under
Yudhishthira's command. The people of the realm are all annoyed with us,
and all our friends also are angry with us. All the kings of the earth
are speaking ill of us, and especially all our friends and relatives.
There can be no fault in our surrender, for from time immemorial, the
weaker party is known to conclude peace. I grieve, however, for that lord
of men, my blind father, who may, on my account, be overtaken by woe and
misery that is endless. [It is known to thee, O king, even before this,
that thy other sons were all opposed to the foe for pleasing me only].
Those mighty car-warriors, the sons of Pandu, will, indeed, avenge their
wrongs by destroying the whole race of king Dhritarashtra with all his
counsellors."--(It was thus that I addressed them, and) seeing me
afflicted by great anxiety and my senses tortured, Drona and Bhishma and
Kripa and Drona's son then addressed me, saying, "Fear not, O represser
of foes, for if the foe wage hostilities with us, they will not be able
to vanquish us when we take the field. Every one of us is singly capable
of vanquishing all the kings of the earth. Let them come. With keen-edged
arrows we will curb their pride. Inflamed with anger upon the death of
his father, this Bhishma (amongst us) in days of old had conquered all
the kings of the earth, on a single car. O Bharata, his wrath excited,
that best of the Kurus smote numberless ones amongst them, whereupon from
fear, they are surrendered to this Devavrata seeking his protection. That
Bhishma, united with us, is still capable of vanquishing the foe in
battle. Let thy fears, therefore, O bull of the Bharata race, be all
dispelled."'

"Duryodhana continued, 'Even this was the resolve then formed by these
heroes of immeasurable energy. The whole earth was formerly under the
foe's command. Now, however, they are incapable of vanquishing us in
battle, for our enemies, the sons of Pandu, are now without allies and
destitute of energy. O bull of the Bharata race, the sovereignty of the
earth now resteth in me, and the kings also, assembled by me, are of the
same mind with me in weal or woe. Know thou, O best of the Kuru race,
that all these kings, O slayer of foes, can, for my sake, enter into the
fire or the sea. They are all laughing at thee, beholding thee filled
with grief and including in these lamentations like one out of his wits,
and affrighted at the praises of the foe. Every one amongst these kings
is able to w