SECTION XCV
"Vaisampayana said, 'And after all the kings had been seated and perfect
silence had ensued, Krishna possessing fine teeth and having a voice deep
as that of the drum, began to speak. And Madhava although he addressed
Dhritarashtra, spoke in a voice deep as the roll of clouds in the rainy
season, making the whole assembly hear. And he said, 'In order that, O
Bharata, peace may be established between the Kurus and the Pandavas
without a slaughter of the heroes, I have come hither. Besides this, O
king, I have no other beneficial words to utter, O chastiser of foes,
everything that should be learnt in this world is already known to thee.
This your race, O king, owing to its learning and behaviour, and owing
also to its being adorned with every accomplishment, is most
distinguished among all royal dynasties. Joy in the happiness of others,
grief at sight of other people's misery, desire to alleviate distress,
abstention from injury, sincerity, forgiveness, and truth,--these, O
Bharata, prevail amongst the Kurus. Then your race, therefore, O king, is
so noble, it would be a pity if anything improper were done by any one
belonging to it, and greater pity still if it were done by thee. O chief
of the Kurus, you are the first of those that should restrain the Kurus
if they behave deceitfully towards strangers or those numbering with
themselves. Know, O you of Kuru's race, that those wicked sons of thine,
headed by Duryodhana, abandoning both virtue and profit, disregarding
morality, and deprived of their senses by avarice, are now acting most
unrighteously towards, O bull of men, their foremost of kinsmen. That
terrible danger (which threatens all) hath its origin in the conduct of
the Kurus. If you becomest indifferent to it, it will then produce a
universal slaughter. If, O Bharata, you are willing, you mayest be able
to allay that danger even yet, for, O bull of Bharata's race, peace, I
think, is not difficult of acquisition. The establishment of peace, O
king, depends on you and myself, O monarch. Set right your sons, O thou
of Kuru's race, and I will set the Pandavas right. Whatever be thy
command, O king, it behoveth your sons with their followers to obey it. If
again they live in obedience to thee, that would be the very best they
could do. If you strivest for peace by restraining your sons, it will be
to your profit, O king, as also to the benefit of the Pandavas. Having
reflected carefully, act you thyself, O king. Let those sons of Bharata
(the Pandavas), be, O ruler of men, your allies. Supported by the
Pandavas, O king, seek you both religion and profit. By every exertion
in your power, you canst not have, O king, such allies as they who are
such. Protected by the illustrious sons of Pandu, Indra himself at the
head of the celestials will not be able to vanquish thee. How would it be
possible then for mere earthly kings to withstand your prowess? If with
Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Vivingsati, and
Aswatthaman, Vikarna, and Somadatta, and Vahlika and the chief of the
Sindhus, and the ruler of the Kalingas, and Sudakshina, the king of the
Kamvojas, there were Yudhishthira, and Bhimasena and Savyasachin, and the
twins, and if Satyaki of mighty energy, and Yuyutsu, that mighty car
warrior, are stationed, who is there, O bull of Bharata's race, of such
misdirected intelligence that would fight these? If, O slayer of foes,
thou hast both the Kurus and the Pandavas at your back, the sovereignty of
the whole world and invincibility before all foes will be thine. All the
rulers of the earth, O monarch, that are either equal to you or
superior, will then seek alliance with thee. Protected on all sides by
sons, grandsons, fathers, brothers, and friends, you wilt then be able
to live in exceeding happiness. Keeping these before you and treating
them with kindness as in days of yore, thou, O monarch, wilt enjoy the
sovereignty of the whole earth. With these as your supporters and with the
sons of Pandu also, you wilt, O Bharata, be able to conquer all thy
foes. Even this is your best advantage. If, O chastiser of foes, you art
united with your sons and kinsmen and counsellors, you wilt' enjoy
sovereignty of the whole earth won for you by them. In battle, O great
king, nothing but wholesale destruction is visible. Indeed, in the
destruction of both the parties, what merit dost you see? If the
Pandavas are slaughtered in battle, or if your own mighty sons fall, tell
me, O bull of Bharata's race, what happiness wilt you enjoy? All of them
are brave and skilled in weapons. All of them are desirous of battle, the
Pandavas as also your sons. Oh, save them from the terrible danger that
threatens them. After the battle you wilt not behold all the Kurus or
all the Pandavas, Car-warriors slain by car-warriors, you wilt behold
the heroes of both parties reduced in numbers and strength. All the
rulers of the earth, O best of kings, have been assembled together.
Inflamed with wrath, they will certainly exterminate the population of
the earth. Save, O king, the world. Let not the population of the earth
be exterminated. O son of Kuru's race, if you regainest your natural
disposition, the earth may continue to be peopled as now. Save, O king,
these monarchs, who are all of pure descent, endued with modesty and
liberality and piety, and connected with on another in bonds of
relationship or alliance, from the terrible danger that threatens them.
Abandoning wrath and enmity, O chastiser of foes, let these kings,
embracing one another in peace, eating and drinking with one another,
dressed in excellent robes and decked with garlands, and doing courtesies
to one another, return to their respective homes. Let the affection thou
hadst for the Pandavas be revived in your bosom, and let it, O bull of
Bharata's race, lead to the establishment of peace. Deprived of their
father while they were infants, they were brought up by thee. Cherish
them now as becomes thee, O bull of Bharata's race, as if they were thy
own sons. It is your duty to protect them. And especially it is so when
they are distressed. O bull of Bharata's race, let not your virtue and
profit be both lost. Saluting and propitiating thee, the Pandavas have
said unto thee, 'At your command we have, with our followers, suffered
great misery. For these twelve years have we lived in the woods, and for
the thirteenth year have we lived incognito in an uninhabited part of the
world. We broke not our pledge, firmly believing that our father also
would abide by his. That we violated not our word is well-known to the
Brahman as who were with us. And as we, O bull of the Bharata race, have
abided by our promise, also do you abide by thine. Long have we suffered
the greatest misery, but let us now have our share of the kingdom. Fully
conversant as you are with virtue and profit, it behoveth you to rescue
us. Knowing that our obedience is due to thee, we have quietly undergone
much misery. Behave you then unto us like a father or brother. A
preceptor should behave as a preceptor towards his disciples, and as
disciples we are willing to behave as such towards thee, our preceptor.
Act thou, therefore, towards us as a preceptor should. If we go wrong, it
is the duty of our father to set us right. Therefore, set us on the way
and tread you also the excellent path of righteousness.' Those sons of
thine, O bull of the Bharata race, have also said unto these kings
assembled in the court these words, 'If the members of an assembly are
conversant with morality, nothing improper should be permitted by them to
happen. Where, in the presence of the virtuous members of an assembly,
righteousness is sought to be overpowered by unrighteousness, and truth
by the untruth, it is those members themselves that are vanquished and
slain. When righteousness, pierced by unrighteousness, seeketh the
protection of an assembly, if the arrow is not extracted, it is the
members themselves that are pierced by that arrow. Indeed, in that case,
righteousness slayeth the members of that assembly, like a river eating
away the roots of the trees on its bank.' Judge now, O bull of the
Bharata race. The Pandavas, with their eyes turned towards righteousness
and reflecting on everything, are maintaining a calm attitude, and what
they have said is consistent with truth and virtue and justice. O ruler
of men, what canst you say unto them, but that you are willing to give
them back their kingdom? Let these rulers of earth that are sitting here
say (what the answer should be)! If it appears to you that what I have
said after reflecting well on virtue to be true, save all these
Kshatriyas, O bull of the Bharata race, from the meshes of death. Effect
peace, O chief of Bharata's race, and yield not to anger. Giving unto the
Pandavas their just share of the paternal kingdom, enjoy you then, with
thy sons, O chastiser of foes, happiness and luxury, your wishes being all
crowned with success. Know that Yudhishthira always treadeth the path
that is trod by the righteous. Thou knowest also, O king, what the
behaviour of Yudhishthira is towards you and your sons. Although thou
hadst sought to burn him to death and had exiled him from human
habitation, yet he came back and once more repose confidence in thee.
Again, didst you with your sons, banish him to Indraprastha? While there,
he brought all the kings of the earth to subjection and yet looked up to
thy face, O king, without seeking to disregard thee. Although he behaved
in this way, yet Suvala's son, desirous of robbing him of his dominions
and wealth and possessions, applied the very efficacious means of dice.
Reduced to that condition and even beholding Krishna dragged into the
assembly, Yudhishthira of immeasurable soul, did not yet swerve from the
duties of a Kshatriya. As regards myself, I desire, O Bharata, your good
as also theirs. For the sake of virtue, of profit, of happiness, make
peace, O king, and do not allow the Earth's population to be slaughtered,
regarding evil as good and good as evil. Restrain your sons, O monarch,
who have from covetousness proceeded too far. As regards the sons of
Pritha, they are equally ready to wait upon you in dutiful service or to
fight. That which, O chastiser of foes, seems to you to be for your good,
do you adopt!'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'All the rulers of earth there present highly
applauded these words of Kesava within their hearts, but none of them
ventured to say anything in the presence of Duryodhana.'
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 95 ---------------------
