Janamejaya said The army having then been prepared in order for battle, O best among the Bharatas, what did the sons of Kuru, urged as they were by destiny itself, do?

Vaishampayana said The army having been prepared in order for battle, 0 Bharata, the great king Dhritarashtra said these words to Sanjaya.

“Come, O Sanjaya, and tell me everything in detail of the steps taken in the matter of encamping the army of the Kurus and the Pandavas.

In my opinion luck is the more important factor, manliness and prowess being vain and useless; since I though understanding the disadvantages of war which gives rise only to decay and ruin,

Can not yet retain my son who considers folly to be wisdom and who is addicted to gambling, and cannot thus effect my own good.

My understanding is capable, O Suta, of finding out the disadvantage of a particular act but when I approach Duryodhana my understanding fails me.

Such being the case, O Sanjaya, what will happen must happen (in spite of all that I can do to prevent it). Besides it is the honored duty of a Kshatriya to quit this life in battle."

Sanjaya said This question, that you desire to put is worthy of you, O great king, but it is not proper that you should lay the fault entirely on Duryodhana.

Listen to the end of my speech in detail regarding this matter; that man, who meets with disasters owing to his own bad acts, should not, properly speaking, lay the fault on time or luck nor on the gods.

O great king, he, who behaves sinfully in every thing towards men, ought to be killed by the entire world owing to his sinful behaviour.

O foremost among the sons of Manu, the Pandavas, defeated at the game dice, were much persecuted but they bore up all that for they had confidence in you.

Hear from me fully of the slaughter that is about to be perpetrated in the battle, of horses, elephants, and kings of immeasurable prowess.

Hearing patiently of the massacre of the entire world that is about to take place in the battle, O you of great wisdom, be decided in this point namely.

A man is not the doer of his virtuous or impious acts. In fact a man acts under compulsion like a wooden machine.

Some say that each act is made to be done by god himself; others say that action proceeds from our own free will, while others again say that they are the results three opinions held in this matter. Listen therefore patiently to the disaster that is close on us.