true: the Pandavas shall have a son called Parikshit.' Unto
Govinda, that foremost one of the Satvata race, while he was saying these
words, Drona's son, filled with wrath, replied, saying, 'This, O Keshava,
that thou sayest from thy partiality for the Pandavas, shall not happen.
O thou of eyes like lotus-petals, my words cannot but be fulfilled.
Uplifted by me, this weapon of mine shall fall on the foetus that is in
the womb of Virata's daughter, upon that foetus which thou, O Krishna,
art desirous of protecting.'

"The holy one said, 'The fall of this mighty weapon will not be fruitless.
The foetus will die. But being dead, it will live again and have a long
life! As regards thyself, all wise men know thee for a coward and a
sinful wretch! Always engaged in sinful acts, thou art the slayer of
children. For this reason, thou must have to bear the fruit of these thy
sins. For 3,000 years thou shalt wander over this earth, without a
companion and without being able to talk with anyone. Alone and without
anybody by thy side, thou shalt wander through diverse countries, O
wretch, thou shalt have no place in the midst of men. The stench of pus
and blood shall emanate from thee, and inaccessible forests and dreary
moors shall be thy abode! Thou shalt wander over the Earth, O thou of
sinful soul, with the weight of all diseases on thee.

"'The heroic Parikshit, attaining to age and a knowledge of the Vedas and
the practice of pious vows, shall obtain all weapons from the son of
Sharadvata. Having obtained a knowledge of all high weapons, and
observant of all Kshatriya duties, that righteous-souled king shall rule
the earth for sixty years. More than this, that boy shall become the
mighty-armed king of the Kurus, known by the name of Parikshit, before
thy very eyes, O thou of wicked soul! Though burnt by the energy of thy
weapon's fire, I shall revive him. O lowest of men, behold the energy of
my austerities and my truth.'

"Vyasa said, 'Since, disregarding us, thou hast perpetrated this
exceedingly cruel act, and since thy behaviour is such although thou art
a good Brahmana (by birth), therefore, those excellent words that
Devaki's son has said, will, without doubt, be realised in thy case, an
adopter as thou hast been of Kshatriya usages!'

"Ashvatthama said, 'With thyself among all men, O holy one, I shall live!
Let the words of this illustrious and foremost of men become true!'"

Vaishampayana continued, "Drona's son,