In this world, the slaughter of sleeping persons is not applauded,
agreeably to the dictates of religion. The same is the case with persons
that have laid down their arms and come down from cars and steeds. They
also are unslayable who say We are thine!' and they that surrender
themselves, and they whose locks are dishevelled, and they whose animals
have been killed under them or whose cars have been broken. All the
Pancalas will sleep tonight. O lord, divesting themselves of armour.
Trustfully sunk in sleep, they will be like dead men. That crooked-minded
man who would wage hostility with them then, it is evident, would sink in
deep and limitless hell without a raft save himself. In this world thou
art celebrated as the foremost of all persons conversant with weapons.
Thou hast not as yet committed even a minute trespass. When the sun rises
next morning and light shall discover all things, thyself, like a second
sun in effulgence wilt conquer the foe in battle. This censurable deed,
so impossible in one like thee, will look like a red spot on a white
sheet. Even this is my opinion."
Ashvatthama said, "Without doubt, it is even so, O maternal uncle, as
thou sayest. The Pandavas, however, have before this broken the bridge of
righteousness into a hundred fragments. In the very sight of all the
kings, before thy eyes also, my sire, after he had laid down his weapons,
was slain by Dhrishtadyumna. Karna also, that foremost of car-warriors,
after the wheel of his car had sunk and he had been plunged into great
distress, was slain by the wielder of gandiva.
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