Mahabharata 3.23.41

3.23.41

etasmātkāraṇādrājannāgamaṃ nāgasāhvayam |
yadyagāṃ paravīraghna na hi jīvetsuyodhanaḥ || 41 ||

And having thus destroyed the town of Saubha and slain Salwa, I returned to the Anarttas and delighted my friends. And, O king, it is for this reason that I could not come to the city named after the elephant (Hastinapura), O destroyer of hostile heroes! O warrior, if I had come, Suyodhana would not have been alive or the match at dice would not have taken place. What can I do now? It is difficult to confine the waters after the dam is broken!'"