of Indra.  Burning with wrath, a Kshatriya of great energy, if 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, having performed all auspicious rites and with the gods and the Brahmanas on his side, soon winneth success.  Like the sun embracing the east, the goddess of prosperity embraceth him.  I see thou hast shown thyself fit for the various suggestions and means and encouraging speeches thou hast had from me.  Display (now) thy prowess.  It behoveth thee to win, by every exertion, the object thou hast in view.  Bring together to thy own side those