Duhsasana, and the fierce Kritavarman, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of
success. When I heard that the brave king of Madra who ever dared Krishna
in battle was slain by Yudhishthira, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of
success. When I heard that the wicked Suvala of magic power, the root of
the gaming and the feud, was slain in battle by Sahadeva, the son of Pandu,
then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that Duryodhana,
spent with fatigue, having gone to a lake and made a refuge for himself
within its waters, was lying there alone, his strength gone and without a
chariot, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that the
Pandavas having gone to that lake accompanied by Vasudeva and standing on
its beach began to address contemptuously my son who was incapable of
putting up with affronts, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When
I heard that while, displaying in circles a variety of curious modes (of
attack and defence) in an encounter with clubs, he was unfairly slain
according to the counsels of Krishna, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of
success. When I heard the son of Drona and others by slaying the Panchalas
and the sons of Draupadi in their sleep, perpetrated a horrible and
infamous deed, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard
that Aswatthaman while being pursued by Bhimasena had discharged the first
of weapons called Aishika, by which the embryo in the womb (of Uttara) was
wounded, then, O Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that the
weapon Brahmashira (discharged by Aswatthaman) was repelled by Arjuna with
another weapon over which he had pronounced the word "Sasti" and that
Aswatthaman had to give up the jewel-like excrescence on his head, then, O
Sanjaya, I had no hope of success. When I heard that upon the embryo in
the womb of Virata's daughter being wounded by Aswatthaman with a mighty
weapon, Dwaipayana and Krishna pronounced curses on him, then, O Sanjaya,
I had no hope of success.

'Alas! Gandhari, destitute of children, grand-children, parents, brothers,