elephants, looking
like a courtesan attired in crimson robes and floral garlands and
ornaments of gold, were unable, O king, to stand there! Filled with grief
at the slaughter of Karna, they indulged in loud lamentations, saying,
"Alas, Karna! Alas Karna!" Beholding the Sun assume a crimson hue, all of
them speedily proceeded towards their camp. As regards Karna, though
slain and pierced with gold-winged shafts whetted on stone and equipped
with feathers and dyed in blood and sped from Gandiva, yet that hero,
lying on the ground, looked resplendent like the Sun himself of bright
rays. It seemed that illustrious Surya, ever kind to his worshippers,
having touched with his rays the gore-drenched body of Karna, proceeded,
with aspect crimson in grief, to the other ocean from desire of a bath.
Thinking so, the throngs of celestials and Rishis (that had come there
for witnessing the battle) left the scene for proceeding to their
respective abodes. The large crowd of other beings also, entertaining the
same thought, went away, repairing as they chose to heaven or the earth.
The foremost of Kuru heroes also, having beheld that wonderful battle
between Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, which had inspired all living
creatures with dread, proceeded (to their nightly quarters), filled with
wonder and applauding (the encounter). Though his armour had been cut off
with arrows, and though he had been slain in course of that dreadful
fight, still that beauty of features which the son of Radha possessed did
not abandon him when dead. Indeed, everyone beheld the body of the hero
to resemble heated gold. It seemed to be endued with life and possessed
of the effulgence of fire or the sun. All the warriors, O king, were
inspired with fright at sight of the Suta's son lying dead on the field,
like other animals at sight of the lion. Indeed, though dead, that tiger
among men seemed ready to utter his commands. Nothing, in that
illustrious dead, seemed changed. Clad in beautiful attire, and possessed
of a neck that was very beautiful, the Suta's son owned a face which
resembled the full moon in splendour. Adorned with diverse ornaments and
decked with Angadas made of bright gold, Vaikartana, though slain, lay
stretched like a gigantic tree adorned with branches and twigs. Indeed,
that tiger among men lay like a heap of pure gold, or like a blazing fire
extinguished with the water of Partha's shafts. Even as a blazing
conflagration is extinguished