? I cannot bear it that my army should be repeatedly
slaughtered by the Pandavas. The divine chastisement, highly severe, hath
fallen on me alone. Tell me everything truly, O Sanjaya, about that for
which the sons of Pandu have become unslayable and mine slayable. I do
not see the other shore of this (sea of) distress.[383] I am like a man
desirous of crossing the vastly deep ocean with my two arms alone. I
certainly think that a great calamity hath overtaken my sons. Without
doubt, Bhima will slay all my sons. I do not see that hero who is able to
protect my sons in battle. The death of my sons in this battle, O
Sanjaya, is certain. It behoveth thee, therefore, O Suta, to tell me, who
asketh thee, everything about the true cause of all these. Beholding his
own troops retreating from battle, what did Duryodhana do? And what old
Bhishma and Drona, and Kripa, and Suvala's son, and Jayadratha, and that
mighty bowman, viz., Drona's son and Vikarna of great strength do? When
also, O thou of great wisdom, my sons turned back from the fight, what O
Sanjaya, became the resolve of those high-souled warriors?"

Sanjaya said, "Listen, O king, with attention, and having listened, let
it go to thy heart. Nothing (in this) is the result of incantation,
nothing the result of illusion of any kind. Nor have the sons of Pandu
created any new terrors. They are endued with might; and they are
fighting by fair means in this battle. Desirous of high fame, the sons of
Pritha always do every act, including even the support of their lives,
agreeably to the way of morality. Endued with every kind of prosperity,
and possessed of great strength, they never desist from battle, keeping
their eyes on righteousness. And victory is there where righteousness is.
It is for this, O king, that the sons of Pritha are unslayable in battle
and always victorious. Thy sons are of wicked souls and are addicted to
sinfulness. They are cruel and wedded to mean acts. It is for this that
they are being weakened in battle. Thy sons, O king, like despicable men,
did many cruel and deceitful acts to the sons of Pandu. Disregarding,
however, all those offences of thy sons, the sons of Pandu always
concealed those acts, O elder brother of Pandu. Thy sons also, O king, on
numerous occasions humiliated the Pandavas. Let them now reap the
terrible fruit, like poison, of that persistent course of
sinfulness.[384] That fruit should be enjoyed by thee also, O king, with
thy son