SECTION CXCIX

“Dhritarashtra said, ’That illustrious person who had duly studied the Vedas with all their branches, he, in whom the entire science of arms and modesty had dwelt, he through whose grace many foremost of men are still capable of achieving superhuman feats which the very gods cannot achieve with care, alas, when he, viz., that Drona, that son of a great Rishi was insulted in the sight of all by the low, wicked, mean minded and sinful Dhrishtadyumna, that slayer of his own preceptor, was there no Kshatriya who felt called upon to display his wrath?  Fie on the Kshatriya order, and fie on wrath itself!  Tell me, O Sanjaya, what the sons of Pritha, as also all the other royal bowmen in the world, hearing of Drona’s slaughter, said unto the prince of Panchala.’

“Sanjaya said, ’Hearing these words of Drupada’s son, of crooked deeds, all the persons present there, O monarch, remained perfectly silent.  Arjuna, however, casting oblique glances upon Prishata’s son, seemed, with tears and sighs, to reproach him, saying, ‘Fie, fie.’  Yudhishthira and Bhima and the twins and Krishna and the others stood bashfully.  Satyaki, however, O king, said these words, ’Is there no man here that would, without delay, slay this sinful wight, this lowest of men, who is uttering such evil speeches?  The Pandavas are all condemning thee for this sinful act of thine, like Brahmanas condemning a person of the Chandala class.  Having committed such a heinous act, having incurred the censures of all honest men, art thou not ashamed to open thy lips in the midst of such a respectable assembly?  O despicable wretch, why did not thy tongue and head split into a hundred fragments while thou wert about to slay thy own preceptor?  Why wert thou not struck down by that act of sin?  Since, having perpetrated such a sinful act, again applauding thyself in the midst of human beings, thou incurrest the censures of the Parthas and all the Andhakas and the Vrishnis.  Having perpetrated such an atrocious act, thou art again displaying such hatred towards the preceptor.  For this thou deservest death at our hands.  There is no use in keeping thee alive for even a single moment.  Who is there, save thee, O wretch, that would cause the death of the virtuous preceptor, seizing him by his locks?  Having obtained thee, O wretch, thy ancestors, for seven generations and thy descendants also for seven generations, deprived of fame, have sunk into hell, Thou hast charged Partha, that bull among men, with the slaughter of Bhishma.  The latter, however, viz., that illustrious personage, himself accomplished his own death.  Truly speaking, the uterine brother, (viz., Sikhandin), that foremost of all sinners, was the cause of Bhishma’s death.  There is none in the world that is more sinful than the sons of the Panchala king.  Thy father had created Sikhandin for the destruction of Bhishma.  As regards Arjuna,