charge thee sinful, while all the chiefs of the earth will censure the Kurus and Dhritarashtra; and when Duryodhana will be dead in consequence of his being forsaken by all men, there will be nothing left to do.  Do then what should now be done.  Going unto the Kurus, I shall strive to make peace without sacrificing thy interests, and marking their inclination for war and all their proceedings, I will soon come back, O Bharata, for thy victory.  I think war with the enemy to be certain.  All the omens that are noticeable by me point to that.  Birds and animals set up frightful screeches and howls at the approach of dusk.  The foremost of elephants and steeds assume horrible shapes; the very fire exhibiteth diverse kinds of terrible hues!  This would never have been the case but for the fact of the world-destroying Havoc’s self coming into our midst!  Making ready their weapons, machines, coats of mail, and cars, elephants, and steeds, let all thy warriors be prepared for battle, and let them take care of their elephants and horses and cars.  And, O king, collect everything that thou needest for the impending war.  As long as he liveth, Duryodhana will, by no means, be able to give back unto thee.  O king, that kingdom of thine which, abounding in prosperity, have before been taken by him at dice!’”

SECTION LXXIV

“Bhima said, ’Speak thou, O slayer of Madhu, in such a strain that there may be peace with the Kurus.  Do not threaten them with war.  Resenting everything, his wrath always excited, hostile to his own good and arrogant, Duryodhana should not be roughly addressed.  Do thou behave towards him with mildness.  Duryodhana is by nature sinful of heart like that of a robber, intoxicated with the pride of prosperity, hostile to the Pandavas, without foresight, cruel in speech, always disposed to censure others, of wicked prowess, of wrath not easily to be appeased, not susceptible of being taught, of wicked soul, deceitful in behaviour, capable of giving up his very life rather than break or give up his own opinion.  Peace with such a one, O Krishna, is, I suppose, most difficult.  Regardless of the words of even his well-wishers, destitute of virtue, loving falsehood, he always acts against the words of his counsellors and wounds their hearts.  Like a serpent hid within reeds, he naturally commits sinful acts, depending on his own wicked disposition, and obedient to the impulse of wrath.  What army Duryodhana hath, what his conduct is, what his nature, what his might, and what his prowess, are all well-known to thee.  Before this, the Kauravas with their son passed their days in cheerfulness, and we also with our friends rejoiced like the younger brother of Indra, with Indra himself.  Alas, by Duryodhana’s wrath, O slayer of Madhu, the Bharatas will all be consumed, even like forests by fire at the end of the dewy seasons, and, O slayer of Madhu, well-known are those eighteen kings that annihilated their kinsmen,