ake, having fled away from battle in fear?
This is not the eternal duty of a Kshatriya, staying away from battle!
Flight from battle, O king, is not the practice of those that are
honourable, nor does it lead to heaven! How is it that without having
attained to the end of this war, inspired though thou wert with the
desire of victory, thou stayest now within this lake, after having caused
and witnessed the slaughter of thy sons and brothers and sires and
relatives and friends and maternal uncles and kinsmen? Ever boastful of
thy courage, thou art, however, not a hero! Falsely dost thou describe
thyself, O Bharata, when thou sayst in the hearing of all men that thou
art a hero, O thou of wicked understanding! They that are heroes never
fly away at sight of foes! Or, tell us, O hero, about (the nature of)
that courage in consequence of which thou hast fled from battle! Arise, O
prince, and fight, casting off thy fears! Having caused all thy troops
and thy brothers to be slain, O Suyodhana, thou shouldst not, if thou art
inspired with righteous motives, think now of saving thy life! One like
thee, O Suyodhana, that has adopted Kshatriya duties, should not act in
this way! Relying upon Karna, as also upon Shakuni the son of Subala,
thou hadst regarded thyself immortal and hadst, from folly, failed to
understand thy own self! Having perpetrated such grievous sin, fight now,
O Bharata! How dost that flight from battle recommend itself to one like
thee? Surely, thou forgettest thyself! Where is that manliness of thine,
O sire, and where, O Suyodhana, is that pride cherished by thee! Where
hath that prowess of thine now gone, and where also that swelling and
great energy which thou hadst? Where is that accomplishment of thine in
weapons? Why dost thou lie within this lake now? Arise, O Bharata, and
fight, observing the duties of a Kshatriya! Either rule the wide earth
after vanquishing us, or sleep, O Bharata, on the bare ground, slain by
us! Even this is thy highest duty, as laid down by the illustrious
Creator himself! Act as it has been laid down truly in the scriptures,
and be a king, O great car-warrior!"'

"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, O monarch, by the intelligent son of
Dharma, thy son answered him from within the waters in these words.

"'Duryodhana said, "It is not at all a matter of surprise, O king, that
fear should enter the hearts of living creatures. As regards myself,
however, O Bharata, I have not fled f