Bhishma said Having thus deterinined, the Shalmali, himself sorrowfully caused all his branches, man and minor, to be cut off.

Casting off his branches, leaves and flowers, in the morning the tree looked firmly at the Wind as he came towards him.

Filled with anger and breathing hard, the Wind came, felling large trees, where the Shalmali stood.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Intelligence is the most valuable thing that a person can have. Likewise, O king, a man can have nothing here more valuable than power.

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.

The eleven Akshauhinis (of Duryodhana), and the seven (collected by yourself), were not, in power, equal to the single-handed Arjuna of great soul.

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.

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.

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.

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.