Dhritarashtra laments after hearing that Arjuna had obtained divine weapons

Ambika's son, king Dhritarashtra, having heard of Arjuna's arrival and stay at Indra's abode, from Dwaipayana, spoke unto Sanjaya, saying:

“O charioteer! Do you know in detail the acts of the intelligent Arjuna, of which I have heard from beginning to end? My wretched and sinful son is even now engaged in a policy of the most vulgar kind. Of wicked soul, he will certainly depopulate the earth. The illustrious person whose words even in jest are true, and who has Arjuna to fight for him, is sure to win the three worlds. Who that is even beyond the influence of Death and Decay will be able to stay before Arjuna, when he will scatter his barbed and sharp-pointed arrows whetted on stone? My wretched sons, who have to fight with the invincible Pandavas are indeed, all doomed. Reflecting day and night, I see not the warrior amongst us that is able to stay in battle before the wielder of the Gandiva. If Drona, or Karna, or even Bhishma advance against him in battle, a great calamity is likely to befall the earth. But even in that case, I see not the way to our success. Karna is kind and forgetful. The preceptor Drona is old, but wrathful, strong, proud, and of firm and steady prowess. As all these warriors are invincible, a terrible fight will take place between them. All of them are heroes skilled in weapons and of great reputation. They would not wish for the sovereignty of the world, if it was to be purchased by defeat. Indeed, peace will be restored only on the death of these or of Arjuna. The slayer of Arjuna, however, exists not, nor does one that can vanquish him. Oh! How shall that wrath of his which has myself for its object be pacified? Equal unto the chief of the celestials, that hero gratified Agni at Khandava and vanquished all the monarchs of the earth on the occasion of the great Rajasuya. The thunder-bolt falling on the mountain top, leaves a portion unconsumed; but the shafts, that are shot by Arjuna leave not a rack behind. As the rays of the sun heat this mobile and immobile universe, so will the shafts shot by Arjuna's hands scorch my sons. It seems to me that the Chamus of the Bharatas, terrified at the clatter of Arjuna's chariot-wheels, are already broken through in all directions. Vidhatri has created Arjuna as an all-consuming Destroyer. He stays in battle as a foe, vomiting and scattering swarms of arrows. Who is there that will defeat him?”

Sanjaya said: “That which has been uttered by you, O king! with respect to Duryodhana is all true. Nothing that you have said is untrue. The Pandavas of immeasurable energy have been filled with rage at the sight of Draupadi, their wedded wife of pure fame – brought in the midst of the assembly. Hearing also those cruel words of Duhshasana and Karna, they have been so incensed, that they will not forgive the Kurus on my account. I have heard how Arjuna has gratified in battle by means of his bow the god of gods – Rudra of eleven forms. The illustrious lord of all the gods – Shiva himself – desirous of testing Arjuna, fought with him, having assumed the guise of a Kirata. There it was that the Lokapalas, in order to give away their weapons unto Arjuna, showed themselves unto him of un-deteriorating prowess. What other man on earth, except Arjuna, would strive to have a sight of these gods in their own forms? Who is there that will weaken in battle Arjuna, who could not be weakened by Maheswara himself? Your sons, having dragged Draupadi, and thereby incensed the sons of Pandu, have brought this frightful and horrifying calamity upon themselves. Beholding Duryodhana showing both his thighs unto Draupadi, Bhima said with quivering lips, “Wretch! Those thighs of yours will I smash with my fierce descending mace, on the expiration of thirteen years.” All the sons of Pandu are the foremost of smiters; all of them are of immeasurable energy; all of them are well-versed in every kind of weapons. For these, they are incapable of being vanquished even by the gods. Incensed at the insult offered to their wedded wife, Pritha's sons, urged by wrath, will, I ween, slay all your sons in battle.”

Dhritarashtra said: “O charioteer! What mischief has been done by Karna uttering those cruel words, to the sons of Pandu! Was not the enmity sufficient that was provoked by bringing Draupadi into the assembly? How can my wicked sons live, whose eldest brother and preceptor walks not in the path of righteousness? Seeing me void of eye-sight, and incapable of exerting myself actively, my wretched son, believes me to be a fool, and listens not to my words. Those wretches also that are his counsellors, viz., Karna, Shakuni, and others, always pander to his vices, as he is incapable of understanding things rightly. The shafts that Arjuna of immeasurable prowess may lightly shoot, are capable of consuming all my sons, leave alone those shafts that he will shoot, impelled by anger. The arrows urged by the might of Arjuna's arms and shot from his large bow, and inspired with mantras capable of converting them into celestial weapons can chastise the celestials themselves. He who has for his counsellor and protector and friend that smiter of sinful men – the lord of the three worlds – Hari himself – encounters nothing that he cannot conquer. This, O Sanjaya! is most marvellous in Arjuna that, as we have heard, he has been clasped by Mahadeva in his arms. That also which Arjuna, assisted by Krishna did of old towards helping Agni in the conflagration of Khandava, has been witnessed by all the world. When, therefore, Bhima, Partha and Krishna become enraged, surely my sons along with their friends and the Subalas are all unequal to fight with them.”

The Pandavas, collecting the produce of the wilderness and killing the deer with pure arrows, first dedicated a portion of the food to the Brahmanas, and themselves ate the rest. For, while those heroes wielding large bows lived in the woods, they were followed by Brahmanas of both classes, viz., those worshipping with fire and those not worshipping the fire. There were ten thousand illustrious Snataka Brahmanas, all conversant with the means of salvation, whom Yudhishthira supported in the woods. Killing with arrows Rurus, the black deer and other kinds of clean animals of the wilderness, he gave them unto those Brahmanas. No one that lived with Yudhishthira looked pale or ill, or was lean or weak, or was melancholy or terrified. The virtuous king Yudhishthira maintained his brothers as if they were his sons, and his relatives as if they were his uterine brothers. Draupadi of pure fame fed her husbands and the Brahmanas, as if she was their mother; and last of all took her food herself. The king himself wending towards the east, and Bhima, towards the south, and the twins, towards the west and the north, daily killed with bow in hand the deer of the forest, for the sake of meat. It was thus that the Pandavas lived for five years in the woods of Kamyaka, in anxiety at the absence of Arjuna, and engaged all the while in study and prayers and sacrifices.

Dhritarashtra, having heard of this wonderful way of life – so above that of men – of the sons of Pandu, was filled with anxiety and grief. Overwhelmed with melancholy and sighing heavily and hot, that monarch, addressing his charioteer Sanjaya, said: “O charioteer! A moment's peace I have not, either during the day or the night, thinking of the terrible misbehaviour of my sons arising out of their past gambling, and thinking also of the heroism, the patience, the high intelligence, the unbearable prowess, and the extraordinary love unto one another of the sons of Pandu. Amongst the Pandavas, the illustrious Nakula and Sahadeva, of celestial origin and equal unto the chief himself of the celestials in splendour, are invincible in battle. They are firm in the wielding of weapons, capable of shooting at a long distance, resolute in battle, of remarkable lightness of hand, of wrath that is not easily quelled, possessed of great steadiness, and endued with activity. Possessed of the prowess of lions and unbearable as the Ashvins themselves, when they will come to the field of battle with Bhima and Arjuna in front, I see that my soldiers will all be slain without a remnant. Those mighty warriors of celestial origin, unrivalled in battle by anybody, filled with rage at the remembrance of that insult to Draupadi, will show no forgiveness. The mighty warriors of the Vrishnis also, the Panchalas of great energy, and the sons of Pritha themselves, led by Krishna of unbaffled prowess, will blast my legions. All the warriors on my side assembled together are not competent to bear the impetus of the Vrishnis alone when commanded by Rama and Krishna. Amongst them will move that great warrior Bhima of terrible prowess, armed with his iron mace held on high and capable of slaying every hero. High above the din will be heard the twang of the Gandiva loud as the thunder of heaven. The impetus of Bhima's mace and the loud twang of the Gandiva are incapable of being stood against by any of the kings on my side. It is then that obedient as I have been to the voice of Duryodhana, I shall have to call back the rejected counsels of my friends – counsels that I should have attended to in time.”

Sanjaya said: "This has been your great fault, O king! viz., that though capable, you did not, from affection, prevent your son from doing what he has done. Krishna, that hero of unfading glory, hearing that the Pandavas had been defeated at dice, soon went to the woods of Kamyaka and consoled them there. Draupadi's sons also headed by Dhrishtadyumna, Dhrishtaketu, and those mighty warriors, the Kekayas, all went there. All that was said by these warriors at the sight of Pandu's son defeated at dice, was learnt by me through our spies. I have also told you all. When Krishna met the Pandavas, they requested him to become the charioteer of Arjuna in battle. Hari himself, thus requested, answered them, saying, ‘so be it’.

“Krishna himself beholding the sons of Pritha dressed in deer skins, became filled with rage, and addressing Yudhishthira, said, ‘That prosperity which the sons of Pritha had acquired at Indraprastha, and which, unobtainable by other kings, was beheld by me at the Rajasuya sacrifice, at which, besides, I saw all kings, even those of the Vangas, Angas, Paundras, Odras, Cholas, Dravidas, Andhakas, and the chiefs of many islands and countries on the sea-board as also of frontier states, including the rulers of the Sinhalas, the barbarous mlecchas, the natives of Lanka, and all the kings of the West by hundreds, and all the chiefs of the sea-coast, and the kings of the Pahlavas and the Daradas and the various tribes of the Kiratas and Yavanas and Sakras and the Harahunas, Chinas, Tukharas, the Sindhavas, the Jagudas, the Ramathas, the Mundas and the inhabitants of the kingdom of women and the Tanganas and the Kekayas and the Malavas and the inhabitants of Kashmira, afraid of the prowess of your weapons, present in obedience to your invitation, performing various offices,--that prosperity, so unstable and waiting at present on the foe, I shall restore to you, depriving your foe of his very life. I shall, assisted by Rama, Bhima, Arjuna and the twins, Akrura, Gada, Samba, Pradyumna and Ahuka and the heroic Dhrishtadyumna and the son of Shishupala, slay in battle in course of a day Duryodhana, Karna, Duhshasana, Shakuni and all others who may fight against us. And you shall, living at Hastinapura along with your brothers, and snatching from Dhritarashtra's party the prosperity they are enjoying, rule this earth.’

“These were Krishna's words unto Yudhishthira, who, on the conclusion of Krishna's speech, addressed him in that meeting of heroes and in the hearing of all those brave warriors headed by Dhrishtadyumna, saying, ‘O Janardana! I accept these words of yours as truth. Do, however, slay my enemies along with all their followers on the expiry of thirteen years. O Krishna! promise this truly unto me. I promised in the presence of the king to live in the forest as I am now living.’

“Consenting to these words of king Yudhishthira the just, his counsellors headed by Dhrishtadyumna soon pacified the incensed Krishna with sweet words and expressions suitable to the occasion. They also said unto Draupadi of pure deeds in the hearing of Krishna himself, these words: ‘O lady! In consequence of your anger, Duryodhana shall lay down his life. We promise it Therefore, grieve no more. Those that mocked you, beholding you won at dice, shall reap the fruit of their act. Beasts of prey and birds shall eat their flesh, and mock them thus. Jackals and vultures will drink their blood. You shall behold the bodies of those wretches that dragged you by the hair prostrate on the earth, dragged and eaten by carnivorous animals. They also that gave you pain and disregarded you shall lie on the earth destitute of their heads, and the earth herself shall drink their blood.’

“These and other speeches of various kinds were uttered there by those bulls of the Bharata race. All of them are endued with energy and bravery, and marked with the marks of battle. On the expiration of the thirteenth year, those mighty warriors, chosen by Yudhishthira and headed by Vasudeva, will come (to the field of battle). Rama and Krishna and Dhananjaya and Pradyumna and Shamva and Yuyudhana and Bhima and the sons of Madri and the Kekaya princes and the Panchala princes, accompanied by the king of Matsya, these all, illustrious and celebrated and invincible heroes, with their followers and troops, will come. Who is there that, desiring to live, will encounter these in battle, resembling angry lions of erect manes?”

Dhritarashtra said: "What Vidura told me at the time of the game at dice, “If you seek to vanquish the Pandavas at dice, then certainly a terrible blood-shed ending in the destruction of all the Kurus will be the result,’ I think it is about to be realised. As Vidura told me of old, without doubt a terrible battle will take place, as soon as the pledged period of the Pandavas expires.”