SECTION CCVII
(Viduragamana Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'After Drona had ceased, Vidura spoke, saying, 'O
monarch, your friends without doubt, are saying unto you what is for thy
good. But as you are unwilling to listen to what they say, their words
scarcely find a place in your ears. What that foremost one of Kuru's race,
viz., Bhishma, the son of Santanu, hath said, is excellent and is for thy
good. But you dost not listen to it. The preceptor Drona also hath said
much that is for your good which however Karna, the son of Radha, doth not
regard to be such. But, O king, reflecting hard I do not find any one who
is better a friend to you than either of these two lions among men
(viz., Bhishma and Drona), or any one who excels either of them in
wisdom. These two, old in years, in wisdom, and in learning, always
regard thee, O king, and the sons of Pandu with equal eyes. Without
doubt, O king of Bharata's race, they are both, in virtue and
truthfulness, not inferior to Rama, the son of Dasaratha, and Gaya. Never
before did they give you any evil advice. Thou also, O monarch, hast
never done them any injury. Why should, therefore, these tigers among
men, who are ever truthful, give you wicked advice, especially when thou
hast never injured them? Endued with wisdom these foremost of men, O
king, will never give you counsels that are crooked. O scion of Kuru's
rate, this is my firm conviction that these two, acquainted with all
rules of morality, will never, tempted by wealth, utter anything
betraying a spirit of partisanship. What they have said, O Bharata, I
regard highly beneficial to thee. Without doubt, O monarch, the Pandavas
are your sons as much as Duryodhana and others are. Those ministers,
therefore, that give you any counsel fraught with evil unto the
Pandavas, do not really look to your interests. If there is any partiality
in your heart, O king, for your own children, they who by their counsel
seek to bring it out, certainly do you no good. Therefore, O king, these
illustrious persons endued with great splendour, have not I think, said
anything that leadeth to evil. Thou, however, dost not understand it.
What these bulls among men have said regarding the invincibility of the
Pandavas is perfectly true. Think not otherwise of it, O tiger among men.
Blest be thou! Can the handsome Dhananjaya, the son of Pandu, using the
right and the left hand with equal activity, be vanquished in battle even
by Maghavat himself? Can the great Bhimasena of strong arms possessing
the might of ten thousand elephants, be vanquished in battle by the
immortals themselves? Who also that desireth to live can overcome in
battle the twins (Nagula and Sahadeva) like unto the sons of Yama
himself, and well-skilled in fight? How too can the eldest one of the
Pandavas in whom patience, mercy, forgiveness, truth, and prowess always
live together, be vanquished? They who have Rama (Valadeva) as their
ally, and Janardana (Krishna) as their counsellor, and Satyaki as their
partisan, have already defeated everybody in war. They who have Drupada
for their father-in-law, and Drupada's sons--the heroic brothers, viz.,
Dhristadyumna and others of Prishata's race for their brothers-in-law,
are certainly invincible. Remembering this, O monarch, and knowing that
their claim to the kingdom is even prior to thine, behave virtuously
towards them. The stain of calumny is on thee, O monarch, in consequence
of that act of Purochana. Wash thyself of it now, by a kindly behaviour
towards the Pandavas. This kindly behaviour of thine, O monarch, towards
the Pandavas will be an act of great benefit to us, protecting the lives
of us all that belong to Kuru's race, and leading to the growth of the
whole Kshatriya order! We had formerly warred with king Drupada; if we
can now secure him as an ally, it will strengthen our party. The
Dasarhas, O king, are numerous and strong. Know where Krishna is, all of
them must be, and where Krishna is, there victory also must be! O king,
who, unless cursed by the gods, would seek, to effect that by means of
war which can be effected by conciliation? Hearing that the sons of
Pritha are alive, the citizens and other subjects of the realm have
become exceedingly glad and eager for beholding them. O monarch, act in a
way that is agreeable to them. Duryodhana and Karna and Sakuni, the son
of Suvala, are sinful, foolish and young; listen not to them. Possessed
of every virtue you are I long ago told thee, O monarch that for
Duryodhana's fault, the subjects of this kingdom would be exterminated.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 1 : UPA-PARVA 207 ---------------------
