Chapter 22

Vaisampayana said, “After this, Arjuna once more addressed his eldestbrother of unfading glory, viz., king Yudhishthira of cheerless heart,and said these words: ‘O thou that art conversant with every kind ofduty, having by the practice of Kshatriya duties obtained sovereigntythat is so very difficult of acquisition, and having conquered all thyfoes, why dost thou burn in grief? O king, as regards Kshatriyas, deathin battle is regarded more meritorious for them than the performance ofdiverse sacrifices. It is so declared in the ordinance that lays down theduties of Kshatriyas. Penances and Renunciation are the duties ofBrahmanas. Even this is the ordinance (affecting the two orders) aboutthe next world. Indeed, O puissant one, death in battle is laid down forKshatriyas. The duties of Kshatriyas are exceedingly fierce and arealways connected with the use of weapons, and it has been laid down, Ochief of the Bharatas, that they should, when the time comes, perish byweapons on the field of battle. The life of even a Brahmana, O king, thatlives in the observance of Kshatriya duties, is not censurable, forKshatriyas also have sprung from Brahmana. Neither Renunciation, norSacrifice, nor Penances, nor dependence on the wealth of others, O rulerof men, has been ordained for Kshatriyas. Thou art acquainted with allduties, and thou art of righteous soul, O bull of Bharata’s race! Thouart a wise king, skilled in all acts. Thou canst distinguish what isright in this world from what is wrong. Casting off this cheerlessness byrepentance, address thyself with a strong will to action. The heart of aKshatriya especially is hard as thunder. Having by the exercise ofKshatriya duties vanquished thy foes and acquired empire without a thornin its side, conquer thy soul, O ruler of men, and be engaged in theperformance of sacrifices and the practice of charity. Indra himself,though a Brahmana, became a Kshatriya in his acts, and battled with hissinful kinsfolk for eight hundred and ten times. Those acts of his, Omonarch, are adorable and worthy of praise. Through them he obtained, aswe have heard, the chiefship of the gods. Do thou, therefore, O monarch,perform sacrifices with profuse presents even as Indra did, O ruler ofmen, and thereby free thyself from thy fever. Do not, O bull amongKshatriyas, grieve thus for what is past. They that have been slain haveattained to the highest end, sanctified by weapons and agreeably to theordinances of the Kshatriya religion. That which has happened wasordained to happen. Destiny, O tiger among kings, is incapable of beingresisted.'”