The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 207

Section CCVII. ( *Vidurāgamaua Parva continued.* ) Vaisampayana said, "After Drona had ceased, Vidura spoke, saying, 'O monarch, thy friends, without doubt, say unto thee what is for thy good. But unwilling as thou art to listen to what they say, their words scarcely find a place in thy ears. What that foremost of the Kurus, Bhisma the son of Shantanu, hath said, is excellent and for thy good. But thou dost not listen to it. The preceptor Drona also hath said much that is for thy good, which, however, Karna the son of Rādhā doth not regard so. But, O king, reflecting hard I do not find any one who is a better friend to thee than these two lions among men (Bhisma and Drona), or any one who excells them is wisdom. These two, old in years, in wisdom, and in learning, always regard thee, O king, and the sons of Pandu with equal eyes. And without doubt, O king of the Bharata race, they are both, in virtue and truthfulness, not inferior to Rāma the son of Dasaratha, and Gaya (of old). Never before did they give thee any evil advice. Thou also, O monarch, hast never done them any injury. Why should, therefore, these tigers among men, who are ever truthful, give thee wicked advice, when especially thou hast never injured them? Endued with wisdom, these foremost of men in this world, O king, will never give thee counsels that are crooked. O scion of the Kuru race, this is my firm conviction that these two, acquainted as they are with all rules of morality, will never, tempted by wealth utter anything betraying a spirit of partizanship. What they have said, O Bharata, I regard as highly beneficial to thee! Without doubt, O monarch, the Pandavas are thy sons as much as Duryodhana and others are. Those ministers, therefore, that give thee any counsels fraught with evil unto the Pandavas, do not really look after thy interests. If there is any partiality in thy heart, O king, for thy own children, they who by their counsels seek to bring it out, certainly do thee no good. Therefore, O king, these illustrious persons endued with great splendour, have not, I think, said anything that leadeth to evil. Thou, however, dost not understand it. What these bulls amongst men have said regarding the invinciblenesss of the Pandavas is perfectly true. Think not otherwise of it, O tiger among men! Blest be thou! Can the handsome Dhananjaya the son of Pandu, using both right and left hands with equal activity, be vanquished in battle even by Maghavan himself! Can the great Bhima-sena of strong arms, possessing the might of ten thousand elephants, be vanquished in battle by the immortals themselves? Who also that desireth to live can overcome in battle the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) like unto the sons of Yama himself, and well skilled in fight? How too can the eldest of the Pandavas (Yudhish-thira) in whom patience, mercy, forgiveness, truth, and prowess are always present, be vanquished? They who have Rama (Valadeva) as their ally, and Janarddana (Krishna) as their counsellor, and Sātyaki as their partisan, whom have they not already defeated in war? They who have Drupada for their father-in-law, and Drupada's sons—the heroic brothers Dhrishta-dyumna and others of Prishata's race—for their brothers-in-law, are certainly invincible. Remembering this, O monarch, and knowing that their claim to the kingdom is even prior to thine, behave thou virtuously towards them. The stain of calumny is on thee, O monarch, in consequence of the act of Purochana. Wash thyself of it now, by a kindly behaviour towards the Pandavas. This kindly behaviour of thine, O monarch, towards thee Pandavas will be an act of great benefit to us, protecting the lives of us all belonging to the Kuru race, and leading to the growth of the whole Kshatriya race. We had formerly warred with king Drupada. If we can now secure him as an ally, it will strengthen our party. The *Dasharhas* are, O king, numerous and strong. Know that where Krishna is all must be, and where Krishna is, there victory must be. And, O king, that which can be effected by conciliation, who, unless cursed by the gods, would seek to effect by means of war? Hearing that the sons of Prithā are alive, the citizens and other subjects of the realm have become exceedingly glad and eager for beholding them. O monarch, act in a way that is agreeable to them. Duryodhana and Karna and Sakuni the son of Suvala, are sinful, foolish, and young. Listen not to them! Possessed of every virtue as thou art, I have long ago told thee, O monarch, that for Duryodhana's fault, the subjects of this kingdom will be exterminated.'" Thus ends the two hundred and seventh Section in the Vidurāgamana of the Adi Parva.