Janamejaya said “Why did that best of kings, viz., the righteous Yudhishthira, send that scorcher of foes, viz., Vasudeva, to Gandhari? Krishna had at first gone to the Kauravas for the sake of bringing about peace. He was not successful. For this the battle took place.
जनमेजय उवाच किमर्थं द्विजशार्दूलं धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः। गान्धार्याः प्रेषयामास वासुदेवं परंतपम्॥ यदा पूर्वं गतः कृष्णः शमार्थं कौरवान् प्रति। न च तं लब्धवान् कामं ततो युद्धमभूदिदम्॥