"'Bhishma said, "Having settled this in his mind, the Salmali, in sorrow,
himself caused all his branches, principal and subsidiary, to be cut off.
Casting off his branches and leaves and flowers, at morn the tree looked
steadily at the Wind, as he came towards him. Filled with rage and
breathing hard, the Wind advanced, felling large trees, towards that spot
where the Salmali stood. Beholding him divested of top and branches and
leaves and flowers, the Wind, filled with joy, smilingly addressed that
lord of the forest which had before such a gigantic appearance, these
words.
"'"The Wind said, 'Filled with rage, O Salmali, I would have done to thee
precisely what thou hast done to thyself by lopping off all thy branches.
Thou art now divested of thy proud top and flowers, and thou art now
without thy shoots and leaves. In consequence of thy own evil counsels,
thou hast been brought under my power.'"
"'Bhishma continued, "Hearing these words of the Wind, the Salmali felt
great shame. Remembering also the words that Narada had said, he began to
repent greatly for his folly. Even in this way, O tiger among kings, a
weak and foolish person, by provoking the enmity of a powerful one, is at
last obliged to repent like the Salmali in fable. Even when possessed of
equal might, people do not suddenly wage hostilities with those that have
injured them. On the other hand, they display their might gradually, O
king! A person of foolish understanding should never provoke the
hostility of one that is possessed of intelligence. In such cases the
intelligence of the intelligent man penetrates (the subject upon which it
is employed) like fire penetrating a heap of dry grass. Intelligence is
the most precious possession that a person can have. Similarly, O king,
a man can have nothing here more valuable than might. One should,
therefore, overlook the wrongs inflicted by a person possessed of
superior strength, even as one should overlook (from compassion) the acts
of a child, an idiot, or one that is blind or deaf. The wisdom of this
saying is witnessed in thy case, O slayer of foes. The eleven Akshauhinis
(of Duryodhana), O thou of great splendour, and the seven (collected by
thyself), were not in might equal to the single-handed Arjuna of high
soul. All the troops (of Duryodhana), therefore, were routed and slain by
that illustrious Pandava, that son of Paka's chastiser, as he coursed on
the field of battle, relying on his own strength. I have. O Bharata,
discoursed to thee of the duties of kings and the morality of duties in
detail. What else, O king, dost thou wish to hear?"'"