Dhritarashtra is telling Sanjaya at the onset of Mahabharata itself that he was sure about the defeat of his sons.

Due to various reasons.

He continues:

When I heard that in the forest, Maharishis were visiting Pandavas and they had all become favorable and friendly towards them, I had lost hopes that we would ever win.

Arjuna went to Swarga and learned use of divine weapons directly from Indra.

His valor and masculinity were being appreciated even in Swarga.

I became certain that we are going to lose.

This was told to Yudhishthira by Lomasha Maharshi.

They were on a pilgrimage together.

I got the news from there, says Dhritarashtra.

The demons called Kalakeya and Pauloma whom even the Devas did not dare to touch, them Arjuna defeated, just like that.

When I heard about this, I gave up all hopes.

Bhimasena had gone to Kubera-puri where no human can go and he interacted with the Yakshas and came back.

When I heard about this, I knew what was in store for us.

My sons were all dependent on the intelligence and capability of Karna.

They all went on a Ghoshayatra and were captured by Gandharvas.

Arjuna had to go and get them released.

When I heard this, I had lost all hopes.

Dharmaraja appeared as a Yaksha and asked tricky questions pertaining to dharma to Yudhishthira and he answered all of them.

I was sure what was going to happen when I heard about this.

Pandavas and Draupadi were all there in Virata desha and with all their spies and wherewithal, my sons did not know this, could not know this.

I became all the more sure that we were going to lose.

I had lost all hopes when I heard that parakrami Kichaka and his hundred brothers were eliminated single-handedly by Bhima to avenge the insult to Draupadi.

And when I heard that Arjuna all alone mounted a single ratha and defeated all our great fighters who had gone in full preparation to attack Virata desha and take away their cows.

The king of Virata offered the hand of his daughter Uttara to Arjuna, but he refused and in turn got her married to his son, Abhimanyu.

When I heard about this alliance, I became more certain.

Yudhishthira had lost everything.

He had nothing with him.

Still, he could assemble seven akshauhinis of army.

When I heard about this, I knew we were going to lose.

Bhagawan Shri Krishna could cover this whole earth with a single footstep.

When I heard that he was also keen about the victory of Pandavas only, could I ever hope for a victory for my sons?

When Devarshi Narada told me that Arjuna and Krishna were Nara and Narayana themselves, that he had met them once in Brahmaloka, I was sure about our defeat.

Bhagawan himself came to mediate between my sons and Pandavas.

He failed.

Then I became sure about our losing.

Karna and Duryodhana wanted to imprison Krishna and finish him.

How foolish!

They saw his various forms then.

But for me, this was indication of our wipeout.

Kunti stood in front of Krishna's chariot and expressed her pain to him.

He consoled her.

When I heard about this, I lost all hopes.

There was a divide even on our side.

Karna told Bhishmacharya: I will not fight as long as you fight the Pandavas, and he took his army away.

I became sure about the outcome.

I left hope for victory when I heard that Arjuna, Krishna, and Gandeeva had come together, at one place, against us.

Arjuna was confused and depressed at one point of time.

Then Krishna removed his confusion by showing him his Viswaroopa.

I became sure about the end of this war.

How it is going to end.

Bhishma was killing ten thousand soldiers every day in the battlefield, but not a single one among them was important.

When I heard this, I became sure about our defeat.

Bhishma himself guided the Pandavas towards his own death.

When I heard about this I knew we were standing to lose the war.

Shikhandi was brought in.

But how did they know about this, that Bhishma will not fight with Shikhandi in front?
This made me all the more sure about our defeat.

When I heard about how Bhishma Pitamaha conducted himself during the war, I had no more hopes.

Arjuna pierced Bhumi with an arrow and gave Bhishma Pitamaha water who was on shara shayya.

Hearing about all these, I became sure that we will lose.

All favorable omens for the Pandavas and all unfavorable omens for my sons.

Even the nature was telling us that we were going to lose.

Was there an equal to Dronacharya in warcraft?

But even he couldn’t touch not one among the Pandavas.

This made me sure about our defeat.

All the Maharathis of our side together, they could not do anything to Arjuna and he killed all of them alone. When I saw this, I knew what to expect.

Drona’s chakravyuha was impenetrable.

But that young boy Abhimanyu wreaked havoc inside it.

He not only broke it he was killing left-right, and center.

When I heard about this, I became sure what was in store for us.

And my so-called valorous sons were celebrating after trapping that young boy and killing him.

They couldn’t stand in front of Arjuna and they were celebrating this young boy’s death.

What else could I have expected?

Abhimanyu was one of our own.

Deceived into death.

Arjuna declared that he would eliminate Jayadratha.

And he did just that, in the middle of everyone else.

When Arjuna’s horses became tired during the battle once, Krishna untied them from the chariot, gave them water with his own hands, made them strong and energetic again, and tied them back to the chariot.

After hearing this, could I have expected victory for my sons?

When I heard that Yuyudhana Satyaki devastated Drona's own army, I became sure about our defeat.

Jayadratha’s death went unavenged.

Nobody could do anything.

I became all the more sure.

Seeing this.

Indra had given Karna a very lethal special power in exchange for his kavacha.

Karna never used it.

He had saved it to use it upon Arjuna.

But then Krishna cleverly diverted it upon Ghatotkacha.

Karna used it upon Ghatotkacha.

When I heard about this, I completely lost all hope.

He could have used it to eliminate Arjuna, but couldn’t do it.

Of all the Pandavas, Nakula was facing the great fighter Ashwathama effectively, what else can I expect to happen?

Ashwathama could do nothing to Pandavas.

Bhima drank Dusshasana’s blood, his half-brother's, none of the dharmatmas on the battlefield objected.

Upon hearing this I became sure where this was all going.

Arjuna killed Karna, Yudhishthira defeated Ahwatthama and Kritavarma, Yudhishthira killed Shalya, I knew what was going to happen.

Sahadeva killed Shakuni, Duryodhana became tired, went to a lake, performed Jala stambhana, and started taking rest.

The Pandava Sena went there and started abusing him.

Krishna showed Bhima how to kill Duryodhana, I became all the more sure about the outcome of this war.

When Ahwatthama used Brahma shirastra, Arjuna said Swasthi and neutralized it with his own Astra.

Ashwathama spoiled the reputation of our entire vamsha.

He killed the innocent children of Draupadi.

He even ventured to use Brahmastra against the only remaining descendent of Pandavas who was still in his mother’s womb, I became sure what was going to happen.

Ashwathama was cursed by Krishna himself for what he did.

Now Gandhari is inconsolable, there is no one left for her.

I hear that out of all those who went to the battlefield, only ten are left now.

Three of my side- Kripacharya, Ashwathama, and Kritavarma.

And seven of the other side- Krishna, Satyaki, and the five Pandavas.

Eighteen Akshauhinis of sena have been destroyed.

I can only see darkness ahead.

I am panicking.

I don’t know what to do, Dhritarashtra told Sanjaya.