Vaisampayana said, "Hearing these words of Yajnaseni, Bhimasena, sighing
in wrath, approached the king and addressed him, saying, 'Walk, O
monarch, in the customary path trodden by good men (before thee) in
respect of kingdoms. What do we gain by living in the asylum of
ascetics, thus deprived of virtue, pleasure, and profit? It is not by
virtue, nor by honesty, nor by might, but by unfair dice, that our
kingdom hath been snatched by Duryodhana. Like a weak offal-eating
jackal snatching the prey from mighty lions, he hath snatched away our
kingdom. Why, O monarch, in obedience to the trite merit of sticking to
a promise, dost thou suffer such distress, abandoning that wealth which
is the source of both virtue and enjoyments? It was for thy
carelessness, O king, that our kingdom protected by the wielder of the
_Gandiva_ and therefore, incapable of being wrested by Indra himself,
was snatched from us in our very sight. It was for thee, O monarch,
that, ourselves living, our prosperity was snatched away from us like a
fruit from one unable to use his arms, or like kine from one incapable
of using his legs. Thou art faithful in the acquisition of virtue. It
was to please thee, O Bharata, that we have suffered ourselves to be
overwhelmed with such dire calamity. O bull of the Bharata race, it was
because we were subject to thy control that we are thus tearing the
hearts of our friends and gratifying our foes. That we did not, in
obedience to thee, even then slay the sons of Dhritarashtra, is an act
of folly on our part that grieveth me sorely. This thy abode, O king, in
the woods, like that of any wild animal, is what a man of weakness alone
would submit to. Surely, no man of might would ever lead such a life.
This thy course of life is approved neither by Krishna, nor Vibhatsu,
nor by Abhimanyu, nor by the Srinjayas, nor by myself, nor by the sons
of Madri. Afflicted with the vows, thy cry is _Religion! Religion_! Hast
thou from despair been deprived of thy manliness? Cowards alone, unable
to win back their prosperity, cherish despair, which is fruitless and
destructive of one's purposes. Thou hast ability and eyes. Thou seest
that manliness dwelleth in us. It is because thou hast adopted a life of
peace that thou feelest not this distress. These Dhritarashtras regard
us who are forgiving, as really incompetent. This, O king, grieveth me
more than death in battle. If we all die in fair fight without turning
our backs on the foe, even that would be better than this exile, for
then we should obtain regions of bliss in the other world. Or, if, O
bull of the Bharata race, having slain them all, we acquire the entire
earth, that would be prosperity worth the trial. We who ever adhere to
the customs of our order, who ever desire grand achievements, who wish
to avenge our wrongs, have this for our bounden duty. Our kingdom
wrested from us, if we engage in battle, our deeds when known to the
world will procure for us fame and not slander. And that virtue, O king,
which tortureth one's own self and friends, is really no virtue. It is
rather vice, producing calamities. Virtue is sometimes also the weakness
of men. And though such a man might ever be engaged in the practice of
virtue, yet both virtue and profit forsake him, like pleasure and pain
forsaking a person that is dead. He that practiseth virtue for virtue's
sake always suffereth. He can scarcely be called a wise man, for he
knoweth not the purposes of virtue like a blind man incapable of
perceiving the solar light. He that regardeth his wealth to exist for
himself alone, scarcely understandeth the purposes of wealth. He is
really like a servant that tendeth kine in a forest. He again that
pursueth wealth too much without pursuing virtue and enjoyments,
deserveth to be censured and slain by all men. He also that ever
pursueth enjoyments without pursuing virtue and wealth, loseth his
friends and virtue and wealth also. Destitute of virtue and wealth such
a man, indulging in pleasure at will, at the expiration of his period of
indulgence, meeteth with certain death, like a fish when the water in
which it liveth hath been dried up. It is for these reasons that they
that are wise are ever careful of both virtue and wealth, for a union of
virtue and wealth is the essential requisite of pleasure, as fuel is the
essential requisite of fire. Pleasure hath always virtue for its root,
and virtue also is united with pleasure. Know, O monarch, that both are
dependent on each other like the ocean and the clouds, the ocean causing
the clouds and the clouds filling the ocean. The joy that one feeleth in
consequence of contact with objects of touch or of possession of wealth,
is what is called pleasure. It existeth in the mind, having no corporeal
existence that one can see. He that wisheth (to obtain) wealth, seeketh
for a large share of virtue to crown his wish with success. He that
wisheth for pleasure, seeketh wealth, (so that his wish may be
realised). Pleasure however, yieldeth nothing in its turn. One pleasure
cannot lead to another, being its own fruit, as ashes may be had from
wood, but nothing from those ashes in their turn. And, O king, as a
fowler killeth the birds we see, so doth sin slay the creatures of the
world. He, therefore, who misled by pleasure or covetousness, beholdeth
not the nature of virtue, deserveth to be slain by all, and becometh
wretched both here and hereafter. It is evident, O king, that thou
knowest that pleasure may be derived from the possession of various
objects of enjoyment. Thou also well knowest their ordinary states, as
well as the great changes they undergo. At their loss or disappearance
occasioned by decrepitude or death, ariseth what is called distress.
That distress, O king, hath now overtaken us. The joy that ariseth from
the five senses, the intellect and the heart, being directed to the
objects proper to each, is called pleasure. That pleasure, O king, is,
as I think, one of the best fruits of our actions.
"'Thus, O monarch, one should regard virtue, wealth and pleasure one
after another. One should not devote one self to virtue alone, nor
regard wealth as the highest object of one's wishes, nor pleasure, but
should ever pursue all three. The scriptures ordain that one should seek
virtue in the morning, wealth at noon, and pleasure in the evening. The
scriptures also ordain that one should seek pleasure in the first
portion of life, wealth in the second, and virtue in the last. And, O
thou foremost of speakers, they that are wise and fully conversant with
proper division of time, pursue all three, virtue, wealth, and pleasure,
dividing their time duly. O son of the Kuru race, whether independence
of these (three), or their possession is the better for those that
desire happiness, should be settled by thee after careful thought. And
thou shouldst then, O king, unhesitatingly act either for acquiring
them, or abandoning them all. For he who liveth wavering between the two
doubtingly, leadeth a wretched life. It is well known that thy behaviour
is ever regulated by virtue. Knowing this thy friends counsel thee to
act. Gift, sacrifice, respect for the wise, study of the Vedas, and
honesty, these, O king, constitute the highest virtue and are
efficacious both here and hereafter. These virtues, however, cannot be
attained by one that hath no wealth, even if, O tiger among men, he may
have infinite other accomplishments. The whole universe, O king,
dependeth upon virtue. There is nothing higher than virtue. And virtue,
O king, is attainable by one that hath plenty of wealth. Wealth cannot
be earned by leading a mendicant life, nor by a life of feebleness.
Wealth, however, can be earned by intelligence directed by virtue. In
thy case, O king, begging, which is successful with Brahmanas, hath been
forbidden. Therefore, O bull amongst men, strive for the acquisition of
wealth by exerting thy might and energy. Neither mendicancy, nor the
life of a Sudra is what is proper for thee. Might and energy constitute
the virtue of the Kshatriya in especial. Adopt thou, therefore, the
virtue of thy order and slay the enemies. Destroy the might of
Dhritarashtra's sons, O son of Pritha, with my and Arjuna's aid. They
that are learned and wise say that sovereignty is virtue. Acquire
sovereignty, therefore, for it behoveth thee not to live in a state of
inferiority. Awake, O king, and understand the eternal virtues (of the
order). By birth thou belongest to an order whose deeds are cruel and
are a source of pain to man. Cherish thy subjects and reap the fruit
thereof. That can never be a reproach. Even this, O king, is the virtue
ordained by God himself for the order to which thou belongest! If thou
fallest away therefrom, thou wilt make thyself ridiculous. Deviation
from the virtues of one's own order is never applauded. Therefore, O
thou of the Kuru race, making thy heart what it ought to be, agreeably
to the order to which thou belongest, and casting away this course of
feebleness, summon thy energy and bear thy weight like one that beareth
it manfully. No king, O monarch, could ever acquire the sovereignty of
the earth or prosperity or affluence by means of virtue alone. Like a
fowler earning his food in the shape of swarms of little easily-tempted
game, by offering them some attractive food, doth one that is
intelligent acquire a kingdom, by offering bribes unto low and covetous
enemies. Behold, O bull among kings, the Asuras, though elder brothers
in possession of power and affluence, were all vanquished by the gods
through stratagem. Thus, O king, everything belongeth to those that are
mighty. And, O mighty-armed one, slay thy foes, having recourse to
stratagem. There is none equal unto Arjuna in wielding the bow in
battle. Nor is there anybody that may be equal unto me in wielding the
mace. Strong men, O monarch, engage in battle depending on their might,
and not on the force of numbers nor on information of the enemy's plans
procured through spies. Therefore, O son of Pandu exert thy might. Might
is the root of wealth. Whatever else is said to be its root is really
not such. As the shade of the tree in winter goeth for nothing, so
without might everything else becometh fruitless. Wealth should be spent
by one who wisheth to increase his wealth, after the manner, O son of
Kunti, of scattering seeds on the ground. Let there be no doubt then in
thy mind. Where, however, wealth that is more or even equal is not to be
gained, there should be no expenditure of wealth. For investment of
wealth are like the ass, scratching, pleasurable at first but painful
afterwards. Thus, O king of men, the person who throweth away like seeds
a little of his virtue in order to gain a larger measure of virtue, is
regarded as wise. Beyond doubt, it is as I say. They that are wise
alienate the friends of the foe that owneth such, and having weakened
him by causing those friends to abandon him thus, they then reduce him
to subjection. Even they that are strong, engage in battle depending on
their courage. One cannot by even continued efforts (uninspired by
courage) or by the arts of conciliation, always conquer a kingdom.
Sometimes, O king, men that are weak, uniting in large numbers, slay
even a powerful foe, like bees killing the despoiler of the honey by
force of numbers alone. (As regards thyself), O king, like the sun that
sustaineth as well as slayeth creatures by his rays, adopt thou the ways
of the sun. To protect one's kingdom and cherish the people duly, as
done by our ancestors, O king, is, it hath been heard by us, a kind of
asceticism mentioned even in the Vedas. By asceticism, O king, a
Kshatriya cannot acquire such regions of blessedness as he can by fair
fight whether ending in victory or defeat. Beholding, O king, this thy
distress, the world hath come to the conclusion that light may forsake
the Sun and grace the Moon. And, O king, good men separately as well as
assembling together, converse with one another, applauding thee and
blaming the other. There is this, moreover, O monarch, _viz_., that both
the Kurus and the Brahmanas, assembling together, gladly speak of thy
firm adherence to truth, in that thou hast never, from ignorance, from
meanness, from covetousness, or from fear, uttered an untruth. Whatever
sin, O monarch, a king committeth in acquiring dominion, he consumeth it
all afterwards by means of sacrifices distinguished by large gifts. Like
the Moon emerging from the clouds, the king is purified from all sins by
bestowing villages on Brahmanas and kine by thousands. Almost all the
citizens as well as the inhabitants of the country, young or old, O son
of the Kuru race, praise thee, O Yudhishthira! This also, O Bharata, the
people are saying amongst themselves, _viz_., that as milk in a bag of
dog's hide, as the Vedas in a Sudra, as truth in a robber, as strength
in a woman, so is sovereignty in Duryodhana. Even women and children are
repeating this, as if it were a lesson they seek to commit to memory. O
represser of foes, thou hast fallen into this state along with
ourselves. Alas, we also are lost with thee for this calamity of thine.
Therefore, ascending in thy car furnished with every implement, and
making the superior Brahmanas utter benedictions on thee, march thou
with speed, even this very day, upon Hastinapura, in order that thou
mayst be able to give unto Brahmanas the spoils of victory. Surrounded
by thy brothers, who are firm wielders of the bow, and by heroes skilled
in weapons and like unto snakes of virulent poison, set thou out even
like the slayer Vritra surrounded by the Marutas. And, O son of Kunti,
as thou art powerful, grind thou with thy might thy weak enemies, like
Indra grinding the Asuras; and snatch thou from Dhritarashtra's son the
prosperity he enjoyeth. There is no mortal that can bear the touch of
the shafts furnished with the feathers of the vulture and resembling
snakes of virulent poison, that would be shot from the _Gandiva_. And, O
Bharata, there is not a warrior, nor an elephant, nor a horse, that is
able to bear the impetus of my mace when I am angry in battle. Why, O
son of Kunti, should we not wrest our kingdom from the foe, fighting
with the aid of the Srinjayas and Kaikeyas, and the bull of the Vrishni
race? Why, O king, should we not succeed in wresting the (sovereignty of
the) earth that is now in the hands of the foe, if, aided by a large
force, we do but strive?'"