fought.  Ye will see that I will exterminate the foe with his elephants and cars and steeds, I will exterminate in battle those slayers of my son with all their followers and kinsmen.  Ye all are accomplished in arms.  Ye all were armed with weapons, how then could Subhadra’s son be slain, even if it were the wielder of the thunder-bolt himself with whom he fought?  Alas, if I had known that Pandavas and the Panchalas would be able to protect my son in battle, I myself would have then protected him.  Ye were then on your cars, ye were shooting your shafts.  Alas, how then could Abhimanyu be slain by the foe, causing a great carnage in your ranks?  Alas, ye have no manliness, nor have ye any prowess, since in the very sight of you all was Abhimanyu slain.  Or, I should chide my own self, since knowing that ye all are weak, cowardly, and irresolute, I went away!  Alas, are your coats of mail and weapons of all kinds only ornaments for decking your persons, and were words given to you only for speaking in assemblies, that ye failed to protect my son (even though ye were clad in mail, armed from head to foot, and even though you had assured me in words of your competence)?—­Having said these words, Partha sat down, holding bow and his excellent sword.  Indeed, none could, at that time, even look at Vibhatsu who then resembled the Destroyer himself in wrath, repeatedly drawing deep breaths.  None of his friends or kinsmen could venture to look at or speak unto Arjuna, as he sat there exceedingly afflicted with grief on account of his son, and with face bathed in tears.  None!  Indeed could address him, save Vasudeva or Yudhishthira.  These two, under all circumstances, were acceptable to Arjuna.  And because they were highly reverenced and dearly loved, therefore, could they alone address him at such times.  Then king Yudhishthira addressing Partha, of eyes like lotus-petals, who was then filled with rage and exceedingly afflicted with grief on account of the death of his son, said these words.

SECTION LXXIII

“Yudhishthira said,—­O mighty-armed one, after thou hadst gone towards the army of the Samsaptakas, the preceptor Drona made fierce endeavours for seizing me.  We succeeded, however, in resisting Drona at the head of the array at all points, having in that battle, disposed our vigorously contending car-divisions in counter-array.  Held in check by a large number of warriors, and myself also having been well protected, Drona began to smite us with great activity, afflicting us with his whetted shafts.  Thus afflicted by him, we could not then even gaze at his army, far less face it in battle.  All of us then, addressing thy son by Subhadra, who was equal to thyself, O lord, in prowess said unto him, [O son, pierce this array of Drona!]—­That valorous hero thus urged by us, then sought, like a good horse, to take that burden on himself, however unbearable it might have been for him.  Endued