Chapter 87

“Vaisampayana said, ‘While that king of kings dwelt in heaven–the homeof the celestials, he was reverenced by the gods, the Sadhyas, theMaruts, and the Vasus. Of sacred deeds, and mind under complete control,the monarch used to repair now and then from the abode of the celestialsunto the region of Brahman. And it hath been heard by me that he dweltfor a long time in heaven.

“One day that best of kings, Yayati, went to Indra and there in course ofconversation the lord of Earth was asked by Indra as follows:

‘What didst thou say, O king, when thy son Puru took thy decrepitude onEarth and when thou gavest him thy kingdom?’

“Yayati answered, ‘I told him that the whole country between the riversGanga and Yamuna was his. That is, indeed, the central region of theEarth, while the out-lying regions are to be the dominions of thybrothers. I also told him that those without anger were ever superior tothose under its sway, those disposed to forgive were ever superior to theunforgiving. Man is superior to the lower animals. Among men again thelearned are superior to the un-learned. If wronged, thou shouldst notwrong in return. One’s wrath, if disregarded, burneth one’s own self; buthe that regardeth it not taketh away all the virtues of him thatexhibiteh it. Never shouldst thou pain others by cruel speeches. Neversubdue thy foes by despicable means; and never utter such scorching andsinful words as may torture others. He that pricketh as if with thornsmen by means of hard and cruel words, thou must know, ever carrieth inhis mouth the Rakshasas. Prosperity and luck fly away at his very sight.Thou shouldst ever keep the virtuous before thee as thy models; thoushouldst ever with retrospective eye compare thy acts with those of thevirtuous; thou shouldst ever disregard the hard words of the wicked. Thoushouldst ever make the conduct of the wise the model upon which thou artto act thyself. The man hurt by the arrows of cruel speech hurled fromone’s lips, weepeth day and night. Indeed, these strike at the core ofthe body. Therefore the wise never fling these arrows at others. There isnothing in the three worlds by which thou canst worship and adore thedeities better than by kindness, friendship, charity and sweet speechesunto all. Therefore, shouldst thou always utter words that soothe, andnot those that scorch. And thou shouldst regard those that deserve, thyregards, and shouldst always give but never beg!”‘