Mahabharata Drona Parva Chapter 149

Mahabharata Drona Parva (Jayadratha-Vadha Parva) Chapter 149 Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall, O king, of the ruler of the Sindhus, thy son Suyodhana, his face bedewed with tears, and himself filled with grief and breathing hot sighs like a snake whose fangs have been broken, that offender against the whole world, viz., thy son, experienced bitter affliction. Beholding that great terrible slaughter of his troops caused by Jishnu and Bhimasena and Satwata in battle, he became pale, dejected and melancholy, and his eyes became filled with tears. And he came to think no warrior existed on the earth that could be compared with Arjuna. Neither Drona, nor the son of Radha, nor Aswatthaman, nor Kripa, O sire, is competent to stand before Arjuna when the latter is excited with wrath. And Suyodhana, said unto himself, "Having vanquished in battle all the mighty car-warriors of my army, Partha slew the ruler of the Sindhus. None could resist him. This my vast host hath almost been exterminated by the Pandavas. I think, there is no one that can protect my army, no, not even Purandara himself. He, relying upon whom I have been engaged in this passage-at-arms in battle, alas, that Karna hath been defeated in battle and Jayadratha slain. That Karna relying upon whose energy I regarded Krishna as straw who came to sue me for peace, alas, that Karna hath been vanquished in battle." Grieving so within his heart, that offender against the whole world, O king, went to Drona, O bull of Bharata's race, for seeing him. Repairing unto him, he informed Drona of that immense slaughter of the Kurus, the victory of his foes, and the dire calamity of the Dhartarashtras. And Suyodhana said, "Behold, O preceptor, this immense slaughter of kings. I came to battle, placing that grandsire of mine, viz., the heroic Bhishma, at our head. Having slain him, Sikhandin, his aspiration fulfilled, stayeth at the very van of all the troops, surrounded by all the Panchalas, covetous of another triumph. Another disciple of thine, viz., the invincible Savyasachin, having slain seven Akshauhinis of troops hath despatched king Jayadratha to Yama's abode. How, O preceptor, shall I be freed from the debt I owe to those allies of mine who, desirous of victory to me and ever engaged in my good, have gone to Yama's abode? Those lords of earth who had desired the sovereignty of the earth, are now lying on the earth, abandoning all their earthly prosperity. Truly, I am a coward. Having caused such a slaughter of friends, I dare not think that I shall be sanctified by performing even a hundred horse-sacrifices. I am covetous and sinful and a transgressor against righteousness. Through my acts alone, these lords of earth, in their desire for victory, have gone to Yama's abode. Why, in presence of those kings, does not the earth yield me a hole (through which to sink), since I am so sinful in behaviour and such a fomenter of internecine dissensions!