perity of king Dhritarashtra whose sons are many. For
evermore, O Sanjaya, my desire hath been that I should tell them nothing
else than that peace would be acceptable to king Dhritarashtra. I also
deem it proper for the sons of Pandu. A peaceful disposition of an
exceedingly rare character hath been displayed by Pandu's son in this
matter. When Dhritarashtra and his sons, however, are so covetous, I do
not see why hostility should not run high. Thou canst not pretend, O
Sanjaya, to be more versed than I am or Yudhishthira is, in the niceties
of right and wrong. Then why dost thou speak words of reproach with
reference to the conduct of Yudhishthira who is enterprising, mindful of
his own duty, and thoughtful, from the very beginning, of the welfare of
his family, agreeably to the injunctions (of treatises of morality)? With
regard to the topic at hand, the Brahmanas have held opinions of various
kinds. Some say that success in the world to come depends upon work. Some
declare that action should be shunned and that salvation is attainable by
knowledge. The Brahmanas say that though one may have a knowledge of
eatable things, yet his hunger will not be appeased unless he actually
eats. Those branches of knowledge that help the doing of work, bear
fruit, but not other kinds, for the fruit of work is of ocular
demonstration. A thirsty person drinks water, and by that act his thirst
is allayed. This result proceeds, no doubt, from work. Therein lies the
efficacy of work. If anyone thinks that something else is better than
work, I deem, his work and his words are meaningless. In the other world,
it is by virtue of work that the gods flourish. It is by work that the
wind blows. It is by virtue of work that the sleepless Surya rises every
day and becomes the cause of day and night, and Soma passes through the
months and the fortnights and the combinations of constellations. Fire is
kindled of itself and burns by virtue of work, doing good to mankind. The
sleepless goddess Earth, sustains by force this very great burden. The
sleepless rivers, giving satisfaction to all (organised) beings, carry
their waters with speed. The sleepless Indra, possessed of a mighty
force, pours down rain, resounding the heaven and the cardinal points.
Desirous of being the greatest of the gods, he led a life of austerities
such as a holy Brahmana leads. Indra gave up pleasure, and all things
agreeable to the heart. He sedulously cherished virtue and t