al Gandiva
for his bow, he who hath a couple of celestial quivers obtained from
Varuna,--large, full of shafts, and inexhaustible, he on whose banner,
that is unobstructed like smoke in its action, is stationed the
monkey-image of celestial origin, whose car is unequalled on the earth
girt by the four seas, and the rattle of which as heard by men is like
the roar of the clouds, and which like the rolling of the thunder
frightens the foe; he whom the whole world regards as superhuman in
energy; he whom all the kings of the earth know to be the vanquisher of
the very gods in battle; he that taketh up five hundred arrows at a time
and in the twinkling of the eye, shooteth them, unseen by other, to a
great distance; that son of Pritha and tiger among car-warriors and
chastiser of foes, whom Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona's son and
Salya, the king of the Madras, and in fact, all impartial persons, regard
as incapable of being vanquished by even earthly kings of superhuman
prowess, when ready for fight who shooteth at one stretch full five
hundred arrows, and who is equal unto Kartavirya in strength of arms;
that great bowman, Arjuna, equal unto Indra or Upendra in prowess,--I
behold that great warrior committing a great havoc in this terrible
battle. O Bharata, reflecting day and night on this, I am unhappy and
sleepless, through anxiety for the welfare of the Kurus. A terrible
destruction is about to overtake the Kurus, if there is nothing but peace
for ending this quarrel. I am for peace with the Parthas and not for war.
O child, I always deem the Pandavas mightier than the Kurus."'"

SECTION LXI

Vaisampayana said, "Hearing these words of his father, the passionate
son of Dhritarashtra inflamed with great wrath, again said these words,
of envy, of "Thou thinkest the Parthas having the celestials for their
allies, are incapable of being vanquished. Let this thy fear, O best of
kings, be dispelled. The gods attained to their divinity for absence of
desire, covetousness, and of enmity, as also for their indifference to
all worldly affairs. Formerly, Dwaipayana-Vyasa and Narada of great
ascetic austerities, and Rama, the son of Jamadagni, told us this. The
gods never like human beings to engage in work, O bull of the Bharata race,
from desire, or wrath, or covetousness, or envy. Indeed, if Agni, or
Vayu, or Dharma, or Indra, or the Aswins had ever engaged themselves in
works from worldly desire, then the sons of P