known anything
so dear to thee as virtue, which thou hast even regarded as dearer to
thee than life! That thy kingdom is for virtue alone, that thy life also
is for virtue alone, is known to Brahmanas and thy superiors and even
the celestials! I think thou canst abandon Bhimasena and Arjuna and
these twin sons of Madri along with myself but thou canst not abandon
virtue! I have heard that the king protecteth virtue; and virtue,
protected by him, protecteth him (in return)! I see, however, that
virtue protecteth thee not! Like the shadow pursuing a man, thy heart, O
tiger among men, with singleness of purpose, ever seeketh virtue. Thou
hast never disregarded thy equals, and inferiors and superiors.
Obtaining even the entire world, thy pride never increased! O son of
Pritha, thou ever worshippest Brahmanas, and gods, and the _Pitris_,
with _Swadhas_, and other forms of worship! O son of Pritha, thou hast
ever gratified the Brahmanas by fulfilling every wish of theirs! _Yatis_
and _Sannyasins_ and mendicants of domestic lives have always been fed
in thy house from off plates of gold where I have distributed (food)
amongst them. Unto the _Vanaprasthas_ thou always givest gold and food.
There is nothing in thy house thou mayest not give unto the Brahmanas!
In the _Viswadeva_ sacrifice, that is, for thy peace, performed in thy
house, the things consecrated are first offered unto guests and all
creatures while thou livest thyself with what remaineth (after
distribution)! _Ishtis Pashubandhas_, sacrifices for obtaining fruition
of desire, the religious rites of (ordinary) domesticity, _Paka_
sacrifices, and sacrifices of other kinds, are ever performed in thy
house. Even in this great forest, so solitary and haunted by robbers,
living in exile, divested of thy kingdom, thy virtue hath sustained no
diminution! The _Aswamedha_, the _Rajasuya_, the _Pundarika_, and
_Gosava_, these grand sacrifices requiring large gifts have all been
performed by thee! O monarch, impelled by a perverse sense during that
dire hour of a losing match at dice, thou didst yet stake and lose thy
kingdom, thy wealth, thy weapons, thy brothers, and myself! Simple,
gentle, liberal, modest, truthful, how, O king could thy mind be
attracted to the vice of gambling? I am almost deprived of my sense, O
king, and my heart is overwhelmed with grief, beholding this thy
distress, and this thy calamity! An old history is cited as an
illustration for the truth that me