lt for destiny to bring about, since even these bulls
among men, these heroes, have been slain by Kshatriya warriors. My sons
endued with great activity were (regarded by me as) slain even then, O
Krishna, when thou returnedst unsuccessfully to Upaplavya. Shantanu's son
and the wise Vidura told me then, "Cease to bear affection for thy
children!" The interviews of those persons could not go for nothing.
Soon, O Janardana, have my sons been consumed into ashes!'"

Vaishampayana continued, "Having said these words, Gandhari, deprived of
her senses by grief, fell down on the earth! Casting off her fortitude,
she suffered her senses to be stupefied by grief. Filled with wrath and
with sorrow at the death of her sons, Gandhari, with agitated heart,
ascribed every fault to Keshava.

"Gandhari said, 'The Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, O Krishna, have both
been burnt. Whilst they were thus being exterminated, O Janardana, why
wert thou indifferent to them? Thou wert competent to prevent the
slaughter, for thou hast a large number of followers and a vast force.
Thou hadst eloquence, and thou hadst the power (for bringing about
peace). Since deliberately, O slayer of Madhu, thou wert indifferent to
this universal carnage, therefore, O mighty-armed one, thou shouldst reap
the fruit of this act. By the little merit I have acquired through
waiting dutifully on my husband, by that merit so difficult to attain, I
shall curse thee, O wielder of the discus and the mace! Since thou wert
indifferent to the Kurus and the Pandavas whilst they slew each other,
therefore, O Govinda, thou shalt be the slayer of thy own kinsmen! In the
thirty-sixth year from this, O slayer of Madhu, thou shalt, after causing
the slaughter of thy kinsmen and friends and sons, perish by disgusting
means in the wilderness. The ladies of thy race, deprived of sons,
kinsmen, and friends, shall weep and cry even as these ladies of the
Bharata race!'"

Vaishampayana continued, "Hearing these words, the high-souled Vasudeva,
addressing the venerable Gandhari, said unto her these words, with a
faint smile, 'There is none in the world, save myself, that is capable of
exterminating the Vrishnis. I know this well. I am endeavouring to bring
it about. In uttering this curse, O thou of excellent vows, thou hast
aided me in the accomplishment of that task. The Vrishnis are incapable
of being slain by others, be they human beings or gods or Danavas. The
Yadavas, therefore