यानसन्धि पर्व — धृतराष्ट्र के वचन

Vaishampayana said Hearing the words of Sanjaya, then that lord of men having eyes of wisdom then commenced to count the merits and defects of that speech.

Having skillfully counted the merits and defeats as far as in his power that wise and intelligent king of men, desirous of victory for his sons and having ascertained the strength and weakness of both parties by suitable means, commanded counting the army of each.

And having concluded that the Pandavas had strength and prowess, both human and divine on, their side and that the Kurus were weaker in strength, he said to Duryodhana!

O Duryodhana, this thought never leaves my mind; it is very true that I see with my own eyes and do not infer it from my imagination.

All creatures have excessive affection for their offsprings; and they also do what is agreeable to the latter to the best of their power and also what leads to their good.

The same is also seen in benefactors generally. Good men always have a great inclination to repay the great good done them and to do what is highly agreeable to their benefactors.

Agni, recollecting the doings of Arjuna at Khandava, will help him and Bhima in this vas.

Out of affection for those born of them Dharma and many other dwellers of the heaven will, when invoked, come on the side of the Pandavas.

Desirous of protecting them from the fear of Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and others they will be filled with wrath equal to the thunderbolt (in its effects).

The sons of Pritha, those heroic tigers among men, capable of using the weapons, united with the gods, will be incapable of being even gazed at by a human being.

He who has the excellent and invincible Gandiva bow and two inexhaustible arrow holders of heavenly make and always filled with shafts, he who has the figure of a monkey on his heavenly banner which can proceed as smoothly as a column of smoke and whose car has no equal in the earth, bounded by the four seas and the sound of which is heard by men, similar to the roaring of a large mass of clouds and which, like death itself, frightens the enemy. He who is known in this world as of superhuman strength and he who is known by the rulers of the earth as the victor over the gods even in battle, he, who unnoticed by others takes up five hundred arrows and but in a moment shoots them and makes them fall at a distance, he, who is said by Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the son of Drona and by Shalya the king of Madras and by all disinterested persons, to be invisible by superhuman rulers of the earth when standing on the field of battle, as a tiger arnong car-warriors and a subduer of enemies, he at one effort shoots five hundred arrows and in strength of arms is equal to Kartavirya. In this great battle do I see that great bowmen Arjuna equal in might to Indra united with Upendra working havoc.

Thinking this day and night, O Bharata, am I sleepless and unhappy through anxiety for the good of the Kurus.

A great cause of the destruction of the Kurus is now come. If there is no other means of an end to this quarrel, than peace, peace seems desirable to me and not war with the sons of Pritha. I have ever been of opinion that the Pandavas are possessed of greater strength than the Kurus.