“Gandhari said, ’O Duryodhana, attend, O dear son, to these words of mine that are beneficial to thee as also to all thy followers,—­words that thou art competent to obey and that will conduce to thy happiness.  O Duryodhana, obey thou the words of thy well-wishers, those words, viz., which that best of the Bharatas—­thy father—­and Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and Kshattri, have spoken.  If thou makest peace, thou wouldst by that render homage to Bhishma, to thy father, to me, and to all thy well-wishers with Drona at their head.  O thou of great wisdom, nobody, O best of the Bharatas, succeedeth by his own desire alone in acquiring and keeping or enjoying a kingdom.  One that hath not his senses under control, cannot enjoy sovereignty for any length of time.  He that hath his soul under control and is endued with great intelligence, can rule a kingdom.  Lust and wrath wean away a man from his possessions and enjoyments.  Conquering these foes first, a king bringeth the earth under his subjection.  Sovereignty over men is a great thing.  Those that are of wicked souls may easily desire to win a kingdom, but they are not competent to retain a kingdom (when won).  He that desireth to obtain extensive empire must bind his senses to both profit and virtue, for if the senses are restrained, intelligence increaseth, like fire that increaseth when fed with fuel.  If not controlled, these can even slay their possessor, like unbroken and furious horses, capable of killing an unskilful driver.  One that seeketh to conquer his counsellors without conquering his own self, and to conquer foes without conquering his counsellors, is soon vanquished himself and is ruined.  He who conquereth his own self first, taking it for a foe, will not seek in vain to conquer his counsellors and enemies afterwards.  Prosperity worshippeth greatly that person who hath conquered his senses and his counsellors, who inflicteth punishments on transgressors, who acteth after deliberation, and who is possessed of wisdom.  Lust and wrath that dwell in the body are deprived of their strength by wisdom, like a couple of fishes ensnared in a net with close holes.  Those two in consequence of which the gods shut the gates of heaven against one, who freed from worldly propensities is desirous of going thither, are excited by lust and wrath.  That king who knoweth well how to conquer lust and wrath and avarice and boastfulness and pride, can own the sovereignty of the whole earth.  That king who is desirous of gaining wealth and virtue and vanquishing his enemies, should always be engaged in controlling his passions.  Influenced by lust, or from wrath, he that behaveth deceitfully towards his own kinsmen or others, can never win many allies.  Uniting thyself with those chastisers of foes—­the heroic sons of Pandu—­who are all endued with great wisdom, thou canst, O son, enjoy the earth in happiness.  What Bhishma, the son of Santanu, and that mighty car-warrior, Drona, have told thee