Chapter 134

“Vidula said, ‘If, having fallen into such a plight, thou wishest to giveup manliness, thou shalt then have, in no time, to tread the path that istrod by those that are low and wretched. That Kshatriya, who, from desireof life, displayeth not his energy according to the best of his might andprowess, is regarded as a thief. Alas, like medicine to a dying man,these words that are fraught with grave import, and are proper andreasonable, do not make any impression on thee! It is true, the king ofthe Sindhus hath many followers. They are, however, all discounted. Fromweakness, and ignorance of proper means, they are waiting for thedistress of their master (without being able to effect a deliverance forthemselves by their own exertions). As regards others (his open enemies),they will come to thee with their auxiliaries if they behold thee putforth thy prowess. Uniting with them, seek refuge now in mountainfastness, waiting for that season when calamity will overtake the foe, asit must, for he is not free from disease and death. By name thou artSanjaya (the victorious). I do not, however, behold any such indicationin thee. Be true to thy name. Be my son. Oh, do not make thy name untrue.Beholding thee while a child, a Brahmana of great foresight and wisdom,said, ‘This one falling into great distress will again win greatness.’Remembering his words, I hope for thy victory. It is for that, O son, Itell thee so, and shall tell thee again and again. That man who pursueththe fruition of his objects according to the ways of policy and for thesuccess of whose objects other people strive cordially, is always sure towin success. Whether what I have is gained or lost, I will not desist,with such a resolve, O Sanjaya, O learned one, engage in war, withoutwithdrawing thyself from it. Samvara hath said, ‘There is no moremiserable state than that in which one is anxious for his food from dayto day.’ A state such as his hath beer said to be more unhappy than thedeath of one’s husband and sons. That which hath been called poverty isonly a form of death. As regards myself, born in a high race, I have beentransplanted from one take into another. Possessed of every auspiciousthing, and worshipped by my husband, my power extended over all. Stayingin the midst of friends, our friends formerly beheld me decked in costlygarlands and ornaments, with body well-washed, attired in excellentrobes, and myself always cheerful. When thou wilt behold both me and thywife weakened (from want of food), thou wilt then, O Sanjaya, scarcelydesire to live. Of what use will life be to thee when thou wilt beholdall our servants engaged in attending on us, our preceptors and ourordinary and extraordinary priests, leaving us from want of sustenance?If, again, I do not now see in thee those laudable and famousachievements in which thou wert formerly engaged, what peace can my heartknow? If I have to say–Nay–to a Brahmana, my heart will burst, forneither I nor my husband ever said–Nay–to a Brahmana before. We werethe refuge of others, without ourselves having ever taken refuge withothers. Having been such, if I have to support life by depending onanother, I will surely cast off my life. Be thou our means of crossingthe ocean that is difficult to cross. In the absence of boats, be thouour boat. Make for us a place where place there is none. Revive us thatare dead. Thou art competent to encounter all foes if thou dost notcherish the desire of life. If, however, thou art for adopting this modeof life that is fit only for a eunuch, then with troubled soul anddepressed heart it would be better for thee to sacrifice thy life. Abrave man winneth fame by slaying even a single foe. By slaying Vritra,Indra became the great Indra and acquired the sovereignty of all the godsand the cup for drinking Soma, and the lordship of all the worlds.Proclaiming his name in battle, challenging his foes accoutred in steel,and grinding or slaying the foremost warriors of hostile ranks, when ahero winneth far-extending fame in fair fight, his enemies then arepained and bow down unto him. They that are cowards become helpless andcontribute by their own conduct to bestow every object of desire on thosethat are skilled and brave and that fight reckless of their lives.Whether kingdoms be overtaken by mighty ruin, or whether life itself beendangered, they that are noble never desist till they exterminate thefoes within their reach. Sovereignty is either the door of heaven orAmrita. Regarding it as one of these, and bearing it in mind that is nowshut against thee, fall thou like a burning brand in the midst of thyfoes. O king, slay thy foes in battle. Observe the duties of thy order.Let me not behold thee cheerless, O enhancer of the fears of thy foes.Let me not in dejection behold thee standing in misery, surrounded by oursorrowing selves and rejoicing foes. Rejoice, O son, and make thyselfhappy in the possession of wealth in the company of the daughters of theSauviras and do not, in weakness of heart, be ruled over by the daughtersof the Saindhavas. If a young man like thee, who is possessed of beautyof person, learning and high birth, and world-wide fame, acteth in suchunbecoming a way, like a vicious bull in the matter of bearing itsburthen, then that, I think, would be equal to death itself. What peacecan my heart know if I behold thee uttering laudatory speeches in honourof others or walking (submissively) behind them? Oh, never was one bornin this race that walked behind another. O son, it behoveth thee not tolive as a dependant on another. I know what the eternal essence ofKshatriya virtues is as spoken of by the old and the older ones and bythose coming late and later still. Eternal and unswerving, it hath beenordained by the Creator himself. He that hath, in this world, been bornas a Kshatriya in any high race and hath acquired a knowledge of theduties of that order, will never from fear or the sake of sustenance, bowdown to any body on earth. One should stand erect with courage and notbow down, for exertion is manliness. One should rather break in thejoints than yield in this world here to any body. A high-souled Kshatriyashould always roam like an infuriated elephant. He should, O Sanjaya, bowdown unto Brahmanas only, for the sake of virtue. He should rule over allother orders, destroying all evil-doers. Possessed of allies, ordestitute of them, he should be so as long as he liveth.'”