son of a Suta!  Relying upon him, thy foolish son Suyodhana hath insulted those heroes of celestial descent, those chastiser of all foes.  What, however, is that difficult feat achieved by this wretch before that is equal to any of those achieved of old by every one of the Pandavas?  Beholding in the city of Virata his beloved brother slain by Dhananjaya who displayed such prowess, what did this one then do?  When Dhananjaya, rushing against all the assembled Kurus, crushed them and took away their robes, was this one not there then?  When thy son was being led away as a captive by the Gandharvas on the occasion of the tale of the cattle, where was this son of a Suta then who now belloweth like a bull?  Even there, it was Bhima, and the illustrious Partha, and the twins, that encountered the Gandharvas and vanquished them.  Ever beautiful, and always unmindful of both virtue and profit, these, O bull of the Bharata race, are the many false things, blessed be thou, that this one uttereth.’

’Having heard these words of Bhishma, the high-souled son of Bharadwaja, having paid due homage unto Dhritarashtra and the assembled kings, spoke unto him these words, ’Do that, O king, which the best of the Bharatas, Bhishma, hath said.  It behoveth thee not to act according to the words of those that are covetous of wealth.  Peace with the Pandavas, before the war breaks out, seems to be the best.  Everything said by Arjuna and repeated here by Sanjaya, will, I know, be accomplished by that son of Pandu, for there is no bowman equal unto him in the three world!’ Without regarding, however, these words spoken by both Drona and Bhishma, the king again asked Sanjaya about the Pandavas.  From that moment, when the king returned not a proper answer to Bhishma and Drona, the Kauravas gave up all hopes of life.’”

SECTION L

“Dhritarashtra said, ’What did that Pandava king, the son of Dharma, say, O Sanjaya, after hearing that a large force hath been assembled here for gladdening us?  How also is Yudhishthira acting, in view of the coming strife, O Suta, who amongst his brothers and sons are looking up to his face, desirous of receiving his orders?  Provoked as he is by the deceptions of my wicked sons, who, again, are dissuading that king of virtuous behaviour and conversant with virtue, saying,—­Have peace?’

“Sanjaya said, ’All the Panchalas, along with the other sons of Pandu, are looking up to Yudhishthira’s face, blessed be thou, and he too is restraining them all.  Multitudes of cars belonging to the Pandavas and the Panchalas are coming in separate bodies for gladdening Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, ready to march to the field of battle.  As the sky brightens up at the advent of the rising sun, so the Panchalas are rejoicing at their union with Kunti’s son of blazing splendour, risen like a flood of light.  The Panchalas, the Kekayas, and the Matsyas, along with the very herdsmen that attend on their kine and sheep, are rejoicing and gladdening Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu.  Brahmana and Kshatriya girls and the very daughters of the Vaisyas, in large number, are coming in playful mood for beholding Partha accounted in coat of mail.’