"At the very moment of victory, we have been totally defeated. The vanquished have indeed triumphed. Draupadi's children, who survived the onslaught of the formidable Karna, have, by ourunwariness, been crushed and destroyed like ver min.

We have allowed ourselves to be destroy- ed like a merchantship which, having successfully crossed the big seas, returns home but capsizes in a ditch and is lost." Draupadi was overwhelmed by inconsol- able grief. She came to Dharmaputra's side and wept. "Is there no one to avenge my children's slaughter, by destroying this great sinner Aswatthama?" she cried.

When shesaid this, the Pandavasimmedia- tely went out in search of the murderer. They looked for him in all sorts of places and found him, at last, on the bank of the Ganga, hiding himself behind Vyasa.