say. They that are wise alienate the friends
of the foe that owneth such, and having weakened him
by causing those friends to abandon him thus, they
then reduce him to subjection. Even they that
are strong, engage in battle depending on their courage.
One cannot by even continued efforts (uninspired by
courage) or by the arts of conciliation, always conquer
a kingdom. Sometimes, O king, men that are weak,
uniting in large numbers, slay even a powerful foe,
like bees killing the despoiler of the honey by force
of numbers alone. (As regards thyself), O king, like
the sun that sustaineth as well as slayeth creatures
by his rays, adopt thou the ways of the sun.
To protect one’s kingdom and cherish the people
duly, as done by our ancestors, O king, is, it hath
been heard by us, a kind of asceticism mentioned even
in the Vedas. By asceticism, O king, a Kshatriya
cannot acquire such regions of blessedness as he can
by fair fight whether ending in victory or defeat.
Beholding, O king, this thy distress, the world hath
come to the conclusion that light may forsake the
Sun and grace the Moon. And, O king, good men
separately as well as assembling together, converse
with one another, applauding thee and blaming the
other. There is this, moreover, O monarch, viz.,
that both the Kurus and the Brahmanas, assembling
together, gladly speak of thy firm adherence to truth,
in that thou hast never, from ignorance, from meanness,
from covetousness, or from fear, uttered an untruth.
Whatever sin, O monarch, a king committeth in acquiring
dominion, he consumeth it all afterwards by means
of sacrifices distinguished by large gifts. Like
the Moon emerging from the clouds, the king is purified
from all sins by bestowing villages on Brahmanas and
kine by thousands. Almost all the citizens as
well as the inhabitants of the country, young or old,
O son of the Kuru race, praise thee, O Yudhishthira!
This also, O Bharata, the people are saying amongst
themselves, viz., that as milk in a bag of
dog’s hide, as the Vedas in a Sudra, as truth
in a robber, as strength in a woman, so is sovereignty
in Duryodhana. Even women and children are repeating
this, as if it were a lesson they seek to commit to
memory. O represser of foes, thou hast fallen
into this state along with ourselves. Alas, we
also are lost with thee for this calamity of thine.
Therefore, ascending in thy car furnished with every
implement, and making the superior Brahmanas utter
benedictions on thee, march thou with speed, even
this very day, upon Hastinapura, in order that thou
mayst be able to give unto Brahmanas the spoils of
victory. Surrounded by thy brothers, who are
firm wielders of the bow, and by heroes skilled in
weapons and like unto snakes of virulent poison, set
thou out even like the slayer Vritra surrounded by
the Marutas. And, O son of Kunti, as thou art
powerful, grind thou with thy might thy weak enemies,
like Indra grinding the Asuras; and snatch thou from
Dhritarashtra’s son the prosperity he enjoyeth.