“Vidura addressing Dhritarashtra, said, ’O monarch, tell us (impartially) like a witness what thou thinkest of the conduct of those who abandon their serving-men thus for giving instruction to them.  The hearts of kings are, indeed, very fickle.  Granting protection at first, they strike with clubs at last.  O prince (Duryodhana), thou regardest thyself as mature in intellect, and, O thou of bad heart, thou regardest me as a child.  But consider that he is a child who having first accepted one for a friend, subsequently findeth fault with him.  An evil-hearted man can never be brought to the path of rectitude, like an unchaste wife in the house of a well-born person.  Assuredly, instruction is not agreeable to this bull of the Bharata race like a husband of sixty years to a damsel that is young.  After this, O king, if thou wishest to hear words that are agreeable to thee, in respect of all acts good or bad, ask thou women and idiots and cripples or persons of that description.  A sinful man speaking words that are agreeable may be had in this world.  But a speaker of words that are disagreeable though sound as regimen, or a hearer of the same, is very rare.  He indeed, is a king’s true ally who disregarding what is agreeable or disagreeable to his master beareth himself virtuously and uttereth what may be disagreeable but necessary as regimen.  O great king, drink thou that which the honest drink and the dishonest shun, even humility, which is like a medicine that is bitter, pungent, burning, unintoxicating, disagreeable, and revolting.  And drinking it, O king, regain thou thy sobriety.  I always wish Dhritarashtra and his sons affluence and fame.  Happen what may unto thee, here I bow to thee (and take my leave).  Let the Brahmanas wish me well.  O son of Kuru, this is the lesson I carefully inculcate, that the wise should never enrage such as adders as have venom in their very glances!”

SECTION LXIV

“Sakuni said,—­’Thou hast, O Yudhishthira, lost much wealth of the Pandavas.  If thou hast still anything that thou hast not yet lost to us, O son of Kunti, tell us what it is!”

“Yudhishthira said,—­O son of Suvala, I know that I have untold wealth.  But why is it, O Sakuni, that thou askest me of my wealth?  Let tens of thousands and millions and millions and tens of millions and hundreds of millions and tens of billions and hundreds of billions and trillions and tens of trillions and hundreds of trillions and tens of quadrillions and hundreds of quadrillions and even more wealth be staked by thee.  I have as much.  With that wealth, O king, I will play with thee.”

Vaisampayana said,—­“Hearing this, Sakuni, ready with the dice, adopting unfair means, said unto Yudhishthira, ‘Lo, I have won!’

’Yudhishthira said,—­’I have, O son of Suvala, immeasurable kine and horses and milch cows with calves and goats and sheep in the country extending from the Parnasa to the eastern bank of the Sindu.  With this wealth, O king, I will play with thee.