when angry, will, like flames of
fire urged by the wind, leave no remnant (of thy army). O Dhritarashtra,
take king Yudhishthira on thy lap since both parties can, under no
circumstances, have victory when thy will be engaged in battle.'"

SECTION LXV

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Consider, O Duryodhana, O dear son, what I tell
thee. Like an ignorant traveller thou thinkest, the wrong path to be the
right one, since thou art desirous of robbing the energy of the five sons
of Pandu, who are even as the five elements of the universe in their
subtle form upholding all mobile and immobile things. Without the certain
sacrifice of thy life thou art unable to vanquish Yudhishthira, the son
of Kunti, who is the foremost of all virtuous persons in this world.
Alas, like a tree defying the mighty tempest, thou chafest at Bhimasena
who hath not his peer (among men) in might and who is equal unto Yama
himself in battle. What man of sense would encounter in battle the
wielder of Gandiva, who is the foremost of all wielders of weapons, as
the Meru among mountains? What man is there whom Dhrishtadyumna, the
prince of Panchala, cannot overthrow, shooting his arrows among the foes,
like the chief of the celestials hurling his thunderbolt? That honoured
warrior among the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, the irresistible Satyaki,
ever engaged in the good of the Pandavas, will also slaughter thy host.
What man of sense, again, would encounter the lotus-eyed Krishna, who, as
regards the measure of his energy and power, surpasseth the three worlds?
As regards Krishna, his wives, kinsmen, relatives, his own soul and the
whole earth, put on one scale, weigheth with Dhananjaya on the other.
That Vasudeva, upon whom Arjuna relieth, is irresistible, and that host
where Kesava is, becometh irresistible everywhere. Listen, therefore, O
child, to the counsels of those well-wishers of thine whose words are
always for thy good. Accept thou thy aged grandsire, Bhishma, the son of
Santanu, as thy guide. Listen thou to what I say, and what these
well-wishers of the Kurus, Drona, and Kripa, and Vikarna, and king
Vahlika say. These all are as I myself. It behoveth thee to regard them
as much as thou regardest me, since, O Bharata, all these are conversant
with morality and bear affection to thee as much as I myself do. The
panic and rout, before thy eyes, at the city of Virata, of all thy troops
with thy brothers, after surrender of the king,--indeed, that wonderfu