hath laboured more. If he
were to fight fairly, Bhimasena will never succeed in winning the
victory. If, however, he fights unfairly he will be surely able to slay
Duryodhana. The Asuras were vanquished by the gods with the aid of
deception. We have heard this. Virochana was vanquished by Shakra with
the aid of deception. The slayer of Vala deprived Vritra of his energy by
an act of deception. Therefore, let Bhimasena put forth his prowess,
aided by deception! At the time of the gambling, O Dhananjaya, Bhima
vowed to break the thighs of Suyodhana with his mace in battle. Let this
crusher of foes, therefore, accomplish that vow of his. Let him with
deception, slay the Kuru king who is full of deception. If Bhima,
depending upon his might alone, were to fight fairly, king Yudhishthira
will have to incur great danger. I tell thee again, O son of Pandu,
listen to me. It is through the fault of king Yudhishthira alone that
danger hath once more overtaken us! Having achieved great feats by the
slaughter of Bhishma and the other Kurus, the king had won victory and
fame and had almost attained the end of the hostilities. Having thus
obtained the victory, he placed himself once more in a situation of doubt
and peril. This has been an act of great folly on the part of
Yudhishthira, O Pandava, since he hath made the result of the battle
depend upon the victory or the defeat of only one warrior! Suyodhana is
accomplished, he is a hero; he is again firmly resolved. This old verse
uttered by Usanas hath been heard by us. Listen to me as I recite it to
thee with its true sense and meaning! 'Those amongst the remnant of a
hostile force broken flying away for life, that rally and come back to
the fight, should always be feared, for they are firmly resolved and have
but one purpose!' Shakra himself, O Dhananjaya, cannot stand before them
that rush in fury, having abandoned all hope of life. This Suyodhana had
broken and fled. All his troops had been killed. He had entered the
depths of a lake. He had been defeated and, therefore, he had desired to
retire into the woods, having become hopeless of retaining his kingdom.
What man is there, possessed of any wisdom, that would challenge such a
person to a single combat? I do not know whether Duryodhana may not
succeed in snatching the kingdom that had already become ours! For full
thirteen years he practised with the mace with great resolution. Even
now, for slaying Bhimasena, he jumpeth up and