ruled by king Santanu, or by Chitrangada, or by thy father, O monarch,
who was protected by the prowess of Bhishma, or by Pandu, that ruler of
Earth, who was overlooked by thee in all his acts. Thy son, O monarch,
never did us the slightest wrong. We lived, relying on that king as
trustfully as on our own father. It is known to thee how we lived (under
that ruler). After the same manner, we have enjoyed great happiness, O
monarch, for thousands of years, under the rule of Kunti's son of great
intelligence and wisdom[27]. This righteous-souled king who performs
sacrifices with gifts in profusion, follows the conduct of the royal
sages of old, belonging to thy race, of meritorious deeds, having Kuru
and Samvara and others and Bharata of great intelligence among them.
There is nothing, O monarch, that is even slightly censurable in the
matter of this Yudhishthira's rule. Protected and ruled by thee, we have
all lived in great happiness. The slightest demerit is incapable of being
alleged against thee and thy son. Regarding what thou hast said about
Duryodhana in the matter of this carnage of kinsmen, I beg thee, O
delighter of the Kurus (to listen to me)."

"'The Brahmana continued, "The destruction that has overtaken the Kurus
was not brought about by Duryodhana. It was not brought about by thee.
Nor was it brought about by Karna and Suvala's son. We know that it was
brought about by destiny, and that it was incapable of being
counteracted. Verily, destiny is not capable of being resisted by human
exertion. Eight and ten Akshauhinis of troops, O monarch, were brought
together. In eight and ten days that host was destroyed by the foremost
of Kuru warriors, viz., Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and others, and the
high-souled Karna, and the heroic Yuyudhana, and Dhrishtadyumna, and by
the four sons of Pandu, that is, Bhima and Arjuna and twins. This
(tremendous) carnage, O king, could not happen without the influence of
destiny. Without doubt, by Kshatriyas in particular, should foes be slain
and death encountered in battle. By those foremost of men, endued with
science and might of arms, the Earth has been exterminated with her
steeds and cars and elephants. Thy son was not the cause of that carnage
of high-souled kings. Thou wert not the cause, nor thy servants, nor
Karna, nor Suvala's son. The destruction of those foremost ones of Kuru's
race and of kings by thousands, know, was brought about by destiny. Who
can say anythin