nfluence of desire. He that
is wise should apply the medicine of intelligence to all great griefs.
Indeed, obtaining the medicine of wisdom, which is truly very efficacious
and is almost unattainable, the man of restrained soul would kill that
serious disease called sorrow. Neither prowess, nor wealth, nor friends,
nor well-wishers can cure a man of his grief so effectually as the
self-restrained soul. Therefore, observant of the great duty of
abstention from all injuries, or friendship for all creatures, be of
pious behaviour, O Bharata! Self-restraint, renunciation, and heedfulness
are the three steeds of Brahman. He who rides on the car of his soul,
unto which are yoked these steeds with the aid of traces furnished by
good conduct, and drives it, casting off all fear of death, proceedeth, O
king, to the regions of Brahman. That person, O monarch, who gives unto
all creatures an assurance of his harmlessness, goes to the highest of
regions, the blessed realm of Vishnu. The fruit that one obtains by an
assurance unto all creatures of his harmlessness cannot be obtained by a
1,000 sacrifices or by daily fasts. Amongst all things there is certainly
nothing dearer than self. Death is certainly disliked by all creatures, O
Bharata! Therefore, compassion should certainly be shown unto all. Endued
with diverse kinds of errors entangled by the net of their own
intelligence, they that are wicked and are of good vision, wander
repeatedly on the earth. They however, that are wise and endued with
subtle sight, attain to a union with Brahman.'"

8

Vaishampayana said, "Even after hearing the words of Vidura, the chief of
the Kurus, afflicted with grief on account of the death of his sons, fell
down senseless on the Earth. Beholding him fall down in that state, his
friends, as also the island-born Vyasa, and Vidura, and Sanjaya, and
other well-wishers, and the attendants who used to wait at the gates and
who enjoyed his confidence, sprinkled cool water over his body, and
fanned him with palm leaves, and gently rubbed him with their hands. For
a long while they comforted the king while in that condition. The
monarch, recovering his senses after a long time, wept for a long while,
overwhelmed with grief on account of the death of his sons. He said, 'Fie
on the state of humanity! Fie on the human body! The woes that are
suffered in this life frequently arise from the very state of humanity.
Alas, O lord, great is the grief, like