battle by foes?  Since my heart does not from grief break into a hundred pieces, it seems, O thou of the Vrishni’s race, that it does not die with men when its hour does not come.  Oh, at the time of his fall, what words did he utter; apostrophising his mother?  O lotus-eyed one what did that darling of mine, possessed of restless eyes, say unto me?  I hope he has not been slain by foes while retreating from battle with his back towards them?  I hope, O Govinda, that, his face did not become cheerless while fighting?  He was possessed, O Krishna, of mighty energy.  From a spirit of boyishness, that puissant hero, boasting (of his prowess) in my presence, used to speak of his skill (in battle).  I hope that boy does not lie on the field, slain deceitfully by Drona and Karna and Kripa and others?  Do thou tell me this.  That son of my daughter always used to challenge Bhishma and that foremost of all mighty warriors, viz., Karna, in battle.’  Unto his sire who, from excess of grief, indulged in such lamentations, Govinda, more afflicted than he answered in these words.  ’His face did not become cheerless as he fought in the van of battle.  Fierce though that battle was, he did not turn his back upon it.  Having slain hundreds and thousands of kings of Earth, he was brought to grief by Drona and Karna and at last succumbed to the son of Dussasana.  If, O lord, he had been encountered, one to one, without intermission, he was incapable of being slain in battle by even the wielder of the thunderbolt.  When his sire Arjuna was withdrawn from the main body by the Samsaptakas (who challenged to fight him separately), Abhimanyu was surrounded by the enraged Kaurava heroes headed by Drona in battle.  Then, O sire, after he had slaughtered a very large number of foes in battle, thy daughter’s son at last succumbed to the son of Dussasana.  Without doubt, he has gone to Heaven.  Kill this grief of thine, O thou of great intelligence.  They that are of cleansed understandings never languish when they meet with any calamity.  He by whom Drona and Karna and others were checked in battle,—­heroes that were equal to Indra himself in might—­why would not he ascend to Heaven?  O irresistible one, do thou kill this grief of thine.  Do not suffer thyself to be swayed by wrath.  That conqueror of hostile cities has attained in that sanctified goal which depends upon death at the edge of weapons.  After the fall of that hero, this my sister Subhadra stricken with grief, indulged in loud lamentations, when she saw Kunti, like a female ospray.  When she met Draupadi, she asked her in grief,—­O reverend lady, where are all our sons?  I desire to behold them.  Hearing her lamentations, all the Kaurava ladies embraced her and wept sitting around her.  Beholding (her daughter-in-law) Uttara, she said,—­’O blessed girl, where has thy husband gone?  When he comes back, do thou, without losing a moment, apprise me of it.  Alas, O daughter of Virata, as soon he heard my voice, he