“Bhishma continued, ’That person who does not yield to the power of a foe that has advanced in might and that is competent to imprison or kill, soon meets with destruction.[345] That man of wisdom who acts after ascertaining fully the strength and weakness, the might and energy, of himself and his foe, has never to suffer discomfiture.  An intelligent man, therefore, when he sees his enemy to be more powerful than himself, should adopt the behaviour of the cane.  That is an indication of wisdom.’”

SECTION CXIV

“Yudhishthira said, ’How, O Bharata, should a learned man adorned with modesty behave, O chastiser of foes, when assailed with harsh speeches in the midst of assemblies by an ignorant person swelling with conceit?’[346]

“Bhishma said, ’Listen, O lord of earth, how the subject has been treated of (in the scriptures), how a person of good soul should endure in this world the abusive speeches of persons of little intelligence.  If a person, when abused by another, do not yield to wrath, he is then sure to take away (the merit of) all the good deeds that have been done by the abuser.  The endurer, in such a case, communicates the demerit of all his own bad acts to the person who under the influence of wrath indulges in abuse.  An intelligent man should disregard an abusive language who resembles, after all, only a Tittibha uttering dissonant cries.[347] One who yields to hate is said to live in vain.  A fool may often be heard to say, ’Such a respectable man was addressed by me in such words amid such an assembly of men,’ and to even boast of that wicked act.  He would add, ’Abused by me, the man remained silent as if dead with shame.  Even thus does a shameless man boast of an act about which no one should boast.  Such a wretch among men should carefully be disregarded.  The man of wisdom should endure everything that such a person of little intelligence may say.  What can a vulgar fellow do by either his praise or his blame?  He is even like a crow that caws uselessly in the woods.  If those who accuse others by only their words could establish those accusations by such means, then, perhaps, their words would have been regarded to be of some value.  As a fact, however, these words are as effective as those uttered by fools invoking death upon them with whom they quarrel.[348] That man simply proclaims his bastardy who indulges in such conduct and words.  Indeed, he is even like a peacock that dances while showing such a part of his body as should be ever concealed from the view.[349] A person of pure conduct should never even speak with that wight of sinful conduct who does not scruple to utter anything or do anything.  That man who speak of one’s merits when one’s eye is upon him and who speaks ill of one when one’s eye is withdrawn from him, is really like a dog.  Such a person loses all his regions in heaven and the fruits of any knowledge and virtue that he may