The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 2,393 pages of information about The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2.

The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 2,393 pages of information about The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2.
alone to whom the sin attacheth while those that enjoy the fruit escape unhurt.  When a bowman shooteth an arrow, he may or may not succeed in slaying even a single person, but when an intelligent individual applieth his intelligence (viciously); it may destroy an entire kingdom with the king.  Discriminating the two by means of the one, bring under thy subjection the three by means of four, and also conquering the five and knowing the six, and abstaining from the seven, be happy.  Poison slayeth but one person, and a weapon also but one; wicked counsels, however, destroy an entire kingdom with king and subject.  Alone one should not partake of any savoury viand, nor alone reflect on concerns of profit, nor alone go upon a journey, nor alone remain awake among sleeping companions.  That Being who is One without a second, and whom, O king, thou hast not been able to comprehend, is Truth’s self, and the Way to heaven, even like a boat in the ocean.  There is one only defect in forgiving persons, and not another; that defect is that people take a forgiving person to be weak.  That defect, however, should not be taken into consideration, for forgiveness is a great power.  Forgiveness is a virtue of the weak, and an ornament of the strong.  Forgiveness subdueth (all) in this world; what is there that forgiveness cannot achieve?  What can a wicked person do unto him who carrieth the sabre of forgiveness in his hand?  Fire falling on a grassless ground is extinguished of itself.  And unforgiving individual defileth himself with many enormities.  Righteousness is the one highest good; and forgiveness is the one supreme peace; knowledge is one supreme contentment; and benevolence, one sole happiness.  Even as a serpent devoureth animals living in holes, the earth devoureth these two, viz., a king who is incompetent to fight, and a Brahmana who doth not sojourn to holy places.  A man may attain renown in this world by doing two things, viz., by refraining from harsh speech, and by disregarding those that are wicked.  O tiger among men, these two have not a will of their own, viz., those women who covet men simply because the latter are coveted by others of their sex, and that person who worships another simply because the latter is worshipped by others.  These two are like sharp thorns afflicting the body, viz., the desires of a poor man, and the anger of the impotent.  These two persons never shine because of their incompatible acts, viz., a householder without exertion, and a beggar busied in schemes.  These two, O king, live (as it were) in a region higher than heaven itself, viz., a man of power endued with forgiveness, and poor man that is charitable.  Of things honestly got, these two must be looked upon as misuse, viz., making gifts to the unworthy and refusing the worthy.  These two should be thrown into the water, tightly binding weights to their necks, viz., a wealthy man that doth not give away, and a poor man that is
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The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.