Dhritarashtra replied,—­’O Kshatta, if the gods be merciful unto us, assuredly no dispute will ever arise amongst my sons.  Therefore, auspicious or otherwise, beneficial or otherwise, let this friendly challenge at dice proceed.  Even this without doubt is what fate hath ordained for us.  And, O son of the Bharata race, when I am near, and Drona and Bhishma and thou too, nothing evil that even Fate might have ordained is likely to happen.  Therefore, go thou on a car yoking thereto horses endued with the speed of the wind, so that thou mayest reach Khandavaprastha even today and bring thou Yudhishthira with thee.  And, O Vidura, I tell that even this is my resolution.  Tell me nothing.  I regard Fate as supreme which bringeth all this.’  Hearing these words of Dhritarashtra and concluding that his race was doomed, Vidura in great sorrow went unto Bhishma with great wisdom.”

SECTION XLIX

Janamejaya said,—­“O thou foremost of all conversant with the Vedas, how did that game at dice take place, fraught with such evil to the cousins and through which my grand-sires, the son of Pandu, were plunged into such sorrow?  What kings also were present in that assembly, and who amongst them approved of the gambling match and who amongst them forbade it?  O sinless one, O chief of regenerate ones, I desire thee to recite in detail all about this, which, indeed, was the cause of the destruction of the world.”

Santi said,—­“Thus addressed by the king, the disciple of Vyasa, endued with great energy and conversant with the entire Vedas, narrated everything that had happened.”

Vaisampayana said,—­“O best of the Bharatas, O great king, if thou desirest to hear, then listen to me as I narrate to thee everything again in detail.

“Ascertaining the opinion of Vidura, Dhritarashtra the son of Amvika, calling Duryodhana told him again in private—­’O son of Gandhari, have nothing to do with dice.  Vidura doth not speak well of it.  Possessed of great wisdom, he will never give me advice that is not for my good.  I also regard what Vidura sayeth as exceedingly beneficial for me.  Do that, O son, for I regard it all as for thy good also.  Indeed, Vidura knoweth with all its mysteries the science (of political morality) that the illustrious and learned and wise Vrihaspati, the celestial Rishi who is the spiritual guide of Vasava—­had unfolded unto the wise chief of the immortals.  And O son, I always accept what Vidura adviseth.  O king, as the wise Uddhava is ever regarded amongst the Vrishnis, so is Vidura possessed of great intelligence esteemed as the foremost of the Kurus.  Therefore, O son, have nothing to do with dice.  It is evident that dice soweth dissensions.  And dissensions are the ruin of the kingdom.  Therefore, O son, abandon this idea of gambling.  O son, thou hast obtained from us what, it hath been ordained, a father and a mother should give unto their son, viz., ancestral rank