Section LXVII

"Vaisampayana said, 'After Kunti had sat up, Subhadra, beholding her brother, began to weep aloud, and afflicted with excessive grief, said,—'O you of eyes like lotus petals, behold the grandson of Arjuna of great intelligence. Alas, the Kuru 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.^[1] 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 dead, the Pandavas, O you of Vrishni’s race, will regard themselves as cheated by Asvatthaman. 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 you with my head, O Krishna, I seek to gratify you 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, you saidst in wrath unto Drona’s son (ever these words), 'O wretch of a Brahmana, O vilest of men, I shall disappoint your wish. I shall revive the son of Kiritin’s son.' Hearing these words of thine and well knowing your puissance, I seek to gratify you, O irresistible hero. Let the son of Abhimanyu be revived. It having pledged thyself previously you dost not accomplish your auspicious vow, do you then know for certain, O chief of the Vrishni race, that I shall cast off my life. If, O hero, this son of Abhimanyu does not revive when you, O irresistible one, art alive and near, of what other use will you be to me? Do you, 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). You, O Kesava, art righteous-souled, truthful, and of prowess incapable of being baffled. It behoves you, O chastiser of foes, to make your words truthful. If only you wishest it, you canst revive the three worlds (of being) if dead. What need I say, therefore, of this darling child, born but dead, of your sister’s son? I know your puissance, O Krishna. Therefore, do I solicit you. Do you show this great favour to the sons of Pandu. It behoves you, O mighty-armed one, to show compassion to this Uttara or to me, thinking that I am your sister or even a mother that has lost her son, and one that has thrown herself upon your protection.'"