straight-forwardness and fear of censure!  If this were not so, O Bharata, this insufferable calamity would never have overtaken thee who art so undeserving of it, and these thy brothers of great energy!  Neither in those days of prosperity nor in these days of thy adversity, thou, O Bharata, hath ever known anything so dear to thee as virtue, which thou hast even regarded as dearer to thee than life?  That thy kingdom is for virtue alone, that thy life also is for virtue alone, is known to Brahmanas and thy superiors and even the celestials!  I think thou canst abandon Bhimasena and Arjuna and these twin sons of Madri along with myself but thou canst not abandon virtue!  I have heard that the king protecteth virtue; and virtue, protected by him, protecteth him (in return)!  I see, however, that virtue protecteth thee not!  Like the shadow pursuing a man, thy heart, O tiger among men, with singleness of purpose, ever seeketh virtue.  Thou hast never disregarded thy equals, and inferiors and superiors.  Obtaining even the entire world, thy pride never increased!  O son of Pritha, thou ever worshippest Brahmanas, and gods, and the Pitris, with Swadhas, and other forms of worship!  O son of Pritha, thou hast ever gratified the Brahmanas by fulfilling every wish of theirs!  Yatis and Sannyasins and mendicants of domestic lives have always been fed in thy house from off plates of gold where I have distributed (food) amongst them.  Unto the Vanaprasthas thou always givest gold and food.  There is nothing in thy house thou mayest not give unto the Brahmanas!  In the Viswadeva sacrifice, that is, for thy peace, performed in thy house, the things consecrated are first offered unto guests and all creatures while thou livest thyself with what remaineth (after distribution)!  Ishtis Pashubandhas, sacrifices for obtaining fruition of desire, the religions rites of (ordinary) domesticity, Paka sacrifices, and sacrifices of other kinds, are ever performed in thy house.  Even in this great forest, so solitary and haunted by robbers, living in exile, divested of thy kingdom, thy virtue hath sustained no diminution!  The Aswamedha, the Rajasuya, the Pundarika, and Gosava, these grand sacrifices requiring large gifts have all been performed by thee!  O monarch, impelled by a perverse sense during that dire hour of a losing match at dice, thou didst yet stake and loss thy kingdom, thy wealth, thy weapons, thy brothers, and myself!  Simple, gentle, liberal, modest, truthful, how, O king could thy mind be attracted to the vice of gambling?  I am almost deprived of my sense, O king, and my heart is overwhelmed with grief, beholding this thy distress, and this thy calamity!  An old history is cited as an illustration for the truth that men are subjects to the will of God and never to their own wishes!  The Supreme Lord and Ordainer of all ordaineth everything in respect of the weal and woe, the happiness and misery, of all creatures, even prior to their births guided by the