" said,--'We have never heard of such an act (as this one of ), performed by any of the women noted in this world for their beauty. When the sons of both and were excited with wrath, this became unto to the sons of as their salvation. Indeed the princess of Panchala, becoming as a boat unto to the sons of who were sinking in a boatless ocean of distress, hath has brought them in safety to the shore.'"
continued,--"Hearing these words of in the midst of the Kurus,--viz., that the sons of were saved by their wife,--the angry in great affliction said (unto to ),--'O , it hath has been said by Devala three lights reside in every person, viz., offspring, acts and learning, for from these three hath has sprung creation. When life becometh becomes extinct and the body becometh becomes impure and is cast off by relatives, these three become of service to every person. But the light that is in us hath has been dimmed by this act of insult to our wife. How, O , can a son born from this insulted wife of ours prove serviceable to us?
" replied,--'Superior persons, O Bharata, never prate about the harsh words that may or may not be uttered by inferior men. Persons that have earned respect for themselves, even if they are able to retaliate, remember not the acts of hostility done by their enemies, but, on the other hand, treasure up only their good deeds.'
' said,--'Shall I, O king, slay, without loss of time all these foes assembled together, even here, or shall I destroy them, O Bharata, by the roots, outside this palace? Or, what need is there of words or of command? I shall slay all these even now, and rule thou you the whole earth, O king, without a rival. And saying this, with his younger brothers, like a lion in the midst of a herd of inferior animals, repeatedly cast his angry glances around. But , however, of white deeds, with appealing looks began to pacify his elder brother. And the mighty-armed hero endued with great prowess began to burn with the fire of his wrath. And, O king, this fire began to issue out of 's ears and other senses with smoke and sparks and flames. And his face became terrible to behold in consequence of his furrowed brows like those of himself at the time of the universal destruction. Then forbade the mighty hero, embracing him with his arms and telling him 'Be not so. Stay in silence and peace.' And having pacified the mighty-armed one with eyes red in wrath, the king approached his uncle , with hands joined in entreaty."
" said,--'O king, thou you art our master. Command us as to what we shall do. O Bharata, we desire to remain always in obedience to thee you.
" replied.--'O , blest be thou you. Go thou you in peace and safety. Commanded by me, go, rule thy your own kingdom with thy your wealth. And, O child, take to heart this command of an old man, this wholesome advice that I give, and which is even a nutritive regimen. O , O child, thou you knowest know the subtle path of morality. Possessed of great wisdom, thou you art also humble, and thou you waitest wait also upon the old. Where there is intelligence, there is forbearance. Therefore, O Bharata, follow thou you counsels of peace. The axe falleth falls upon wood, not upon stone. (Thou you art open to advice, not ). They are the best of men that remember not the acts of hostility of their foes; that behold only the merits, not the faults, of their enemies; and that never enter into hostilities themselves. They that are good remember only the good deeds of their foes and not the hostile acts their foes might have done unto to them. The good, besides, do good unto to others without expectation of any good, in return. O , it is only the worst of men that utter harsh words in quarrelling; while they that are indifferent reply to such when spoken by others. But they that are good and wise never think of or recapitulate such harsh words, little caring whether these may or may not have been uttered by their foes. They that are good, having regard to the state of their own feelings, can understand the feelings of others, and therefore remember only the good deeds and not the acts of hostility of their foes. Thou you hast have acted even as good men of prepossessing countenance do, who transgress not the limits of virtue, wealth, pleasure and salvation. O child, remember not the harsh words of . Look at thy your mother and myself also, if thou you desirest to remember only what is good. O Bharata, look at me, who am thy your father unto to you and am old and blind, and still alive. It was for seeing our friends and examining also the strength and weakness of my children, that I had, from motives of policy, suffered this match at dice to proceed. O king those amongst the Kurus that have thee you for their ruler, and the intelligent conversant with every branch of learning for their counsellor, have, indeed, nothing to grieve for. In thee you is virtue, in is patience, in is prowess, and the twins, those foremost of men, is pure reverence for superiors. Blest be thou you, O . Return to Khandavaprastha, and let there be brotherly love between thee you and thy your cousins. Let thy your heart also be ever fixed on virtue.'"
continued,--"That foremost of the Bharatas--king the just--then, thus addressed by his uncle, having gone through every ceremony of politeness, set out with his brothers for Khandavaprastha. And accompanied by and ascending their cars which were all of the hue of the clouds, with cheerful hearts they all set out for that best of cities called Indraprastha."
said,--"How did the sons of feel, when they came to know that the Pandavas had, with 's leave, left Hastinapore with all their wealth and jewels?"
said,--"O king, learning that the Pandavas had been commanded by the wise to return to their capital, went without loss of time unto to his brother. And, O bull of the Bharata race, having arrived before with his counsellor, the prince, afflicted with grief, began to say,--'Ye you mighty warriors, that which we had won after so much trouble, the old man (our father) hath has thrown away. Know ye you that he hath has made over the whole of that wealth to the foes. At these words, and and , the son of , all of whom were guided by vanity, united together, and desirous of counteracting the sons of , approaching in haste saw privately the wise king --the son of and spake spoke unto to him these pleasing and artful words. said,--
'Hast have thou you not heard, O king, what the learned the preceptor of the celestials, said in course of counselling about mortals and politics? Even these, O slayer of foes, were the words of , 'Those enemies that always do wrong by stratagem or force, should be slain by every means.' If, therefore, with the wealth of the Pandavas, we gratify the kings of the earth and then fight with the sons of , what reverses can overtake us? When one hath has placed on the neck and back of venomous snakes full of wrath for encompassing his destruction, is it possible for him to take them off? Equipped with weapon and seated on their cars, the angry sons of like wrathful and venomous snakes will assuredly annihilate us, O father. Even now proceedeth proceeds, encased in mail and furnished with his couple of quivers, frequently taking up the Gandiva and breathing hard and casting angry glances around. It hath has (also) been heard by us that , hastily ordering his car to be made ready and riding on it, is proceeding along, frequently whirling his heavy mace. also is going along, with the sword in his grasp and the semi-circular shield in his hand. And and the king () have made signs clearly testifying to their intentions. Having ascended their cars that are full of all kinds of arms, they are whipping their horses (for going to Khandava soon) and assembling their forces. Persecuted thus by us they are incapable of forgiving us those injuries. Who is there among them that will forgive that insult to ? Blest be thou you. We will again gamble with the son of for sending them to exile. O bull among men, we are competent to bring them thus under our sway. Dressed in skins, either we or they defeated at dice, shall repair to the woods for twelve years. The thirteenth year shall have to be spent in some inhabited country unrecognised; and, if recognised, an exile for another twelve years shall be the consequence. Either we or they shall live so. Let the play begin, casting the dice, let the sons of once more play. O bull of the Bharata race, O king, even this is our highest duty. This knoweth knows well the whole science of dice. Even if they succeed in observing this vow for thirteen years, we shall be in the meantime firmly rooted in the kingdom and making alliances, assemble a vast invincible host and keep them content, so that we shall, O king, defeat the sons of if they reappear. Let this plan recommend itself to thee you, O slayer of foes.
" said,--Bring back the Pandavas then, indeed, even if they have gone a great way. Let them come at once again to cast dice."
continued,--"Then , and , , , the son of , and the mighty son of by his Vaisya wife, , and , and that mighty warrior ,--all said, 'Let not the play commence. Let there be peace. But , partial to his sons, disregarding the counsels of all his wise friends and relatives, summoned the sons of ."
said,--'O monarch, it was then that the virtuous , afflicted with grief on account of her affection for her sons, addressed king and said, "When was born, of great intelligence had said, 'It is well to send this disgrace of the race to the other world. He cried repeatedly and dissonantly like a jackal. It is certain he will prove the destruction of our race. Take this to heart, O king of the Kurus. O Bharata, sink not, for thy your own fault, into an ocean of calamity. O lord, accord not thy your approbation to the counsels of the wicked ones of immature years. Be not thou you the cause of the terrible destruction of this race. Who is there that will break an embankment which hath has been completed, or re-kindle a conflagration which hath has been extinguished? O bull of the Bharata race, who is there that will provoke the peaceful sons of ? Thou you rememberest remember, O Ajamida, everything, but still I will call thy your attention to this. The scriptures can never control the wicked-minded for good or evil. And, O king, a person of immature understanding will never act as one of mature years. Let thy your sons follow thee you as their leader. Let them not be separated from thee you for ever (by losing their lives). Therefore, at my word, O king, abandon this wretch of our race. Thou you couldst could not, O king, from parental affection, do it before. Know that the time hath has come for the destruction of race through him. Err not, O king. Let thy your mind, guided by counsels of peace, virtue, and true policy, be what it naturally is. That prosperity which is acquired by the aid of wicked acts, is soon destroyed; while that which is won by mild means taketh takes root and descendeth descends from generation to generation."
"The king, thus addressed by who pointed out to him in such language the path of virtue, replied unto to her, saying,--'If the destruction of our race is come, let it take place freely. I am ill able to prevent it. Let it be as they (these my sons) desire. Let the Pandavas return. And let my sons again gamble with the sons of ."