SECTION XXXIX
"Dhritarashtra said, 'Man is not the disposer of either his prosperity or
adversity. He is like a wooden doll moved by strings. Indeed, the Creator
hath made man subject to Destiny. Go on telling me, I am attentive to
what you sayest.'
"Vidura said, 'O Bharata, by speaking words out of season even Vrihaspati
himself incurreth reproach and the charge of ignorance, one becometh
agreeable by gift, another by sweet words, a third by the force of
incantation and drugs. He, however, that is naturally agreeable, always
remaineth so. He that is hated by another is never regarded by that other
as honest or intelligent or wise. One attributeth everything good to him
one loveth; and everything evil to him one hateth. O king, as soon as
Duryodhana was born I told thee,--thou shouldst abandon this one son, for
by abandoning him you wouldst secure the prosperity of your hundred
sons,--and by keeping him, destruction would overtake your hundred sons,
that gain should never be regarded highly which leadeth to loss. On the
other hand, that loss even should be regarded highly which would bring on
gain. That is no loss, O king, which bringeth on gain. That, however,
should be reckoned as loss which is certain to bring about greater losses
still. Some become eminent in consequence of good qualities; others
become so in consequence of wealth. Avoid them, O Dhritarashtra, that are
eminent in wealth but destitute of good qualities!'
"Dhritarashtra said, 'All that you sayest is approved by the wise and is
for my future good. I dare not, however, abandon my son. It is well-known
that where there is righteousness there is victory.'
"Vidura said, 'He that is graced with every virtue and is endued with
humility, is never indifferent to even the minutest sufferings of living
creatures. They, however, that are ever employed in speaking ill of
others, always strive with activity quarrelling with one another and in
all matters, calculated to give pain to others. There is sin in accepting
gifts from, and danger in making gifts to them, whose very sight is
inauspicious and whose companionship is fraught with danger. They that
are quarrelsome, covetous, shameless, deceitful, are known unrighteous,
and their companionship should always be avoided. One should also avoid
those men that are endued with similar faults of a grave nature, When the
occasion that caused the friendship is over the friendship of those that
are low, the beneficial result of that connection, and the happiness also
derivable from it, all come to an end. They then strive to speak ill of
their (late) friend and endeavour to inflict loss on him, and if the loss
they sustain be even very small, for all that they, from want of
self-control, fail to enjoy peace. He that is learned, examining
everything carefully and reflecting well, should, from a distance, avoid
the friendship of vile and wicked-minded persons such as these. He that
helpeth his poor and wretched and helpless relatives, obtain children and
animals and enjoyeth prosperity that knoweth no end. They that desire
their own benefit should always succour their relatives. By every means,
therefore, O king, do you seek the growth of your race. Prosperity will
be thine, O Monarch, if you behavest well towards all your relatives.
Even relatives that are destitute of good qualities should be protected.
O bull of the Bharata race, how much more, therefore, should they be
protected that are endued with every virtue and are humbly expectant of
thy favours? Favour you the heroic sons of Pandu, O monarch, and let a
few villages be assigned to them for their maintenance. By acting thus, O
king, fame will be yours in this world. Thou are old; you shouldst,
therefore, control your sons. I should say what is for your good. Know me
as one that wishes well to thee. He that desireth his own good should
never quarrel, O sire, with his relatives. O bull of the Bharata race,
happiness should ever be enjoyed with one's relatives, and not without
them, to eat with one another, to talk with one another, and to love one
another, are what relatives should always do. They should never quarrel.
In this world it is the relatives that rescue, and the relatives that
ruin (relatives). Those amongst them that are righteous rescue; while
those that are unrighteous sink (their brethren). O king, be thou, O
giver of honours, righteous in your conduct towards the sons of Pandu.
Surrounded by them, you wouldst be unconquerable by your foes. If a
relative shrinks in the presence of a prosperous relative, like a deer at
sight of a hunter armed with arrows, then the prosperous relative hath to
take upon himself all the sins of the other. O best of men, repentance
will be yours (for this your inaction at present) when in future you wilt
hear of the death of either the Pandavas or your sons. O, think of all
this. When life itself is unstable, one should in the very beginning
avoid that act in consequence of which one would have to indulge in
regrets having entered the chamber of woe. True it is that a person other
than Bhargava, the author of the science of morality is liable to commit
actions that go against morality. It is seen, however, that a just notion
of consequence is present in all persons of intelligence. Thou are an
aged scion of Kuru's race. If Duryodhana inflicted these wrongs on the
sons of Pandu, it is your duty, O king of men, to undo them all.
Re-instating them in their position, you wilt, in this world, be
cleansed of all your sins and be, O king of men, an object of worship with
even those that have their souls under control. Reflecting on the
well-spoken words of the wise according to their consequences, he that
engageth in acts never loseth fame. The knowledge imparted by even men of
learning and skill is imperfect, for that which is sought to be
inculcated is ill-understood, or, if understood, is not accomplished in
practice. That learned person who never doth an act, the consequences of
which are sin and misery, always groweth (in prosperity). The person,
however, of wicked soul, who from folly pursueth his sinful course
commenced before falleth into a slough of deep mire. He that is wise
should ever keep in view the (following) six conduits by which counsels
become divulged, and he that desireth success and a long dynasty should
ever guard himself from those six. They are, intoxication, sleep,
inattention to spies, set over one by another, one's own demeanour as
dependent on the working of one's own heart, confidence reposed on a
wicked counsellor, and unskilful envoys. Knowing these six doors (through
which counsels are divulged), he that keepeth them shut while pursuing
the attainment of virtue, profit, and desire, succeedeth in standing over
the heads of his foes. Without an acquaintance with the scriptures and
without waiting upon the old, neither virtue nor profit can be known (or
won) by persons blessed even with the intelligence of Vrihaspati. A thing
is lost if cast into the sea; words are lost if addressed to one that
listens not; the scriptures are lost on one that hath not his soul under
control; and a libation of clarified butter is lost if poured over the
ashes left by a fire that is extinguished. He that is endued with the
intelligence maketh friendships with those that are wise, having first
examined by the aid of his intelligence, repeatedly searching by his
understanding, and using his ears, eyes, and judgment. Humility removeth
obloquy, ears, failure, prowess; forgiveness always conquereth anger; and
auspicious rites destroy all indications of evil. One's lineage, O king,
is tested by his objects of enjoyment, place of birth, house, behaviour,
food, and dress. When an object of enjoyment is available, even that one
who hath attained emancipation is not unwilling to enjoy; what, again,
need be said of him that is yet wedded to desire? A king should cherish a
counsellor that worshippeth persons of wisdom, is endued with learning,
virtue, agreeable appearance, friends, sweet speech, and a good heart.
Whether of low or high birth, he who doth not transgress the rules of
polite intercourse, who hath an eye on virtue, who is endued with
humility and modesty, is superior to a hundred persons of high birth. The
friendship of those persons never cooleth, whose hearts, secret pursuits,
and pleasures, and acquirements, accord in every respect. He that is
intelligent should avoid an ignorant person of wicked soul, like a pit
whose mouth is covered with grass, for friendship with such a person can
never last. The man of wisdom should never contract friendship with those
that are proud, ignorant, fierce, rash and fallen off from righteousness.
He that is grateful, virtuous, truthful, large-hearted, and devoted, and
he that hath his senses under control, preserveth his dignity, and never
forsaketh a friend, should be desired for a friend. The withdrawal of the
senses from their respective objects is equivalent to death itself. Their
excessive indulgence again would ruin the very gods. Humility, love of
all creatures, forgiveness, and respect for friends,--these, the learned
have said, lengthen life. He who with a firm resolution striveth to
accomplish by a virtuous policy purposes that have once been frustrated,
is said to possess real manhood. That man attaineth all his objects, who
is conversant with remedies to be applied in the future, who is firmly
resolved in the present, and who could anticipate in the past how an act
begun would end. That which a man pursueth in word, deed, and thought,
winneth him for its own; therefore, one should always seek that which is
for his good. Effort after securing what is good, the properties of time,
place, and means, acquaintance with the scriptures, activity,
straightforwardness, and frequent meetings with those that are
good,--these bring about prosperity. Perseverance is the root of
prosperity, of gain, and of what is beneficial. The man that pursueth an
object with perseverance and without giving it up in vexation, is really
great, and enjoyeth happiness that is unending. O sire, there is nothing
more conducive of happiness and nothing more proper for a man of power
and energy as foregiveness in every place and at all times. He that is
weak should forgive under all circumstances. He that is possessed of
power should show forgiveness from motives of virtue; and he, to whom the
success or failure of his objects is the same, is naturally forgiving.
That pleasure the pursuit of which doth not injure one's virtue and
profit, should certainly be pursued to one's fill. One should not,
however, act like a fool by giving free indulgence to his senses.
Prosperity never resides in one who suffers himself to be tortured by a
grief, who is addicted to evil ways, who denies Godhead, who is idle, who
hath not his senses under control, and who is divested of exertion. The
man that is humble, and who from humility is modest is regarded as weak
and persecuted by persons of misdirected intelligence. Prosperity never
approacheth from fear the person that is excessively liberal, that giveth
away without measure, that is possessed of extraordinary bravery, that
practiseth the most rigid vows, and that is very proud of his wisdom.
Prosperity doth not reside in one that is highly accomplished, nor in one
that is without any accomplishment. She doth not desire a combination of
all the virtues, nor is she pleased with the total absence of all
virtues. Blind, like a mad cow, prosperity resides with some one who is
not remarkable. The fruits of the Vedas are ceremonies performed before
the (homa) fire; the fruits of an acquaintance with the scriptures are
goodness of disposition and conduct. The fruits of women are the
pleasures of intercourse and offspring; and the fruits of wealth are
enjoyment and charity. He that performeth acts tending to secure his
prosperity in the other world with wealth acquired sinfully, never
reapeth the fruits of these acts in the other world, in consequence of
the sinfulness of the acquisitions (spent for the purpose). In the midst
of deserts, or deep woods, or inaccessible fastnesses, amid all kinds of
dangers and alarms or in view of deadly weapons upraised for striking
him, he that hath strength of mind entertaineth no fear. Exertion,
self-control, skill, carefulness, steadiness, memory, and commencement of
acts after mature deliberation,--know that these are the roots of
prosperity. Austerities constitute the strength of ascetics; the Vedas
are the strength of those conversant with them; in envy lieth the
strength of the wicked; and in forgiveness, the strength of the virtuous.
These eight, viz., water, roots, fruits, milk, clarified butter (what is
done at) the desire of a Brahmana, (or at) the command of a preceptor,
and medicine, are not destructive of a vow. That which is antagonistic to
one's own self, should never be applied in respect of another. Briefly
even this is virtue. Other kinds of virtue there are, but these proceed
from caprice. Anger must be conquered by forgiveness; and the wicked must
be conquered by honesty; the miser must be conquered by liberality, and
falsehood must be conquered by truth. One should not place trust on a
woman, a swindler, an idle person, a coward, one that is fierce, one that
boasts of his own power, a thief, an ungrateful person, and an atheist.
Achievements, period of life, fame, and power--these four always expand
in the case of him that respectfully saluteth his superiors and waiteth
upon the old. Do not set your heart after these objects which cannot be
acquired except by very painful exertion, or by sacrificing
righteousness, or by bowing down to an enemy. A man without knowledge is
to be pitied; an act of intercourse that is not fruitful is to be pitied;
the people of a kingdom that are without food are to be pitied; and a
kingdom without a king is to be pitied. These constitute the source of
pain and weakness to embodied creatures; the rains, decay of hills and
mountains; absence of enjoyment, anguish of women; and wordy arrows of
the heart. The scum of the Vedas is want of study; of Brahmanas, absence
of vows; of the Earth, the Vahlikas; of man, untruth; of the chaste
woman, curiosity; of women, exile from home. The scum of gold is silver;
of silver, tin; of tin, lead; and of lead, useless dross. One cannot
conquer sleep by lying down; women by desire; fire by fuel; and wine by
drinking. His life is, indeed, crowned with success who hath won his
friends by gifts, his foes in battle, and wife by food and drink; they
who have thousands live; they, who have hundreds, also live. O
Dhritarashtra, forsake desire. There is none who cannot manage to live by
some means or other. Thy paddy, wheat, gold, animals, and women that are
on earth all cannot satiate even one person .. Reflecting on this, they
that are wise never grieve for want of universal dominion. O king, I
again tell thee, adopt an equal conduct towards your children, i.e.,
towards the sons of Pandu and your own sons.'"
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