were then at that place thousands of dice-players whom Yudhishthira could defeat in a match.  Taking however, no notice of any of them, he challenged Suvala’s son of all men to the game, and so he lost.  And although the dice constantly went against him, he would still have Sakuni alone for his opponent.  Competing with Sakuni in the play, he sustained a crushing defeat.  For this, no blame can attach to Sakuni.  Let the messenger make use of words characterised by humility, words intended to conciliate Vichitravirya’s son.  The messenger may thus bring round Dhritarashtra’s son to his own views.  Do not seek war with the Kurus; address Duryodhana in only a conciliatory tone, The object may possibly fail to be gained by war, but it may be gained by conciliation, and by this means also it may be gained enduringly.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ’While that valiant scion of Madhu’s race was even continuing his speech, the gallant son of the race of Sini suddenly rose up and indignantly condemned the words of the former by these words of his.’

SECTION III

“Satyaki said, ’Even as a man’s heart is, so doth he speak!  Thou art speaking in strict conformity with the nature of thy heart.  There are brave men, and likewise those that are cowards.  Men may be divided into these two well defined classes.  As upon a single large tree there may be two boughs one of which beareth fruits while the other doth not, so from the self-same line of progenitors may spring persons that are imbecile as well as those that are endowed with great strength O thou bearing the sign of a plough on thy banner, I do not, in sooth, condemn the words thou hast spoken, but I simply condemn those, O son of Madhu, who are listening to thy words!  How, indeed, can he, who unblushingly dares attach even the slightest blame in the virtuous king Yudhishthira be permitted to speak at all in the midst of the assembly?  Persons clever in the game of dice challenged the magnanimous Yudhishthira unskilled as he is in play, and confiding in them he was defeated!  Can such persons be said to have virtuously won the game?  If they had come to Yudhishthira while playing in this house with his brothers and defeated him there, then what they would have won would have been righteously won.  But they challenged Yudhishthira who was bound in conscience to follow the rules observed by the military caste, and they won by a trick.  What is there in this conduct of theirs that is righteous?  And how can this Yudhishthira here, having performed to the utmost the stipulations entered into by way of stakes in the play, freed from the promise of a sojourn in the forest, and therefore entitled to his ancestral throne, humble himself?  Even if Yudhishthira coveted other people’s possessions, still it would not behove him to beg!  How can they be said to be righteous and not intent on usurping the throne when, although the Pandavas have lived out their