12.162
Yudhishthira said.
O grandfather, greatly wise and enhancer of the Kurus' fame, I wish to ask you a certain question; please explain that to me.
O gentle one, what kind of humans are there by whom supreme affection may arise? In the future and at that time, who are the forgiving ones? Please tell me about them.
It is my belief that neither abundant wealth nor relatives and kinsmen remain there, but only friends remain.
Indeed, it is rare to find a friend who listens, and equally rare to find a friend who gives beneficial advice. O best among the upholders of dharma, you are worthy to explain all this.
Bhīṣma said.
O king Yudhishthira, listen as I tell you fully and truly about the men who should be conciliated and those who should not.
He is greedy, cruel, has abandoned righteousness, deceitful, truly wicked and; petty, of evil conduct, suspicious of everyone, and also lazy.
A person who procrastinates, is dishonest, troublesome, violates the teacher's wife, deserts others in adversity, is wicked-minded and shameless.
One who always sees evil everywhere, is an atheist, reviles the Vedas, whose senses are scattered in the world, and who acts only to fulfill desires.
One who is untruthful, hated by people, unstable in timely matters, slanderous, lacking discernment, envious, and intent on evil.
He who is of bad character, undisciplined, cruel, deceitful, who always seeks gain from friends and is ever intent on wealth.
O best of men, one who, though bearing according to his ability, is never content and always treats a friend as if he were an enemy, is dull-witted.
He who becomes angry without cause, suddenly withdraws, and quickly abandons friends and good things, is indeed sinful.
A king who, even for a small wrong, out of ignorance, acts against friends, serves only his own interests, and hates his friends, is a fool.
One should abandon a man who is an enemy in the guise of a friend, who looks askance, is deceitful, and does not take delight in good things.
A person who drinks, is hateful, cruel, merciless, harsh, harms others, betrays friends, and delights in killing living beings.
An ungrateful person and the lowest person in the world should never be trusted. A fault-finder should not be trusted. Listen to me about even those who are considered trustworthy.
They are of noble birth, eloquent, skilled in knowledge and wisdom, understanding friendship, grateful, all-knowing, and free from sorrow.
They are endowed with the quality of sweetness, truthful, self-controlled, habitually exercising, always caring for their sons, and born in a noble family.
The king should accept those who are beautiful, virtuous, not greedy, have conquered fatigue, are free from faults, and are well-known.
O lord, good men are satisfied with conduct according to their capacity; they are not angry without cause, nor do they become dispassionate suddenly.
Dispassionate and wise people do not get angry even in their minds; even if they have to trouble themselves, they remain devoted to the welfare of friends. They do not abandon their friends, just as a garment dyed in wool does not lose its color.
Those who are trusted and affectionate to relatives among friends do not reveal the faults, greed, or delusions in matters concerning young women.
Those who consider a lump of earth and gold as equal, whose minds are friendly or cunning, who act without pride, who have given up the ornaments of wealth, and who always gather followers for the sake of their master, are the highest.
When a king forms alliances with such excellent men, his kingdom expands like the moonlight of the lord of planets (the moon).
They are always devoted to the śāstra, have conquered anger, are strong and fond of battle, forbearing, endowed with virtues of character, fit to be allied with, and are excellent men.
O sinless one, among all the men with faults I have described, O king, the lowest is the ungrateful one who betrays friends. Such a person of bad conduct should be abandoned by everyone—this is the settled conclusion.
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
O king, I wish to hear in detail the connection with the meaning. Tell me about the one who is called a betrayer of a friend and an ungrateful one. 12-162-27.
Bhīṣma said.
O king, I will now tell you the ancient story that took place in the northern region among the foreigners.
A brāhmaṇa from the Madhyadeśa region, dark in complexion and lacking Brahmanical qualities, saw a village crowded with people and entered it seeking alms.
There, the bandit, who was wealthy, knowledgeable of all castes, devoted to Brahmins, truthful, and engaged in charity, became thus.
Having reached his abode, he then asked for alms. He also requested shelter for staying, and alms specifically for the rainy season.
He gave the Brāhmaṇa a new garment of similar kind and also a woman of suitable age who had been bereft of her husband at that time.
Having received all this from the robber, the joyful Gautama, O king, enjoyed himself with her in that excellent house.
He helped the robber for the sake of his family and lived for years in the prosperous abode of the Śabaras. Gautama also made supreme effort in archery.
But Gautama always slew all the crooked-limbed ones within the range of his arrows on every side, O king, just as one would destroy a band of robbers.
One who is devoted to violence, devoid of compassion, and always engaged in killing living beings—Gautama, by association with robbers, may become like them.
Thus, while he was living happily in the robbers' village, many months passed as he killed many birds.
Then, at some point, another Brāhmaṇa arrived in that region; he had matted hair, wore bark and deer skin, was devoted to self-study, and was pure.
He was humble, regulated in food, devoted to Brahman, a master of the Vedas, accompanied by a brahmacārī, a native of that region, a friend, and very dear to him. He went to the village of bandits, where that Gautama was found.
But he, seeking out Brāhmaṇa households and not avoiding Śūdra food, moved about in all directions in a village filled with robbers.
Then he, the best of the twice-born, entered Gautama's house. Gautama also arrived, and the two met each other.
He, crooked-limbed and bearing a burden in his hand, holding a bow, stained with blood and guilty of sin, approached the doorway of the house.
Seeing him, who looked like a man-eater, ruined and brought to destruction, the Brahmin recognized him, felt ashamed, and spoke these words.
"What are you doing out of foolishness, O Brāhmaṇa? You are born in a noble family and are well-known in Madhyadeśa; how have you come to be in the state of a bandit?"
Recall your illustrious ancestors, the foremost among the twice-born, renowned and accomplished in the Vedas, in whose lineage you, an ornament of the family, have been born.
O Brahmin, having realized your true self, truth, character, learning, self-restraint, and recalling compassion, renounce this dwelling.
O king, when thus addressed by his well-wishing friend, he replied after careful consideration, with distress.
O best of the twice-born, I am poor and not even a knower of the Veda. I have come here for the sake of livelihood; please know me as such, O excellent twice-born.
But by seeing you, O best of Brāhmaṇas, I know my purpose is fulfilled, O twice-born. After spending the night here, tomorrow we shall depart together.
