus lieth today on the bare
ground, struck down by foes. He to whom hundreds of kings used to bow
down in fear, lieth today on the field of battle, surrounded by beasts of
prey. The Brahmanas formerly used to wait upon this lord for wealth.
Alas, beasts of prey wait upon him today for feeding upon his body!"'

"Sanjaya continued, 'Beholding that chief of Kuru's race lying on the
ground, Ashvatthama, O best of the Bharatas, uttered these piteous
lamentations: "O tiger among kings, all people indicated thee as the
foremost of all bowmen! People also said that (in encounters with the
mace) thou, a disciple of Sankarshana, wert like the Lord of treasures
(Kuvera), himself! How then, O sinless one, could Bhima notice any lapses
in thee! Thou wert ever mighty and possessed of skill! He, on the other
hand, O king, is a wicked-souled wight! Without doubt, O monarch, Time in
this world is mightier than everything else, for we behold even thee
struck down by Bhimasena in battle! Alas, how could the wretched and mean
Vrikodara unrighteously strike thee down, thee that wert conversant with
every rule of righteousness! Without doubt, Time is irresistible. Alas,
having summoned thee to a fair fight, Bhimasena, putting forth his might,
fractured thy thighs. Fie on that wretched Yudhishthira who tolerated the
head of one unrighteously struck down in battle to be touched with the
foot! In all battles warriors will certainly reprove Vrikodara as long as
the world will last. Without doubt, thou hast been struck down
unrighteously!

"'"The valiant Rama of Yadu's race, O king, always used to say that there
is no one equal to Duryodhana in encounters