Chapter 132
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Then, O king, the mighty son of Bharadyaja presentedhimself before Drupada, and addressing that monarch, said, ‘Know me forthy friend.’
Thus addressed by his friend, the son of Bharadwaja, with ajoyous heart, the lord of the Panchalas was ill-able to bear that speech.The king, intoxicated with the pride of wealth, contracted his brows inwrath, and with reddened eyes spake these words unto Drona, ‘O Brahmana,thy intelligence is scarcely of a high order, inasmuch as thou sayestunto me, all on a sudden, that thou art my friend! O thou of dullapprehension, great kings can never be friends with such luckless andindigent wights as thou! It is true there had been friendship betweenthee and me before, for we were then both equally circumstanced. But Timethat impaireth everything in its course, impaireth friendship also. Inthis world, friendship never endureth for ever in any heart. Time wearethit off and anger destroyeth it too. Do not stick, therefore, to thatworn-off friendship. Think not of it any longer. The friendship I hadwith thee, O first of Brahmanas, was for a particular purpose. Friendshipcan never subsist between a poor man and a rich man, between a man ofletters and an unlettered mind, between a hero and a coward. Why dostthou desire the continuance of our former friendship? There may befriendship or hostility between persons equally situated as to wealth ormight. The indigent and the affluent can neither be friends nor quarrelwith each other. One of impure birth can never be a friend to one of purebirth; one who is not a car-warrior can never be a friend to one who isso; and one who is not a king never have a king for his friend.Therefore, why dost thou desire the continuance of our former friendship?’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Thus addressed by Drupada, the mighty son ofBharadwaja became filled with wrath, and reflecting for a moment, made uphis mind as to his course of action. Seeing the insolence of the Panchalaking, he wished to check it effectually. Hastily leaving the Panchalacapital Drona bent his steps towards the capital of the Kurus, namedafter the elephant.'”
