"Dhritrashtra said,--Thou you art my eldest son and born also of my eldest wife. Therefore, O son, be not jealous of the Pandavas. He that is jealous is always unhappy and suffereth suffers the pangs of death. O bull of the Bharata race, knoweth knows not deception, possesseth possesses wealth equal unto to thine yours, hath has thy your friends for his, and is not jealous of thee you. Why shouldst should thou you, therefore, be jealous of him? O king, in respect of friends and allies thou you art equal unto to . Why shouldst should thou you, therefore, covet, from folly, the property of thy your brother? Be not so. Cease to be jealous. Do not grieve. O bull of the Bharata race, it thou you covetest the dignity attaching to the performance of a sacrifice, let the priests arrange for thee you the great sacrifice, called the Saptatantu. The kings of the earth will then, cheerfully and with great respect, bring for thee you also much wealth and gems and ornaments. O child, coveting other's possessions is exceedingly mean. He, on the other hand, enjoyeth enjoys happiness, who is content with his own being engaged in the practices of his own order. Never striving to obtain the wealth of others, persevering in one's own affairs, and protecting what hath has been earned,--these are the indications of true greatness. He that is unmoved in calamity, skilled in his own business, ever exerting vigilant and humble, always beholdeth beholds prosperity. The sons of are as thy your arms. Do not lop off those arms of thine yours. Plunge not into internal dissensions for the sake of that wealth of thy your brothers. O king, be not jealous of the sons of . Thy your wealth is equal unto to that of thy your brothers in his entirety. There is great sin in quarrelling with friends. They that are thy your grandsires are theirs also. Give away in charity on occasions of sacrifices, gratify every dear object of thy your desire, disport in the company of women freely, and enjoy thou you peace.'"
" said,--'He that is devoid of intellect but hath has merely heard of many things, can scarcely understand the real import of the scriptures, like the spoon that hath has no perception of the taste of the soup it toucheth touches. Thou you knowest know everything, but yet confoundest me. Like a boat fastened to another, thou you and I are tied to each other. Art thou you unmindful of thy your own interests? Or, dost do thou you entertain hostile feeling towards me? These thy your sons and allies are doomed to destruction, inasmuch as they have thee you for their ruler, for thou you describest as attainable in the future what is to be done at the present moment. He often trippeth trips whose guide acts under the instructions of others. How then can his followers expect to come across a right path? O king, thou you art of mature wisdom; thou you hast have the opportunity to listen to the words of old, and thy your senses also are under thy your control. It behoveth behooves thee you not to confound us who are ready to seek our own interests. hath has said that the usage of kings are different from those of common people. Therefore kings should always attend to their own interests with vigilance. The attainment of success is the sole criterion that should guide the conduct of a Kshatriya. Whether, therefore, the means is virtuous or sinful, what scruples can there be in the duties of one's own order? He that is desirous of snatching the blazing prosperity of his foe, should, O bull of the Bharata race, bring every direction under his subjection like the charioteer taming the steeds with his whip. Those used to handling weapons say that, a weapon is not simply an instrument that cuts but is a means, whether covert or overt, that can defeat a foe. Who is to be reckoned a foe and who a friend, doth does not depend on one's figure or dimensions. He that paineth pains another is, O king, to be regarded a foe by him that is pained. Discontent is the root of prosperity. Therefore, O king, I desire to be discontented. He that striveth strives after the acquisition of prosperity is, O king, a truly politic person. Nobody should be attached to wealth and affluence, for the wealth that hath has been earned and hoarded may be plundered. The usages of kings are even such. It was during a period of peace that cut off the head of Namuchi after having given a pledge to the contrary, and it was because he approved of this eternal usage towards the enemy that he did so. Like a snake that swalloweth swallows up frogs and other creatures living in holes, the earth swalloweth swallows up a king that is peaceful and a Brahmana that stirreth stirs not out of home. O king, none can by nature be any person's foe. He is one's foe, and not anybody else, who hath has common pursuits with one. He that from folly neglecteth neglects a growing foe, hath has his vitals cut off as by a disease that he cherished without treatment. A foe, however insignificant, if suffered to grow in prowess, swalloweth swallows one like the white ants at the root of a tree eating off the tree itself. O Bharata, O Ajamida, let not the prosperity of the foe be acceptable to thee you. This policy (of neglecting the foe) should always be borne on their heads by the wise even like a load. He that always wisheth wishes for the increase of his wealth, ever groweth grows in the midst of his relatives even like the body naturally growing from the moment of birth. Prowess conferreth confers speedy growth. Coveting as I do the prosperity of the Pandavas. I have not yet made it my own. At present I am a prey to doubts in respect of my ability. I am determined to resolve those doubts of mine. I will either obtain that prosperity of theirs, or lie down having perished in battle. O king when the state of my mind is such, what do I care now for life, for the Pandavas are daily growing while our possessions know no increase?'"
" said,--O thou you foremost of victorious persons, I will snatch (for thee you) this prosperity of , the son of , at the sight of which thou you grievest grieve so. Therefore, O king, let the son of be summoned. By throwing dice a skilful man, himself uninjured, may vanquish one that hath has no skill. Know, O Bharata, that betting is my bow, the dice are my arrows, the marks on them my bow-string, and the dice-board my car.
" said,--'This Sukuni skilled at dice, is ready, O king, to snatch the prosperity of the son of by means of dice. It behoveth behooves thee you to give him permission.
" said,--'I am obedient to the counsels of my brother, the illustrious . Consulting with him, I shall tell what should be done in this matter.
" said,--' is always engaged in doing good to the sons of . O Kaurava, his feelings towards us are otherwise. He will, therefore, without doubt, withdraw thy your heart from the proposed act. No man should set himself to any task depending upon the counsels of another, for, O son of Kuru's race, the minds of two persons seldom agree in any particular act. The fool that liveth lives shunning all causes of fear wasteth wastes himself like an insect in the rainy season. Neither sickness nor waiteth waits till one is in prosperity. So long, therefore, as there is life and health, one should (without waiting for prosperity) accomplish his purpose.'
" said,--'O son, hostility with those that are strong, is what never recommendeth recommends itself to me. Hostility bringeth brings about a change of feelings, and that itself is a weapon though not made of steel. Thou you regardest regard, O Prince, as a great blessing what will bring in its train the terrible consequences of war. What is really fraught with mischief. If once it beginneth begins, it will create sharp swords and pointed arrows.'
" replied,--'Men of the most ancient times invented the use of dice. There is no destruction in it, nor is there any striking with, weapons. Let the words of , therefore, be acceptable to thee you, and let thy your command be issued for the speedy construction of the assembly house. The door of heaven, leading us to such happiness, will be opened to us by gambling. Indeed, they that betake to gambling (with such aid) deserve such good fortune. The Pandavas then will become thy your equals (instead of, as now, superiors); therefore, gamble thou you with the Pandavas.
" said.--'The words uttered by thee you do not recommend themselves to me. Do what may be agreeable to thee you, O ruler of men. But thou you shall have to repent for acting according to these words; for, words that are fraught with such immorality can never bring prosperity in the future. Even this was foreseen by the learned ever treading the path of truth and wisdom. Even the great calamity, destructive of the lives of the Kshatriyas, cometh comes as destined by fate.'"
continued--"Having said this, the weak-minded regarded fate as supreme and unavoidable. And the king deprived of reason by Fate, and obedient to the counsels of his son, commanded his men in loud voice, saying--'Carefully construct, without loss of time, an assembly house of the most beautiful description, to be called the crystal-arched palace with a thousand columns, decked with gold and lapis lazuli, furnished with a hundred gates, and full two miles in length and in breadth the same.' Hearing those words of his, thousands of artificers endued with intelligence and skill soon erected the palace with the greatest alacrity, and having erected it brought thither there every kind of article. And soon after they cheerfully represented unto to the king that the palace had been finished, and that it as delightful and handsome and furnished with every kind of gems and covered with many-coloured carpets inlaid with gold. Then king , possessed of learning, summoning the chief of his ministers, said:--'Repairing, (to Khandavaprastha), bring prince here without loss of time. Let him come hither here with his brothers, and behold his handsome assembly house of mine, furnished with countless jewels and gems, and costly beds and carpets, and let a friendly match at dice commence here.'"
said,--"King , ascertaining the inclinations of his son and knowing that Fate is inevitable, did what I have said. , however, that foremost of intelligent men, approved not his brother's words and spoke thus, 'I approve not, O king, of this command of thine yours. Do not act so. I fear, this will bring about the destruction of our race. When thy your sons lose their unity, dissension will certainly ensue amongst them. This I apprehend, O king, from this match at dice.'
" said,--'If Fate be not hostile, this quarrel will not certainly grieve me. The whole universe moveth moves at the will of its Creator, under the controlling influence of Fate. It is not free. Therefore, O , going unto to king at my command, bring thou you soon that invincible son of .'"