Sanjayayana Parva — The words of Sanjaya

Vaishampayana said Then did Sanjaya, permitted by the son of Pandu, depart, doing all the behest's of the great-souled Dhritarashtra.

Having reached Hastinapura, he entered it quickly and standing at the gate (entrance of the) inner apartments of the palace said these words to the gate-keeper.

Tell Dhritarashtra, O gate-keeper, that, I, Sanjaya, have returned from the presence of the sons of Pandu, delay not.

If he is awake, tell him this, O gate-keeper and make the ruler of the earth acquainted with (the news of) my entrance (into the city); I have business to submit to him. Hearing this, the gate-keeper went to the king.

The gate-keeper said O you lord of the earth, I bow down to you. Sanjaya is come to your door, desirous of an audience. He is arrived here as an envoy from the presence of the sons of Pandu. Command, O king, as to what he should do.

Dhritarashtra said Inform him of my well-being. Let him enter. Welcome to Sanjaya. I am never unwilling to receive him, why does he, who can enter at any moment, stand at my door.

Vaishampayana said Then with the king's permission, the son of Suta having entered that large hall with clasped hands, approached the royal so Vichitravirya, seated on the throne and protected by wise men, heroes and honorable men.

Sanjaya said I am Sanjaya, I bow down to the lord of the earth. Setting out from here, I reached the sons of Pandu, O god among men. The spirited Yudhishthira having sent his greetings to you, afterwards asked me about your health.

And he gladly enquired about the health of your sons and asks you if you are pleased with your sons and son's sons and friends and ministers and all those who live dependent on you.

Dhritarashtra said Blessing you, I say, O Sanjaya, is the son of Pritha he who creates no enemies, in happiness? Is that king of the Kauravas well with his sons, ministers and younger brothers.

Sanjaya said With his ministers, the son of Pandu is in health; he desires that which was formerly his own, he who acquires virtue and wealth and commits no wrong deed, who is spirited, of great learning, of great fore-sight and of good behaviour.

With the sons of Pandu humanity is superior to virtue and in his opinion virtue is superior to the accumulation of wealth. He is inclined to the through, O son of Bharata, that happiness and joy are essential to virtue.

Led by the will of God, a man acts like a wooden doll moved about by a thread. Seeing the sufferings of the son of Pandu I think that the ordinations of the gods have greater force than the exertions of man.

Seeing again your sinful deeds which will give rise to misery and which are eminently indescribable, (I am of opinion) that so long as a mighty foe waits for an opportunity, the other obtains praise.

The hero Yudhishthira, who has created no enemies, casting away all sins as a snake does its worn out slough, which cannot remain on it, shines resplendent having transferred (the effect of) his sins to you.

Reflect, Oking, the suicidal (effects of your) acts which are the reverse of the acts of honorable men and unproductive either of virtue or of wealth you have obtained blame, O king, in this world and again will you get misery in another.

Now following the whims of your son, you expect to obtain the wealth which it is hard to gain; you want to enjoy without them to share it. This act has been loudly proclaimed to be vicious in this world and this act is not worthy of you, O you foremost of the race of Bharata.

Those who are devoid of wisdom, who are born is low families, who are cruel, who cherish feelings of enmity for a long time and who are not steady in the acquisitions of a Kshatriya, who are devoid to heroism and who are vicious-those who answer this description are overtaken by ruin.

It is through luck that one is born in a high family, is mighty, is renowned, is vastly learned, is happy in this life, tries to subdue his soul or supports virtue and vice which have a close connection between them.

The Kurus will prematurely cease to exist, if through your sins, he who has created no enemies wishes you misery. He will transfer (effect of) his sins to you and you will be blamed in the world.

Why should a man who is advised by the best of ministers, who is wise and who is master of actions producing virtue and interest in times of distress and who has not lost his senses why should such a man do a cruel deed like a man who is devoid of all advice.

All these ministers of yours, ever devoted to work, wait together. It is through their firm determination (that they will not give back to the Pandavas their share of the kingdom) that the destruction of the Kurus will be accomplished.

What else is it but divine that the son of Pritha left this world to behold the other and was there honored like one having the privilege of roaming about both the worlds. This is not the doing of a man. There is no doubt about it.

Seeing that the growth of these attributes (viz., heroism etc.) depended on action and that wealth and poverty were transient, king Bali, in his search about the cause of this came to the conclusion that god and nothing else was the cause thereof.

The eye, the ear, the nose, the touch and the tongue, these are the sources of the knowledge of animals. These are gratified if thirst is destroyed; therefore should a man cheerfully bring these under control.

Others put it in a different way. (They say) that the desired effect must come out of one's acts when done properly. (Thus) the child is the outcome of the act of its father and mother and it grows by proper diet.

O king, man is subject to good and bad, happiness and misery, praise and censure. He wins praise when he does any good act and blame when he commits any wrong.

I blame you; for, the result of this struggle between the sons of Bharata will surely be the destruction of innumerable human lives and if peace be not concluded the Kurus will be consumed by Arjuna like a heap of dried grass by a blazing fire through your fault.

O Lord of men, you, alone of all the world having come under the influence of your headstrong son, regarded success as sure and did not prevent the dispute at the time of the game; now, see the result of this.

O king, O lord of men, you will not be able to return this broad domain on account of your weakness, in listening to the counsels of false ministers and rejecting that of faithful advisers, Oson of Kuru.

O best of men, being very much fatigued by the speedy motion of the car I solicit your permission to retire to rest; for in the morning the sons of Kuru assembled in the council chamber will listen to the message of him who has created no enemies.

Dhritarashtra said O son of Suta, being permitted by me go you to your house and retire to rest. In the morning will the sons of Kuru in the council chamber be hearers of the message of him who has created no enemies, alluded to by you.