altreated in the midst of the assembly and how king Yudhishthira was
defeated at dice through Shakuni's suggestion! See now, O thou of wicked
soul, the terrible consequence of those acts as also of the other wrongs
that thou didst unto the innocent Parthas! It is for thee that that
illustrious chief of the Bharatas, the son of Ganga, the grandsire of us
all, lieth now on a bed of arrows, struck down (by us)! Drona also hath
been slain! Karna hath been slain! Shalya of great valour hath been
slain! Yonder Shakuni also, the root of these hostilities, hath been
slain in battle! Thy heroic brothers, as also thy sons, with all thy
troops, have been slain! Other kings also, possessed of heroism, and
never retreating from battle, have been slain. These and many other bulls
among Kshatriyas, as also the Pratikamin, that wretch who had seized the
tresses of Draupadi, have been slain! Thou alone art still alive, thou
exterminator of thy race, thou wretch among men! Thee also I shall today
slay with my mace! Of this there is no doubt! Today, O king, I shall, in
battle, quell all thy pride! I shall destroy also thy hope of
sovereignty, O king, and pay off all thy misdeeds unto the sons of Pandu!"

"'Duryodhana said, "What use is there of many words? Fight now with me!
Today, O Vrikodara, I shall beat out of thee thy desire for battle! Why
dost thou not behold me, O wretch, standing here for an encounter with
the mace? Am I not armed with a formidable mace that looks like a cliff
of Himavat? What foe is there, O wretch, that would venture to vanquish
me armed with this weapon? If it be a fair fight, Purandara himself,
amongst the gods, is not competent for that end! For all those wicked
deeds of mine to which thou hast referred, thou couldst not (hitherto) do
me the slightest injury! By exercising my might, I caused ye to dwell in
the woods, to serve in another's dwelling, to conceal yourselves in
disguises! Your friends and allies also have been slain. Our loss has
been equal! If, then my fall takes place in this battle, that would be
highly praiseworthy. Or, perhaps, Time will be the cause! Up to this day
I have never been vanquished in fair fight on the field of battle! If you
vanquish me by deceit, your infamy will certainly last for ever! That act
of yours will, without doubt, be unrighteous and infamous! Do not, O son
of Kunti, roar fruitlessly in this way like autumnal clouds uncharged
with water! Show all the strength thou has