Yudhishthira said If a weak, worthless and light-hearted person, O grandfather, does from folly excite, by improper and boastful words, a powerful enemy always living near him, capable of doing good and chastising and always ready for action, how should the former, relying on his own strength, act when the later proceeds against him in anger for extirpating him?

Bhishma said-'Regarding it is cited, O chief of the Bharatas, the old discourse between Shalmali and Pavana.

There was a huge (Shalmali) tree on one of the peaks of Himavat. Having grown for many hundred years, he had spread out his branches wide around. His trunk also was huge and his twigs and leaves were numberless.

Under his shade elephants, exhausted and covered with temporal juice and sweat, used to rest, and as also many other animals.

The circumference of his trunk was four hundred cubits, and the shade of his branches and leaves was dense. Laden with flowers and fruits, it was the abode of numberless parrots male and female.

While travelling, caravans of merchants and traders, and ascetics living in the forest, used to rest under the shade of that charming king of the forest.

One day, O foremost of Bharata's race, seeing the wide-extending and numberless branches of that tree and the circumference of his trunk, the sage Narada, approached and addressed him, saying,-O, you are delightful! O, you are charming! O foremost of trees, O Shalmali, I am always pleased to see you.

O charming tree, beautiful birds of various kinds, and elephants and other animals gladly live on your branches and under their shade.

Your branches, O wide-branched king of the forest, are lofty and majestic as huge is your trunk! I never see any of them broken by the god of wind.

Is it, O child, because that Wind-god is pleased with you and is your friend so that he protects you always in these woods?

The illustrious Pavana of great speed and force unfixes the tallest and strongest trees, and even mountain summits.

That sacred carrier of perfumes, blowing at his pleasure dries up rivers, lakes and seas, including the very nether region.

Forsooth, Pavana protects you out of friendship. It is, therefore, that, though possessed of numberless branches, you have still leaves and flowers.

O king of the forest, this your hue is delightful since these birds, O child, filled with joy, sport on your twigs and branches.

When you put forth your blossoms, the sweet notes of all these dwellers of your branches are heard separately when they sing their melodious songs.

Again, O Shalmali, these most beautiful elephants, bathed in sweat and indulging in cries (of joy), approach you and enjoy happiness here.

Similarly various other animals living in the woods, also adorn you. Indeed, O tree, you appear beautiful even like the mountains of Meru, peopled by all creatures.

Resorted to also by Brahmanas endued with ascetic success, by others engaged in penances, and by Yatis devoted to meditation this your region, I think, is like the celestial region itself.