Chapter 30
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Discomfited before, O monarch, many a time and oftby Matsya’s Suta Kichaka aided by the Matsyas and the Salyas, the mightyking of the
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Discomfited before, O monarch, many a time and oftby Matsya’s Suta Kichaka aided by the Matsyas and the Salyas, the mightyking of the
Vaisampayana said,–“thus also Sahadeva, dismissed with affection by kingYudhisthira the just, marched towards the southern direction accompaniedby a mighty host. Strong in strength, that mighty prince of the Kururace, vanquishing completely at the outset the Surasenas, brought theking of Matsya under his sway.
“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing these words of Keshava, O Bharata, Vibhatsu sooncast off his anxiety and became cheerful.
“Yudhishthira said, ‘O best of the Bharatas, I wish to hear theediscourse on the disposition of women. W omen are said to be the root ofall evil. They are all regarded as exceedingly frail.’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Then Drona caused a great carnage among the Panchalas,like the slaughter caused by Sakra himself in rage amongst the Danavas inthe days of yore.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘O mighty king, entering into king Virata’s service,and dwelling in disguise in his excellent city, the high-souled Pandavasof immeasurable prowess, completed the promised period of non-discovery.
“Sanjaya said, ‘Once more Keshava of immeasurable soul said these wordsunto Arjuna, who, O Bharata, was advancing (to battle), firmly resolvedupon slaying Karna, ‘Today is the seventeenth day, O Bharata, of thisterrible massacre of men and elephants and steeds.
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Which amongst these three persons, O grandsire,should be regarded as the best for making gifts unto, viz., one who is athorough stranger, or one who is living with and who has been known tothe giver for a long time, or one who presents himself before the giver,coming from a long distance?’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘When the high righteousness suffers decay and istransgressed by all, when unrighteousness becomes righteousness, andrighteousness assumes the form of its reverse,
“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding Drona filled with great anxiety and almostdeprived of his senses by grief, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of the Panchalaking, rushed at him.