Sacred Concord

Mbh 9.30.4a

Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, the son of Drona replied unto the king, who was invincible in battle, saying, "Arise, O king, blessed be thou, we shall yet vanquish the foe! I swear by all my religious acts, by all the gifts I have made, by truth itself, and my silent meditations, O king, that I shall today slay the Somakas! Let me not obtain the delight resulting from the performance of sacrifices, that delight which is felt by all pious men, if this night passes away without my slaying the Pandavas in battle! Without slaying all the Pancalas, I will not, O lord, put off my armour! I tell thee this truly. Believe me, O ruler of men!" While they were thus conversing, a number of hunters came there. Fatigued with the weight of meat they carried, they came there, not of any set purpose, for slaking their thirst. Those huntsmen, O lord, used every day, to procure, with great regard, a basketful of meat for Bhimasena, O king! As they sat concealed on the banks of that lake, those men heard every word of that conversation between Duryodhana and those warriors. Finding the Kuru king unwilling to fight, those great bowmen, themselves desirous of battle, began to urge him greatly to adopt their counsels. Seeing those car-warriors of the Kaurava army, and understanding that the king, unwilling to fight, was staying within the waters, and hearing that conversation between those heroes and their master staying within the depths of the lake, indeed, O monarch, the huntsmen, clearly perceiving that it was Duryodhana who was staying within the lake, formed a resolution. A little while before, the son of Pandu, while searching for the king, had met those men and asked them about the whereabouts of Duryodhana. Recollecting the words that the son of Pandu had said, those hunters, O king, whisperingly said unto one another, "We will discover Duryodhana (unto the Pandavas). The son of Pandu will then give us wealth!
Mbh 9.30.4a · Mahabharata · Shalya-parva

Themes in this passage

LeadershipWarChildrenCharityThe DivineJoySpeechCreation

Leadership in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Taoism and Hellenism address it.

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