The lamentation of Dhritarashtra

Vaishampayana said : The foremost of men, Dhritarashtra, the son of Ambika, having heard this most extraordinary and wonderful account (the mode of life of the Pandava king in the Kamyaka forest) became filled with grief and anxiety; and overwhelmed with melancholy and breathing hot and long he addressing his charioteer Sanjaya said,

“O charioteer, I do not enjoy a moment's rest either during the day or in the night, thinking of the terrible misconduct of my sons resulting from their past gambling;

And thinking of the heroism, patience superior fortitude and the extraordinary mutual love of those brothers of unbearable prowess.

When the two Pandavas, Nakula and Sahadeva who are of divine origin, most exalted, equal to the king of the gods in splendour, invincible in battle, steady in management of weapons, able to shoot at a great distance indefatigable in battle, lighthanded, of inextinguishable wrath, persevering, of untiring activity, mighty as the lions, unbearable as the Ashvins themselves will come to the field of battle placing Bhima and Arjuna in the front, then I see, O Sanjaya, that my soldiers will be slain to a mass; and those mighty and matchless warriors of divine origin will not show mercy.

As they are very angry at the insult upon Draupadi. And the most powerful warriors of the Vrishni race and the Panchalas of great strength and the sons of Pritha themselves guarded by Vasudeva of indomitable strength, will defeat my son's legions.

O son of charioteer, my assembled forces are incapable of standing the push as given by the Vrishnis, when commanded by Rama and Krishna.

The mighty-warrior Bhima of terrible prowess, armed with his uplifted mace, capable of crushing every hero, will rove about in their midst. The kings on my side will not be able to stand against the twang of Gandiva, as loud as the thunder of heaven and the push of the mace of Bhima.

It is then that I, ever obedient to the counsels of Duryodhana, shall call to my memory the advices of my friends, which, I should have listened to beforehand.

Sanjaya said : O king, you did not care for this, your great fault was that though capable you did not prevent out of affection your son from doing what he had done.

Having heard the defeat at dice of the Pandavas, the slayer of Madhu, that hero of imperishable fame, went at once to the forest of Kamyaka.

So also Dhristadyumna at the head of the sons of Drupada and Virata and Dhristaketu and those mighty warriors, the Kaikeyas.

O king, I have learnt through the spies whatever they talked of after they had seen the sons of Pandu defeated at dice.

Having advanced towards the slayer of Madhu, the Pandavas appointed him to the charioteership of Falguni in battle; and Hari in response to their request said-"So be it."

And Krishna, beholding the sons of Pritha, gone to the woods and dressed in the skins of black deer, became greatly annoyed and addressing Yudhishthira, said,

“I beheld the prosperity of the sons of Pritha at Indraprastha, on the occasion of the Rajasuya sacrifice, which could not even painfully be obtained by other kings.

At the Rajasuya I saw also all the kings those of the Bangas and Angas, Paundras and Odras, Cholas and Dravidas and Andhakas; and the rulers of several islands and the countries on the sea-coast and the kings of the frontier dominions i.e. the chiefs of the Sinhalas, the barbarians Mlechchhas, the aboriginal tribes of Lanka and hundreds of the kings of the west and the chiefs of the sea-coast principalities and all those of the Pahlavas and the Daradas. The various tribes of the Kiratas, the Yavanas, the Cakras, the Harahunas, the Chinas, the Thukharas, the Sindavas, the Jugudas, the Ramathas and the Mundas; and the natives of the kingdom of women, the Tanganas, the Kaikeyas, the Malavas and the inhabitants of Kashmira, who were greatly afflicted with the terror of your weapons, strength and who, having been present as you had invited them, performed various offices.

That prosperity, so very ephemeral was taken away by your enemies and now rests upon them, which I shall recover from them for you by depriving them of their very life.

O chief of the Kurus, I shall, with the help of Rama, Bhima and Arjuna and the twins and of Akrura, Gada and Samba and Pradyumna and Ahuka and also with the assistance of the heroic Dhristadyumna and the of Shishupala, kill Duryodhana and Karna in a day and so also Dushasana, Subala's son and all others who will stand against us in battle. And thereafter you shall, O Bharata, live in Hastinapur with your brothers and having in possession the prosperity that is now being enjoyed by the sons of Dhritarashtra, govern this earth."

Thereupon the king (Yudhishthira) spoke unto Krishna in the hearing of those heroes at the head of whom was Dhristadyumna whilst they were listening to him.

Yudhishthira said : O Janardana, I accept these words of your to be true. son

O mighty-armed one, slay my enemies with their followers subsequent to the expiration of the thirteen years. O Keshava, swear this to me. I really promised in the assembly of the kings to live in the woods as I am now doing.

Sanjay Said: Hearing these words of the most righteous, Yudhishthira his courtiers headed by Dhristadyumna instantly pacified the indignant Keshava with sweet words most suitable to the occasion.

They, (the courtiers) in the hearing of Vasudeva, said to the daughter of Panchala (Draupadi), “O lady, Duryodhana shall certainly give up his life on account of your wrath.

O fair-complexioned one, we make this promise unto you and therefore grieve no more. O Krishna, the flesh of those that laughed on beholding the victory at dice will be devoured by the wolves and birds.

They themselves will be mocked; and their blood will be drunk by the jackals and vultures. ( daughter of Panchala, you shall see the bodies of those that dragged you by the hair at once dragged and devoured by the carnivorous animals.

Krishna, the blood, of those with severed heads, by whom you were much aggrieved and neglected, will be drunk by the earth.”

The foremost ones of the Bharata race uttered these and various other speeches (in order to console Draupadi). Yudhishthira made this request to those brave heroes who were all impressed with the marks of battle, that they should after the expiration of the thirteenth year (of life in the forest), come to the field (of battle) keeping Vasudeva at their head.

Who is there that, desiring to have his existence in earth, will appear in the field of battle and encounter these most illustrious and invincible heroes (like the furious lions with erect manes) viz. Rama and Krishna and Dhananjaya, Pradyumna and Samba and Yuyudhana and Bhima and the sons of Madri and the Kaikeya and Panchala princes, attended by the king of Matsya, who will come to the battle with all their troops and attendants.

Dhritarashtra said: Vidura in the occasion of the past gambling told me this “O king, you shall surely defeat the Pandavas at dice; but certainly there will ensue a terrible bloodshed, resulting in the total destruction of the Kurus."

O charioteer, I think it is now almost certain what Vidura had told me of old, that undoubtedly you would happen, a most fearful battle with the Pandavas just after the expire of the said period of thirteen years.