he south-west, walketh before, singing the
mantras of the Sama Veda that relate to Yama. And, O monarch, that
learned Brahamana goeth, also signifying, 'When the Bharatas shall be
slain in battle, the priests of the Kurus will thus sing the Soma mantras
(for the benefit of the deceased).' And the citizens, afflicted with
great grief, are repeatedly crying out, 'Alas, alas, behold our masters
are going away! O fie on the Kuru elders that have acted like foolish
children in thus banishing heirs of Pandu from covetousness alone. Alas,
separated from the son of Pandu we all shall become masterless. What love
can we bear to the wicked and avaricious Kurus? Thus O king, have the
sons of Kunti, endued with great energy of mind, gone away,--indicating,
by manner and signs, the resolutions that are in their hearts. And as
those foremost of men had gone away from Hastinapore, flashes of
lightning appeared in the sky though without clouds and the earth itself
began to tremble. And Rahu came to devour the Sun, although it was not
the day of conjunction And meteors began to fall, keeping the city to
their right. And jackals and vultures and ravens and other carnivorous
beasts and birds began to shriek and cry aloud from the temples of the
gods and the tops of sacred trees and walls and house-tops. And these
extraordinary calamitous portents, O king, were seen and heard,
indicating the destruction of the Bharatas as the consequence of thy evil
counsels."

Vaisampayana continued,--"And, O monarch, while king Dhritarashtra and
the wise Vidura were thus talking with each other, there appeared in that
assembly of the Kauravas and before the eyes of all, the best of the
celestial Rishis. And appealing before them all, he uttered these
terrible words, On the fourteenth year hence, the Kauravas, in
consequence of Duryodhana's fault, will all be destroyed by the might of
Bhima and Arjuna'. And having said this, that best of celestial Rishis,
adorned with surpassing Vedic grace, passing through the skies,
disappeared from the scene. Then Duryodhana and Karna and Sakuni, the son
of Suvala regarding Drona as their sole refuge, offered the kingdom to
him. Drona then, addressing the envious and wrathful Duryodhana and
Dussasana and Karna and all the Bharata, said, 'The Brahamanas have said
that the Pandavas being of celestial origin are incapable of being slain.
The sons of Dhritarashtra, however, having, with all the kings, heartily
and with rev