Vaishampayana said: -
1. Hearing these words of Krishnai Dhritarashtra, the lord of men, said in haste to Vidura conversant with all virtues.
2. “Go my dear friend, to the exceedingly wise Gandhari endued with great foresight; get her here; joining with her shall I persuade that one of evil intellect.
3. If she can lead that wicked souled one of vicious heart, to peace then shall we be able to act up to the words of Krishna, our well-wisher.
4. She might show the right path to him overpowered by avarice, by speaking in favour of that one of wicked intellect and having vicious men for his help, for making peace.
5. If she can thwart this dire and frightful calamity brought about by Duryodhana then shall we attain happiness and remain happy for ever.”
6. Hearing the words of the king Vidura brought, by command of Dhritarashtra, Gandhari endued with great foresight.
Dhritarashtra said: -
7. O Gandhari, this is your wicked - souled son who never obeys my commands owing to his avarice for prosperity; he will lose prosperity as also his life.
8. That wicked-souled one like, an unmannerly man and without showing any respect for others, accompanied by those vicious companions, went out of the council hall and the fool did not pay any attention to the advice of his well-wishers.
Vaishampayana said: -
9. That princess, of great renown Gandhari haying heard the words of her husband, said these words desiring the greatest good of her son.
Gandhari said: -
10. Quickly summon your son, who is afflicted with a passion for kingdom; a kingdom cannot be maintained by an unrighteous person who seeks neither virtue nor worldly good.
11. But notwithstanding all this, Duryodhana, having no humility in him, has obtained what is unobtainable by all means and you, O Dhritarashtra, are very much blameable for this, for you are fond of your son.
12. You, who know that he is of a sinful nature, follow his wisdom, and he too. supported by you is fully under the infiuence of desire and wrath and a slave of lust.
13. He is now incapable of being swerved from his purpose by force, O king; entrusting the kingdom to that ignorant fool of wicked soul.
14. And having wicked minister and moved by avarice, you are reaping the fruits O Dhritarashtra; why do you, O lord of the earth, look on this dispute with your own kinsmen with indifference? Your enemies will rejoice at this dispute with your own kinsmen.
15. A difficulty which can be averted, O great king, by means of conciliation in gift, who would care to use violence in?
Vaishampayana said: -
16. By command of Dhritarashtra as also at the request of the mother the Khattri again had the wrathful Duryodhana brought there.
17. Me, being desirous of hearing what his mother had to say, again entered the council chambers with his eyes red as copper in rage, and breathing (heavily) like a serpent.
18. Seeing her son who was following the wrong course enter, Gandhari with a view to peace, spoke these words finding fault with him.
19. O Duryodhana, my dear son, listen to these words of mine which will conduce to the benefit of yourself along with your followers, which will bring on happiness and which is easy for you to listen.
20. Duryodhana, what your father, that best among the Bharatas, as also Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the Kshattri have told you is the advice of your well-wishers: follow that.
21. It is my fond and earnest wish as also that of your well-wishers Bhishma, your father and others, the chief of whom is- Drona, that you should make peace.
22. O you of great wisdom, a kingdom, cannot be maintained by following the bent of your desires alone, nor can it be earned, protected or enjoyed (by that means) O best of the Bharatas.
23. Nor can one, who has not controlled his senses, enjoy a kingdom for a long while; one, who has controlled his senses and has intelligence, can alone protect a kingdom.
24. Desire and wrath snatch away a man from earthly good; after subjugating these two enemies does a king conquer the earth.
25. The sovereignty enjoyed by a ruler of men is a great thing; a kingdom can easily be wished for by those that are of wicked-souls but it cannot be suitably protected by them.
26. One, who aspires to great things, must lead his senses to virtue and profit; by having the senses under control, intelligence increases as fire when it has fuel added on to it.
27. These, when not kept under proper control, are sufficiently powerful to kill a man like untrained horses not properly managed which can kill an incompetent driver on the road.
28. He, who without conquering self, wants to conquer his ministers, or he, who without conquering his ministers wants to conquer his enemies, is soon brought under subjection by others.
29. He who conquers his own self first, thinking that to be an enemy, and then desires to conquer his ministers and his enemies has his desires fulfilled.
30. To one who has his senses under control, to one who has gained mastery over his enemies, to one who holds the rod (of punishment) on offenders and to one who does a thing after mature consideration, does prosperity of great adoration.
31. Like two small fishes, caught in a net with small holes, are desire and wrath which exist in a body, deprived of their existence by wisdom.
32. Desire and wrath when increased are the things owing to which the gods shut up the doors of heaven to a man who has grained mastery over worldly propensities and otherwise is qualified to enter heaven.
33. The protector of the earth, who knows how to gain complete ascendancy over desire, wrath, avarice, pride and vanity, subjugates the entire world.
34. The rulers of men, desirous of obtaining worldly good, virtue and the defeat of his enemies, should constantly employ themselves in controlling their senses.
35. He who behaves falsely, being subject to desire or to wrath, towards himself or to others, has got nobody to help him.
36. Having joined those ones endued with great wisdom, those heroes who are chastisers of their enemies, those Pandavas you will enjoy along with them this earth in happiness, my dear son.
37. What Bhishma, the son of Shantanu and the great car- warrior Drona have told you, namely that Krishna and Arjun are invincible is true indeed.
38. Seek the refuge of that one of long arms, Krishna who does everything without exertions; if Keshava is gratified, it will conduce to the happiness of both the sides.
39. That man, who does not follow the instructions of well-wishers who desire his good and who are wise and learned is the delight of his enemies.
40. My dear son, from a fight there will result no good; and how can there be virtue or worldly benefit? and how can there be happiness. Even victory is not stable; do not Therefore, set your mind on war.
41. O you of great wisdom, by Bhishma, by your father and by Valhika were the sons of Pandu given their share of the kingdom out of fear for a dispute, O chastiser of foes.
42. The fruits of this bestowal you now see - you enjoy this entire earthy subjected by those heroes, with all your thorns and barriers removed.
43. Give to the sons of Pandu their due share, O chastiser of foes, if you desire to enjoy the earth with your ministers; make over to them one half of this kingdom.
44. One half of this earth is sufficient for the livelihood of yourself and your ministers; by following the advice of your well-wishers you will earn renown, O Bharata.
45. By a struggle with the sons of Pandu who are endued with prosperity, who have intelligence and who have mastered their senses, you will be deprived of great happiness, my dear son.
46. Removing the wrath of your well-wishers, rule over your kingdom duly after having given back to the sons of Pandu their own share, O best among the Bharatas.
47. The troubles that they have suffered for the last thirteen years are enough; O you of great wisdom, control the feelings you entertain, which are fed by wrath and desire.
48. You desire to possess yourself of the wealth of the sons of Pritha but you are not competent to do it, nor is the son of the Suta, nor your brother Dushasana of firm wrath.
49. Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Karna, Bhimasena, Dhananjaya and Dhristadyumna being fired with wrath, all creatures will surely cease to exist.
50. Being subject to the influence of wrath, do not, my dear son, slay the Kurus; let hot this entire earth be massacred on account of your doings.
51. The thought, that you entertain, O king, that Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and others will fight for you, with all their mighty will not be realized now.
52. These, who know their own selves, have equal affection for the Pandavas and yourselves, while virtue is more on their sider; besides whichever side wins, the kingdom will be the same to them.
53. If for the fear of losing the maintenance they get from the king, they can think lightly of their very lives, they will yet not be able to see the king Yudhisthira with (angry) eyes.
54. By avarice men are not seen to earn prosperity in this world; Therefore, do you my dear son, quench this avarice of yours, O best among the Bharatas.
Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-ninth chapter, the speech of Gandhari, in the Bhagavat-yana of the Udyoga Parva.