after his welfare speaking
in our name. And when seated in the midst of the Kurus, tell him from
us.--"The sons of Pandu, O king, are living happily in consequence of thy
prowess. It was through thy grace, O repressor of foes, that those
children of tender years had obtained a kingdom. Having first bestowed a
kingdom on them, thou shouldst not now be indifferent to them, for
destruction then would overtake them!" The whole of this kingdom, O
Sanjaya, is not fit to be owned by one person. Tell him again, from
us.--"O sire, we wish to live united. Do not suffer thyself to be
vanquished by foes."--Thou shouldst again, O Sanjaya, bending thy head, in
my name salute the grandsire of the Bharatas, Bhishma, the son of
Santanu. Having saluted our grandsire, he should then be told.--"By thee,
when Santanu's race was about to be extinct, it was revived. Therefore, O
sire, do that according to thy own judgment by which thy grandsons may
all live in amity with one another." Thou shouldst then address Vidura
also, that adviser of the Kurus, saying.--"Counseleth peace, O amiable
one, from desire of doing good unto Yudhishthira."--Thou shouldst address
the unforbearing prince Duryodhana also, when seated in the midst of the
Kurus, beseeching him again and again, saying,--"The insults thou hadst
offered to innocent and helpless Draupadi in the midst of the assembly,
we will quietly bear, simply because we have no mind to see the Kurus
slain. The other injuries also, both before and after that, the sons of
Pandu are quietly bearing, although they are possessed of might to avenge
them. All this, indeed, the Kauravas know. O amiable one, thou hadst even
exiled us dressed in deer-skins. We are bearing that also because we do
not want to see the Kurus slain. Dussasana, in obedience to thee, had
dragged Krishna, disregarding Kunti. That act also will be forgiven by
us. But, O chastiser of foes, we must have our proper share of the
kingdom. O bull among men, turn thy coveting heart from what belongeth to
others. Peace then, O king, will be amongst our gladdened selves. We are
desirous of peace; give us even a single province of the empire. Give us
even Kusasthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata, and for the fifth any
other that thou likest. Even this will end the quarrel. O Suyodhana, give
unto thy five brothers at least five villages,"--O Sanjaya, O thou of
great wisdom, let there be peace between us and our cousins. Tell him
also,--"Let br