h are established
_Brahma_, and truth, and wisdom and the worlds? The man of wisdom should
ever forgive, for when he is capable of forgiving everything, he
attaineth to _Brahma_. The world belongeth to those that are forgiving;
the other world is also theirs. The forgiving acquire honours here, and
a state of blessedness hereafter. Those men that ever conquer their
wrath by forgiveness, obtain the higher regions. Therefore hath it been
said that forgiveness is the highest virtue." Those are the verses sung
by Kashyapa in respect of those that are everforgiving. Having listened,
O Draupadi, to these verses in respect of forgiveness, content thyself!
Give not way to thy wrath! Our grandsire, the son of Santanu, will
worship peace; Krishna, the son of Devaki, will worship peace; the
preceptor (Drona) and Vidura called _Kshatri_ will both speak of peace;
Kripa and Sanjaya also will preach peace. And Somadatta and Yuyutshu and
Drona's son and our grandsire Vyasa, every one of them speaketh always
of peace. Ever urged by these towards peace, the king (Dhritarashtra)
will, I think, return us our kingdom. If however, he yieldeth to
temptation, he will meet with destruction. O lady, a crisis hath come in
the history of Bharatas for plunging them into calamity! This hath been
my certain conclusion from some time before! Suyodhana deserveth not the
kingdom. Therefore hath he been unable to acquire forgiveness. I,
however, deserve the sovereignty and therefore is it that forgiveness
hath taken possession of me. Forgiveness and gentleness are the
qualities of the self-possessed. They represent eternal virtue. I shall,
therefore, truly adopt those qualities.'"

SECTION XXX

"Draupadi said, 'I bow down unto _Dhatri_ and _Vidhatri_ who have thus
clouded thy sense! Regarding the burden (thou art to bear) thou thinkest
differently from the ways of thy fathers and grand-fathers! Influenced
by acts men are placed in different situations of life. Acts, therefore,
produce consequences that are inevitable; emancipation is desired from
mere folly. It seemeth that man can never attain prosperity in this
world by virtue, gentleness, forgiveness, straight-forwardness and fear
of censure! If this were not so, O Bharata, this insufferable calamity
would never have overtaken thee who art so undeserving of it, and these
thy brothers of great energy! Neither in those days of prosperity nor in
these days of thy adversity, thou, O Bharata, hath ever