(for helping puny creatures to
get on his back). It, therefore, behoveth thee not to reproach me. I
forgive all the faults of thy speech, O Arjuna, for the sake of Draupadi
and Draupadi's children and not for any other reason. It is well known
that my hostility with the preceptor has descended from sire to son. All
persons in this world know it. Ye sons of Pandu, are ye not acquainted
with it? The eldest son of Pandu hath not been untruthful in speech. I
myself, O Arjuna, am not sinful. The wretched Drona was a hater of his
disciples. Fight now. Victory will be thine."'"

SECTION CXCIX

"Dhritarashtra said, 'That illustrious person who had duly studied the
Vedas with all their branches, he, in whom the entire science of arms and
modesty had dwelt, he through whose grace many foremost of men are still
capable of achieving superhuman feats which the very gods cannot achieve
with care, alas, when he, viz., that Drona, that son of a great Rishi was
insulted in the sight of all by the low, wicked, mean minded and sinful
Dhrishtadyumna, that slayer of his own preceptor, was there no Kshatriya
who felt called upon to display his wrath? Fie on the Kshatriya order,
and fie on wrath itself! Tell me, O Sanjaya, what the sons of Pritha, as
also all the other royal bowmen in the world, hearing of Drona's
slaughter, said unto the prince of Panchala.'

"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Drupada's son, of crooked deeds,
all the persons present there, O monarch, remained perfectly silent.
Arjuna, however, casting oblique glances upon Prishata's son, seemed,
with tears and sighs, to reproach him, saying, "Fie, fie." Yudhishthira
and Bhima and the twins and Krishna and the others stood bashfully.
Satyaki, however, O king, said these words, "Is there no man here that
would, without delay, slay this sinful wight, this lowest of men, who is
uttering such evil speeches? The Pandavas are all condemning thee for
this sinful act of thine, like Brahmanas condemning a person of the
Chandala class. Having committed such a heinous act, having incurred the
censures of all honest men, art thou not ashamed to open thy lips in the
midst of such a respectable assembly? O despicable wretch, why did not
thy tongue and head split into a hundred fragments while thou wert about
to slay thy own preceptor? Why wert thou not struck down by that act of
sin? Since, having perpetrated such a sinful act, again applauding
thyself in the midst of human being