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458 thou findest fault with us. But know, O Karna, what I have said is for the good of all and the prosperity of the Kuru race. If thou regardest all this as productive of evil, declare thyself what is for our good. If the good advice I have given be not followed, I think the Kurus will be exterminated in no time."

Thus ends the two hundred and sixth section in the Viduraga mana Parva of the Adi Parva.

Vaisampayana said, -"After Drona bad ceased, Vidura spoke, saying. 'O monarch, thy friends without doubt, are saying unto thee what is for thy good. But as thou art unwilling to listen to what they say, their words scarcely find a place in thy years. What that foremost one of Kuru's face viz., Bhishma, the son of Santanu, hath said, is excellent and is for thy good. But thou does not listen to it. The preceptor Drona also hath said much that is for thy good which how. ever Karna, the son of Radha doth not regard to be such. But, O king, reflecting hard I do not find any one who is better friend to thee than either of these two lions among men (viz., Bhishma and Drona). or any one who excels either of them in wisdom. These two, old in years, in wisdom, and in learning, always regard thee, O king, and the sons of Pandu with equal eyes. Without doubt, o king of Bharata's race, they are both, in virtue and truthfulness, not inferior to Rama, the son of Dasaratha, and Gaya. Never before did they give thee any evil advice. Thou also, O monarch, hast never done them any injury. Why should, therefore, these tigers among men, who are evertruthful, give thee wicked advice, especially when thou hast never injured them? Endued with wisdom these foremost of men, o king. will never give thee counsels that are crooked. O scion of Kuru's race, this is my firm conviction that these two, as they acquainted are with all rules of morality, will never, tempted by wealth, utter anything betraying a spirit of partizanship. What they have said, O Bharata, I regard highly beneficial to thee ! Without doubt, O monarch, the Pandavas are thy sons as much as Duryyodhana and others are. Those ministers, therefore, that give thee any counsel fraught with evil unto the Pandavas, do not really look to thy interests. If there is any partiality in thy heart, O king. for thy own children they who by their counsel seek to bring it out, certainly do thee no good. Therefore, O