Sanjaya said O great king, you are in every way a deserving person. This question is worthy of you. You should not however lay biame of Duryodhana.

The man who suffers evil for his own misconduct should not attribute it to others.

O king of kings, the man who does all sorts of harm to other men deserves to be killed by all men for his these censurable deeds.

The Pandavas are thoroughly unacquainted with the ways of wickedness. For a long time। loO king up to your face, they (silently) suffered the injury and forgave them though exiled in the forest.

O king, O lord of the earth, hear of horses and elephants and immeasurably powerful kings, all that which has been seen by the help of Yoga power. Do not grieve. All this was pre-ordained.

Bowing down my head to your father (Vyasa) that wise son of Parashara, through whose grace, I have acquired excellent and celestial vision, the power of seeing the hearing from a great distance, and knowing other people's hearts and also the past and the future, the delightful power of going through the sky, also the knowledge of all the persons that violate the ordinance and also the power of not being cut by weapons in battle, I shall narrate to you the romantic and the highly wonderful and hair-stirring battle that was fought amongst the Bharatas, now listen to me.

When the troops were arrayed according to the rule, when they were all ready for battle. O king, Duryodhana thus spoke to Dushasana.

O Dushasana, let cars be immediately ordered for the protection of Bhishma. Speedily urge all our troops to advance.

What I have been thinking for many years has now come to me; namely the meeting of the Pandavas and the Kurus at the head of their respective armies.

I do not think there is any thing more important in this battle than the protection of Bhishma. If properly protected he will kill the Pandavas, the Somakas and the Srinjayas.

That pure souled warrior (Bhishma) has said, "I shall not kill Shikhandin. I have heard he was a woman before. For this reason he should be renounced by me in battle”.

For this, Bhishma should be specially protected. Let all my soldiers take up their respective positions and resolve to kill Shikhandin.

Let all the troops for the east, west, north and south skilled in all weapons protect the grand father (Bhishma).

Even a highly powerful lion may be killed, if left unprotected, by an wolf. Let us not therefore allow (by any means) Bhishma to be killed by Shikhandin as a lion killed by a jackal. two

Yudhamanyu protects the left and Uttamaujas protects the right of Phalguna (Arjuna). Thus protected by these Phalguna himself protects Shikhandin.

O Dushasana, act in such a way that Shikhandin, who is protected by Arjuna and whom Bhishma will avoid may not (finally) kill the son of Ganga (Bhishma).