Sanjayayana Parva — The speech of Sanjaya

Sanjaya said That you are attached to virtue, O Pandava, is known in this word and I see also that it is so, O son of Pritha. The life that is full of great deeds, also is unstable; considering this, you should not destroy (the Kurus).

If the sons of Kuru do not give back to you your share without war, O you who have created no enemies; but I consider that living as a beggar in the kingdoms of Andhaka and Vrishni is better than a kingdom (attained) by means of war.

Şince a man's life lasts but for a short time and is ever subject to sufferings and is unstable and since again it is not comparable to fame, therefore should you not do, O son of Pandu, a sinful art.

Desires adhere to a man and they are the source of all impediments to virtue, O king of men. A wise man, having killed them beforehand, gained unspeakable praise in the world.

Thirst for wealth is a bond in this world, O son of Pritha. Those, who desire it, go against virtue as it were. He who chooses virtue is wise. The man, who desires pleasure, becomes degraded for the sake of pleasure.

A man, who makes virtue his prime duty, gains great fame and shines like the sun, and the man, of vicious intellect, devoid of virtue, is ruined even if he obtains the earth.

The Vedas have been read by you; the hard austerities of Brahmacharya have been practised by you and in sacrificial ceremonies the desires of Brahmanas have been fulfilled by you and with the other world before your mind, your soul has been devoted to happiness for a series of years.

He, who having having devoted himself excessively to pleasures, does not to any deed leading to religious meditation, becomes extremely devoid of happiness after his wealth is gone and remains liable to be led by the force of his desires.

In the same way, the fool, who despising virtue and without practicing religious meditation, gives himself up to vice, shows no regard (for the Supreme Being). The soul, after leaving the body and reaching the other world, comes to grief.

Here (i.e. in the other world) there is no absolute annihilation for either virtuous or for vicious deeds. The good and evil deeds go before and the agent only follows them.

Your deeds are famous, as the offerings of savory and delicious victuals, rendered holy with the respect (with which they are offered), made to Brahmanas accompanied by gifts with perfect propriety, on the occasion of religious ceremonies.

During this life deeds are done, O son of Pritha and after death, no act whatever is done. And virtuous deeds that are valuable in the next world and so be-lauded by the great and the honest, have been done by you.

Death does away with decrepitude, fear, as also hunger and thirst and all that is disagreeable to the mind. There is no duty there but delighting in one's senses.

Such is the fruit of our deeds, O king of men; therefore do not, in this world, carry the load of doing what is pleasing to the heart, O son of Pandu, do not (by your action) go forever either to the region that is full of causes begetting wrath (hell) or to the one that abounds with causes begetting delight.

Having got to the end of your deeds, do not however, put truth, self-conduct, candour and humility. You may perform the Ashvamedha and Rajasuya sacrifices, but do not come again near the limits of sinful acts.

If now, actuated by malice, you sons of Pritha, do vicious deeds, you have, in vain, for a series of years, resided in forests undergoing all sorts of troubles like virtue itself.

In vain did you also roam about in the forests, parting with this army, which was formerly subject to your control and also (parting with) these followers of yours, namely Janardana and the hero Yuyudhana.

And also (your followers) the king of the Matsya, Virata of the golden car with his son at the head of his shoulders. And the kings who were formerly vanquished by you, all have come over to your side.

With all these great resources, with great fame (which then attached to your name) and possessing an army at the head of which were the son of Vasudeva and Arjuna, you might after having slain the most valorous among your despisers in the field of battle, have destroyed the pride of the sons of Dhritarashtra.

Why after having increased the strength of your enemy and after weakening your own friends and after having lived in exile in the forest for a series of years, are you now desirous of fighting, O son of Pandu, after the proper time.

An unwise man, O son of Pandu or one that does not know virtue, may obtain prosperity by fighting or a wise man and virtuous, may lose his prosperity by not fighting.

Your instinct does not urge you to an unrighteous act, O son of Pritha and never did you, out of wrath, do a sinful act. Tell me, therefore, what the reason is which makes you desirous of doing this sinful act, which is against the dictates wisdom.

Wrath is a bitter remedy for evils, it causes malady in the head, destroys fame and is a source of sinful acts. It ought to be controlled by a good man and those that do not control it are bad men. O great king, control your wrath. Incline to peace.

Who would desire wrath which leads to sin. Forbearance is good for you, not enjoyments where Bhishma and the son of Shantanu will be killed and Drona with his son slain.

Kripa, Shalya, the son of Somadatta, Vikarana, Vivingshati, Karna and Duryodhana-having killed all these, what sort of happiness is it that you will get after that, tell me, O son of Pritha.

Having gained even this earth bounded by the sea, you will not get rid of descripitude or death, desirable results or undesirable, happiness or misery. O king knowing this, do not wage war.

If you are desirous of doing this deed, attended with such results, simply because your advisers wish it, then abdicate everything to them and go away. You should not now forsake the path leading to the region of the gods.