SECTION XXXV
"Dhritarashtra said, 'O you of great intelligence, tell me again words
such as these, consistent with religion and profit. My thirst for hearing
them is not quenched. What you sayst is charming!"
"Vidura said, 'Ablution in all the holy places and kindness to all
creatures,--these two are equal. Perhaps, kindness to all creatures
surpasseth the former. O master, show kindness unto all your sons, for by
that winning great fame in this world, you wilt have heaven hereafter.
As long as a man's good deeds are spoken of in this world, so long, O
tiger among men, is he glorified in heaven. In this connection is cited
an old story about the conversation between Virochana and Sudhanwan, both
suitors for Kesini's hand. Once on a time, O king, there was a maiden of
the name of Kesini, unrivalled for beauty; moved by the desire of
obtaining a good husband, she resolved to choose her lord in Swayamvara.
Then one of the sons of Diti, Virochana by name, went to that spot,
desirous of obtaining the maiden. Beholding that chief of the Daityas,
Kesini addressed him, saying, 'Are Brahmanas superior, O Virochana, or
are the sons of Diti superior? And why also should not Sudhanwan sit on
the sofa?' Virochana said, 'Sprung from Prajapati himself, we, O Kesini,
are the best and at the top of all creatures, and this world is ours
without doubt. Who are the gods, and who are the Brahmanas?' Kesini said,
'We will, O Virochana, stay here in this very pavilion. Sudhanwan will
come here on the morrow, and let me see both of you sitting together.'
Virochana said, 'O amiable and timid girl, I will do what you sayst.
Thou wilt behold Sudhanwan and myself met together in the morning.'
"Vidura continued, 'When the night had passed away and the solar disc had
risen, Sudhanwan, O best of kings, came to that place where, O master,
Virochana was waiting with Kesini. And Sudhanwan saw there both
Prahlada's son and Kesini. And beholding the Brahmana arrived, Kesini, O
bull of the Bharata race, rising up from hers, offered him a seat, water
to wash his feet, and Arghya. And asked by Virochana (to share his seat)
Sudhanwan said, 'O son of Prahlada, I touch your excellent golden seat. I
cannot, however, suffer myself to be regarded as your equal, and sit on it
with thee.' Virochana said, 'A piece of wooden plank, an animal skin, or
a mat of grass or straw,--these only, O Sudhanwan, are fit for thee. Thou
deservest not, however, the same seat with me.' Sudhanwan said, 'Father
and son. Brahmanas of the same age and equal learning, two Kshatriyas,
two Vaisyas and two Sudras, can sit together on the same seat, Except
these, no other can sit together. Your father used to pay his regards to
me, taking a seat lower than that occupied by me. Thou are a child,
brought tip in every luxury at home and you understandest nothing.'
Virochana said, 'Staking all the gold, kine, horses, and every other kind
of wealth that we have among the Asuras, let us, O Sudhanwan, ask them
this question that are able to answer.' Sudhanwan said, 'Let alone your
gold, kine, and heroes, O Virochana? Making our lives forfeited, we will
ask them this question that are competent.' Virochana said, 'Wagering our
lives where shall we go? I will not appear before any of the gods and
never before any among men.' Sudhanwan said, 'Having wagered our lives,
we will approach your father, for he, Prahlada, will never say an untruth
even for the sake of his son.'
"Vidura continued, 'Having thus laid a wager, Virochana and Sudhanwan,
both moved by rage, proceeded to that place where Prahlada was. And
beholding them together, Prahlada said, 'These two who had never before
been companions, are now seen together coming hither by the same road,
like two angry snakes. Have the now become companions,--ye who were never
companions before? I ask thee, O Virochana, has there been friendship
between you and Sudhanwan?' Virochana said, 'There is no friendship
between me and Sudhanwan. On the other hand, we have both wagered our
lives. O chief of the Asuras, I shall ask you a question, do not answer
it untruly!' Prahlada said, 'Let water, and honey and curds, be brought
for Sudhanwan. Thou deservest our worship, O Brahmana. A white and fat
cow is ready for thee.' Sudhanwan said, 'Water and honey and curds, have
been presented to me on my way hither. I shall ask you a question.
Prahlada, answer it truly! are Brahmanas superior, or is Virochana
superior?' Prahlada said, O Brahmana, this one is my only son. Thou also
art present here in person. How can one like us answer a question about
which the two have quarrelled? Sudhanwan said, 'Give unto your son your kine
and other precious wealth that you mayst have, but, O wise one, thou
shouldst declare the truth when we two are disputing about it.' Prahlada
said, 'How doth that misuser of his tongue suffer, O Sudhanwan, who
answereth not truly but falsely, a question that is put to him? I ask
thee this.' Sudhanwan said, 'The person that misuseth his tongue suffers
like the deserted wife, who pineth, at night, beholding her husband
sleeping in the arms of a co-wife; like a person who hath lost at dice,
or who is weighed down with an unbearable load of anxieties. Such a man
hath also to stay, starving outside the citygates, into which his
admission is barred. Indeed, he that giveth false evidence is destined to
always find his foes. He that speaketh a lie on account of an animal,
casteth down from heaven five of his sires of the ascending order. He
that speaketh a lie on account of a cow casteth down from heaven ten of
his ancestors. A lie on account of a horse causeth the downfall of a
hundred; and a lie on account of a human being, the downfall of a
thousand of one's sires of the ascending order. An untruth on account of
gold ruineth the members of one's race both born and unborn, while an
untruth for the sake of land ruineth everything. Therefore, never speak
an untruth for the sake of land.' Prahlada said, 'Angiras is superior to
myself, and Sudhanwan is superior to thee, O Virochana. Mother also of
Sudhanwan is superior to your mother; therefore, thou, O Virochana, hath
been defeated by Sudhanwan. This Sudhanwan is now the master of your life.
But, O Sudhanwan, I wish that you shouldst grant Virochana his life.'
Sudhanwan said, 'Since, O Prahlada, you hast preferred virtue and hast
not, from temptation, said an untruth, I grant your son his life that is
dear to thee. So here is your son Virochana, O Prahlada, restored by me to
thee. He shall, however, have to wash my feet in the presence of the
maiden Kesini.'
"Vidura continued, 'For these reasons, O king of kings, it behoveth thee
not to say an untruth for the sake of land. Saying an untruth from
affection for your son, O king, hasten not to destruction, with all thy
children and counsellors. The gods do not protect men, taking up clubs in
their hands after the manner of herdsmen; unto those, however, they wish
to protect, they grant intelligence. There is no doubt that one's objects
meet with success in proportion to the attention he directs to
righteousness and morality. The Vedas never rescue from sin a deceitful
person living by falsehood. On the other hand, they forsake him while he
is on his death-bed, like newly fledged birds forsaking their nests.
Drinking, quarrels, enmity with large numbers of men, all connections
with connubial disputes, and severance of relationship between husband
and wife, internal dissensions, disloyalty to the king,--these and all
paths that are sinful, should, it is said, be avoided. A palmist, a thief
turned into a merchant, a fowler, a physician, an enemy, a friend, and a
minstrel, these seven are incompetent as witness. An Agnihotra performed
from motives of pride, abstention from speech, practised from similar
motives, study and sacrifice from the same motives,--these four, of
themselves innocent, become harmful when practised unduly. One that
setteth fire to a dwelling house, an administerer of poison, a pander, a
vendor of the Soma-juice, a maker of arrows, an astrologer, one that
injureth friends, an adulterer, one that causeth abortion, a violater of
his preceptor's bed, a Brahmana addicted to drink, one that is
sharp-speeched, a raker of old sores, an atheist, a reviler of the Vedas,
and taker of bribes, one whose investiture with the sacred thread has
been delayed beyond the prescribed age, one that secretly slayeth cattle,
and one that slayeth him who prayeth for protection,--these all are
reckoned as equal in moral turpitude as the slayers of Brahmanas. Gold is
tested by fire; a well-born person, by his deportment; an honest man, by
his conduct. A brave man is tested during a season of panic; he that is
self-controlled, in times of poverty; and friends and foes, in times of
calamity and danger. Decrepitude destroyeth beauty; ambitious hopes,
patience; death, life, envy, righteousness, anger, prosperity,
companionship with the low, good behaviour; lust, modesty, and pride,
everything. Prosperity taketh its birth in good deeds, groweth in
consequence of activity, driveth its roots deep in consequence of skill,
and acquireth stability owing to self-control. Wisdom, good lineage,
self-control, acquaintance with the scriptures, prowess, absence of
garrulity, gift to the extent of one's power, and grateful ness,--these
eight qualities shed a lustre upon their possessor. But, O sire, there is
one endowment which alone can cause all these attributes to come
together; the fact is, when the king honoureth a particular person, the
royal favour can cause all these attributes to shed their lustre (on the
favourite). Those eight, O king, in the world of men, are indications of
heaven. Of the eight (mentioned below) four are inseparably connected,
with the good, and four others are always followed by the good. The first
four which are inseparably connected with the good, are sacrifice, gift,
study and asceticism, while the other four that are always followed by
the good, are self-restraint, truth, simplicity, and abstention from
injury to all.
'Sacrifice, study, charity, asceticism, truth, forgiveness, mercy, and
contentment constitute the eight different paths of righteousness. The
first four of these may be practised from motives of pride, but the last
four can exist only in those that are truly noble. That is no assembly
where there are no old men, and they are not old who do not declare what
morality is. That is not morality which is separated from truth, and that
is not truth which is fraught with deceit. Truth, beauty, acquaintance
with the scriptures, knowledge, high birth, good behaviour, strength,
wealth, bravery, and capacity for varied talk,--these ten are of heavenly
origin. A sinful person, by committing sin, is overtaken by evil
consequences. A virtuous man, by practising virtue, reapeth great
happiness. Therefore, a man, rigidly resolved, should abstain from sin.
Sin, repeatedly perpetrated, destroyeth intelligence; and the man who
hath lost intelligence, repeatedly committeth sin. Virtue, repeatedly
practised, enhanceth intelligence; and the man whose intelligence hath
increased, repeatedly practiseth virtue. The virtuous man, by practising
virtue, goeth to regions of blessedness. Therefore, a man should, firmly
resolved, practise virtue. He that is envious, he that injureth others
deeply, he that is cruel, he that constantly quarreleth, he that is
deceitful, soon meeteth with great misery for practising these sins. He
that is not envious and is possessed of wisdom, by always doing what is
good, never meeteth with great misery; on the other hand, he shineth
everywhere. He that draweth wisdom from them that are wise is really
learned and wise. And he that is wise, by attending to both virtue and
profit, succeedeth in attaining to happiness. Do that during the day
which may enable you to pass the night in happiness; and do that during
eight months of the year which may enable you to pass the season of
rains happily. Do that during youth which may ensure a happy old age; and
do that during your whole life here which may enable you to live happily
hereafter. The wise prize that food which is easily digested, that wife
whose youth hath passed away, that hero who is victorious and that
ascetic whose efforts have been crowned with success. The gap that is
sought to be filled by wealth acquired wrongfully, remaineth uncovered,
while new ones appear in other places. The preceptor controlleth them
whose souls are under their own control; the king controlleth persons
that are wicked; while they that sin secretly have their controller in
Yama, the son of Vivaswat. The greatness of Rishis, of rivers, of
river-banks, of high-souled men, and the cause of woman's wickedness,
cannot be ascertained. O king, he that is devoted to the worship of the
Brahmanas, he that giveth away, he that behaveth righteously towards his
relatives, and the Kshatriya that behaveth nobly, rule the earth for
ever. He that is possessed of bravery, he that is possessed of learning,
and he that knows how to protect others,--these three are always able to
gather flowers of gold from the earth. Of acts, those accomplished by
intelligence are first; those accomplished by the arms, second; those by
the thighs, and those by bearing weights upon the head, are the very
worst. Reposing the care of your kingdom on Duryodhana, on Sakuni, on
foolish Dussasana, and on Karna, how canst you hope for prosperity?
Possessed of every virtue, the Pandavas, O bull of the Bharata race,
depend on you as their father. O, repose you on them as on your sons!"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 35 ---------------------
