The mother and the father, as also the gods always desire for their children liberality and gift and study and sacrifice and sway over subjects. Whether all this be righteous or unrighteous, you are to practise it, in consequence of your very birth. (Behold, O Krishna, so far from doing all this), though born in a high race, they are yet destitute of the very means of support, and are afflicted with misery. Hungry men, approaching a brave and bountiful monarch, are gratified, and live by his side. What virtue can be superior to this? A virtuous person, upon acquiring a kingdom, should in this world make all persons his own, attaching some by gift, some by force, and some by sweet words.
A Brahmana should adopt mendicancy; a Kshatriya should protect (subjects); a Vaisya should earn wealth; and a Sudra should serve the other three. Mendicancy, therefore, is forbidden to thee. Nor is agriculture suited to thee. Thou art a Kshatriya and therefore, the protector of all in distress. Thou art to live by the prowess of thy arms. O thou of mighty arms, recover thy paternal share of the kingdom which thou hast lost, by conciliation, or by working disunion among thy foes, or by gift of money or violence, or well-directed policy. What can be a matter of greater grief than that I, deprived of friends, should live upon food supplied by others, after having brought thee forth, thou enhancer of the joys of friends? Fight, according to the practices of kings. Do not sink thy ancestors (in infamy). With thy merit worn out, do not, with thy younger brothers, obtain a sinful end.'”
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 thee 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 art not my son, O enhancer of the joys of foes. Begotten thou hast not been by myself and thy father! Whence hast thou come? Without wrath as thou art, thou canst not be counted as a man. Thy features betray thee to be a eunuch. Sinkest thou in despair as long as thou livest? If thou art desirous of thy own welfare, bear thou the burthen (of thy affairs on thy shoulders), Do not disgrace thy soul. Do not suffer it to be gratified with a little. Set thy heart on thy welfare, and be not afraid. Abandon thy fears. Rise, O coward. Do not lie down thus, after thy defeat, delighting all thy 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 thy life. Like a hawk that fearlessly rangeth the sky, do thou also wander fearlessly or put forth thy prowess, or silently watch thy foes for an opportunity.
Why dost thou 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 thy 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 thy prowess, or obtain that end which is inevitable. Why, Indeed, dost thou live, disregarding the duties of thy order? All thy religious rites, O eunuch, and all thy achievements are gone.
The every root of all thy enjoyments is cut off. What for then dost thou 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 thy strength and sense of honour. Know also in what thy 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 thee 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 thy race and family, by bringing thee 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 art without wrath, without exertion, without energy, and that art the joy of foes. Do not smoulder. Blaze thou up, effectively displaying thy prowess.
Slay thy foes. For but a moment, for ever so small a space of time, blaze thou up on the heads of thy 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 thy heart and seek to recover thy 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 thou dost not behold me, of what use would the whole earth be to thee, of what use thy 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 thy friends all depend on thee 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!'”
SECTION CXXXIV
“Vidula said, ‘If, having fallen into such a plight, thou wishest to give up manliness, thou shalt then have, in no time, to tread the path that is trod by those that are low and wretched. That Kshatriya, who, from desire of life, displayeth not his energy according to the best of his might and prowess, is regarded as a thief. Alas, like medicine to a dying man, these words that are fraught with grave import, and are proper and reasonable, do not make any impression on thee! It is true, the king of the Sindhus hath many followers. They are, however, all discounted. From weakness, and ignorance of proper means, they are waiting for the distress of their master (without being able to effect a deliverance for themselves by their own exertions).
As regards others (his open enemies), they will come to thee with their auxiliaries if they behold thee put forth thy prowess. Uniting with them, seek refuge now in mountain fastness, waiting for that season when calamity will overtake the foe, as it must, for he is not free from disease and death. By name thou art Sanjaya (the victorious). I do not, however, behold any such indication in thee. Be true to thy name. Be my son. Oh, do not make thy name untrue. Beholding thee while a child, a Brahmana of great foresight and wisdom, said, ‘This one falling into great distress will again win greatness.’ Remembering his words, I hope for thy victory. It is for that, O son, I tell thee so, and shall tell thee again and again.
That man who pursueth the fruition of his objects according to the ways of policy and for the success of whose objects other people strive cordially, is always sure to win success. Whether what I have is gained or lost, I will not desist, with such a resolve, O Sanjaya, O learned one, engage in war, without withdrawing thyself from it. Samvara hath said, ‘There is no more miserable state than that in which one is anxious for his food from day to day.’ A state such as his hath beer said to be more unhappy than the death of one’s husband and sons. That which hath been called poverty is only a form of death.
