भीष्म उवाच ततो निश्चित्य मनसा शाल्मलिः क्षुभितस्तदा। शाखा: स्कन्धान प्रशाखाश्च स्वयमेव व्यशातयत्॥
Bhishma said Having thus deterinined, the Shalmali, himself sorrowfully caused all his branches, man and minor, to be cut off.
स परित्यज्य शाखाश्च पत्राणि कुसुमानि च। प्रभाते वायुमायान्तं प्रत्यक्षत वनस्पतिः॥
Casting off his branches, leaves and flowers, in the morning the tree looked firmly at the Wind as he came towards him.
ततः क्रुद्धः श्वसन् वायुः पातयन् व महादुमान्। आजगामाथ तं देशमास्ते यत्र स शाल्मलिः॥
Filled with anger and breathing hard, the Wind came, felling large trees, where the Shalmali stood.
तं हीनपर्णं पतिताग्रशाखं निशीर्णपुष्पं प्रसमीक्ष्य वायुः। उवाच वाक्यं स्मयमान एवं मुदा युतः शाल्मलिमुग्रशाखम्॥
Seeing him divested of top, branches, leaves and flowers, the Wind, filled with joy, smilingly said to that lord of the forest which had before such a huge appearance.
वायुरुवाच अहमप्येवमेव त्वां कुर्वाण: शाल्मले रुषा। आत्मना यत्कृतं कृच्छ्रे शाखानामपकर्षणम्॥
The Wind said-Filled with anger, O Shalmali, I would have done to you exactly what you have done to yourself by cutting off all your branches.
हीनपुष्पाग्रशाखस्त्वं शीर्णाकुरपलाशकः। आत्मदुर्मन्त्रितेनेह मद्वीर्यवशगः कृतः॥
You are now shorn of your proud top and flowers, and you are now without your shoots and leaves. For your own bad counsels, you have been brought under my control.
भीष्म उवाच एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो वायोः शाल्मलिीडितस्तदा। अतप्यत वचः स्मृत्वा नारदो यत् तदाब्रवीत्॥
Hearing these words of the Wind, the Shalmali feit great shame. Remembering also the words of Narada, he began to repent greatly for his mistake.
एवं हि राजशार्दूल दुर्बलः सन् बलीयसा। वैरमारभते बालस्तप्यते शाल्मलिर्यथा॥ तस्माद् वैरं न कुर्वीत दुर्बलो बलवत्तरैः। शोचेद्धि वैरं कुर्वाणो यथा वै शाल्मलिस्तथा॥
Thus, O foremost of kings, a weak and foolish person, by exciting the enmity of a powerful enemy, is at last compelled to repent like the Shalmali in story. Therefore, a weak person should not behave hostility with a strong person.
न हि वैरं महात्मानो विवृण्वन्त्यपकारिषु। शनैः शनैर्महाराज दर्शयन्ति स्म ते बलम्॥
Even when gifted with equal might, people do not suddenly create enmities with those who have injured them. On the other hand, they show their power gradually, O king.
वैरं न कुर्वीत नरो दुर्बुद्धिर्बुद्धिजीविना। बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतो याति तृणेष्विव हुताशनः॥
A foolish person should never excite the hostility of an intelligent person. In such cases the intelligence of the intelligent man works like fire penetrating a heap of dry grass.
न हि बुद्ध्या समं किंचिद् विद्यते पुरुषे नृप। तथा बलेन राजेन्द्र न समोऽस्तीह कश्चन॥
Intelligence is the most valuable thing that a person can have. Likewise, O king, a man can have nothing here more valuable than power.
तस्मात् क्षमेत बालाय जडान्धबधिराय च। बलाधिकाय राजेन्द्र तद् दृष्टं त्वयि शत्रुहन्॥
One should, therefore, pass over the wrongs inflicted by a person possessed of superior strength, as one should overlook the acts of a child, an idiot, or one who is blind or deaf. The wisdom of this saying is seen in your case, O slayer of foes.
अक्षौहिण्यो दशैका च सप्त चैव महाद्युते। बलेन न समा राजन्नर्जुनस्य महात्मनः॥
The eleven Akshauhinis (of Duryodhana), and the seven (collected by yourself), were not, in power, equal to the single-handed Arjuna of great soul.
निहताश्चैव भग्नाश्च पाण्डवेन यशस्विना। चरत बलमास्थाय पाकशासनिना मृधे॥
All the troops (of Duryodhana), therefore, were dispersed and killed by that illustrious Pandava, that son of Paka's chastiser, as he moved about in the field of battle, depending on his own strength.
उक्ताश्च ते राजधर्मा आपद्धर्माश्च भारत। विस्तरेण महाराज किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि॥
I have, O Bharata, described to you the duties of kings and ethics of con-in detail. What else, O king, do you wish to hear.
निहताश्चैव भग्नाश्च पाण्डवेन यशस्विना। चरत बलमास्थाय पाकशासनिना मृधे॥
All the troops (of Duryodhana), therefore, were dispersed and killed by that illustrious Pandava, that son of Paka's chastiser, as he moved about in the field of battle, depending on his own strength.
उक्ताश्च ते राजधर्मा आपद्धर्माश्च भारत। विस्तरेण महाराज किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि॥
I have, O Bharata, described to you the duties of kings and ethics of con-in detail. What else, O king, do you wish to hear.