prince of Gandhara, let him fight now!  The Gandiva, however, doth not cast dice such as the Krita or the Dwapara, but it shooteth upon foes blazing and keen-edged shafts by myriads.  The fierce arrows shot from the Gandiva, endued with great energy and furnished with vulturine wings, car, pierce even mountains.  The destroyer of all, named Yama, and Vayu, and the horse-faced Agni, leave some remnant behind, but Dhananjaya inflamed with wrath never doth so.  As thou hadst, aided by thy uncle, played a dice in the assembly so do fight in this battle protected by Suvala’s son.  Let the preceptor, if he chooses fight; I shall not, however, fight with Dhananjaya.  We are to fight with the king of the Matsyas, if indeed, he cometh in the track of the kine.’”

SECTION LI

“Bhishma said, ’Drona’s son observeth well, and Kripa, too observeth rightly.  As for Kama, it is only out of regard for the duties of the Kshatriya order that he desireth to fight.  No man of wisdom can blame the preceptor.  I, however, am of opinion that fight we must, considering both the time and the place.  Why should not that man be bewildered who hath five adversaries effulgent as five suns, who are heroic combatants and who have just emerged from adversity?  Even those conversant with morality are bewildered in respect of their own interests.  It is for this, O king, that I tell thee this, whether my words be acceptable to you or not.  What Karna said unto thee was only for raising our (drooping) courage.  As regards thyself, O preceptor’s son, forgive everything.  The business at hand is very grave.  When the son of Kunti hath come, this is not the time for quarrel.  Everything should now be forgiven by thyself and the preceptor Kripa.  Like light in the sun, the mastery of all weapons doth reside in you.  As beauty is never separated from Chandramas, so are the Vedas and the Brahma weapon both established in you.  It is often seen that the four Vedas dwell in one object and Kshatriya attributes in another.  We have never heard of these two dwelling together in any other person than the preceptor of the Bharata race and his son.  Even this is what I think.  In the Vedantas, in the Puranas, and in old histories, who save Jamadagni, O king, would be Drona’s superior?  A combination of the Brahma weapon with the Vedas,—­this is never to be seen anywhere else.  O preceptor’s son, do thou forgive.  This is not the time for disunion.  Let all of us, uniting, fight with Indra’s son who hath come.  Of all the calamities that may befall an army that have been enumerated by men of wisdom, the worst is disunion among the leaders.  Aswatthaman said, ’O bull among men, these thy just observations, need not be uttered in our presence; the preceptor, however, filled with wrath, had spoken of Arjuna’s virtues.  The virtues of even an enemy should be admitted, while the faults of even one’s preceptor may be pointed out; therefore one should, to the best of his power, declare the merits of a son or a disciple.’