id by the illustrious Dhananjaya of
might that knoweth no diminution,--that leader of warriors,--that
destroyer of the lives of the wicked?'
"Sanjaya said, 'Let Duryodhana listen to the words which the high-souled
Arjuna, eager for fight, uttered, with Yudhishthira's sanction and in the
hearing of Kesava. Fearless (in battle) and conscious of the might of his
arms, the heroic Kiritin, eager for fight, spoke thus unto me in the
presence of Vasudeva, "Do thou, O suta, say unto Dhritarashtra's son, in
the presence of all the Kurus, and also in the hearing of that Suta's
son, of foul tongue and wicked soul, of little sense, stupid reason, and
of numbered days, who always desires to fight against me, and also in the
hearing of those kings assembled for fighting against the Pandavas, and
do thou see that all the words now uttered by me are heard well by that
king with his counsellors." O monarch, even as the celestials eagerly
listen to the words of their chief armed with the thunderbolt, so did the
Pandavas and the Srinjayas listen to those words of grave import
uttered by Kiritin. Just these are the words spoken by Arjuna, the
wielder of Gandiva, eager for the fight and with eyes red as the lotus,
"If Dhritarashtra's son doth not surrender to king Yudhishthira of the
Ajamida race, his kingdom, then (it is evident) there must be some sinful
act committed by the sons of Dhritarashtra, whose consequences are yet
unreaped by them, for it can be nothing else when they desire battle with
Bhimasena and Arjuna, and the Aswins and Vasudeva and Sini's son, and
Dhrishtadyumna infallible in arms, and Sikhandin, and Yudhishthira, who
is like Indra himself and who can consume heaven and earth by merely
wishing them ill. If Dhritarashtra's son desireth war with these, then
will all objects of the Pandavas be accomplished. Do not, therefore,
propose peace for the sons of Pandu, but have war if thou likest. That
bed of woe in the woods which was Yudhishthira's when that virtuous son
of Pandu lived in exile. Oh, let a more painful bed than that, on the
bare earth, be now Duryodhana's and let him lie down on it, as his last,
deprived of life. Win thou over those men that were ruled by the wicked
Duryodhana of unjust conduct to the side of Pandu's son endued with
modesty and wisdom and asceticism and self-restraint and valour and might
regulated by virtue. Endued with humility and righteousness, with
asceticism and self-restraint and with valo
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