gave credence to what thou
hadst said. Although in speaking of Aswatthaman's death thou hadst added
the word elephant, yet thy answer to the preceptor was, after all, an
untruth in the garb of truth. Thus told by thee, the puissant Drona laid
aside his weapons and, as thou sawest, became indifferent (to
everything), exceedingly agitated, and almost deprived of his senses. It
was even a disciple who, abandoning all morality, thus slew his own
preceptor, full of affection for his son, while, indeed, that preceptor
was filled with grief and unwilling to fight. Having caused him, who had
laid his weapons to be unrighteously slain, protect the son of Prishata
if thou canst, with all thy counsellors. All of us, uniting together,
shall not be able to protect Prishata's son today, who will be assailed
by the preceptor's son in wrath and grief. That superhuman being who is
in that habit of displaying his friendship for all creatures, that hero,
hearing of the seizure of his sire's locks, will certainly consume us all
in battle today. Although I cried repeatedly at the top of my voice for
saving the preceptor's life, yet, disregarding my cries and abandoning
mortality, a disciple took the life of that preceptor. All of us have
passed the greater part of our lives. The days that remain to us are
limited. This exceedingly unrighteous act that we have perpetrated has
stained that remnant. In consequence of the affection he bore to us, he
was a sire unto us. According to the dictates of the scriptures also, he
was a sire unto us. Yet he, that preceptor of ours, has been slain by us
for the sake of short-lived sovereignty. Dhritarashtra, O king, had given
unto Bhishma and Drona the whole earth, and what was still more valuable,
all his children. Though honoured by our foe thus, and though he had
obtained such wealth from him, the preceptor still loved us as his own
children. Of unfading energy and prowess, the preceptor has been slain,
only because, induced by thy words he had laid aside his weapons. While
engaged in fight he was incapable of being slain by Indra himself. The
preceptor was venerable in years and always devoted to our welfare. Yet
unrighteous that we are, and stained with a levity of behaviour, we
scrupled not to injure him. Alas, exceedingly cruel and very heinous has
been the sin that we have committed, for, moved by the desire of enjoying
the pleasures of sovereignty, we have slain that Drona. My preceptor had
all al