his overlord.  None but a kinsman can feel joy at the destruction of a kinsman adorned with sincerity, mildness, liberality, modesty, and truthfulness of speech.  They, again, that have no kinsmen, cannot be happy.  No men can be more contemptible than they that are destitute of kinsmen.  A person that has no kinsmen is easily overridden by foes.  Kinsmen constitute the refuge of one that is afflicted by other men, for kinsmen can never bear to see a kinsman afflicted by other people.  When a kinsman is persecuted by even his friends, every kinsman of the persecuted regards the injury to be inflicted upon himself.  In kinsmen, therefore, there are both merits and faults.  A person destitute of kinsmen never shows favours to any one nor humbles himself to any one.  In kinsmen, therefore both merit and demerit may be marked.  One should, for this reason, always honour and worship his kinsmen in words and acts, and do them agreeable offices without injuring them at any time.  Mistrusting them at heart, one should behave towards them as if he trusted them completely.  Reflecting upon their nature, it seems that they have neither faults nor merits.  A person who heedfully conducts himself in this way finds his very foes disarmed of hostility and converted into friends.  One who always conducts himself in this way amid kinsmen and relatives and bears himself thus towards friends and foes, succeeds in winning everlasting fame.’”

SECTION LXXXI

“Yudhishthira said, ’If one does not succeed in winning over one’s kinsmen and relatives (by this course), they that are intended for becoming friends become foes.  How should one, then, conduct one’s self so that the hearts of both friends and foes may be won?’

“Bhishma said, ’In this connection is cited the old history of a discourse between Vasudeva and the celestial sage Narada.  On a certain occasion Vasudeva said, ’Neither an illiterate and foolish friend, nor a learned friend of fickle soul, deserves, O Narada, to know one’s secret counsels.  Relying on thy friendship for me, I shall say something to thee, O sage!  O thou that canst go to heaven at thy pleasure, one should speak to another if one be convinced of the intelligence of that other.  I never behave with slavish obsequiousness towards my kinsmen by flattering speeches about their prosperity.  I give them half of what I have, and forgive their evil speeches.  As a fire-stick is grinded by a person desirous of obtaining fire, even so my heart is ground by my kinsmen with their cruel speeches.  Indeed, O celestial Rishi, those cruel speeches burn my heart every day.  Might resides in Sankarshana; mildness in Gada; and as regards Pradyumna, he surpasses even myself in beauty of person.  (Although I have all these on my side) yet I am helpless, O Narada!  Many others among the Andhakas and the Vrishnis are possessed of great prosperity and might, and during courage and constant perseverance.  He on whose