The ministers said:—"O lord, this vicious-souled (Ugrāvudha) is carrying on the work of devastation and thou, too, art impure.⁴² So thou shouldst not undertake a war as thy first work (59). We shall first resort to the expedients of conciliation, gifts and sowing dissension. And afterwards when thou shalt be pure,⁴³ thou shouldst bow unto the gods, make the Brāhmanas perform benedictorv rites and then having saluted them and obtained their permission, thou shouldst set out for victory (60–61). It has been laid down by the elderly sages that a man, when he is in mourning, should not take up a weapon or enter into a contract (62). First thou shouldst try the expedient of conciliation and gift and then try to sow dissension. And afterwards thou shouldst slay him, manifesting thy prowess, as Indra killed (the demon) Samvara (63). O king, the words of the elderly sages should be obeyed in proper time." Hearing this I desisted from fightlng (64). Thereupon those ministers, well-versed in counsels, tried all the expedients. O foremost of Kurus, at that time the most excellent work began (65). Although solicited by the expedients of conciliation and others settled upon by the sages that wicked-minded one was not won over (66). Though the discus of that sinful one was set in motion, it immediately stopped on account of his longing for others’ wives (67). . I did not perceive then that his most excellent discus had stopped, which, spoken ill of by the pious, had been rendered abortive by its own action (68). Then being purified and having benedictorv rites performed by the Brāhmanas, I set out from the city in a car with my bow and arrows and engaged in a fight with my enemy (69). Thereupon encountering the army strengthened by weapons there took place a mad fight which lasted for three days like that between the gods and demons (70). When the battle raged to its highest pitch, that hero, consumed completely by the might of my weapons, gave up his ghost and fell down with his face downwards (71). In the meantime, O my son, Prishata started for the province of Kāmpilya. On the king Neepa and Ugrayudha being slain that highly effulgent one obtained his ancestral kingdom Ahichhatra. O king, he was the father of king Drupada and an ally of mine (72–73). Afterwards having defeated Drupada by force in battle, Arjuna conferred the province of Kāmpilya together with that of Ahichchatra on Drona (74). Having accepted both the kingdom, Drona, the foremost of victors, gave away Kāmpilya to Drupada. This is known to you (75). I have thus described to you in detail the race of Brahmadatta, the ancestor of Drupada and that of the hero Ugrāyudha (76).