If the renowned sons of Pandu obtain not the kingdom,
how can it be thine, or that of any other descendant of the Bharata race?
If thou regardest thyself as one that hath lawfully come into the
possession of the kingdom, I think they also may be regarded to have
lawfully come into the possession of this kingdom before thee. Give them
half the kingdom quietly. This, O tiger among men, is beneficial to all.
If thou actest otherwise, evil will befall us all. Thou too shall be
covered with dishonour. O Duryodhana, strive to maintain thy good name. A
good name is, indeed, the source of one's strength. It hath been said that
one liveth in vain whose reputation hath gone. A man, O Kaurava, doth not
die so long as his fame lasteth. One liveth as long as one's fame endureth,
and dieth when one's fame is gone. Follow thou, O son of Gandhari, the
practice that is worthy of the Kuru race. O thou of mighty arms, imitate
thy own ancestors. We are fortunate that the Pandavas have not perished.
We are fortunate that Kunti liveth. We are fortunate that the wretch
Purochana without being able to accomplish his purpose hath himself
perished. From that time when I heard that the sons of Kuntibhoja's
daughter had been burnt to death, I was, O son of Gandhari, ill able to
meet any living creature. O tiger among men, hearing of the fate that
overtook Kunti, the world doth not regard Purochana so guilty as it
regardeth thee. O king, the escape, therefore, of the sons of Pandu with
life from that conflagration and their re-appearance, do away with thy
evil repute.
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