a; of king Jayadratha and Abhimanyu, O Bharata; of
Duhshasana's son and Lakshmana and king Dhrishtaketu; of Vrihanta and
Somadatta and the hundreds of Srinjayas; of king Kshemadhanva and Virata
and Drupada; of Shikhandi the prince of Pancalas, and Dhrishtadyumna of
Prishata's race; of the valiant Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja; of the ruler of
the Kosalas, the sons of Draupadi, and Shakuni the son of Subala; of
Acala and Vrishaka, and king Bhagadatta; of Karna and his son of great
wrath; of those great bowmen, the Kekaya princes, and those mighty
car-warriors, the Trigartas; of Ghatotkaca the prince of Rakshasas, and
the brother of Vaka, of Alambusha, the foremost of Rakshasas, and king
Jalasandha; and of hundreds and thousands of other kings. The pitri-medha
rites in honour of some of the illustrious dead were performed there,
while some sang Samas, and some uttered lamentations for the dead. With
the loud noise of Samas and Riks, and the lamentations of the women, all
creatures became stupefied that night. The funeral fires, smokeless and
blazing brightly (amid the surrounding darkness), looked like luminous
planets in the firmament enveloped by clouds. Those among the dead that
had come from diverse realms and were utterly friendless were piled
together in thousands of heaps and, at the command of Yudhishthira, were
caused to be burnt by Vidura through a large number of persons acting
coolly and influenced by good-will and affection, on pyres made of dry
wood. Having caused their last rites to be performed, the Kuru king
Yudhishthira, placing Dhritarashtra at his head, proceeded towards the
river Ganga."

27

Vaishampayana said, "Arrived at the auspicious Ganga full of sacred
water, containing many lakes, adorned with high banks and broad shores,
and having a vast bed, they cast off their ornaments, upper garments, and
belts and girdles. The Kuru ladies, crying and afflicted with great
grief, offered oblations of water unto their sires and grandsons and
brothers and kinsmen and sons and reverend seniors and husbands.
Conversant with duties, they also performed the water-rite in honour of
their friends. While those wives of heroes were performing this rite in
honour of their heroic lords, the access to the stream became easy,
although the paths (made by the tread of many feet) disappeared
afterwards. The shores of the stream, though crowded with those spouses
of heroes, looked as broad as the ocean and presented a spec