uru race having been thinned, a child
has been born that is feeble and dead. The blade of grass (inspired into
a weapon of great efficacy), uplifted by Drona's son for compassing the
destruction of Bhimasena, fell upon Uttara and Vijaya and myself.[184]
Alas, that blade, O Kesava, is still existing unextracted in me, after
having pierced my heart, since I do not, O irresistible hero, behold this
child with (his sire who was) my son. What will the righteous-souled king
Yudhishthira the just say? What will Bhimasena and Arjuna and the two
sons of Madravati also say? Hearing that Abhimanyu's son was born and found
dead, the Pandavas, O thou of Vrishni's race, will regard themselves as
cheated by Aswatthaman. Abhimanyu, O Krishna, was the favourite of all
the Pandava brothers, without doubt. Hearing this intelligence, what will
those heroes, vanquished by the weapon of Drona's son say? What grief, O
Janarddana, can be greater than this viz., that Abhimanyu's son should be
born dead! Bowing unto thee with my head, O Krishna, I seek to gratify
thee today. Behold, O foremost of men, these two standing here, viz.,
Pritha and Draupadi. When, O Madhava, the son of Drona sought to destroy
the embryos even in the wombs of the ladies of the Pandavas, at that
time, O grinder of foes, thou saidst in wrath unto Drona's son (ever
these words), 'O wretch of a Brahmana, O vilest of men, I shall
disappoint thy wish. I shall revive the son of Kiritin's son.' Hearing
these words of thine and well knowing thy puissance, I seek to gratify
thee, O irresistible hero. Let the son of Abhimanyu be revived. If having
pledged thyself previously thou dost not accomplish thy auspicious vow,
do thou then know for certain, O chief of the Vrishni race, that I shall
cast off my life. If, O hero, this son of Abhimanyu doth not revive when
thou, O irresistible one, art alive and near, of what other use wilt thou
be to me? Do thou, therefore, O irresistible one, revive this son of
Abhimanyu,--this child possessed of eyes similar to his,--even as a
rain-charged cloud revives the lifeless crops (on a field). Thou, O
Kesava, art righteous-souled, truthful, and of prowess incapable of being
baffled. It behoveth thee, O chastiser of foes, to make thy words
truthful. If only thou wishest it, thou canst revive the three worlds (of
being) if dead. What need I say, therefore, of this darling child, born
but dead, of thy sister's son? I know thy puissance, O Krishna.
The