he hath snatched away our kingdom. Why, O
monarch, in obedience to the trite merit of sticking to a promise, dost
thou suffer such distress, abandoning that wealth which is the source of
both virtue and enjoyments? It was for thy carelessness, O king, that our
kingdom protected by the wielder of the Gandiva and therefore, incapable
of being wrested by Indra himself, was snatched from us in our very
sight. It was for thee, O monarch, that, ourselves living, our prosperity
was snatched away from us like a fruit from one unable to use his arms,
or like kine from one incapable of using his legs. Thou art faithful in
the acquisition of virtue. It was to please thee, O Bharata, that we have
suffered ourselves to be overwhelmed with such dire calamity. O bull of
the Bharata race, it was because we were subject to thy control that we
are thus tearing the hearts of our friends and gratifying our foes. That
we did not, in obedience to thee, even then slay the sons of
Dhritarashtra, is an act of folly on our part that grieveth me sorely.
This thy abode, O king, in the woods, like that of any wild animal, is
what a man of weakness alone would submit to. Surely, no man of might
would ever lead such a life. This thy course of life is approved neither
by Krishna, nor Vibhatsu, nor by Abhimanyu, nor by the Srinjayas, nor by
myself, nor by the sons of Madri. Afflicted with the vows, thy cry is
Religion! Religion! Hast thou from despair been deprived of thy
manliness? Cowards alone, unable to win back their prosperity, cherish
despair, which is fruitless and destructive of one's purposes. Thou hast
ability and eyes. Thou seest that manliness dwelleth in us. It is because
thou hast adopted a life of peace that thou feelest not this distress.
These Dhritarashtras regard us who are forgiving, as really incompetent.
This, O king, grieveth me more than death in battle. If we all die in
fair fight without turning our backs on the foe, even that would be
better than this exile, for then we should obtain regions of bliss in the
other world. Or, if, O bull of the Bharata race, having slain them all,
we acquire the entire earth, that would be prosperity worth the trial. We
who ever adhere to the customs of our order, who ever desire grand
achievements, who wish to avenge our wrongs, have this for our bounden
duty. Our kingdom wrested from us, if we engage in battle, our deeds when
known to the world will procure for us fame and not slander. And that