Prajagara Parva — Morality explained by Vidura

Vidura said In this connection is quoted the old story of the conversation between the son of Atri and Saddhyas as heard by us.

While the great Rishi of rigid vows was wandering as a mendicant, the deities called Saddhyas, in days of old, asked him of great wisdom.

The Saddhyas said We are deities called Saddhyas. O great Rishi, seeing you, we are unable to guess who you are; but it seems to us that you are possessed of self-control and thorough acquaintance with the holy books. It is, therefore, most proper that you should discourse to us in the magnanimous words full of wisdom.

The mendicant Rishi said O immortals, it has been heard by me that tranquility, self-control and the observance of true religion practiced until all the knots of one's heart be loosened bring for the agreeable and disagreeable to the level of one's own self.

The man who is reviling should not be reviled; for, the pain that is felt by him who endures (the reviling) patiently consumes the reviler and draws away and assimilates the effect of his good deeds.

Do not revile others, nor insult them. Do not quarrel with friends, nor associate with the vulgar. Do not be vain, nor of bad manners; and avoid words that are harsh and those that proceed from passion.

Harsh words burn the very vitals, bones, heart and the life of men. Therefore he that has virtue for his refuse should always avoid harsh and angry words.

The luckless man who pierce the hearts of others by thorns of harsh words touching their vitals bears on his face the misery and death of all men.

A wise men pierced by sharp arrows of words from another and blazing like the fire or the sun should, though wounded and burning with extreme pain, bear all with patience, remembering that the effects of the slanderer's good deeds become his own.

According as a man serves a saint or as he is wicked or virtuous or a thief, so he becomes endued with the habits of his associates; even as a cloth comes to be of the same colour with the die in which it is soaked.

The gods court the company of one who when reviled does not return nori induces others to return and who when struck does not strike in return or make others strike and who does not wish to injure his assailant.

Not to speak at all is better than speaking. Secondly, if you have to speak, tell the truth. Thirdly, if you have to speak the truth, speak what is agreeable; and fourthly, if you have to speak what is agreeable, speak what is conducive to morality.

A man becomes like him with whom he associates or him whom he serves or him like whom he seeks to be.

Those things one keeps himself away from; then he is freed from everything; and the slightest misery vanishes away.

(Such a man) does vanquish others nor is vanquished by them; he never appears as other's enemy, nor their assailant; his mind remains calm at praise or blame; and he is unmoved by praise or blame.

He desires prosperity for all and does not set his heart on their adversity. He is truthful, mind and can keep himself under control. And also he is the best of men.

He who does not seek to solace another by telling untruth and who having promised performs and who knows the weakness of others, is a man of the middling type.

Hard to get under control, unable to wear a soft look, owing to rage, when wounded by arms, ungrateful and incapable of being anybody's friend-these are the signs of an inferior man is this world.

He, who does not appreciates benefits coming from others and who drives away all his friends, is an inferior man.

He who desires prosperity for himself should serve good men and, on suitable occasions, men of the middling type; but he should never serve people of the inferior type.

An unrighteous man obtains wealth by force, by incessant efforts, by intelligence and by prowess; but he does not win fame, properly so called, nor the wealth (virtues) of those born in high families.

Dhritarashtra said The gods prefer those born of high families, and so also those who equally recognise virtue and worldly good and those that are deeply learned. I ask you, O Vidura, this question, "Who are those born in high families?"

Vidura said Devotion, self-control, knowledge in the Vedas, sacrificial ceremonies, marriages in proper form and incessant gift of food, the families, in which these seven practices exist in proper forms, are consider to be high.

Those, who do not deviate from the right path, whose forefathers are never pained (at their wrong doings), who practice virtue with cheerfulness of heart, who desire the increase of pure fame of their families, who avoid untruths, come from high families.

By the non-performance of sacrifices and by the performance of impure marriages, by the leaving off of the study of the Vedas, high families become degenerated, as also by insults to the Brahmanas.

By destruction of the wealth of the celestials, stealing the wealth of Brahmana and by the transgression of conduct of them, persons belonging to the high family comes into a low category.

By speaking ill of the Brahmanas and by insulting them, O Bharata, the high families as become degenerated, also by the misappropriation of what has been entrusted to them..

Families, even possessing cows, members and wealth, are not reckoned among families, who are of bad manners.

Families, that are not of bad manners, though possessing but little wealth, are reckoned among families; and they win great fame.

Good manners should be preserved with care for wealth comes and it goes. Those who are week in wealth, are not poor; but those who are weak in good manners are considered to be SO.

Families well possessed of knowledge, horses and other animals and agricultural produce are not worth regarding, if they are wanting in good manners.

Let none in our family be a creator of enemies; let none be a minister to the king; none, a thief stealing other's property; none, an enemy of his well-wisher; none, deceitful; none be addicted to falsehood; and none eat before making offerings to his ancestors, gods or guests.

None in our family who kills the Brahmanas, none in our family who injures the Brahmanas and none in our family who impedes agriculture, should associate with us.

A straw seat, room to sit in, water and sweet words, these are never wanting in the house of the good.

These things, O king, the wise and virtuous men attached to the performance of pious acts ever keep ready for offering with reverence to their guests.

As the Syandana tree, though thin, o king, can still bear weights which other large trees cannot; so persons of high families can bear the load of mental anxiety, which others cannot .

He whose anger inspires fear or he who must be waited upon with fear is not a friend; but the friend whom one can trust as a father is a true friend. Other kinds of friendship are merely contracted in name.

That friend who, though not related in any way, yet acts as a friend; and he is a true friend, a refuge and a protector.

The making of friends by that man is not certain, who is of an unsteady mind or who does not serve old men or who is not constant in his opinions or who is of a frickle disposition. men are

Prosperity forsakes those who are of unsteady minds, those who have no souls and those who are under the control of their senses, even as the swan forsakes the dried up lakes.

To be angry all on a sudden and to be generous without cause are the signs of unrighteous like clouds that inconstant.

The dead bodies of those, who, served and benefited by friends, show them ingratitude, are eaten up with disgust even by the birds of prey.

Poor or rich, one should serve his friends. Unasked to do some service, a friend cannot make know the sincerity or insincerity of his heart.

Sorrow destroys beauty. Sorrow destroys strength. Sorrow destroys knowledge; and sorrow brings on disease.

Though one's object is not gained, yet the body is consumed by grief, which makes one's enemies glad; therefore do not give way to grief.

A man again and again both dies and is born; a man again and again withers and grows; a man again and again asks and is asked; and a man again and again laments and is lamented for.

Happiness and misery, prosperity and adversity, gain and loss, death and life come to all by turn; therefore he that is wise should not be glad nor sorry.

The six senses are not constant. The understanding flows out in proportion to their strength, even as water flows out of a full pot through its holes.

Dhritarashtra said The king (Yudhishthira), who resembles the fame of fire and who has been played false by me, will put an end to the life of my wicked sons in battle.

Everything seems to be a source of anxiety. Hence my mind is constantly filled with anxiety. O you of great intelligence, speak to me what is calculated to remove my anxiety.

Vidura said In nothing but knowledge and devotion, in nothing but the control of senses, in nothing else but the perfect abandonment of avarice, do I see your good.

Knowledge removes fear and greatness is attained by devotion; and by serving one's elders and by application both knowledge and happiness are secured.

Those, desirous of attaining salvation without securing the merit obtainable by gifts and by the study of the Vedas, roam in this world liberated from anger and jealousy.

At the end of a good course of study or at the end of a battle well fought or at the end of asceticism well performed, does happiness increase.

Those who are not in good terms with their blood relations get no sleep, through lying on beds well prepared; nor do they, O king, obtain pleasure from women or from the laudatory songs of professional eulogists.

Those who are not in good terms with their blood relations cannot practice virtue; nor can they enjoy happiness in this world; nor they can win fame; nor do they derive pleasure from peace.

They are not pleased with what is spoken for their benefit; they cannot get hat they do not possess; nor they can retain what they have. O chief among men, there is no other end of those that are not in good terms with their blood relations save destruction.

Milk is possible in cows, devotion is possible in the Brahmanas; unsteadiness is possible among women; and cause of fear may be expected from blood relations.

Several thin threads of the same length collected together can bear the weight of the shuttle-cock constantly passing over them easily owing to their numerical strength.

Separated pieces of burning wood produce only smoke; but united they blaze. The same is the case, O Dhritarashtra, with blood relations.

Those who harsh towards the Brahmanas, women, blood relations and cows fall, O Dhritarashtra, like ripe fruits from their stalks.

A large tree standing by itself, through strong and firm, can in a moment be brought down with its truck by a strong wind.

But those trees that grow close together firmly can bear the force of stronger winds owing to their mutual support.

In the same way people consider a man, who is alone though endowed with many virtues, capable of being vanquished, like a tree standing alone by the wind. are

Owing to mutual assistance and mutual support, blood relations grow like lotus stalks in a lake.

The Brahmanas, cows, blood relations, infants and women must not be killed, as also those whose food we have eaten and who have come under our protection.

In a man no quality develop, O king, without wealth; but you can gain your object owing to immunity from disease. Those that are suffering from disease are like the dead.

Anger is a drink which the unrighteous cannot swallow. It brings on pain in the end, which is bitter, pungent and hot. It ought to be swallowed up by the good. You, great king, swallow it and be pacified.

They that are affected with disease do not appreciate enjoyments; not do they gain any pleasure from wealth. Those that are affected with disease and so filled with sorrow do not know what enjoyment, proceeding from wealth, is.

I told you before, O king, when I saw Draupadi won at dice-'Stop, Duryodhana; for they that are wise avoid excess at play.' You did not act accordingly.

That is not strength which is opposed to softness. That policy should be pursued which is fraught with virtue. The policy having crookedness at its basis is soon destroyed; but the prosperity derived from a policy, at once strong and soft, descend to one's sons and grandsons.

Let the sons of Dhritarashtra, therefore, make friends of the sons of Pandu; and let the sons of Pandu make friends with your sons; let the Kurus and Pandus live having the same friends and foes, o king, being happy and prosperous.

You are now the refuge of the sons of Kuru. The race of Kuru, O Ajmida, is dependent on you. O dear, preserve your fame and protect the sons of Pritha who are mere boys and who are affected with the troubles of exile.

O descendant of Kuru, make peace with the sons of Pandu; let not your enemies pry into your internal relations; they are all attached to truth. O god among men, O king among men, make Duryodhana renounce his ways.