Vidura said: -
1. For the capture of birds did a certain fowler set his net in this world. O Sire, so we have heard from old men.
2. There were two birds, companions to each other, captured in that net and they both went up into the air with that net.
3. The fowler seeing them fly up in-the air without losing his senses followed them in the direction they took.
4. A certain Rishi living in a hermitage, who had finished his daily worship I saw that fowler following the birds, still in the hope of getting hold of the birds.
5. Then did the anchorite address, O Kauravya, that denizen of the earth following the wanderers of the sky in this couplet.
6. O Slayer of animals, it seems to me wonderfully strange that you who move by your feet in this earth are following wanderers of the sky.
The fowler said: -
7. These two united are taking that one net of mine but they will come under my control where they will quarrel.
Vidura said: -
8. The two birds who were doomed to death quarrelled; and having quarrelled the two fools fell to the earth.
9. The slayer of animals then approaching those two fighting with each other, subject to the trap of death, without their knowledge caught hold of them.
10. In the same way those cousins who quarrel in matters of wealth are brought under the control of enemies like the birds owing to their quarrel.
11. Dining in one another’s company and conversing among one another, enquiring about one another’s health and living together -these are the duties of cousins, and quarrel is never.
12. Those who in proper season serve the old men out of pure motives, become invincible like a forest protected by lions.
13. Those, who attaining to prosperity behave like the mean-minded contribute to the prosperity of their despisers, O you bull among the race of Bharata.
14. Cousins, O you bull among the race of Bharata, smoke when quarrelling, and blaze up when united like charcoals.
15. I shall speak of something else, which was seen by me in a mountain and bearing that too, O son of Kuru, do whatever is good.
16. We went to the Northern mountains accompanied by hunters and godlike Brahmanas fond of conversations or incantations and medicines.
17. The Gandhamadana Mountain was like a grove (owing to trees growing on it) in every way. It was shining, as it were, with cluster of medicinal plants and inhabited by ascetics and the Gandharvas.
18. There we all saw some honey of a yellow colour inside a pot placed at a very high point of the mountain.
19. This was guarded by snakes -the favourite drink of Kuvera, as it was, drinking which even an earthly man gets immortality.
20. Those without eyes get eyes; and the old become young. There was the honey described by the Brahmanas conversant with incantations.
21. Then did the hunters, seeing that, strive to obtain it, O king, and were destroyed in that frightful mountain cavern full of snakes.
22. Thus does this son of yours desire to be the one supreme individual in this world; out of loss of his senses, does he see only the honey and not the fall.
23. Duryodhana is desirous of a fight with Savyasachin; but I do not see in him the strength or energy necessary for that purpose.
24. -That Savyasachin, who alone in his car has brought the earth under his control and who inspired dread into Bhishma, Drona and others accompanied by their hosts.
25. They were routed at the city of Virata -see what occurred there. That hero looking at your face and waiting to see your movements will forgive you still.
26. Drupada, the king of the Matsyas, and Dhananjaya, fired with wrath, will leave no trace (of your army) like a conflagration urged on by the wind.
27. O Dhritarashtra, take the king Yudhisthira on your lap; for by a struggle between you two none can get an absolute victory.
Thus ends the sixty-fourth chapter, the speech of Vidura in the Yanasandhi of the Udyoga Parva.