a universal slaughter?  Show me a single man who will defeat that Arjuna, by defeating whom alone victory may be thine?  Who will encounter that son of Pandu in battle, who had vanquished all the celestials with the Gandharvas, Yakshas and Pannagas at Khandavaprastha?  Then also the marvellous account that is heard of what happened at Virata’s city, touching that encounter between one and many, is sufficient proof of this, Hopest thou to vanquish in battle Arjuna who when excited with rage is invincible, irresistible, ever-victorious, and undeteriorating Arjuna, that hero, who gratified the God of gods, Siva himself in fight?  With myself again as his second when that son of Pritha will rush to the field of battle against an enemy, who is there that is competent to challenge him then?  Can Purandara himself do so?  He that would vanquish Arjuna in battle would support the Earth on his arms, consume in rage the whole population of the Earth, and hurl the very gods from heaven.  Look at thy sons, thy brothers, kinsmen, and other relatives.  Let not these chiefs of Bharata’s race all perish on thy account.  Let not the race of Kauravas be exterminated or reduced.  O king, let not people say that thou art the exterminator of thy race and the destroyer of its achievements.  Those mighty car-warriors, the Pandavas (if peace be made) will install thee as the Yuvaraja, and thy father Dhritarashtra, that lord of men, as the sovereign of this extensive empire.  Do not, O sire, disregard the prosperity that is awaiting thee and is sure to come.  Giving to the sons of Pritha half the kingdom, win thou great prosperity.  Making peace with the Pandavas and acting according to the counsels of thy friends, and rejoicing with them, thou art sure to obtain what is for thy good for ever and ever.’”

SECTION CXXV

“Vaisampayana said, ’Hearing, O bull of Bharata’s race, these words of Kesava, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, then said unto vindictive Duryodhana, Krishna hath spoken to thee, desirous of bringing about peace between kinsmen.  O sire, follow those counsels, and do not yield to the influence of wrath.  If thou dost not act, O sire, according to the words of the high-souled Kesava, neither prosperity, nor happiness nor what is for thy good, wilt thou ever have.  The mighty-armed Kesava, O sire, hath said unto thee what is consistent with virtue and profit.  Accept thou that object, and do not, O king, exterminate the population of the earth.  This resplendent prosperity of the Bharatas amongst all the kings of the earth, thou wilt, during the very life of Dhritarashtra, destroy through thy wickedness, and thou wilt also, through this arrogant disposition of thine, deprive thyself with all thy counsellors, sons, brothers, and kinsmen, of life, if, O thou foremost of Bharata’s race, thou transgressest the words of Kesava, thy father, and of wise Vidura,—­words that are consistent with truth and fraught with benefit