“On hearing him, that illustrious grinder of the Kshatriya race replied, Thou art welcome, O best of regenerate ones!  Tell me what thou desirest.  Thus addressed by Rama, the son of Bharadwaja replied unto that foremost of all smiters, desirous of giving away the whole of his wealth, ’O thou of multifarious vows, I am a candidate for thy eternal wealth,’ ’O thou of ascetic wealth, returned Rama, ’My gold and whatever other wealth I had, have all been given away unto Brahmanas!  This earth also, to the verge of the sea, decked with towns and cities, as with a garland of flowers, I have given unto Kasyapa.  I have now my body only and my various valuable weapons left.  I am prepared to give either my body or my weapons.  Say, which thou wouldst have!  I would give it thee!  Say quickly!’

“Drona answered, O son of Bhrigu, it behoveth thee to give me all thy weapons together with the mysteries of hurling and recalling them.’

“Saying, ‘So be it,’ the son of Bhrigu gave all his weapons unto Drona,—­indeed, the whole science of arms with its rules and mysteries.  Accepting them all, and thinking himself amply rewarded that best of Brahmanas then, glad at heart, set out, for (the city of) his friend Drupada.’”

SECTION CXXXII

(Sambhava Parva continued)

“Vaisampayana said, ’Then, O king, the mighty son of Bharadyaja presented himself before Drupada, and addressing that monarch, said, ’Know me for thy friend.’  Thus addressed by his friend, the son of Bharadwaja, with a joyous heart, the lord of the Panchalas was ill-able to bear that speech.  The king, intoxicated with the pride of wealth, contracted his brows in wrath, and with reddened eyes spake these words unto Drona, ’O Brahmana, thy intelligence is scarcely of a high order, inasmuch as thou sayest unto me, all on a sudden, that thou art my friend!  O thou of dull apprehension, great kings can never be friends with such luckless and indigent wights as thou!  It is true there had been friendship between thee and me before, for we were then both equally circumstanced.  But Time that impaireth everything in its course, impaireth friendship also.  In this world, friendship never endureth for ever in any heart.  Time weareth it off and anger destroyeth it too.  Do not stick, therefore, to that worn-off friendship.  Think not of it any longer.  The friendship I had with thee, O first of Brahmanas, was for a particular purpose.  Friendship can never subsist between a poor man and a rich man, between a man of letters and an unlettered mind, between a hero and a coward.  Why dost thou desire the continuance of our former friendship?  There may be friendship or hostility between persons equally situated as to wealth or might.  The indigent and the affluent can neither be friends nor quarrel with each other.  One of impure birth can never be a friend to one of pure birth; one who is not a car-warrior can never be a friend to one who is so; and one who is not a king never have a king for his friend.  Therefore, why dost thou desire the continuance of our former friendship?’