DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.638#0401
32o INDIAN MYTH AND LEGEND
kinsfolk, young and old, went forth to find Vidura; but
when they came to him he was wasted with hunger and
great age, nor could he speak unto them. They waited
beside him until he died, and then they mourned together.
This new sorrow awakened old-time grief, and they spoke
of all those who had fallen in the great war. Fathers
and mothers lamented for their sons, and wives for their
husbands. . . .
While they wept and moaned together, the great
sage Vyasa came nigh and spoke, saying: "Verily, I
will soothe all your sorrows. . . . Let each one bathe at
sunset in the holy waters of the Ganges, and when night
falls your lost ones will return to you once again."
Then they all sat waiting on the river bank until
evening came on. Slowly passed the day; it seemed to
be as long as a year.
At length the sun went down, and they chanted
mantras and went into the Ganges. Vyasa bathed beside
the old Maharajah Dhritarashtra and Yudhishthira. . . .
Then all came out and stood on the bank.
Suddenly the waters began to heave and foam, and
Vyasa muttered holy words and called out the names of
the dead one by one. . . . Soon all the heroes who had
been slain arose one by one. In chariots they came, and
on horseback and riding upon lordly elephants. They
all uttered triumphant cries; drums were sounded and
trumpets were blown; and it seemed as if the armies of
the Pandavas and Kauravas were once again assembled
for battle, for they swept over the river like a mighty
tempest.
Many of the onlookers trembled with fear, until they
beheld Bhishma and Drona, clad in armour, standing aloft
in their chariots in splendour and in pride; then came
Arjuna's son, the noble Abhimanyu, and Bhima's Asura
kinsfolk, young and old, went forth to find Vidura; but
when they came to him he was wasted with hunger and
great age, nor could he speak unto them. They waited
beside him until he died, and then they mourned together.
This new sorrow awakened old-time grief, and they spoke
of all those who had fallen in the great war. Fathers
and mothers lamented for their sons, and wives for their
husbands. . . .
While they wept and moaned together, the great
sage Vyasa came nigh and spoke, saying: "Verily, I
will soothe all your sorrows. . . . Let each one bathe at
sunset in the holy waters of the Ganges, and when night
falls your lost ones will return to you once again."
Then they all sat waiting on the river bank until
evening came on. Slowly passed the day; it seemed to
be as long as a year.
At length the sun went down, and they chanted
mantras and went into the Ganges. Vyasa bathed beside
the old Maharajah Dhritarashtra and Yudhishthira. . . .
Then all came out and stood on the bank.
Suddenly the waters began to heave and foam, and
Vyasa muttered holy words and called out the names of
the dead one by one. . . . Soon all the heroes who had
been slain arose one by one. In chariots they came, and
on horseback and riding upon lordly elephants. They
all uttered triumphant cries; drums were sounded and
trumpets were blown; and it seemed as if the armies of
the Pandavas and Kauravas were once again assembled
for battle, for they swept over the river like a mighty
tempest.
Many of the onlookers trembled with fear, until they
beheld Bhishma and Drona, clad in armour, standing aloft
in their chariots in splendour and in pride; then came
Arjuna's son, the noble Abhimanyu, and Bhima's Asura