f vanquished
many times, should wait desiring to vanquish his foes. Without either
casting away his own life or slaying his foes, how can he obtain peace of
mind by any other course? He that is possessed of wisdom regardeth
anything little as disagreeable. Unto that person to whom anything little
becomes agreeable, that little (ultimately) becometh a source of pain.
The man that hath not what is desirable soon becometh wretched. Indeed,
he soon feeleth every want and is lost like the Ganga on entering the
ocean."'

"'The son said, "Thou shouldst not, O mother, give expression to such
views before thy son. Show him kindness now, staying by his side, like a
silent and dumb being."

"'The mother said, "Great is my gratification since thou sayest so. I who
may be urged (by thee to what is my duty) am thus urged by thee. I shall,
therefore, urge thee more (for doing what thou shouldst do). I will,
indeed, honour thee then when I will behold thee, crowned with complete
success after the slaughter of all the Saindhavas."

"'The son said, "Without wealth, without allies, how can success and
victory be mine? Conscious of this exceedingly miserable state of mine, I
have myself abstained from desire of kingdom, like an evil-doer
abstaining from desire of heaven. If, therefore, O thou of mature wisdom,
thou seest any means (by which all this can be effected), speak fully of
it to me as I ask thee, for I shall do all that thou mayst command me to
do."

"'The mother said, "Do not disgrace thy soul, O son, by anticipations of
failure. Objects unattained have been attained; while those attained have
been lost. The accomplishment of objects should never be sought with
wrath and folly. In all acts, O son, the attainment of success is always
uncertain. Knowing that success is uncertain, people still act, so that
they sometimes succeed, and sometimes do not. They, however, who abstain
from action, never obtain success. In the absence of exertion, there is
but one result, viz., the absence of success. There are, however, two
results in the case of exertion, viz., the acquisition of success or its
non-acquisition. He, O prince, who hath settled beforehand that all acts
are uncertain in respect of their results, maketh both success and
prosperity unattainable by himself. 'This will be,'--with such a belief
should one, casting off all sloth, exert and wake up and address himself
to every act. That wise king, who, O son, engageth in acts, h