"Yudhishthira said, 'O grandsire, O thou that art possessed of great
wisdom, I shall ask thee a question. It behoveth thee, O enhancer of the
happiness of the Kurus, to discourse to me fully upon it. What kind of
men are said to be of gentle disposition? With whom may the most
delightful friendship exist? Tell us also who are able to do good in the
present time and in the end. I am of opinion that neither swelling
wealth, nor relatives, nor kinsmen, occupy that place which well-wishing
friends occupy. A friend capable of listening to beneficial counsels, and
also of doing good, is exceedingly rare. It behoveth thee, O foremost of
virtuous men, to discourse fully on these topics.'
"Bhishma said, 'Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, as I speak to thee, in
detail, of those men with whom friendships may be formed and those with
whom friendships may not be formed. One that is covetous, one that is
pitiless, one that has renounced the duties of his order, one that is
dishonest, one that is a knave, one that is mean, one that is of sinful
practices, one that is suspicious of all, one that is idle, one that is
procrastinating, one that is of a crooked disposition, one that is an
object of universal obloquy, one that dishonours the life of his
preceptor, one that is addicted to the seven well-known vices, one that
casts off distressed friends, one possessed of a wicked soul, one that is
shameless, one whose sight is ever directed towards sin, one that is an
atheist, one that is a slanderer of the Vedas, one whose senses are not
restrained, one that gives free indulgence to lust, one that is
untruthful, one that is deserted by all, one that transgresses all
restraints, one that is deceitful, one that is destitute of wisdom, one
that is envious, one that is wedded to sin, one whose conduct is bad, one
whose soul has not been cleansed, one that is cruel, one that is a
gambler, one that always seeks to injure friends, one that covets wealth
belonging to others, that wicked-souled wight who never expresses
satisfaction with what another may give him according to the extent of
his means, one that is never pleased with his friends, O bull among men,
one that becomes angry on occasions that do not justify anger, one that
is of restless mind, one that quarrels without cause, that sinful bloke
who feels no scruple in deserting well-meaning friends, that wretch who
is always mindful of his own interests and who, O king, quarrels with
friends when those do him a very slight injury or inflict on him a wrong
unconsciously, one who acts like a foe but speaks like a friend, one who
is of perverse perceptions, one who is blind (to his own good), one who
never takes delight in what is good for himself or others, should be
avoided. One who drinks alcoholic liquors, one who hates others, one who
is wrathful, one who is destitute of compassion, one who is pained at the
sights of other's happiness, one who injures friends, one who is always
engaged in taking the lives of living creatures, one who is ungrateful,
one who is vile, should be avoided. Alliances (of friendship) should
never be formed with any of them. Similarly, no alliance (of friendship)
should be formed with him who is ever intent upon marking the faults of
others. Listen now to me as I indicate the persons with whom alliances
(of friendship) may be formed. They that are well-born, they that are
possessed of eloquence and politeness of speech, they that are endued
with knowledge and science, they that are possessed of merit and other
accomplishments, they that are free from covetousness, they that are
never exhausted by labour, they that are good to their friends, they that
are grateful, they that are possessed of varied information and
knowledge, they that are destitute of avarice, they that are possessed of
agreeable qualities, they that are firm in truth, they that have subdued
their senses, they that are devoted to athletic and other exercises, they
that are of good families, they that are perpetuators of their
races, they that are destitute of faults, they that are possessed of
fame, should be accepted by kings for forming alliances (of friendship)
with them, They, again, O monarch, who become pleased and contented if
one behaves with them according to the best of one's powers, they who
never get angry on occasions that do not justify anger, they who never
become displeased without sufficient cause, those persons who are well
conversant with the science of Profit and who, even when annoyed, succeed
in keeping their minds tranquil, they who devote themselves to the
service of friends at personal sacrifice, they who are never estranged
from friends but who continue unchanged (in their attachment) like a red
blanket made of wool (which does not easily change its colour), they
who never disregard, from anger, those that are poor, they who never
dishonour youthful women by yielding to lust and loss of judgment, they
who never point out wrong paths to friends, they who are trustworthy,
they who are devoted to the practice of righteousness, they who regard
gold and brick-bats with an equal eye, they that adhere with firmness to
friends and well-wishers, they who muster their own people and seek the
accomplishment of the business of friends regardless of their own dignity
and casting off all the marks of their own respectability, should be
regarded as persons with whom alliances (of friendship) should be made.
Indeed, the dominions of that king spread on every direction, like the
light of the lord of the stars, who makes alliances of friendship with
such superior men. Alliances should be formed with men that are
well-practised in weapons, that have completely subdued their anger, that
are always strong in battle and possessed of high birth, good behaviour,
and varied accomplishments. Amongst those vicious men, O sinless one,
that I have mentioned, the vilest, O king, are those that are ungrateful
and that injure friends. Those persons of wicked behaviour should be
avoided by all. This, indeed, is a settled conclusion.'
"Yudhishthira said, 'I desire to hear in detail this description. Tell me
who they are that are called injurers of friends and ungrateful persons.'
"Bhishma said, 'I shall recite to thee an old story whose incidents
occurred in the country, O monarch, of the Mlecchas that lies to the
north. There was a certain Brahmana belonging to the middle country. He
was destitute of Vedic learning. (One day), beholding a prosperous
village, the man entered it from desire of obtaining charity.' In
that village lived a robber possessed of great wealth, conversant with
the distinctive features of all the orders (of men), devoted to the
Brahmanas, firm in truth, and always engaged in my king gifts. Repairing
to the abode of that robber, the Brahmana begged for a alms. Indeed, he
solicited a house to live in and such necessaries of life as would last
for one year. Thus solicited by the Brahmana, the robber gave him a piece
of new cloth with its ends complete, and a widowed woman possessed
of youth. Obtaining all those things from the robber, the Brahmana became
filled with delight. Indeed, Gautama began to live happily in that
commodious house which the robber assigned to him. He began to hold the
relatives and kinsmen of the female slave he had got from the robber
chief. In this way he lived for many years in that prosperous village of
hunters. He began to practise with great devotion the art of archery.
Every day, like the other robbers residing there, Gautama, O king, went
into the woods and slaughtered wild cranes in abundance. Always engaged
in slaughtering living creatures, he became well-skilled in that act and
soon bade farewell to compassion. In consequence of his intimacy with
robbers he became like one of them. As he lived happily in that robber
village for many months, large was the number of wild cranes that he
slew. One day another Brahmana came to that village. He was dressed in
rags and deer-skins and bore matted locks on his head. Of highly pure
behaviour, he was devoted to the study of the Vedas. Of a humble
disposition, frugal in fare, devoted to the Brahmanas, thoroughly
conversant with the Vedas, and observant of Brahmacharya vows, that
Brahmana had been a dear friend of Gautama and belonged to that part of
the country from which Gautama had emigrated. In course of his
wanderings, as already said, the Brahmana came to that robber village
where Gautama had taken up his abode. He never accepted any food if given
by a Sudra and, therefore, began to search for the house of a Brahmana
there (for accepting the duties of hospitality). Accordingly he
wandered in every direction in that village teeming with robber-families.
At last that foremost of Brahmanas came to the house owned by Gautama. It
so happened that just at that time Gautama also, returning from the
woods, was entering his abode. The two friends met. Armed with bow and
sword, he bore on shoulders a load of slaughtered cranes, and his body
was smeared with the blood that trickled down from the bag on his
shoulders. Beholding that man who then resembled a cannibal and who had
fallen away from the pure practices of the order of his birth, entering
his house, the newly-arrived guest, recognising him, O king, said these
words: 'What is this that thou art doing here through folly? Thou art a
Brahmana, and the perpetuator of a Brahmana family. Born in a respectable
family belonging to the Middle country, how is it that thou becomest like
a robber in thy practices? Recollect, O regenerate one, thy famous
kinsmen of former times, all of whom were well-versed in the Vedas. Born
in their race, alas, thou hast become a stigma to it. Awake thyself by
thy own exertions. Recollecting the energy, the behaviour, the learning,
the self-restraint, the compassion (that are thine by the order of thy
birth), leave this thy present abode, O regenerate one!' Thus addressed
by that well-meaning friend of his, O king, Gautama answered him in great
affliction of heart, saying, O foremost of regenerate ones, I am poor. I
am destitute also of a knowledge of the Vedas. Know, O best of Brahmanas,
that I have taken up my abode here for the sake of wealth alone. At thy
sight, however, I am blest today. We shall together set out of this place
tomorrow. Do thou pass the night here with me. Thus addressed, the
newly-arrived Brahmana, full of compassion as he was, passed the night
there, refraining to touch anything. Indeed, though hungry and requested
repeatedly the guest refused to touch any food in that house.'"
