Chapter 16

Vaisampayana said, “After the conclusion of Arjuna’s speech, Bhimasena ofgreat wrath and energy, mustering all his patience, said these words untohis eldest brother, ‘Thou art, O monarch, conversant with all duties.There is nothing unknown to thee. We always wish to imitate thy conduct,but, alas, we cannot do it!–“I will not say anything! I will not sayanything–! Even this is what I had wished! Impelled, however, by greatgrief I am constrained to say something. Listen to these words of mine, Oruler of men! Through the stupefaction of thy faculties, everything isendangered, and ourselves are being made cheerless and weak. How is itthat thou that art the ruler of the world, thou that art conversant withall branches of knowledge, sufferest thy understanding to be clouded, inconsequence of cheerlessness, like a coward? The righteous andunrighteous paths of the world are known to thee. There is nothingbelonging either to the future or the present that is also unknown tothee, O puissant one! When such is the case, O monarch, I will indicate,O ruler of men, the reasons in favour of your assuming sovereignty.Listen to me with undivided attention. There are two kinds of diseases,viz., physical and mental. Each springs from the other. None of them canbe seen existing independently. Without doubt, mental diseases springfrom physical ones. Similarly physical diseases spring from mental ones.This is the truth. He that indulgeth in regrets on account of pastphysical or mental woes, reapeth woe from woe and suffereth double woe.Cold, heat, and wind,–these three are the attributes of the body.[41]Their existence in harmony is the sign of health. If one of the threeprevails over the rest, remedies have been laid down. Cold is checked byheat, and heat is checked by cold. Goodness, passion, and darkness arethe three attributes of the mind. The existence of these three in harmonyis the sign of (mental) health. If one of these prevails over the rest,remedies have been prescribed. Grief is checked by joy, and joy ischecked by grief. One, living in the present enjoyment of this, wishes torecollect his past woes. Another, living in the present suffering of woe,wishes to recollect his past bliss. Thou, however, wert never sad ingrief or glad in bliss.[42] Thou, shouldst not, therefore, use thy memoryfor becoming sad during times of bliss, or glad during times of woe. Itseems that Destiny is all-powerful. Or, if it be thy nature, inconsequence of which thou art thus afflicted, how is it that it does notbehove thee to recollect the sight thou sawest before, viz., thescantily-clad Krishna dragged, while in her season, before theassembly.[43] Why does it not behove thee to recollect our expulsion fromthe (Kuru) city and our exile (into the woods) dressed in deerskins, asalso our living in the great forests? Why hast thou forgotten the woesinflicted by Jatasura, the battle with Chitrasena, and the distresssuffered at the hands of the Sindhu king? Why hast thou forgotten thekick received by the princess Draupadi from Kichaka white we were livingin concealment? A fierce battle, O chastiser of foes, like that whichthou hast fought with Bhishma and Drona is now before thee, to be fought(however) with thy mind alone. In deed, that battle is now before thee inwhich there is no need of arrows, of friends, of relatives and kinsmen,but which will have to be fought with thy mind alone. If thou givest upthy life-breath before conquering in this battle, then, assuming anotherbody, thou shalt have to fight these very foes again.[44] Therefore,fight that battle this very day, O bull of Bharata’s race, disregardingthe concerns of thy body, and aided by thy own acts, conquer and identifywith thy mind’s foe.[45] If thou canst not win that battle, what wilt bethy condition? On the other hand, by winning it, O monarch, thou shalthave attained the great end of life. Applying thy intellect to this, andascertaining the right and the wrong paths of creatures, follow thou thecourse adopted by thy sire before thee and govern properly thy kingdom.By good luck, O king, the sinful Duryodhana hath been stain with all hisfollowers. By good luck, thou too hast attained to the condition ofDraupadi’s locks.[46] Perform with due rites and profuse presents thehorse-sacrifice. We, are thy servants, O son of Pritha, as also Vasudevaof great energy!'”