s of
Madri, "They that had dragged Draupadi, while ill, into the assembly and
had disrobed her there, behold those Dhartarashtras slain in battle by
the Pandavas through the ascetic penances of Yajnasena's daughter! Those
wicked-hearted sons of king Dhritarashtra who had called us 'Sesame seeds
without kernel,' have all been slain by us with their relatives and
followers! It matters little whether (as a consequence of those deeds) we
go to heaven or fall into hell!" Once more, uplifting the mace that lay
on his shoulders, he struck with his left foot the head of the monarch
who was prostrate on the earth, and addressing the deceitful Duryodhana,
said these words. Many of the foremost warriors among the Somakas, who
were all of righteous souls, beholding the foot of the rejoicing
Bhimasena of narrow heart placed upon the head of that foremost one of
Kuru's race, did not at all approve of it. While Vrikodara, after having
struck down thy son, was thus bragging and dancing madly, king
Yudhishthira addressed him, saying, "Thou hast paid off thy hostility
(towards Duryodhana) and accomplished thy vow by a fair or an unfair act!
Cease now, O Bhima! Do not crush his head with thy foot! Do not act
sinfully! Duryodhana is a king! He is, again, thy kinsman! He is fallen!
This conduct of thine, O sinless one, is not proper. Duryodhana was the
lord of eleven Akshauhinis of troops. He was the king of the Kurus. Do
not, O Bhima, touch a king and a kinsman with thy foot. His kinsmen are
slain. His friends and counsellors are gone. His troops have been
exterminated. He has been struck down in battle. He is to be pitied in
every respect. He deserves not to be insulted, for remember that he is a
king. He is ruined. His friends and kinsmen have been slain. His brothers
have been killed. His sons too have been slain. His funeral cake hath
been taken away. He is our brother. This that thou doest unto him is not
proper. 'Bhimasena is a man of righteous behaviour': people used to say
this before of thee! Why then, O Bhimasena, dost thou insult the king in
this way?" Having said these words unto Bhimasena, Yudhishthira, with
voice choked in tears, and afflicted with grief, approached Duryodhana,
that chastiser of foes, and said unto him, "O sire, thou shouldst not
give way to anger nor grieve for thyself. Without doubt thou bearest the
dreadful consequences of thy own former acts. Without doubt this sad and
woeful result had been ordained by the