“Vaisampayana said, ’O chastiser of all foes, listen to me, O monarch, as I recite the (history of the) burning of the house of lac and the escape of the Pandavas.  The wicked Duryodhana, beholding Bhimasena surpass (everybody) in strength and Arjuna highly accomplished in arms became pensive and sad.  Then Karna, the offspring of the Sun, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, endeavoured by various means to compass the death of the Pandavas.  The Pandavas too counteracted all those contrivances one after another, and in obedience to the counsels of Vidura, never spoke of them afterwards.  Then the citizens, beholding the son of Pandu possessed of accomplishments, began, O Bharata, to speak of them in all places of public resort.  And assembled in courtyards and other places of gathering, they talked of the eldest son of Pandu (Yudhishthira) as possessed of the qualifications for ruling the kingdom.  And they said, ’Dhritarashtra, though possessed of the eye of knowledge, having been (born) blind, had not obtained the kingdom before.  How can he (therefore) become king now?  Then Bhishma, the son of Santanu, of rigid vows and devoted to truth, having formerly relinquished the sovereignty would never accept it now.  We shall, therefore, now install (on the throne) with proper ceremonies the eldest of the Pandavas endued with youth, accomplished in battle, versed in the Vedas, and truthful and kind.  Worshipping Bhishma, the son of Santanu and Dhritarashtra conversant with the rules of morality, he will certainly maintain the former and the latter with his children in every kind of enjoyment.

“The wretched Duryodhana, hearing these words of the parting partisans of Yudhishthira, became very much distressed.  Deeply afflicted, the wicked prince could not put up with those speeches.  Inflamed with jealousy, he went unto Dhritarashtra, and finding him alone he saluted him with reverence and distressed at (the sight of) the partiality of the citizens for Yudhishthira, he addressed the monarch and said, ’O father, I have heard the parting citizens utter words of ill omen.  Passing thee by, and Bhishma too, they desire the son of Pandu to be their king.  Bhishma will sanction this, for he will not rule the kingdom.  It seems, therefore, that the citizens are endeavouring to inflict a great injury on us.  Pandu obtained of old the ancestral kingdom by virtue of his own accomplishments, but thou, from blindness, didst not obtain the kingdom, though fully qualified to have it.  If Pandu’s son now obtaineth the kingdom as his inheritance from Pandu, his son will obtain it after him and that son’s son also, and so on will it descend in Pandu’s line.  In that case, O king of the world, ourselves with our children, excluded from the royal line, shall certainly be disregarded by all men.  Therefore, O monarch, adopt such counsels that we may not suffer perpetual distress, becoming dependent on others for our food.  O king, if thou hadst obtained the sovereignty before, we would certainly have succeeded to it, however much the people might be unfavourable to us.’”