half the Pandavas will certainly act
according to those beneficial recommendations. Or, who amongst these,
thinkest thou, belongs to their party that will speak to them otherwise?
Krishna will never abandon the path of righteousness. The Pandavas are
all obedient to him. Words of righteousness spoken by myself also, those
heroes will never disobey, for the Pandavas are all of righteous soul."
Piteously lamenting, O Suta, I spoke these and many such words unto my
son. Foolish as he is, he listened not to me! I think all this to be the
mischievous influence of Time! There where Vrikodara and Arjuna are, and
the Vrishni hero, Satyaki, and Uttamaujas of the Panchalas, and the
invincible Yudhamanyu, and the irrepressible Dhrishtadyumna, and the
unvanquished Sikhandin, the Asmakas, the Kekayas, and Kshatradharman of
the Somakas, the ruler of the Chedis, and Chekitana, and Vibhu, the son
of the ruler of the Kasi, the sons of Draupadi, and Virata and the mighty
car-warrior Drupada, and those tigers among men viz., the twins (Nakula
and Sahadeva), and the stayer of Madhu to offer counsel, who is there in
this world that would fight these, expecting to live? Who else, again, is
there, save Duryodhana, and Karna, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and
Duhsasana as their fourth, for I do not see the fifth that would venture
to resist my foes while the latter display their celestial weapons? They
who have Vishnu himself on their car, clad in mail and reins in hand,
they who have Arjuna for their warrior, they can never have defeat! Doth
not Duryodhana now recollect those lamentations of mine? The tiger among
men, Bhishma, thou hast said, has been slain. I think, beholding the
fruits of the words uttered by the far-seeing Vidura, my sons are now
indulging in lamentations! I think, beholding his army overwhelmed by
Sini's grandson and Arjuna, beholding the terraces of his cars empty, my
sons are indulging in lamentations. As a swelling conflagration urged by
the winds consumes a heap of dry grass at the close of winter, even so
will Dhananjaya consume my troops. O Sanjaya, thou art accomplished in
narration. Tell me everything that transpired after the doing of that
great wrong to Partha in the evening. When Abhimanyu was slain, what
became the state of your minds? Having, O son, greatly offended the
wielder of Gandiva, my warriors are incapable of bearing in battle his
achievements. What measures were resolved upon by Duryodhana and what by