To the best of my power, I also seek to gratify thee.  Thou, however, dost not bear all this in mind.  O thou of immeasurable prowess, although we are devoted to thee, still thou never seekest our welfare.  Thou art always well-pleased with the Pandavas and always engaged in doing us evil.  Though deriving thy livelihood from us, still thou art engaged in doing evil to us.  I was not aware that thou art but a razor steeped in honey.  If thou hadst not granted me the boon about humiliating and checking the Pandavas, I would never have prevented the ruler of the Sindhus from returning to his own country.  Fool that I am, expecting protection from thee, I assured the ruler of the Sindhus, and through my folly offered him as a victim to death.  A man may escape, having entered the very jaws of death, but there is no escape for Jayadratha, when once he comes within reach of Dhananjaya’s arms.  O thou that ownest red steeds, do that by which the ruler of the Sindhus may yet be saved.  Do not give way to wrath on hearing the delirious ravings of my afflicted self, O, protect ye the ruler of the Sindhus.’

“Drona said, ’I do not find fault with thy words.  Thou art as dear to me as Aswatthaman himself.  I tell thee truly.  Act, however, now according to my words, O king!  Of all drivers of cars, Krishna is the foremost.  His steeds are also the foremost of their species.  Obtaining only a very small space, Dhananjaya can pass very quickly through it.  Seest thou not that the shafts of the diadem-decked (Arjuna), countless in number, shot from his bow, are falling full two miles behind his car as he is proceeding?  Burdened with the weight of years, I am now incapable of going so fast.  The whole army of the Parthas, again, is now close upon our van.  Yudhishthira also should be seized by me.  Even so, O thou of mighty arms, hath been the vow made by me in the Presence of all bowmen and in the midst of all the Kshatriyas.  O king! he is now staying at the head of his troops, abandoned by Dhananjaya.  I shall not, therefore, abandoning the gate of our array, fight with Phalguna.  It is meet that thyself, properly supported, shouldst fight With that foe of thine, who is alone and who is thy equal in lineage and feats.  Do not fear.  Go and fight with him.  Thou art the ruler of the world.  Thou art a king.  Thou art a hero.  Possessed of fame, thou art accomplished in vanquishing (thy foes).  O brave subjugator of hostile towns, go thyself to that spot where Dhananjaya the son of Pritha is.’

“Duryodhana said, ’O preceptor, how is it possible for me to resist Dhananjaya who has transgressed even thee that art the foremost of all wielders of arms?  The very chief of celestials, armed with the thunder, is capable of being vanquished in battle, but Arjuna that subjugator of hostile towns, cannot be vanquished in battle.  He by whom Hridika’s son (Kritavarman), the ruler of the Bhojas, and thyself equal unto a celestial, have both been vanquished