and the sisters, and the daughters' sons of
Dhritarashtra's house are all free from trouble. O sire, I hope the king
still allows their former subsistence to the Brahmanas. I hope, O
Sanjaya, Dhritarashtra's son hath not seized those gifts to the Brahmanas
that I made. I hope Dhritarashtra with his sons meets in a spirit of
forbearance any over-bearing conduct on the part of the Brahmanas. I hope
he never neglects to make provision for them, that being the sole highway
to heaven. For this is the excellent and clear light that hath been
provided by the Creator in this world of living beings. If like
dull-headed persons, the sons of Kuru do not treat the Brahmanas in a
forbearing spirit, wholesale destruction will overtake them. I hope king
Dhritarashtra and his son try to provide for the functionaries of state.
I hope there are no enemies for theirs, who, disguised as friends, are
conspiring for their ruin. O sire, I hope none of these Kurus talk of our
having committed any crimes. I hope Drona and his son and the heroic
Kripa do not talk of our having been guilty in any way. I hope all the
Kurus look up to king Dhritarashtra and his sons as the protectors of
their tribe. I hope when they see a horde of robbers, they remember the
deeds of Arjuna, the leader in all fields of battle. I hope they remember
the arrows shot from the Gandiva, which course through the air in a
straight path, impelled onwards by the stretched bow-string in contact
with the fingers of his hand, and making a noise loud as that of the
thunder. I have not seen the warrior that excels or even rivals Arjuna
who can shoot by a single effort of his hand sixty-one whetted and
keen-edged shafts furnished with excellent feathers. Do they remember
Bhima also, who, endued with great activity causeth hostile hosts arrayed
in battle to tremble in dread, like an elephant with rent temples
agitating a forest of reeds? Do they remember the mighty Sahadeva, the
son of Madri, who in Dantakura conquered the Kalingas, shooting arrows by
both the left and right hand? Do they remember Nakula, who, O Sanjaya,
was sent, under your eye, to conquer the Sivis and the Trigartas, and who
brought the western region under my power? Do they remember the disgrace
that was theirs when under evil counsels they came to the woods of
Dwaitavana on pretence of taking away their cattle? Those wicked ones
having been over-powered by their enemies were afterwards liberated by
Bhimasena and