d. But thou dost not listen to it. The preceptor Drona also hath said
much that is for thy good which however Karna, the son of Radha, doth not
regard to be such. But, O king, reflecting hard I do not find any one who
is better a friend to thee than either of these two lions among men
(viz., Bhishma and Drona), or any one who excels either of them in
wisdom. These two, old in years, in wisdom, and in learning, always
regard thee, O king, and the sons of Pandu with equal eyes. Without
doubt, O king of Bharata's race, they are both, in virtue and
truthfulness, not inferior to Rama, the son of Dasaratha, and Gaya. Never
before did they give thee any evil advice. Thou also, O monarch, hast
never done them any injury. Why should, therefore, these tigers among
men, who are ever truthful, give thee wicked advice, especially when thou
hast never injured them? Endued with wisdom these foremost of men, O
king, will never give thee counsels that are crooked. O scion of Kuru's
rate, this is my firm conviction that these two, acquainted with all
rules of morality, will never, tempted by wealth, utter anything
betraying a spirit of partisanship. What they have said, O Bharata, I
regard highly beneficial to thee. Without doubt, O monarch, the Pandavas
are thy sons as much as Duryodhana and others are. Those ministers,
therefore, that give thee any counsel fraught with evil unto the
Pandavas, do not really look to thy interests. If there is any partiality
in thy heart, O king, for thy own children, they who by their counsel
seek to bring it out, certainly do thee no good. Therefore, O king, these
illustrious persons endued with great splendour, have not I think, said
anything that leadeth to evil. Thou, however, dost not understand it.
What these bulls among men have said regarding the invincibility of the
Pandavas is perfectly true. Think not otherwise of it, O tiger among men.
Blest be thou! Can the handsome Dhananjaya, the son of Pandu, using the
right and the left hand with equal activity, be vanquished in battle even
by Maghavat himself? Can the great Bhimasena of strong arms possessing
the might of ten thousand elephants, be vanquished in battle by the
immortals themselves? Who also that desireth to live can overcome in
battle the twins (Nagula and Sahadeva) like unto the sons of Yama
himself, and well-skilled in fight? How too can the eldest one of the
Pandavas in whom patience, mercy, forgiveness, truth, and prowess always
live t