The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa | Page 8

Dhritarashtra, some time after,
out of affection for his son, gave his consent to their playing (with the
Pandavas) at dice. And Vasudeva coming to know of this, became
exceedingly wroth. And being dissatisfied, he did nothing to prevent
the disputes, but overlooked the gaming and sundry other horried
unjustifiable transactions arising therefrom: and in spite of Vidura,

Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa, the son of Saradwan, he made the
Kshatriyas kill each other in the terrific war that ensued.'
"And Dhritarashtra hearing the ill news of the success of the Pandavas
and recollecting the resolutions of Duryodhana, Karna, and Sakuni,
pondered for a while and addressed to Sanjaya the following speech:--
'Attend, O Sanjaya, to all I am about to say, and it will not become thee
to treat me with contempt. Thou art well-versed in the shastras,
intelligent and endowed with wisdom. My inclination was never to war,
not did I delight in the destruction of my race. I made no distinction
between my own children and the children of Pandu. My own sons
were prone to wilfulness and despised me because I am old. Blind as I
am, because of my miserable plight and through paternal affection, I
bore it all. I was foolish after the thoughtless Duryodhana ever growing
in folly. Having been a spectator of the riches of the mighty sons of
Pandu, my son was derided for his awkwardness while ascending the
hall. Unable to bear it all and unable himself to overcome the sons of
Pandu in the field, and though a soldier, unwilling yet to obtain good
fortune by his own exertion, with the help of the king of Gandhara he
concerted an unfair game at dice.
'Hear, O Sanjaya, all that happened thereupon and came to my
knowledge. And when thou hast heard all I say, recollecting everything
as it fell out, thou shall then know me for one with a prophetic eye.
When I heard that Arjuna, having bent the bow, had pierced the curious
mark and brought it down to the ground, and bore away in triumph the
maiden Krishna, in the sight of the assembled princes, then, O Sanjaya
I had no hope of success. When I heard that Subhadra of the race of
Madhu had, after forcible seizure been married by Arjuna in the city of
Dwaraka, and that the two heroes of the race of Vrishni (Krishna and
Balarama the brothers of Subhadra) without resenting it had entered
Indraprastha as friends, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.
When I heard that Arjuna, by his celestial arrow preventing the
downpour by Indra the king of the gods, had gratified Agni by making
over to him the forest of Khandava, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of
success. When I heard that the five Pandavas with their mother Kunti
had escaped from the house of lac, and that Vidura was engaged in the
accomplishment of their designs, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of
success. When I heard that Arjuna, after having pierced the mark in the

arena had won Draupadi, and that the brave Panchalas had joined the
Pandavas, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that
Jarasandha, the foremost of the royal line of Magadha, and blazing in
the midst of the Kshatriyas, had been slain by Bhima with his bare arms
alone, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that in
their general campaign the sons of Pandu had conquered the chiefs of
the land and performed the grand sacrifice of the Rajasuya, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that Draupadi, her
voice choked with tears and heart full of agony, in the season of
impurity and with but one raiment on, had been dragged into court and
though she had protectors, she had been treated as if she had none, then,
O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that the wicked
wretch Duhsasana, was striving to strip her of that single garment, had
only drawn from her person a large heap of cloth without being able to
arrive at its end, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I
heard that Yudhishthira, beaten by Saubala at the game of dice and
deprived of his kingdom as a consequence thereof, had still been
attended upon by his brothers of incomparable prowess, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that the virtuous
Pandavas weeping with affliction had followed their elder brother to
the wilderness and exerted themselves variously for the mitigation of
his discomforts, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success.
'When I heard that Yudhishthira had been followed into the wilderness
by Snatakas