"Dhritarashtra said, 'O holy one, I did not like this business of
gambling, but, O Muni, I think, I was made to consent to it drawn by
fate! Neither Bhishma, nor Drona, nor Vidura, nor Gandhari liked this
game at dice. No doubt, it was begot of folly. And, O thou who
delightest in the observance of vows, O illustrious one, knowing
everything yet influenced by paternal affection, I am unable to cast off
my senseless son, Duryodhana!'
"Vyasa said, 'O king, O son of Vichitravirya, what thou sayest is true!
We know it well that a son is the best of all things and that there is
nothing that is so good as a son. Instructed by the tears of Suravi,
Indra came to know that the son surpasseth in worth other valuable
possessions. O monarch, I will, in this connection, relate to thee that
excellent and best of stories, the conversation between Indra and
Suravi. In days of yore, Suravi, the mother of cows was once weeping in
the celestial regions. O child, Indra took compassion upon her, and
asked her, saying, "O auspicious one! why dost thou weep? Is everything
well with the celestials? Hath any misfortune, ever so little, befallen
the world of men or serpents?" Suravi replied, "No evil hath befallen
thee that I perceive. But I am aggrieved on account of my son, and it is
therefore, O Kausika, that I weep! See, O chief of the celestials,
yonder cruel husbandman is belabouring my weak son with the wooden
stick, and oppressing him with the (weight of the) plough, in
consequence of which my child agitated with agony is falling upon the
ground and is at the point of death. At sight of this, O lord of the
celestials, I am filled with compassion, and my mind is agitated! The
one that is the stronger of the pair is bearing his burthen of greater
weight (with ease), but, O Vasava, the other is lean, and weak and is a
mass of veins and arteries! He beareth his burthen with difficulty! And
it is for him that I grieve. See, O Vasava, sore inflicted with the
whip, and harassed exceedingly, he is unable to bear his burthen. And it
is for him that, moved by grief, I weep in heaviness of heart and these
tears of compassion trickle down my eyes!"
"'Sakra said, "O fair one, when thousands of thy son are (daily)
oppressed, why dost thou grieve for one under infliction?" Suravi
replied. "Although I have a thousand offspring, yet my affections flow
equally towards all! But, O Sakra, I feel greater compassion for one
that is weak and innocent!"
"Vyasa continued, 'Then Indra having heard these words of Suravi, was
much surprised, and O thou of the Kuru race, he became convinced that a
son is dearer than one's life! And the illustrious chastiser of Paka
thereupon suddenly poured there a thick shower and caused obstruction to
the husbandman's work. And as Suravi said, thy affections, O king,
equally flow towards all thy sons. Let them be greater towards those
that are weak! And as my son Pandu is to me, so art thou, O son, and so
also Vidura of profound wisdom! It is out of affection that I tell you
all this! O Bharata, thou art possessed of a hundred and one sons, but
Pandu hath only five. And they are in a bad plight and passing _their_
days in sorrow. _How may they save their lives, how may they thrive_
such thoughts regarding the distressed sons of Pritha continually
agitate my soul! O king of the earth, if thou desirest all the Kauravas
to live, let thy son Duryodhana make peace with the Pandavas!'"