SECTION XXXIV
"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me what may be done by a person that is
sleepless and burning with anxieties, for you alone amongst us, O child,
art versed in both religion and profit. Advise me wisely, O Vidura. O
thou of magnanimous heart, tell me what is you deemest to be beneficial
for Ajatasatru and what is productive of good to the Kurus. Apprehending
future evils. I look back only on my previous guilt: I ask you with
anxious heart, O learned one, tell me what is exactly in Ajatasatru's
mind,'
"Vidura said, 'Even if unasked, one should speak truly, whether his words
be good or bad, hateful or pleasing, unto him whose defeat one doth not
wish. I shall, therefore, say, O king, what is for the good of the Kurus.
I shall say what is both beneficial and consistent with morality. Listen
to me. Do not, O Bharata, set the heart upon means of success that are
unjust and improper. A man of intelligence must not grieve if any purpose
of his doth not succeed, notwithstanding the application of fair and
proper means. Before one engageth in an act, one should consider the
competence of the agent, the nature of the act itself, and its purpose,
for all acts are dependent on these. Considering these one should begin
an act, and not take it up on a sudden impulse. He that is wise should
either do an act or desist from it fully considering his own ability, the
nature of the act, and the consequence also of success. The king who
knoweth not proportion or measure as regards territory, gain, loss,
treasury, population, and punishment, cannot retain his kingdom long. He,
on the other hand, who is acquainted with the measures of these as
prescribed in treatises, being necessarily possessed of the knowledge of
religion and profit, can retain his kingdom. As the stars are affected by
the planets, so is this world affected by the senses, when they are
directed, uncontrolled, to their respective objects. Like the moon during
the lighted fortnight, calamities increase in respect of him who is
vanquished by the five senses in their natural state, which ever lead him
towards various acts. He who wisheth to control his counsellors before
controlling his own self, or to subdue his adversaries before controlling
his counsellors, at last succumbs deprived of strength. He, therefore,
who first subdueth his own self regarding it as a foe, never faileth to
subdue his counsellors and adversaries at last. Great prosperity waiteth
upon him who hath subdued his senses, or controlled his soul, or who is
capable of punishing all offenders, or who acteth with judgment or who is
blessed with patience. One's body, O king, is one's car; the soul within
is the driver; and the senses are its steeds. Drawn by those excellent
steeds, when well-trained, he that is wise, pleasantly performeth the
journey of life, and awake in peace. The horses that are unbroken and
incapable of being controlled, always lead an unskilful driver to
destruction in the course of the journey; so one's senses, unsubdued,
lead only to destruction. The inexperienced wight, who, led by this
unsubdued senses, hopeth to extract evil from good and good from evil,
necessarily confoundeth misery with happiness. He, who, forsaking
religion and profit, followeth the lead of his senses, loseth without
delay prosperity, life, wealth and wife. He, who is the master of riches
but not of his senses, certainly loseth his riches in consequence of his
want of mastery over his senses. One should seek to know one's self by
means of one's own self, controlling one's mind, intellect, and senses,
for one's self is one's friend as, indeed, it is one's own foe. That man,
who hath conquered self by means of self, hath his self for a friend, for
one's self is ever one's friend or foe. Desire and anger, O king, break
through wisdom, just as a large fish breaks through a net of thin cords.
He, who in this world regarding both religion and profit, seeketh to
acquire the means of success, winneth happiness, possessing all he had
sought. He, who, without subduing his five inner foes of mental origin,
wisheth to vanquish other adversaries, is, in fact, overpowered by the
latter. It is seen that many evil-minded kings, owing to want of mastery
over their senses, are ruined by acts of their own, occasioned by the
lust of territory. As fuel that is wet burneth with that which is dry, so
a sinless man is punished equally with the sinful in consequence of
constant association with the latter. Therefore, friendship with the
sinful should be avoided. He that, from ignorance, faileth to control his
five greedy foes, having five distinct objects, is overwhelmed by
calamities. Guilelessness and simplicity, purity and contentment,
sweetness of speech and self-restraint, truth and steadiness,--these are
never the attributes of the wicked. Self-knowledge and steadiness,
patience and devotion to virtue, competence to keep counsels and
charity,--these,--O Bharata, never exist in inferior men. Fools seek to
injure the wise by false reproaches and evil speeches, The consequence
is, that by this they take upon themselves the sins of the wise, while
the latter, freed from their sins, are forgiven. In malice lieth the
strength of the wicked; in criminal code, the strength of kings, in
attentions of the weak and of women; and in forgiveness that of the
virtuous. To control speech, O king, is said to be most difficult. It is
not easy to hold a long conversation uttering words full of meaning and
delightful to the hearers. Well-spoken speech is productive of many
beneficial results; and ill-spoken speech, O king, is the cause of evils.
A forest pierced by arrows, or cut down by hatchets may again grow, but
one's heart wounded and censured by ill-spoken words never recovereth.
Weapons, such as arrows, bullets, and bearded darts, can be easily
extracted from the body, but a wordy dagger plunged deep into the heart
is incapable of being taken out. Wordy arrows are shot from the mouth;
smitten by them one grieveth day and night. A learned man should not
discharge such arrows, for do they not touch the very vitals of others.
He, to whom the gods ordain defeat, hath his senses taken away, and it is
for this that he stoopeth to ignoble deeds. When the intellect becometh
dim and destruction is nigh, wrong, looking like right., firmly sticketh
to the heart. Thou dost not clearly see it, O bull of the Bharata race,
that clouded intellect hath now possessed your sons in consequence of
their hostility to the Pandavas. Endued with every auspicious mark and
deserving to rule the three worlds, Yudhishthira is obedient to thy
commands. Let him, O Dhritarashtra, rule the earth, to the exclusion of
all your sons, Yudhishthira is the foremost of all your heirs. Endued with
energy and wisdom, and acquainted with the truths of religion and profit,
Yudhishthira, that foremost of righteous men, hath, O king of kings,
suffered much misery out of kindness and sympathy, in order to preserve
thy reputation."
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 34 ---------------------
