, 'Hearing these words of his mother, the son said, "O ruthless
and wrathful mother, O thou that thinkest highly of martial heroism, thy
heart is surely made of steel beat into that shape. Fie on Kshatriya
practices, in accordance with which thou urgest me to battle, as if I
were a stranger to thee, and for the sake of which thou speakest to
me--thy only son--such words as if thou wert not my mother. If thou
beholdest me not, if thou art dissociated with me--thy son, of what use
then would the whole earth be to thee, of what use all thy ornaments and
all the means of enjoyment, indeed, of what use would life itself be to
thee?"'

"'The mother said, "All the acts of those that are wise, are (undertaken),
O son, for the sake of virtue and profit. Eyeing these (virtue and
profit) only, I urge thee, O Sanjaya, to battle. The fit hour hath come
for exhibiting thy prowess. If at such a time thou dost not resort to
action, then disrespected by the people thou wouldst do that which would
be most disagreeable to me. If, O Sanjaya, thou art about to be stained
with infamy and I do not (from affection) tell thee anything, then that
affection, worthless and unreasonable, would be like that of the
she-ass's for her young. Do not tread the path that is disapproved by the
wise and adopted by the fool. Great is the ignorance here. Innumerable
creatures of the world have taken refuge in it. If thou, however,
adoptest the behaviour of the wise, thou wilt then be dear to me. Indeed,
if thou hast recourse to virtue and profit, if with God above thou
reliest upon human exertion, if thy conduct becometh like that of the
good, then it is by this and not by any other means that thou wilt become
dear to me. He that taketh delight in sons and grandsons that are
well-instructed (enjoyeth a delight that is real). He, on the other hand,
that taketh delight in a son who is destitute of exertion, refractory,
and wicked minded, hath not the very object accomplished for which a son
is desired. Those worst of men that never do what is proper and always do
what is censurable, do not obtain happiness here or hereafter. A
Kshatriya, O Sanjaya, hath been created for battle and victory. Whether
he winneth or perisheth, he obtaineth the region of Indra. The happiness
that a Kshatriya obtaineth by reducing his foes to subjection is such
that the like of it doth not exist in heaven in the sacred region of
Indra. Burning with wrath, a Kshatriya of great energy, i