324 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

kingdom on moral and ethical principles. If you do so and try to teach your
subjects in that way, then your name and fame will be perpetual.” Akriira
hinted that although Dhrtarastra was ill-treating his nephews, the Pandavas,
they happened to be his subjects. “Even if you treat them not as the
owners of the throne, but as your subjects, you should impartially think
of their welfare as though they were your own sons. But if you do not
follow this principle and act in just the opposite way, then you will be
unpopular among your subjects, and in the next life you will have to live
in a hellish condition. I therefore hope you will treat your sons and the
sons of Pandu equally. Akrira hinted that if Dhrtarastra did not treat the
Pandavas and his sons as equals, then surely there would be a fight between
the two camps of cousins. Since the Pandavas cause was just, they would
come out victorious, and the sons of Dhrtarastra would be killed. This was
a prophecy told by Akriira to Dhrtarastra.

Akrira further advised Dhrtarastra, “In this material world, no one can
remain as an eternal companion to another. By chance only we assemble
together in the family, in the society, in the community or in the nation,
but at the end, because every one of us has to give up the body, we must
be separated. One should not, therefore, be unnecessarily affectionate
toward family members.” Dhrtarastra’s affection was also unlawful and
did not show much intelligence. In plain words, Akrira hinted to
Dhrtarastra that his staunch family affection was due to his gross ignorance
of fact. Although we appear to be combined together in family, society
or nation, each one of us has an individual destiny. Everyone takes birth
according to individual past work; therefore everyone has to individually
enjoy or suffer the result of his own karma. There is no possibility of
improving one’s destiny by cooperate living. Sometimes it happens that
one’s father accumulates wealth by illegal ways, and the son takes away
the money, although it is hard-earned by the father. It is just like a small
fish in the ocean who eats the material body of the large, old fish. One
ultimately cannot accumulate wealth illegaly for the gratification of his
family, society, community or nation. That many great empires which
developed in the past are no longer existing because their wealth was
squandered away by later descendants is an illustration of this principle.
One who does not know this subtle law of fruitive activities and thus gives
up the principles of moral and ethical principles only carries with him the
reactions of his sinful activities. His ill-gotten wealth and possessions are
taken by someone else, and he goes to the darkest region of hellish life.
One should not, therefore, accumulate more wealth than is alloted to him
by destiny; otherwise he will be factually blind to his own interest. Instead
