युधिष्ठिर उवाच एवमग्राह्यके तस्मिज्ञातिसम्बन्धिमण्डले। मित्रेष्वमित्रेष्वपि च कथं भावो विभाव्यते॥

Yudhishthira said If one cannot thus win over one's kinsmen and relatives, the intending friends become foes. How should one, then, behave so that the hearts of both friends and enemies may be won?

Shanti Parva 81.1

भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। संवादं वासुदेवस्य सुरर्षेर्नारदस्य च॥

Bhishma said Regarding it is cited the old history of a discourse between Vasudeva and the divine saint Narada.

Shanti Parva 81.2

वासुदेव उवाच नासुहृत् परमं मन्त्रं नारदार्हति वेदितुम्। अपण्डितो वापि सुहृत् पण्डितो वाप्यनात्मवान्॥

Once on a time Vasudeva said-Neither an illiterate and foolish friend, nor a learned friend of fickle mind, deserves, O Narada, to know one's secret counsels.

Shanti Parva 81.3

स ते सौहृदमास्थाय किञ्चिद् वक्ष्यामि नारद। कृत्स्नं बुद्धिबलं प्रेक्ष्य सम्पृच्छेस्त्रिदिवंगम॥

Relying on your friendship for me, I shall say something to you, O sage! O you who can go to heaven at your pleasure, one should speak to another if he is convinced of the intelligence of that other.

Shanti Parva 81.4

दास्यमैश्वर्यवादेन ज्ञातीनां न करोम्यहम्। अर्धं भोक्तास्मि वाग्दुरुक्तानि च क्षमे॥

I never behave with slavish tendency towards my kinsmen by flattering speeches about their prosperity, I give them half of what I have, and forgive their evil words.

Shanti Parva 81.5

अरणीमग्निकामो वा मनाति हृदयं मम। वाचा दुरुक्तं देवर्षे तन्मे दहति नित्यदा॥

As a fire-stick is grinded by a person who seeks to get fire, so my heart is grinded by my kinsmen with their cruel words. Indeed, O celestial Rishi, those cruel words consume my heart every day.

Shanti Parva 81.6

बलं संकर्षणे नित्यं सौकुमार्य पुनर्गदे। रूपेण मत्तः प्रद्युम्नः सोऽसहायोऽस्मि नारद॥

Power lives in Sankarshana; mildness in Gada; and as regards Pradyumna, he excels even myself in beauty. Still I am helpless, O Narada!

Shanti Parva 81.7

अन्ये हि सुमहाभागा बलवन्तो दुरुत्सहाः। नित्योत्थानेन सम्पन्ना नारदान्धकवृष्णयः॥

Many others among the Andhakas and the Vrishnis are endued with great prosperity, might, daring courage and constant perseverance.

Shanti Parva 81.8

यस्य न स्युर्न वै स स्याद् यस्य स्युः कृत्स्नमेव तत्। द्वाभ्यां निवारितो नित्यं वृणोम्येकतरं न च॥

He, with whom they do not side, meets with destruction. He, on the other hand, with whom they side, acquires everything. Dissuaded by both Ahuka and Akrura, I do not side either of them.

Shanti Parva 81.9

स्यातां यस्याहुकाक्रूरौ किं नु दुःखतरं ततः। यस्य चापि न तौ स्यातां किं नु दुःखतरं ततः॥

What can be more distressing for a person than to have both Ahuka and Akrura on his side? What, again, is more painful for one than not to have both of them on his side?

Shanti Parva 81.10

सोऽहं कितवमातेव द्वयोरपि महामते। एकस्य जयमाशंसे द्वितीयस्यापराजयम्॥

I am like the mother of two brothers gambling against each other, praying for victory to both.

Shanti Parva 81.11

ममैवं क्लिश्यमानस्य नारदोभयतः सदा। वक्तुमर्हसि यच्छ्रेयो ज्ञातीनामात्मनस्तथा॥

I am thus, O Narada, afflicted by both. You should tell me that which is for the behoof of both myself and my kinsmen.

Shanti Parva 81.12

नारद उवाच आपदो द्विविधाः कृष्ण बाह्याश्चाभ्यन्तराश्च ह। प्रादुर्भवन्ति वार्ष्णेय स्वकृता यदि वान्यतः॥

Narada said Calamities, O Krishna, are of two sorts, viz., external and internal. They are begotten, O you of Vrishni's race, by one's own acts or by the acts of others.

Shanti Parva 81.13

सेयमाभ्यन्तरा तुभ्यमापत् कृच्छा स्वकर्मजा। अक्रूरभोजप्रभवा सर्वे ह्येते त्वदन्वयाः॥

The calamity that has now overtaken you is an internal one and is begotten of your own acts. Valadeva and others, of the Bhoja race, are partisans of Akrura, and have sided him either for wealth, or for mere caprice, or actuated by words or by hatred. As for you, you have given away wealth obtained by you to another.

Shanti Parva 81.14

अर्थहेतोहि कामाद् वा वाचा बीभत्सयापि वा। आत्मना प्राप्तमैश्वर्यमन्यत्र प्रतिपादितम्॥ कृतमूलमिदानीं तज्ज्ञातिवृन्दं सहायवन्। न शक्यं पुनरादातुं वान्तमनमिव त्वया॥

Though having many friends, you have, however, by your own act, invited calamity over your head. You cannot take back that wealth, even as one cannot swallow again the food that he has vomited himself.

Shanti Parva 81.15

बभूग्रसेनयो राज्यं नाप्तुं शक्यं कथंचन। ज्ञातिभेदभयात् कृष्ण त्वया चापि विशेषतः॥

The kingdom cannot be taken back from Babhru and Ugrasena. You, O Krishna, cannot, in particular, take it back from fear of creating intestine feuds.

Shanti Parva 81.16

तच्च सिध्येत् प्रयत्लेन कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्। महाक्षयं व्ययो वा स्याद् विनाशो वा पुनर्भवेत्॥

Supposing the attempt succeeds, it will do so after move trouble and after the achievement of the most difficult works. A great slaughter and a great loss of wealth will take place, perhaps, even total destruction.

Shanti Parva 81.17

अनायसेन शस्त्रेण मृदुना हृदयच्छिदा। जिह्वामुद्धर सर्वेषां परिमृज्यानुमृज्य च॥

Use then a weapon which is not made of steel, which is very mild and yet capable of piercing all hearts. Sharpening that weapon again and again rectify the tongues of your kinsmen!

Shanti Parva 81.18

वासुदेव उवाच अनायसं मुने शस्त्रं मृदु विद्यामहं कथम्। येनैषामुद्धरे जिह्वां परिमृज्यानुमृज्य च।॥

Vasudeva said What is that weapon, O sage, which is not made of steel, which is mild, which still cuts all hearts, and which I must use for correcting the tongues of my kinsmen?

Shanti Parva 81.19

नारद उवाच शक्त्यान्नदानं सततं तितिक्षार्जवमार्दवम्। यथार्हप्रतिपूजा च शस्त्रमेतदनायसम्॥

Narada said The giving of food to the best of your ability, forgiveness, sincerity, mildness, and honour to whom honour is due,-these make a weapon which is not made of steel.

Shanti Parva 81.20

ज्ञातीनां वक्तुकामानां कटुकानि लघूनि च। गिरा त्वं हृदयं वाचं शमयस्व मनांसि च॥

With soft words alone turn away the anger of kinsmen about to utter cruel words, and please their hearts and minds and slanderous words.

Shanti Parva 81.21

नामहापुरुषः कश्चिन्नानात्मा नासहायवान्। महतीं धुरमाधत्ते तामुद्यम्योरसा वह॥

None who is not a great man with purified soul and endued with accomplishments and having friends can bear a heavy burden. Take up this great weight and bear it on your shoulders.

Shanti Parva 81.22

सर्व एव गुरुं भारमनड्वान वहते समे। दुर्गे प्रतीतः सुगवो भारं वहति दुर्वहम्॥

All oxen can carry heavy loads on a level road. The stronger ones only among them can carry such loads on a difficult road.

Shanti Parva 81.23

भेदाद् विनाशः संघानां संघमुख्योऽसि केशव। यथा त्वां प्राप्य नोत्सीदेदयं संघस्तथा कुरु॥

Disunion will create destruction which will befall all the Bhojas and the Vrishnis! You, O Keshava, are the foremost of them. Do you act in such a way that the Bhojas and the Vrishnis may not meet with destruction.

Shanti Parva 81.24

नान्यत्र बुद्धिक्षान्तिभ्यां नान्यत्रेन्द्रियनिग्रहात्। नान्यत्र धनसंत्यागाद् गणः प्राज्ञेऽवतिष्ठते॥

Nothing but intelligence and forgiveness, control of the senses, and liberality, reside in a person of wisdom.

Shanti Parva 81.25

धन्यं यशस्यमायुष्यं स्वपक्षोद्भावनं सदा। ज्ञातीनामविनाशः स्याद् यथा कृष्ण तथा कुरु॥

The advancement of one's own race is always praiseworthy and glorious and conducive to long life. Do you, O Krishna, act in such a way that destruction may not overtake your kinsmen.

Shanti Parva 81.26

आयत्यां च तदात्वे च न तेऽस्त्यविदितं प्रभो। पाड्गुण्यस्य विधानेन यात्रायानविधौ तथा॥

Use of the six qualities and riding on car (at the time of war), there is nothing about policy and art of war, O lord, which you do not know?

Shanti Parva 81.27

यादवाः कुकुरा भोजाः सर्वे चान्धकवृष्णयः। त्वय्यासक्ता महाबाहो लोका लोकेश्वराश्च ये॥ उपासते हि त्वबुद्धिमृषयश्चापि माधव।

The Yadavas, the Kukuras, the Bhojas, the Andhakas, and the Vrishni, all depend on you even as all the worlds and all the regents of their quarters, O mighty-armed one! The Rishis, O Madhava always pray for your advancement.

Shanti Parva 81.28

त्वं गुरुः सर्वभूतानां जानीषे त्वं गतागतम्। त्वामासाद्य यदुश्रेष्ठमेधन्ते यादवाः सुखम्॥

You are the lord of all creatures. You know the past, the present, and the future. You are the foremost of all the Yadavas. Depending on you, they expect to live happily.

Shanti Parva 81.29