By virtue of his
birth he hath acquired the kingdom. We have nothing to say to this. But
shall this my son born after him become king? Tell me truly what is lawful
and right under these circumstances.' As soon as these words were spoken,
O Bharata, jackals and other carnivorous animals began to howl ominously.
And marking those frightful omens all around, the assembled Brahmanas and
the wise Vidura replied, 'O king, O bull among men, when these frightful
omens are noticeable at the birth of thy eldest son, it is evident that he
shall be the exterminator of thy race. The prosperity of all dependeth on
his abandonment. Calamity there must be in keeping him. O king, if thou
abandonest him, there remain yet thy nine and ninety sons. If thou
desirest the good of thy race, abandon him, O Bharata! O king, do good to
the world and thy own race by casting off this one child of thine. It hath
been said that an individual should be cast off for the sake of the family;
that a family should be cast off for the sake of a village; that a village
may be abandoned for the sake of the whole country; and that the earth
itself may be abandoned for the sake of the soul.' When Vidura and those
Brahmanas had stated so, king Dhritarashtra out of affection for his son
had not the heart to follow that advice. Then, O king, within a month,
were born a full hundred sons unto Dhritarashtra and a daughter also in
excess of this hundred. And during the time when Gandhari was in a state
of advanced pregnancy, there was a maid servant of the Vaisya class who
used to attend on Dhritarashtra.
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