Chapter 132

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Entering her abode and worshipping her feet, Kesavarepresented to her briefly all that had transpired in the assembly of theKurus. And Vasudeva said, ‘Diverse words, worthy of being accepted andfraught with reasons, were said both by myself and the Rishis, butDuryodhana accepted them not. As regards Suyodhana and his followers,their hour is come. With thy leave now, I shall speedily repair unto thePandavas. What should I say unto the Pandavas as thy instructions tothem? Tell me that, O thou endued with great wisdom. I desire to hear thywords.’

“Kunti said, ‘O Kesava, say unto king Yudhishthira of virtuous soul thesewords, ‘Thy virtue, O son, is decreasing greatly. Do not act vainly. Oking, like a reader of the Vedas incapable of catching their realmeaning, and, therefore, truly unlearned. Thy understanding, affected byonly the words of the Vedas, vieweth virtue alone. Cast thy eyes on theduties of thy own order, as ordained by the Self-create. For all ruthlessdeeds and for the protection of the people, from his (Brahmana’s) armswas created the Kshatriya, who is to depend upon the prowess of his ownarms. Listen, an instance is cited in this connection, that hath beenheard by me from the aged. In days of yore, Vaisravana, having beengratified, made a gift of this Earth to the royal sage Muchukunda. Thelatter without accepting the gift, said, ‘I desire to enjoy thatsovereignty which is won by prowess of arms.’ At this, Vaisravana washighly delighted and filled with wonder. King Muchukunda then, fullyobserving the duties of the Kshatriya order ruled this earth, havingconquered it by the prowess of his arms. Then again, a sixth part of thevirtue, practised by subjects well-protected by the king, is obtained, ‘OBharata, by the king. The virtue again that the king himself practisethconferreth godhead on him, while if he perpetrateth sin, he goeth tohell. The penal code properly applied by the ruler, maketh the fourorders adhere to their respective duties, and leadeth to an acquisition(by the ruler himself) of virtue (profit, and salvation). When the kingproperly abideth by the penal code, without making any portion of it adead letter, then that best of periods called the Krita Yuga setteth in.Let not this doubt be thine, viz., whether the era is the cause of theking, or the king the cause of the era, for (know this to be certainthat) the king is the cause of the era. It is the king that createth theKrita, the Treta, or the Dwapara age. Indeed, it is the king that is thecause of also the fourth Yuga (viz., the Kali). That king who causeth theKrita age to set in, enjoyeth heaven exceedingly. That king who causeththe Treta age to set in, doth enjoy heaven but not exceedingly. For thuscausing the Dwapara age to set in, a king enjoyeth heaven according tohis due. The king, however, who causeth the Kali age to set in, earnethsin exceedingly. Thereupon, that king of wicked deeds resideth in hellfor countless years. Indeed, the king’s sins affect the world, and theworld’s sins affect him. Observe thou those kingly duties of thine thatbefit thy ancestry. That is not the conduct of a royal sage in which thouwishest to abide. Indeed, he that is stained by weakness of heart andadhereth to compassion, and is unsteady, never obtaineth the merit bornof cherishing his subjects with love. That understanding according towhich thou art now acting was never wished (to thee) by Pandu, or myself,or thy grandsire, while we uttered blessings on thee before; sacrifice,gift, merit, and bravery, subjects and children, greatness of soul, andmight, and energy, these were always prayed by me for thee. Well-wishingBrahmanas duly worshipped and gratified the gods and the Pitris for yourlong life, wealth, and children, by adding Swaha and Swadha. The motherand the father, as also the gods always desire for their childrenliberality and gift and study and sacrifice and sway over subjects.Whether all this be righteous or unrighteous, you are to practise it, inconsequence of your very birth. (Behold, O Krishna, so far from doing allthis), though born in a high race, they are yet destitute of the verymeans of support, and are afflicted with misery. Hungry men, approachinga brave and bountiful monarch, are gratified, and live by his side. Whatvirtue can be superior to this? A virtuous person, upon acquiring akingdom, should in this world make all persons his own, attaching some bygift, some by force, and some by sweet words. A Brahmana should adoptmendicancy; a Kshatriya should protect (subjects); a Vaisya should earnwealth; and a Sudra should serve the other three. Mendicancy, therefore,is forbidden to thee. Nor is agriculture suited to thee. Thou art aKshatriya and therefore, the protector of all in distress. Thou art tolive by the prowess of thy arms. O thou of mighty arms, recover thypaternal share of the kingdom which thou hast lost, by conciliation, orby working disunion among thy foes, or by gift of money or violence, orwell-directed policy. What can be a matter of greater grief than that I,deprived of friends, should live upon food supplied by others, afterhaving brought thee forth, thou enhancer of the joys of friends? Fight,according to the practices of kings. Do not sink thy ancestors (ininfamy). With thy merit worn out, do not, with thy younger brothers,obtain a sinful end.'”