oes. The old man of
mighty arms, deeply afflicted, embraced Partha with his arms and wept
aloud, remembering his sons, brothers, grandsons, daughters' sons, and
friends.

"'Vasudeva said, "Without beholding those heroes, O Arjuna, who had
subjugated all the kings of the Earth and the Daityas a hundred times, I
am still alive! Methinks, I have no death! Through the fault of those two
heroes who were thy dear disciples and who were much regarded by thee,
also, O Partha, the Vrishnis have been destroyed. Those two who were
regarded as Atirathas amongst the foremost of the Vrishnis, and referring
to whom in course of conversation thou wert wont to indulge in pride, and
who, O chief of Kuru's race, were ever dear to Krishna himself, alas, those
two, O Dhananjaya, have been the chief causes of the destruction of the
Vrishnis! I do not censure the son of Sini or the son of Hridika, O
Arjuna. I do not censure Akrura or the son of Rukmini. No doubt, the
curse (of the Rishis) is the sole cause. How is it that that lord of the
universe, the slayer of Madhu, who had put forth his prowess for
achieving the destruction of Kesin and Kansa, and Chaidya swelling with
pride, and Ekalavya, the son of the ruler of the Nishadas, and the
Kalingas and the Magadhas, and the Gandharas and the king of Kasi, and
many rulers assembled together in the midst of the desert, many heroes
belonging to the East and the South, and many kings of the mountainous
regions, alas, how could he remain indifferent to such a calamity as the
curse denounced by the Rishis? Thyself, Narada, and the Munis, knew him
to be the eternal and sinless Govinda, the Deity of unfading glory. Alas,
being puissant Vishnu himself, he witnessed, without interfering, the
destruction of his kinsmen! My son must have himself allowed all this to
happen. He was the Lord of the universe. He did not, however, wish to
falsify the words of Gandhari and the Rishis, O scorcher of foes. In thy
very sight, O hero, thy grandson, who had been slain by Ashvatthama, was
revived through his energy. That friend, however, of yours did not wish
to protect his kinsmen. Beholding his sons and grandsons and brothers and
friends lying dead, he said unto me these words, O chief of Bharata's
race, 'The destruction of this our race has at last come. Vibhatsu will
come to this city, Dwaravati. Tell him what has occurred, this great
carnage of the Vrishnis. I have no doubt that as soon as he will hear of
the de