to use his arms, or like kine from one incapable of
using his legs. Thou art faithful in the acquisition
of virtue. It was to please thee, O Bharata, that
we have suffered ourselves to be overwhelmed with
such dire calamity. O bull of the Bharata race,
it was because we were subject to thy control that
we are thus tearing the hearts of our friends and
gratifying our foes. That we did not, in obedience
to thee, even then slay the sons of Dhritarashtra,
is an act of folly on our part that grieveth me sorely.
This thy abode, O king, in the woods, like that of
any wild animal, is what a man of weakness alone would
submit to. Surely, no man of might would ever
lead such a life. This thy course of life is approved
neither by Krishna, nor Vibhatsu, nor by Abhimanyu,
nor by the Srinjayas, nor by myself, nor by the sons
of Madri. Afflicted with the vows, thy cry is
Religion! Religion! Hast thou from despair
been deprived of thy manliness? Cowards alone,
unable to win back their prosperity, cherish despair,
which is fruitless and destructive of one’s purposes.
Thou hast ability and eyes. Thou seest that manliness
dwelleth in us. It is because thou hast adopted
a life of peace that thou feelest not this distress.
These Dhritarashtras regard us who are forgiving, as
really incompetent. This, O king, grieveth me
more than death in battle. If we all die in fair
fight without turning our backs on the foe, even that
would be better than this exile, for then we should
obtain regions of bliss in the other world. Or,
if, O bull of the Bharata race, having slain them all,
we acquire the entire earth, that would be prosperity
worth the trial. We who ever adhere to the customs
of our order, who ever desire grand achievements,
who wish to avenge our wrongs, have this for our bounden
duty. Our kingdom wrested from us, if we engage
in battle, our deeds when known to the world will
procure for us fame and not slander. And that
virtue, O king, which tortureth one’s own self
and friends, is really no virtue. It is rather
vice, producing calamities. Virtue is sometimes
also the weakness of men. And though such a man
might ever be engaged in the practice of virtue, yet
both virtue and profit forsake him, like pleasure
and pain forsaking a person that is dead. He that
practiseth virtue for virtue’s sake always suffereth.
He can scarcely be called a wise man, for he knoweth
not the purposes of virtue like a blind man incapable
of perceiving the solar light. He that regardeth
his wealth to exist for himself alone, scarcely understandeth
the purposes of wealth. He is really like a servant
that tendeth kine in a forest. He again that
pursueth wealth too much without pursuing virtue and
enjoyments, deserveth to be censured and slain by
all men. He also that ever pursueth enjoyments
without pursuing virtue and wealth, loseth his friends
and virtue and wealth also. Destitute of virtue
and wealth such a man, indulging in pleasure at will,
at the expiration of his period of indulgence, meeteth