No permanent friend or enemy

Maharaj Yudhisthira asked Bhisma: Pls tell me what should be done when one is attacked not only by his enemies, but by those that are supposed to be his friends?

Bhisma said: It is due to time & circumstances and nothing else that one becomes a friend or foe. A person who acts with this understanding by sometimes quarrelling with so-called friends & sometimes making peace with so-called enemies is far superior to one who can simply foresee danger or who has presence of mind. I will narrate a story to illustrate this

There was a great banyan tree in a vast forest that was the resort of many animals. A wise mouse named Palita lived at the base of the tree in a hole that had 100 outlets. A cat named Lomasa lived in the branches & everyday he would devour many birds that came to the tree to rest

One day a hunter arrived at the forest & made a cottage. Every evening, he spread his net beneath the banyan tree & returned home to sleep. During the night many animals would fall into the trap & next morning the hunter came to take them. One night, in a moment of carelessness, the cat fell into the hunter’s net. Seeing that his enemy was trapped, Palita fearlessly came out & began roaming about for food. The mouse spotted a piece of meat left by the hunter as bait & after climbing on top of the net, he began eating it

Indeed, the playful mouse became so bold that he jumped onto the entangled cat & continued eating laughing mischievously. Having become too absorbed in his antics, the mouse failed to see the great danger, until he suddenly looked up & saw his fierce enemy Harita, a mongoose in front of him

Having been allured by the scent of mouse, Harita stood on his haunches while licking the corners of his mouth in great expectation. Frantically looking around to escape, Palita noticed another enemy Candraka the sharp-beaked owl sitting on the branch of a tree

Overwhelmed with great fear, Palita thought: Oh! What can I do to save my life? If I run down the net, Harita will surely catch me & if I remain here, Candraka will swoop down & seize me. Still, I know that if an intelligent person keeps his wits about him & if he is conversant with the science of diplomacy, he will never meet with destruction, no matter how grave is the danger. According to my understanding of diplomacy, it seems that the cat is my only refuge, despite his being my enemy. In danger, one must sometimes make peace with a stronger enemy. For this reason, it is better to have a learned person as one’s enemy than a fool for a friend

Accordingly, the mouse said to the cat: My dear Lomasa, Pls listen to me, for I am saying something meant for your self-interest. If you desire your own welfare, in this dangerous situation, you should also look after mine. I promise to rescue you from the hunter’s net, if in return you vow not to kill me. Just see how the mongoose & the owl are intently waiting to devour me!

I will free you from your bondage by eating the strings of the net, if in return you protect me from my two enemies. Let us unite in friendship at once for our mutual benefit

To be continued……

Thoughts? #gameoflife