other shore of this (sea of) distress.[383] I am like a man desirous of crossing the vastly deep ocean with my two arms alone.  I certainly think that a great calamity hath overtaken my sons.  Without doubt, Bhima will slay all my sons.  I do not see that hero who is able to protect my sons in battle.  The death of my sons in this battle, O Sanjaya, is certain.  It behoveth thee, therefore, O Suta, to tell me, who asketh thee, everything about the true cause of all these.  Beholding his own troops retreating from battle, what did Duryodhana do?  And what old Bhishma and Drona, and Kripa, and Suvala’s son, and Jayadratha, and that mighty bowman, viz., Drona’s son and Vikarna of great strength do?  When also, O thou of great wisdom, my sons turned back from the fight, what O Sanjaya, became the resolve of those high-souled warriors?”

Sanjaya said, “Listen, O king, with attention, and having listened, let it go to thy heart.  Nothing (in this) is the result of incantation, nothing the result of illusion of any king.  Nor have the sons of Pandu created any new terrors.  They are endued with might; and they are fighting by fair means in this battle.  Desirous of high fame, the sons of Pritha always do every act, including even the support of their lives, agreeably to the way of morality.  Endued with every kind of prosperity, and possessed of great strength, they never desist from battle, keeping their eyes on righteousness.  And victory is there where righteousness is.  It is for this, O king, that the sons of Pritha are unslayable in battle and always victorious.  Thy sons are of wicked souls and are addicted to sinfulness.  They are cruel and wedded to mean acts.  It is for this that they are being weakened in battle.  Thy sons, O king, like despicable men, did many cruel and deceitful acts to the sons of Pandu.  Disregarding, however, all those offences of thy sons, the sons of Pandu always concealed those acts, O elder brother of Pandu.  Thy sons also, O king, on numerous occasions humiliated the Pandavas.  Let them now reap the terrible fruit, like poison, of that persistent course of sinfulness.[384] That fruit should be enjoyed by thee also, O king, with thy sons and kinsmen, since thou, O king, could not be awakened even though counselled by thy well-wishers.  Repeatedly forbidden by Vidura, by Bhishma, by the high-souled Drona, and by myself also thou didst not understand, rejecting our words intended for thy good and worthy of thy acceptance, like a sick man rejecting the medicine prescribed.  Accepting the views of thy sons thou hadst regarded the Pandavas as already vanquished.  Listen again, O king, to what thou hast asked me, viz., the true cause, O chief of the Bharatas, of the victory of the Pandavas.  I will tell thee whit I have heard, O chastiser of foes.  Duryodhana had asked the grandsire this very question.  Beholding his brothers, all mighty car-warriors, vanquished in battle, thy son Duryodhana, O Kaurava, with heart confounded with grief, repairing with humility during the night to the grandsire possessed of great wisdom, asked him this question.  Listen to me, O monarch, about it all.