The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2

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SECTION XXIV

"Sanjaya said, 'It is even so as thou hast said, O son of Pandu! Dost
thou enquire about the welfare of the Kurus and of the foremost ones
among them? Free from illness of every kind and in the possession of
excellent spirit are those foremost ones among the Kurus about whom, O
son of Pritha, thou enquirest. Know, O son of Pandu, that there are
certainly righteous and aged men, as also men that are sinful and wicked
about Dhritarashtra's son. Dhritarashtra's son would make gifts even to
his enemies; it is not likely, therefore, that he should withdraw the
donations made to the Brahmanas. It is customary with you, Kshatriyas, to
follow a rule fit for butchers, that leads you to do harm to those that
bear no ill-will to you; but the practice is not good. Dhritarashtra with
his sons would be guilty of the sin of intestine dissension, where he,
like a bad man, to bear ill-will towards you who are righteous. He does
not approve of this injury (done to you); he is exceedingly sorry for it;
he grieves at his heart-the old man--O Yudhishthira,--for, having
communicated with the Brahmanas, he hath learnt that provoking intestine
dissensions is the greatest of all sins. O king of men, they remember thy
prowess on the field, and that of Arjuna, who taketh the lead in the
field of battle. They remember Bhima wielding his mace when the sound of
the conch-shell and the drum rises to the highest pitch. They remember
those mighty car-warriors, the two sons of Madri, who on the field of
battle career in all directions, shooting incessant showers of shafts on
hostile hosts, and who know not what it is to tremble in fight. I
believe, O king, that which Futurity hath in store for a particular
person cannot be known, since thou, O son of Pandu, who art endowed with
all the virtues, hast had to suffer trouble of such unendurable kind. All
this, no doubt, O Yudhishthira, thou wilt again make up by help of your
intelligence. The sons of Pandu, all equal to Indra would never abandon
virtue for the sake of pleasure. Thou, O Yudhishthira, wilt so make up
thy intelligence that they all, viz., the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu
and the Srinjayas, and all the kings who have been assembled here, will
attain peace. O Yudhishthira, bear what thy sire Dhritarashtra having
consulted with his ministers and sons, hath spoken to me. Be attentive to
the same.'"

SECTION XXV

"Yudhishthira said, 'Here are met the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, and
Krishna, and Yuyudhana and Virata, O son of the Suta Gavalgana, tell us
all that Dhritarashtra hath directed thee to say.'

"Sanjaya said, 'I greet Yudhishthira, and Vrikodara and Dhananjaya, and
the two sons of Madri, and Vasudeva the descendant of Sura, and Satyaki,
and the aged ruler of the Panchalas, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of
Prishata. Let all listen to the words I say from a desire for the welfare
of the Kurus. King Dhritarashtra, eagerly welcoming the chance of peace,
hastened the preparation of my car for this journey here. Let it be
acceptable to king Yudhishthira with his brothers and sons and relations.
Let the son of Pandu prefer peace. The sons of Pritha are endowed with
every virtue with steadiness and mildness and candour. Born in a high
family, they are humane, liberal, and loath to do any act which would
bring on shame. They know what is proper to be done. A base deed is not
befitting you, for you are so high-minded, and have such a terrible
following of troops. If you committed a sinful act, it would be a blot on
your fair name, as a drop of collyrium on a white cloth. Who could
knowingly be ever guilty of an act, which would result in universal
slaughter, which would be sinful and lead to hell,--an act consisting in
the destruction (of men), an act the result of which, whether it be
victory or defeat, is or the self-same value? Blessed are they that have
served their relative's cause. They are the true sons and friends and
relatives (of Kuru's race) who would lay down life, life which is liable
to be abused by misdeeds, in order to ensure the welfare of the Kurus. If
you, ye sons of Pritha, chastise the Kurus, by defeating and slaying all
your foes,--that subsequent life of yours would be equivalent to death,
for what, in sooth, is life after having killed all your kinsfolk? Who,
even if he were Indra himself with all the gods on his side, would be
able to defeat you who are aided by Kesava and Chekitanas, and Satyaki,
and are protected by Dhrishtadyumna's arms? Who again, O king, can defeat
in battle the Kurus who are protected by Drona and Bhishma, and
Aswatthaman, and Salya, and Kripa and Karna with a host of Kshatriya
kings? Who, without loss to himself, is able to slay the vast force
assembled by Dhritarashtra's son? Therefore it is, that I do not see any
good either in victory or in defeat. How can the sons of Pritha, like
base persons of low lineage, commit an act of unrighteousness? Therefore,
I appease, I prostrate myself before Krishna and the aged kin I g of the
Panchalas. I betake myself to you as my refuge, with joined hands, so
that both the Kurus and the Srinjayas may be benefited. It is not likely
that either Krishna or Dhananjaya will not act up to these my words.
Either of them would lay down his life, if besought (to do so).
Therefore, I say this for the success of my mission. This is the desire
of the king and his counsellor Bhishma, that there may be confirmed peace
between you (and the Kurus).'"

SECTION XXVI

"Yudhishthira said, 'What words from me, O Sanjaya, hast thou heard,
indicative of war, that thou apprehendest war? O sire, peace is
preferable to war. Who, O charioteer, having got the other alternative
would wish to fight? It is known to me, O Sanjaya, that if a man can have
every wish of his heart without having to do anything, he would hardly
like to do anything even though it might be of the least troublesome
kind, far less would he engage in war. Why should a man ever go to war?
Who is so cursed by the gods that he would select war? The sons of
Pritha, no doubt, desire their own happiness but their conduct is ever
marked by righteousness and conducive to the good of the world. They
desire only that happiness which results from righteousness. He that
fondly followeth the lead of his senses, and is desirous of obtaining
happiness and avoiding misery, betaketh himself to action which in its
essence is nothing but misery. He that hankers after pleasure causeth his
body to suffer; one free from such hankering knoweth not what misery is.
As an enkindled fire, if more fuel be put upon it, blazeth forth again
with augmented force, so desire is never satiated with the acquisition of
its object but gaineth force like unkindled fire when clarified butter is
poured upon it. Compare all this abundant fund of enjoyment which king
Dhritarashtra hath with what we possess. He that is unfortunate never
winneth victories. He that is unfortunate enjoyeth not the voice of
music. He that is unfortunate doth not enjoy garlands and scents! nor can
one that is unfortunate enjoy cool and fragrant unguents! and finally he
that is unfortunate weareth not fine clothes. If this were not so, we
would never have been driven from the Kurus. Although, however, all this
is true, yet none cherished torments of the heart. The king being himself
in trouble seeketh protection in the might of others. This is not wise.
Let him, however, receive from others the same behaviour that he displays
towards them. The man who casteth a burning fire at midday in the season
of spring in a forest of dense underwood, hath certainly, when that fire
blazeth forth by aid of the wind, to grieve for his lot if he wisheth to
escape. O Sanjaya, why doth king Dhritarashtra now bewail, although he
hath all this prosperity? It is because he had followed at first the
counsels of his wicked son of vicious soul, addicted to crooked ways and
confirmed in folly. Duryodhana disregarded the words of Vidura, the best
of his well-wishers, as if the latter were hostile to him. King
Dhritarashtra, desirous solely of satisfying his sons, would knowingly
enter upon an unrighteous course. Indeed, on account of his fondness for
his son, he would not pay heed to Vidura, who, out of all the Kurus, is
the wisest and best of all his well-wishers, possessing vast learning,
clever in speech, and righteous in act. King Dhritarashtra is desirous of
satisfying his son, who, while himself seeking honours from others, is
envious and wrathful, who transgresses the rules for the acquisition of
virtue and wealth, whose tongue is foul, who always follows the dictates
of his wrath, whose soul is absorbed in sensual pleasures, and who, full
of unfriendly feelings to many, obeys no law, and whose life is evil,
heart implacable, and understanding vicious. For such a son as this, king
Dhritarashtra knowingly abandoned virtue and pleasure. Even then, O
Sanjaya, when I was engaged in that game of dice I thought that the
destruction of the Kurus was at hand, for when speaking those wise and
excellent words Vidura obtained no praise from Dhritarashtra. Then, O
charioteer, did trouble overtake the Kurus when they disregarded the
words of Vidura. So long as they had placed themselves under the lead of
his wisdom, their kingdom was in a flourishing state. Hear from me, O
charioteer, who are the counsellors now of the covetous Duryodhana. They
are Dussasana, and Sakuni the son of Suvala, and Karna the Suta's son! O
son of Gavalgana, look at this folly of his! So I do not see, though I
think about it, how there can be prosperity for the Kurus and the
Srinjayas when Dhritarashtra hath taken the throne from others, and the
far seeing Vidura hath been banished elsewhere. Dhritarashtra with his
sons is now looking for an extensive and undisputed sovereignty over the
whole world. Absolute peace is, therefore, unattainable. He regardeth
what he hath already got to be his own. When Arjuna taketh up his weapon
in fight, Karna believeth him capable of being withstood. Formerly there
took place many great battles. Why could not Karna then be of any avail
to them. It is known to Karna and Drona and the grandsire Bhishma, as
also to many other Kurus, that there is no wielder of the bow, comparable
to Arjuna. It is known to all the assembled rulers of the earth, how the
sovereignty was obtained by Duryodhana although that repressor of foes,
Arjuna, was alive. Pertinanciously doth Dhritarashtra's son believe that
it is possible to rob the sons of Pandu of what is their own, although he
knoweth having himself gone to the place of fight, how Arjuna comforted
himself when he had nothing but a bow four cubits long for his weapon of
battle. Dhritarashtra's sons are alive simply because they have not as
yet heard that twang of the stretch Gandiva. Duryodhana believeth his
object already gained, as long as he beholdeth not the wrathful Bhima. O
sire, even Indra would forbear to rob us of our sovereignty as long as
Bhima and Arjuna and the heroic Nakula and the patient Sahadeva are
alive! O charioteer, the old king with his son still entertains the
notion that his sons will not be perished, O Sanjaya, on the field of
battle, consumed by the fiery wrath of Pandu's sons. Thou knowest, O
Sanjaya, what misery we have suffered! For my respect to thee, I would
forgive them all. Thou knowest what transpired between ourselves and
those sons of Kuru. Thou knowest how we comforted ourselves towards
Dhritarashtra's son. Let the same state of things still continue, I shall
seek peace, as thou counsellest me to do. Let me have Indraprastha for my
kingdom, Let this be given to me by Duryodhana, the chief of Bharata's
race.'"

SECTION XXVII

"Sanjaya said, 'O Pandava, the world hath heard thy conduct being
righteous. I see it also to be so, O son of Pritha. Life is transient,
that may end in great infamy; considering this, thou shouldst not perish.
O Ajatasatru, if without war, the Kurus will not yield thy share, I
think, it is far better for thee to live upon alms in the kingdom of the
Andhakas and the Vrishnis than obtain sovereignty by war. Since this
mortal existence is for only a short period, and greatly liable to blame,
subject to constant suffering, and unstable, and since it is never
comparable to a good name, therefore, O Pandava, never perpetrate a sin.
It is the desires, O ruler of men, which adhere to mortal men and are an
obstruction to a virtuous life. Therefore, a wise man should beforehand
kill them all and thereby gain a stainless fame in the world, O son of
Pritha. The thirst after wealth is but like fetter in this world; the
virtue of those that seek it is sure to suffer. He is wise who seeketh
virtue alone; desires being increased, a man must suffer in his temporal
concerns, O sire. Placing virtue before all other concerns of life, a man
shineth like the sun when its splendour is great. A man devoid of virtue,
and of vicious soul, is overtaken by ruin, although he may obtain the
whole of this earth. Thou hast studied the Vedas, lived the life of a
saintly Brahman, hast performed sacrificial rites, made charities to
Brahmanas. Even remembering the highest position (attainable by beings),
thou hast also devoted thy soul for years and years to the pursuit of
pleasure. He who, devoting himself excessively to the pleasures and joys
of life, never employeth himself in the practice of religious meditation,
must be exceedingly miserable. His joys forsake him after his wealth is
gone and his strong instincts goad him on towards his wonted pursuit of
pleasure. Similarly, he who, never having lived a continent life,
forsaketh the path of virtue and commiteth sin, hath no faith in
existence of a world to come. Dull as he is after death he hath torment
(for his lot). In the world to come, whether one's deeds be good or evil
these deeds are in no case, annihilated. Deeds, good and evil, precede
the agent (in his journey to the world to come); the agent is sure to
follow in their path. Your work (in this life) is celebrated by all as
comparable to that food, savoury and dainty, which is proper to be
offered with reverence to the Brahmanas--the food which is offered in
religious ceremonies with large donations (to the officiating priests).
All acts are done, so long as this body lasts, O son of Pritha. After
death there is nothing to be done. And thou hast done mighty deeds that
will do good to thee in the world to come, and they are admired by
righteous men. There (in the next world) one is free from death and
decrepitude and fear, and from hunger and thirst, and from all that is
disagreeable to the mind; there is nothing to be done in that place,
unless it be to delight one's senses. Of this kind, O ruler of men, is
the result of our deeds. Therefore, do not from desire act any longer in
this world. Do not, O Pandu's son, betake to action in this world and
thereby thus take leave of truth and sobriety and candour and humanity.
Thou mayst perform the Rajasuya and the Aswamedha sacrifices, but do not
even come near an action which in itself is sin! If after such a length
of time, ye sons of Pritha, you now give way to hate, and commit the
sinful deed, in vain, for virtue's sake, did ye dwell for years and years
in the woods in such misery! It was in vain that you went to exile, after
parting with all your army; for this army was entirely in your control
then. And these persons who are now assisting you, have been always
obedient to you,--this Krishna, and Satyaki, and Virata of the golden
car, of Matsya land, with his son at the head of martial warriors. All
the kings, formerly vanquished by you would have espoused your cause at
first. Possessed of mighty resources, dreaded by all, having an army, and
followed behind by Krishna and Arjuna, you might have slain your foremost
of foes on the field of battle. You might have (then) brought low
Duryodhana's pride. O Pandava, why have you allowed your foes to grow so
powerful? Why have you weakened your friends? Why have you sojourned in
the woods for years and years? Why are you now desirous of fighting,
having let the proper opportunity slip? An unwise or an unrighteous man
may win prosperity by means of fighting; but a wise and a righteous man,
were he free from pride to betake to fight (against better instinct),
doth only fall away from a prosperous path. O Pritha's son, your
understanding inclines not to an unrighteous course. From wrath you ever
committed a sinful act. Then what is the cause, and what is the reason,
for which you are now intent to do this deed, against the dictates of
wisdom? Wrath, O mighty king, is a bitter drug, though it has nothing to
do with disease; it brings on a disease of the head, robs one of his fair
fame, and leads to sinful acts. It is drunk up (controlled) by those that
are righteous and not by those that are unrighteous. I ask you to swallow
it and to desist from war. Who would incline himself to wrath which leads
to sin? Forbearance would be more beneficial to you than love of
enjoyments where Bhishma would be slain, and Drona with his son, and
Kripa, and Somadatta's son, and Vikarna and Vivingsati, and Karna and
Duryodhana. Having slain all these, what bliss may that be, O Pritha's
son, which you will get? Tell me that! Even having won the entire
sea-girt earth, you will never be free from decrepitude and death,
pleasure and pain, bliss and misery. Knowing all this, do not be engaged
in war. If you are desirous of taking this course, because your
counsellors desire the same, then give up (everything) to them, and run
away. You should not fall away from this path which leads to the region
of the gods!'"

SECTION XXVIII

"Yudhishthira said, 'Without doubt, O Sanjaya, it is true that righteous
deeds are the foremost of all our acts, as thou sayest. Thou shouldst,
however, ensure me having first ascertained whether it is virtue or vice
that I practise. When vice assumes the aspects of virtue and virtue
itself wholly seems as vice, and virtue, again, appears in its native
form, they that are learned should discriminate it by means of their
reason. So, again, virtue and vice, which are both eternal and absolute,
exchange their aspects during seasons of distress. One should follow
without deviation the duties prescribed for the order to which he belongs
by birth. Know, O Sanjaya, that duties in seasons of distress are
otherwise. When his means of living are totally gone, the man, that is
destitute should certainly desire those other means by which he may be
able to discharge the sanctioned duties of his order. One that is not
destitute of his means of living, as also one that is in distress, are, O
Sanjaya, both to be blamed, if they act as if the state of each were
otherwise. When the Creator hath ordained expiation for those Brahmanas,
who, without wishing for self-destruction, betake themselves to acts not
sanctioned for them, this proves that people may, in season of distress,
betake to acts not ordained for the orders to which they belong. And, O
Sanjaya, thou shouldst regard them as worthy that adhere to the practices
of their own order in usual times as also those that do not adhere to
them in season of distress; thou shouldst censure them that act otherwise
in usual times while adhering to their ordained practices during times of
distress. As regards men desiring to bring their minds under control,
when they endeavour to acquire a knowledge of self, the practices that
are ordained for the best, viz., the Brahmanas, are equally ordained for
them. As regards those, however, that are not Brahmanas and that do not
endeavour to acquire knowledge of self, those practices should be
followed by them that are ordained for their respective orders in seasons
of distress or otherwise. Even that is the path followed by our fathers
and grandfathers before us and those also that had lived before them. As
regards those that are desirous of knowledge and avoiding to act, even
these also hold the same view and regard themselves as orthodox. I do
not, therefore, think that there is any other path. Whatsoever wealth
there may be in this earth, whatsoever there may be among the gods, or
whatsoever there may be unattainable by them,--the region of the
Prajapati, or heaven or the region of Brahma himself, I would not, O
Sanjaya, seek it by unrighteous means. Here is Krishna, the giver of
virtue's fruits, who is clever, politic, intelligent, who has waited upon
the Brahmanas, who knows everything' and counsels various mighty kings.
Let the celebrated Krishna say whether I would be censurable if I dismiss
all idea of peace, of whether if I fight, I should be abandoning the
duties of my caste, for Krishna seeketh the welfare of both sides. This
Satyaki, these Chedis, the Andhakas, the Vrishnis, the Bhojas, the
Kukuras, the Srinjayas, adopting the counsels of Krishna, slay their foes
and delight their friends. The Vrishnis and the Andhakas, at whose head
stands Ugrasena, led by Krishna, have become like Indra, high-spirited,
devoted to truth, mighty, and happy. Vabhru, the king of Kasi, having
obtained Krishna, that fructifier of wishes, as his brother, and upon
whom Krishna showers all the blessings of life, as the clouds upon all
earthly creatures, when the hot season is over, hath attained the highest
prosperity, O sire, so great is this Krishna! Him you must know as the
great judge of the propriety or otherwise of all acts. Krishna is dear to
us, and is the most illustrious of men. I never disregard what Krishna
sayeth.'"

SECTION XXIX

"Krishna said, 'I desire, O Sanjaya, that the sons of Pandu may not be
ruined; that they may prosper, and attain their wishes. Similarly, I pray
for the prosperity of king Dhritarashtra whose sons are many. For
evermore, O Sanjaya, my desire hath been that I should tell them nothing
else than that peace would be acceptable to king Dhritarashtra. I also
deem it proper for the sons of Pandu. A peaceful disposition of an
exceedingly rare character hath been displayed by Pandu's son in this
matter. When Dhritarashtra and his sons, however, are so covetous, I do
not see why hostility should not run high? Thou canst not pretend, O
Sanjaya, to be more versed than I am or Yudhishthira. is, in the niceties
of right and wrong. Then why dost thou speak words of reproach with
reference to the conduct of Yudhishthira who is enterprising, mindful of
his own duty, and thoughtful, from the very beginning, of the welfare of
his family, agreeably to the injunctions (of treatises of morality)? With
regard to the topic at hand, the Brahmanas have held opinions of various
kinds. Some say that success in the world to come depends upon work. Some
declare that action should be shunned and that salvation is attainable by
knowledge. The Brahmanas say--that though one may have a knowledge of
eatable things, yet his hunger will not be appeased unless he actually
eats. Those branches of knowledge that help the doing of work, bear
fruit, but not other kinds, for the fruit of work is of ocular
demonstration. A thirsty person drinks water, and by that act his thirst
is allayed. This result proceeds, no doubt, from work. Therein lies the
efficacy of work. If anyone thinks that something else is better than
work, I deem, his work and his words are meaningless. In the other world,
it is by virtue of work that the gods flourish. It is by work that the
wind blows. It is by virtue of work that the sleepless Surya rises every
day and becomes the cause of day and night, and Soma passes through the
months and the fortnights and the combinations of constellations. Fire is
kindled of itself and burns by virtue of work, doing good to mankind. The
sleepless goddess Earth, sustains by force this very great burden. The
sleepless rivers, giving satisfaction to all (organised) beings, carry
their waters with speed. The sleepless Indra, possessed of a mighty
force, pours down rain, resounding the heaven and the cardinal points.
Desirous of being the greatest of the gods, he led a life of austerities
such as a holy Brahmana leads. Indra gave up pleasure, and all things
agreeable to the heart. He sedulously cherished virtue and truth and
self-control, and forbearance, and impartiality, and humanity. It was by
work that he attained a position the highest (of all). Following the
above course of life, Indra attained the high sovereignty over the gods.
Vrihaspati, intently and with self-control, led in a proper manner that
life of austerities which a Brahmana leads. He gave up pleasure and
controlled his senses and thereby attained the position of the preceptor
of the celestials. Similarly, the constellations in the other world, by
virtue of work, and the Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, king Yama, and
Kuvera, and the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, and the celestial nymphs, all
attained their present position by work. In the other world, the saints
shine, following a life of study, austerity and work (combined). Knowing,
O Sanjaya, that this is the rule followed by the best of Brahmanas, and
Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas, and thou being one of the wisest men,--why art
thou making this endeavour on behalf of those sons of Kurus? Thou must
know that Yudhishthira is constantly engaged in the study of the Vedas.
He is inclined to the horse-sacrifice and the Rajasuya. Again, he rides
horses and elephants, is arrayed in armour, mounts a car, and takes up
the bow and all kinds of weapons. Now, if the sons of Pritha can see a
course of action not involving the slaughter of the sons of Kuru, they
would adopt it. Their virtue would then be saved, and an act of religious
merit also would be achieved by them, even if they would have then to
force Bhima to follow a conduct marked by humanity. On the other hand, if
in doing what their forefathers did, they should meet with death under
inevitable destiny, then in trying their utmost to discharge their duty,
such death would even be worthy of praise. Supposing thou approvest of
peace alone I should like to hear what thou mayst have to say to this
question,--which way doth the injunction of religious law lie, viz.,
whether it is proper for the king to fight or not?--Thou must, O Sanjaya,
take into thy consideration the division of the four castes, and the
scheme of respective duties allotted to each. Thou must hear that course
of action the Pandavas are going to adopt. Then mayst thou praise or
censure, just as it may please thee. A Brahmana should study, offer
sacrifices, make charities, and sojourn to the best of all holy places on
the earth; he should teach, minister as a priest in sacrifices offered by
others worthy of such help, and accept gifts from persons who are known.
Similarly, a Kshatriya should protect the people in accordance with the
injunctions of the law, diligently practise the virtue of charity, offer
sacrifices, study the whole Veda, take a wife, and lead a virtuous
householder's life. If he be possessed of a virtuous soul, and if he
practise the holy virtues, he may easily attain the religion of the
Supreme Being. A Vaisya should study and diligently earn and accumulate
wealth by means of commerce, agriculture, and the tending of cattle. He
should so act as to please the Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas, be virtuous,
do good works, and be a householder. The following are the duties
declared for a Sudra from the olden times. He should serve the Brahmanas
and submit to them; should not study; sacrifices are forbidden to him; he
should be diligent and be constantly enterprising in doing all that is
for his good. The king protects all these with (proper) care, and sets
all the castes to perform their respective duties. He should not be given
to sensual enjoyments. He should be impartial, and treat all his subjects
on an equal footing. The King should never obey the dictates of such
desires as are opposed to righteousness. If there be any body who is more
praise-worthy than he, who is well-known and gifted with all the virtues,
the king should instruct his subjects to see him. A bad (king), however,
would not understand this. Growing strong, and inhuman and becoming a
mark for destiny's wrath, he would cast covetous eye on the riches of
others. Then comes war, for which purpose came into being weapons, and
armour, and bows. Indra invented these contrivances, for putting the
plunderers to death. He also contrived armours, and weapons, and bows.
Religious merit is acquired by putting the robbers to death. Many awful
evils have manifested themselves on account of the Kurus having been
unrighteous, and unmindful of law and religion. This is not right, O
Sanjaya. Now, king Dhritarashtra with his sons, hath unreasonably seized
what lawfully belonged to Pandu's son. He minds not the immemorial law
observable by kings. All the Kurus are following in the wake. A thief who
steals wealth unseen and one who forcibly seizes the same, in open
day-light, are both to be condemned, O Sanjaya. What is the difference
between them and Dhritarashtra's sons? From avarice he regards that to be
righteous which he intends to do, following the dictates of his wrath.
The shares of the Pandavas is, no doubt, fixed. Why should that share of
theirs be seized by that fool? This being the state of things, it would
be praiseworthy for us to be even killed in fight. A paternal kingdom is
preferable to sovereignty received from a stranger. These time-honoured
rules of law, O Sanjaya, thou must propound to the Kurus, in the midst of
the assembled kings,--I mean those dull-headed fools who have been
assembled together by Dhritarashtra's son, and who are already under the
clutches of death. Look once more at that vilest of all their acts,--the
conduct of the Kurus in the council-hall. That those Kurus, at whose head
stood Bhishma did not interfere when the beloved wife of the sons of
Pandu, daughter of Drupada, of fare fame, pure life, and conduct worthy
of praise, was seized, while weeping, by that slave of lust. The Kurus
all, including young and old, were present there. If they had then
prevented that indignity offered to her, then I should have been pleased
with Dhritarashtra's behaviour. It would have been for the final good of
his sons also. Dussasana forcibly took Krishna into the midst of the
public hall wherein were seated her fathers-in-law. Carried there,
expecting sympathy, she found none to take her part, except Vidura. The
kings uttered not a word of protest, solely because they were a set of
imbeciles. Vidura alone spoke words of opposition, from a sense of
duty,--words conceived in righteousness addressed to that man
(Duryodhana) of little sense. Thou didst not, O Sanjaya, then say what
law and morality were, but now thou comest to instruct the son of Pandu!
Krishna, however, having repaired to the hall at that time made
everything right, for like a vessel in the sea, she rescued the Pandavas
as also herself, from that gathering ocean (of misfortunes)! Then in that
hall, while Krishna stood, the charioteer's son addressed her in the
presence of her fathers-in-law saying, 'O Daughter of Drupada thou hast
no refuge. Better betake thyself as a bond-woman to the house of
Dhritarashtra's son. Thy husbands, being defeated, no longer exist. Thou
hast a loving soul, choose some one else for thy lord.' This speech,
proceeding from Karna, was a wordy arrow, sharp, cutting all hopes,
hitting the tenderest parts of the organisation, and frightful. It buried
itself deep in Arjuna's heart. When the sons of Pandu were about to adopt
the garments made of the skins of black deer, Dussasana spoke the
following pungent words, 'These all are mean eunuchs, ruined, and damned
for a lengthened time.' And Sakuni, the king of the Gandhara land, spoke
to Yudhishthira at the time of the game of dice the following words by
way of a wily trick, 'Nakula hath been won by me from you, what else have
you got? Now you should better stake your wife Draupadi'. You know, O
Sanjaya, all these words of an approbrious kind which were spoken at the
time of the game of dice. I desire to go personally to the Kurus, in
order to settle this difficult matter. If without injury to the Pandava
cause I succeed in bringing about this peace with the Kurus, an act of
religious merit, resulting in very great blessings, will then have been
done by me; and the Kurus also will have been extricated from the meshes
of death. I hope that when I shall speak to the Kurus words of wisdom,
resting on rules of righteousness, words fraught with sense and free from
all tendency to inhumanity, Dhritarashtra's son will, in my presence, pay
heed to them. I hope that when I arrive, the Kurus will pay me due
respect. Else thou mayst rest assured that those vicious sons of
Dhritarashtra, already scorched by their own vicious acts, will be burnt
up by Arjuna and Bhima ready for battle. When Pandu's sons were defeated
(at the play), Dhritarashtra's sons spoke to them words that were harsh
and rude. But when the time will come, Bhima will, no doubt, take care to
remind Duryodhana of those words. Duryodhana is a big tree of evil
passions; Karna is its trunk; Sakuni is its branches; Dussasana forms its
abundant blossoms and fruits; (while) the wise king Dhritarashtra is its
toots. Yudhishthira is a big tree of righteousness; Arjuna is its trunk;
and Bhima is its branches; the sons of Madri are its abundant flowers and
fruits; and its roots are myself and religion and religious men. King
Dhritarashtra with his sons constitutes a forest, while, O Sanjaya, the
sons of Pandu are its tigers. Do not, oh, cut down the forest with its
tigers, and let not the tigers be driven away from the forest. The tiger,
out of the woods, is easily slain; the wood also, that is without a
tiger, is easily cut down. Therefore, it is the tiger that protects the
forest and the forest that shelters the tiger. The Dhritarashtras are as
creepers, while, O Sanjaya, the Pandavas are Sala trees. A creeper can
never flourish unless it hath a large tree to twine round. The sons of
Pritha are ready to wait upon Dhritarashtra as, indeed, those repressors
of foes are ready for war. Let king Dhritarashtra now do what may be
proper for him to do. The virtuous and the high-souled sons of Pandu,
though competent to be engaged in fight, are yet now in place (with their
cousins). O learned man, represent all this truly (to Dhritarashtra).'"