virtue.  Knowing this thy friends counsel thee to act.  Gift, sacrifice, respect for the wise, study of the Vedas, and honesty, these, O king, constitute the highest virtue and are efficacious both here and hereafter.  These virtues, however, cannot be attained by one that hath no wealth, even if, O tiger among men, he may have infinite other accomplishments.  The whole universe, O king, dependeth upon virtue.  There is nothing higher than virtue.  And virtue, O king, is attainable by one that hath plenty of wealth.  Wealth cannot be earned by leading a mendicant life, nor by a life of feebleness.  Wealth, however, can be earned by intelligence directed by virtue.  In thy case, O king, begging, which is successful with Brahmanas, hath been forbidden.  Therefore, O bull amongst men, strive for the acquisition of wealth by exerting thy might and energy.  Neither mendicancy, nor the life of a Sudra is what is proper for thee.  Might and energy constitute the virtue of the Kshatriya in especial.  Adopt thou, therefore, the virtue of thy order and slay the enemies.  Destroy the might of Dhritarashtra’s sons, O son of Pritha, with my and Arjuna’s aid.  They that are learned and wise say that sovereignty is virtue.  Acquire sovereignty, therefore, for it behoveth thee not to live in a state of inferiority.  Awake, O king, and understand the eternal virtues (of the order).  By birth thou belongest to an order whose deeds are cruel and are a source of pain to man.  Cherish thy subjects and reap the fruit thereof.  That can never be a reproach.  Even this, O king, is the virtue ordained by God himself for the order to which thou belongest!  If thou tallest away therefrom, thou wilt make thyself ridiculous.  Deviation from the virtues of one’s own order is never applauded.  Therefore, O thou of the Kuru race, making thy heart what it ought to be, agreeably to the order to which thou belongest, and casting away this course of feebleness, summon thy energy and bear thy weight like one that beareth it manfully.  No king, O monarch, could ever acquire the sovereignty of the earth or prosperity or affluence by means of virtue alone.  Like a fowler earning his food in the shape of swarms of little easily-tempted game, by offering them some attractive food, doth one that is intelligent acquire a kingdom, by offering bribes unto low and covetous enemies.  Behold, O bull among kings, the Asuras, though elder brothers in possession of power and affluence, were all vanquished by the gods through stratagem.  Thus, O king, everything belongeth to those that are mighty.  And, O mighty-armed one, slay thy foes, having recourse to stratagem.  There is none equal unto Arjuna in wielding the bow in battle.  Nor is there anybody that may be equal unto me in wielding the mace.  Strong men, O monarch, engage in battle depending on their might, and not on the force of numbers nor on information of the enemy’s plans procured through spies.  Therefore, O son of Pandu exert thy might.