SECTION XXXVIII
"Vidura said, 'The heart of a young man, when an aged and venerable
person cometh to his house (as a guest), soareth aloft. By advancing
forward and saluting him, he getteth it back. He that is self-controlled,
first offering a seat, and bringing water and causing his guest's feet to
be washed and making the usual enquiries of welcome, should then speak of
his own affairs, and taking everything into consideration, offer him
food. The wise have said that man liveth in vain in whose dwelling a
Brahmana conversant with mantras doth not accept water, honey and curds,
and kine from fear of being unable to appropriate them, or from
miserliness and unwillingness with which the gifts are made. A physician,
a maker of arrows, even one that hath given up the vow of Brahmacharya
before it is complete, a thief, a crooked-minded man, a Brahmana that
drinks, one that causeth miscarriage, one that liveth by serving in the
army, and one that selleth the Vedas, when arrived as a guest, however
undeserving he may be the offer of water should be regarded (by a
householder) as exceedingly dear. A Brahmana should never be a seller of
salt, of cooked food, curds, milk, honey, oil, clarified butter, sesame,
meat, fruits, roots, potherbs, dyed clothes, all kinds of perfumery, and
treacle. He that never giveth way to anger, he that is above grief, he
that is no longer in need of friendship and quarrels, he that
disregardeth both praise and blame, and he that standeth aloof from both
what is agreeable and disagreeable, like one perfectly withdrawn from the
world, is a real Yogin of the Bhikshu order. That virtuous ascetic who
liveth on rice growing wild, or roots, or potherbs, who hath his soul
under control, who carefully keepeth his fire for worship, and dwelling
in the woods is always regardful of guests, is indeed, the foremost of
his brotherhood. Having wronged an intelligent person, one should never
gather assurance from the fact that one liveth at a distance from the
person wronged. Long are the arms which intelligent persons have, by
which they can return wrongs for wrongs done to them, One should never
put trust on him who should not be trusted, nor put too much trust on him
who should be trusted, for the danger that ariseth from one's having
reposed trust on another cutteth off one's very roots. One should
renounce envy, protect one's wives, give to others what is their due, and
be agreeable in speech. One should be sweet-tongued and pleasant in his
address as regards one's wives, but should never be their slave. It hath
been said that wives that are highly blessed and virtuous, worthy of
worship and the ornaments of their homes, are really embodiments of
domestic prosperity. They should, therefore, be protected particularly.
One should devolve the looking over of his inner apartments on his
father; of the kitchen, on his mother; of the kine, on somebody he looks
upon as his own self, but as regards agriculture, one should look over it
himself. One should look after guests of the trader-caste through his
servants, and those of the Brahmana caste through his sons. Fire hath its
origin in water; Kshatriyas in Brahmanas; and iron in stone. The energy
of those (i.e., fire, Kshatriyas, and iron) can affect all things but is
neutralised as soon as the things come in contact with their progenitors.
Fire lieth concealed in wood without showing itself externally. Good and
forgiving men born of high families and endued with fiery energy, do not
betray any outward symptoms of what is within them. That king whose
counsels cannot be known by either outsiders or those about him, but who
knoweth the counsels of others through his spies, enjoyeth his prosperity
long. One should never speak of what one intends to do. Let anything thou
doest in respect of virtue, profit, and desire, be not known till it is
done. Let counsels be not divulged. Ascending on the mountain-top or on
the terrace of a palace, or proceeding to a wilderness devoid of trees
and plants, one should, in secrecy, mature his counsels. O Bharata,
neither a friend who is without learning, nor a learned friend who hath
no control over his senses, deserveth to be a repository of state
secrets. O king, never make one your minister without examining him well,
for a king's finances and the keeping of his counsels both depend on his
minister. That king is the foremost of rulers, whose ministers know his
acts in respect of virtue, profit and desire, only after they are done.
The king whose counsels are kept close, without doubt, commandeth
success. He that from ignorance committeth acts that are censurable,
loseth his very life in consequence of the untoward results of those
acts. The doing of acts that are praise-worthy is always attended with
ease. Omission to do such acts leadeth to repentance. As a Brahmana
without having studied the Vedas is not fit to officiate at a Sraddha (in
honour of the Pitris), so he that hath not heard of the six (means for
protecting a kingdom) deserveth not to take part in political
deliberations. O king, he that hath an eye upon increase, decrease, and
surplus, he that is conversant with the six means and knoweth also his
own self, he whose conduct is always applauded, bringeth the whole earth
under subjection to himself. He whose anger and joy are productive of
consequences, he who looketh over personally what should be done, he who
hath his treasury under his own control, bringeth the whole earth under
subjection to himself. The king should be content with the name he wins
and the umbrella that is held over his head. He should divide the wealth
of the kingdom among these that serve him. Alone he should not
appropriate everything. A Brahmana knoweth a Brahmana, the husband
understandeth the wife, the king knoweth the minister, and monarchs know
monarchs. A foe that deserveth death, when brought under subjection
should never be set free. If one be weak one should pay court to one's
foe that is stronger, even if the latter deserves death; but one should
kill that foe as soon as one commandeth sufficient strength, for, if not
killed, dangers soon arise from him. One should, with an effort, control
his wrath against the gods, kings, Brahmanas, old men, children, and
those that are helpless. He that is wise should avoid unprofitable
quarrels such as fools only engage in. By this one winneth great fame in
this world and avoideth misery and unhappiness. People never desire him
for a master whose grace is fruitless and whose wrath goest for nothing,
like women never desiring him for a husband who is a eunuch. Intelligence
doth not exist for the acquisition of wealth, nor is idleness the cause
of adversity; the man of wisdom only knoweth, and not others, the cause
of the diversities of condition in this world. The fool, O Bharata,
always disregardeth those that are elderly in years, and eminent in
conduct and knowledge, in intelligence, wealth, and lineage. Calamities
soon come upon them that are of wicked disposition, devoid of wisdom,
envious, or sinful, foul-tongued, and wrathful. Absence of deceitfulness,
gift, observance of the established rules of intercourse, and speech
well-controlled, bring all creatures under subjection. He that is without
deceitfulness, he that is active, grateful, intelligent, and guileless,
even if his treasury be empty, obtaineth friends, counsellors, and
servants. Intelligence, tranquillity of mind, self-control, purity,
absence of harsh speech and unwillingness to do anything disagreeable to
friends,--these seven are regarded as the fuel of prosperity's flame. The
wretch who doth not give to others their due, who is of wicked soul, who
is ungrateful, and shameless, should, O king, be avoided. The guilty
person who provoketh another about him that is innocent, cannot sleep
peacefully at night, like a person passing the night with a snake in the
same room. They, O Bharata, who upon being angry endanger one's
possessions and means of acquisition, should always be propitiated like
the very gods. Those objects that depend upon women, careless persons,
men that have fallen away from the duties of their caste, and those that
are wicked in disposition, are doubtful of success. They sink helplessly.
O king, like a raft made of stone, who have a woman, a deceitful person,
or a child, for their guide. They that are competent in the general
principles of work, though not in particular kinds of work are regarded
by men as learned and wise for particular kinds of work, are subsidiary,
That man who is highly spoken of by swindlers, mimes and women of ill
fame, is more dead than alive, Forsaking these mighty bowmen of
immeasurable energy, viz., the son of Pandu, you hast. O Bharata,
devolved on Duryodhana, the cares of a mighty empire. Thou shalt,
therefore, soon see that swelling affluence fall off, like Vali fallen
off from the three worlds.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 38 ---------------------
