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!’”
“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,
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