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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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?

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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?

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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.