SECTION LX
"Vaisampayana said, 'Having heard these words of Sanjaya, the monarch
endued with the eye of wisdom, took that speech into his consideration as
regards its merits and demerits. And having counted in detail the merits
and demerits as far as he could, and having exactly ascertained the
strength and weakness of both parties, the learned and intelligent king,
ever desirous of victory to his sons, then began to compare the powers of
both sides. And having at last ascertained that the Pandavas were endued
with strength and energy both human and divine, and that the Kurus were
much weaker Dhritarashtra said unto Duryodhana, 'This anxiety, O
Duryodhana, always filleth me. Indeed, it doth not leave me. Truly, it
seemeth that I behold it with my eye. This conviction is not a matter of
inference. All created beings show great affection for their offsprings,
and do, to the best of their power, what is agreeable and beneficial to
them. This is generally to be seen also in the case of benefactors. They
that are good always desire to return the good done to them and to do
what is highly agreeable to their benefactors. Remembering what was done
to him to Khandava, Agni will, no doubt, reader aid to Arjuna in this
terrible encounter between the Kurus and the Pandavas. And from parental
affection, Dharma. and other celestials duly invoked, will come together
to the aid of the Pandavas. I think that to save them from Bhishma and
Drona and Kripa, the celestials will be filled with wrath, resembling the
thunderbolt in its effects. Endued with energy and well-versed in the use
of weapons, those tigers among men, the sons of Pritha, when united with
the celestials, will be incapable of being even gazed upon by human
warriors, He who hath the irresistible, excellent and celestial Gandiva
for his bow, he who hath a couple of celestial quivers obtained from
Varuna,--large, full of shafts, and inexhaustible, he on whose banner,
that is unobstructed like smoke in its action, is stationed the
monkey-image of celestial origin, whose car is unequalled on the earth
girt by the four seas, and the rattle of which as heard by men is like
the roar of the clouds, and which like the rolling of the thunder
frightens the foe; he whom the whole world regards as superhuman in
energy; he whom all the kings of the earth know to be the vanquisher of
the very gods in battle; he that taketh up five hundred arrows at a time
and in the twinkling of the eye, shooteth them, unseen by other, to a
great distance; that son of Pritha and tiger among car-warriors and
chastiser of foes, whom Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona's son and
Salya, the king of the Madras, and in fact, all impartial persons, regard
as incapable of being vanquished by even earthly kings of superhuman
prowess, when ready for fight who shooteth at one stretch full five
hundred arrows, and who is equal unto Kartavirya in strength of arms;
that great bowman, Arjuna, equal unto Indra or Upendra in prowess,--I
behold that great warrior committing a great havoc in this terrible
battle. O Bharata, reflecting day and night on this, I am unhappy and
sleepless, through anxiety for the welfare of the Kurus. A terrible
destruction is about to overtake the Kurus, if there is nothing but Peace
for ending this quarrel. I am for peace with the Parthas and not for war.
O child, I always deem the Pandavas mightier than the Kurus.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 60 ---------------------
