SECTION CXXXIII
"Kunti said, 'In this connection, O chastiser of foes, is cited an old
story of the conversation between Vidula and her son. It behoveth you to
say unto Yudhishthira anything that can be gathered from this or anything
more beneficial than that.
'There was a high-born dame of great foresight, named Vidula. She was
famous, slightly wrathful, of crooked disposition, and devoted to
Kshatriya virtues. Well-educated, she was known to all the kings of the
earth. Of great learning, she had listened to the speeches and
instructions of diverse mien. And the princess Vidula, one day, rebuked
her own son, who, after his defeat by the king of the Sindhus, lay
prostrate with heart depressed by despair. And she said, 'Thou are not my
son, O enhancer of the joys of foes. Begotten you hast not been by
myself and your father! Whence hast you come? Without wrath as you art,
thou canst not be counted as a man. Thy features betray you to be a
eunuch. Sinkest you in despair as long as you livest? If you art
desirous of your own welfare, bear you the burthen (of your affairs on thy
shoulders), Do not disgrace your soul. Do not suffer it to be gratified
with a little. Set your heart on your welfare, and be not afraid. Abandon
thy fears. Rise, O coward. Do not lie down thus, after your defeat,
delighting all your foes and grieving the friends, and reft of all sense
of honour. Little streams are filled up with only a quantity of water.
The palms of a mouse are filled with only a small quantity. A coward is
soon gratified, with acquisitions that are small. Rather perish in
plucking the fangs of a snake than die miserable like a dog. Put forth
thy prowess even at the risk of your life. Like a hawk that fearlessly
rangeth the sky, do you also wander fearlessly or put forth your prowess,
or silently watch your foes for an opportunity. Why dost you lie down
like a carcass or like one smitten by thunder? Rise, O coward, do not
slumber after having been vanquished by the foe. Do not disappear from
the sight of all so miserably. Make thyself known by your deeds. Never
occupy the intermediate, the low, or the lowest station. Blaze up (like a
well-fed fire). Like a brand of Tinduka wood, blaze up even for a moment,
but never smoulder from desire, like a flameless fire of paddy chaff. It
is better to blaze up for a moment than smoke for ever and ever. Let no
son be born in a royal race, who is either exceedingly fierce or
exceedingly mild. Repairing to the field of battle and achieving every
great feat that is possible for man to achieve, a brave man is freed from
the debt he oweth to the duties of the Kshatriya order. Such a person
never disgraceth his own self. Whether he gaineth his object or not, he
that is possessed of sense never indulgeth in grief. On the other hand,
such a person accomplisheth what should be next done, without caring for
even his life. Therefore, O son, display your prowess, or obtain that end
which is inevitable. Why, Indeed, dost you live, disregarding the duties
of your order? All your religious rites, O eunuch, and all your achievements
are gone. The every root of all your enjoyments is cut off. What for then
dost you live? If fall and sink one must, he should seize the foe by the
hips (and thus fall with the foe). Even if one's roots are cut off, he
should not yet give way to despair. Horse of high mettle put forth all
their prowess for dragging or bearing heavy weights. Remembering their
behaviour, muster, all your strength and sense of honour. Know also in
what your manliness consists. Exert thyself in raising that race which
hath sunk, in consequence of thee. He that hath not achieved a great feat
forming the subject of men's conversation, only increaseth the number of
population. He is neither man nor woman. He whose fame is not founded in
respect of charity, asceticism, truth, learning and acquisition of
wealth, is only his mother's excreta. On the other hand, he that
surpasseth others in learning, asceticism, wealth, prowess, and deeds, is
(truly) a man. It behoveth you not to adopt the idle, wretched,
infamous, and miserable profession of mendicancy that is worthy only of a
coward. Friends never derive any happiness on obtaining that weak person
for a friend, at whose sight foes are delighted, who is despised by men,
who is without seats and robes, who is gratified with small acquisitions,
who is destitute, and who hath no courage, and is low. Alas, exiled from
our kingdom, driven from home, deprived of all means of enjoyment and
pleasure, and destitute, of resources, we shall have to perish from want
of the very means of life! Misbehaving in the midst of those that are
good, and the destroyer of your race and family, by bringing you forth, O
Sanjaya, I have brought forth Kali himself in the shape of a son. Oh, let
no woman bring forth such a son (as thou) that are without wrath, without
exertion, without energy, and that are the joy of foes. Do not smoulder.
Blaze you up, effectively displaying your prowess. Slay your foes. For but
a moment, for ever so small a space of time, blaze you up on the heads
of your enemies. He is a man who cherisheth wrath and forgiveth not. He,
on the other hand, who is forgiving and without wrath, is neither a man
nor woman. Contentment and softness of heart and these two, viz., want of
exertion and fear, are destructive of prosperity. He that is without
exertion never winneth what is great. Therefore, O son, free thyself, by
thy own exertions, from these faults that lead to defeat and downfall.
Steel your heart and seek to recover your own. A man is called Purusha
because he is competent to trouble his foe (param). He, therefore, who
liveth like a woman is misnamed Purusha (man). A brave king of mighty
strength, and who moveth like a lion, may go the way of all creatures.
The subjects, however, that reside in his dominions do not yet become
unhappy. That king, who, disregarding his own happiness and pleasures,
seeketh the prosperity of his kingdom, succeedeth soon in gladdening his
counsellors and friends.'
"Hearing these words, the son said, 'If you dost not behold me, of what
use would the whole earth be to thee, of what use your ornaments, of what
use all the means of pleasure and even life itself?' The mother said,
'Let those regions be obtained by our foes which belong to those that are
low. Let those again that are friends go to those regions which are
obtainable by persons whose souls are held in respect. Do not adopt the
course of life that is followed by those wretched persons, who, destitute
of strength, and without servants and attendants (to do their bidding)
live upon the food supplied by others. Like the creatures of the earth
that depend on the clouds, or the gods depending on Indra, let the
Brahmanas and your friends all depend on you for their sustenance. His
life, O Sanjaya, is not vain on whom all creatures depend for their
sustenance, like birds repairing to a tree abounding with ripe fruits.
The life of that brave man is, indeed, praiseworthy, through whose
prowess friends derive happiness, like the gods deriving happiness
through the prowess of Sakra. That man who liveth in greatness depending
on the prowess of his own arms, succeedeth in winning fame in this world
and blessed state in the next!'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 133 ---------------------
