Mahabharata Drona Parva Chapter 183

Mahabharata Drona Parva (Ghatotkacha-badha Parva) Chapter 183 Dhritarashtra said, 'I see, O sire, that this act of Karna and Duryodhana and Suvala's son, Sakuni, and of thyself, in especial, hath been very much against the dictates of policy. Indeed, when you knew that dart could always slay one person in battle, and that it was incapable of being either borne or baffled by the very gods with Vasava at their head, why then, O Sanjaya, was it not hurled by Karna at Devaki's son, or Phalguna, while he was engaged with this in battle before?' "Sanjaya said, 'Returning from battle every day, O monarch, all of us, O foremost one of Kuru's race, used to debate in the night and say unto Karna, "Tomorrow morning, O Karna, this dart should be hurled at either Kesava or Arjuna." When, however, the morning came, O king, through destiny, both Karna and the other warriors forgot that resolution. I think destiny to be supreme, since Karna, with that dart in his hands, did not slay in battle either Partha or Devaki's son, Krishna. Indeed, because his understanding was afflicted by destiny itself, it is for this that he did not, stupefied by the illusion of the gods, hurl that fatal dart of Vasava, though he had it in his hand, at Devaki's son, Krishna for his destruction or at Partha endued with prowess like Indra's, O lord! Dhritarashtra said, 'Ye are destroyed by destiny, by your own understanding, and by Kesava. Vasava's dart is lost, having effected the slaughter of Ghatotkacha who was as insignificant as straw. Karna, and my sons, as all the other kings, through his highly impolitic act, have already entered the abode of Yama. Tell me now how the battle once more raged between the Kurus and the Pandavas after the fall of Hidimva's son. How did they that rushed against Drona, arrayed in order of battle and well-skilled in smiting, viz., the Srinjaya and the Panchalas, fight? How, indeed, did the Pandus and Srinjaya withstand the smiting Drona, when the latter proceeding against them, penetrated into their host, excited with wrath at the slaughter of Bhurisravas and Jayadratha, reckless of his very life, and resembling a yawning tiger or the Destroyer himself with wide open mouth? What also did they do in battle, O sire, viz., Drona's son and Karna and Kripa and others headed by Duryodhana that protected the preceptor? Tell me, O Sanjaya, how my warriors in that battle covered with their shafts Dhananjaya and Vrikodara who were solicitous of slaying Bharadwaja's son. How, indeed, did these excited with wrath at the death of the ruler of the Sindhus, and those at the death of Ghatotkacha, each side unable to brook their loss, fight that nocturnal battle? Sanjaya said, 'Upon the slaughter, that night, O king, of the Rakshasa, Ghatotkacha, by Karna, thy troops, filled with joy, uttered loud shouts. In that dark hour of the night, they fell impetuously upon the Pandava troops and began to slay them. Seeing all this, king Yudhishthira became exceedingly cheerless, O chastiser of foes.