Hearing Draupadi’s words, the king rose from his seat and approached her, speaking gently. “Are you well, O beautiful one?” he asked. “Where have your husbands gone? It is said that eleven years have passed since they entered the forest.” Draupadi replied, “May you be blessed, prince. Please rest near the hermitage; the Pandavas will return shortly.” But as she spoke, the king, overwhelmed by desire, seized Draupadi, disregarding the presence of the venerable sages nearby. This act brought to mind the wisdom of the ancients: one should never place trust in anyone, for those who do so suffer, as illustrated by the story of Bali. Bali, the illustrious son of Virocana, was steadfast in truth, a performer of sacrifices, a generous giver, a refuge to many, and esteemed by the virtuous. He never engaged in unrighteousness, and as the grandson of Prahlada, he performed ninety-nine sacrifices with proper gifts. Always of a sattvic nature, even yogis worship Vishnu, who, though changeless, acts to fulfill the purposes of the gods. From Kaśyapa was born Vishnu in the form of the deceptive dwarf Vāmana, who seized the kingdom and the earth, along with its oceans, by trickery. At that time, Bali, son of Virocana, was a king who spoke truthfully, yet Vishnu acted deceitfully for Indra’s sake, as I have heard. If such a thing was done by the embodiment of virtue—assuming the form of Vāmana and seeking to obtain the sacrificial offering—why would another not act likewise? Therefore, one should never place trust in anyone. If greed arises in the mind, O master, what terrible fear is caused by evil deeds! Those overcome by greed indeed commit sinful acts. O sage, there is never any fear of the next world for anyone. Men whose minds are afflicted by greed fall thoroughly—by thought, action, and speech—seeking to appropriate others’ wealth. Men constantly worship the gods, desiring wealth, but the gods, having done their part, are not able to grant it directly. Another’s wealth is taken and given as desired—by trade, by charity, by theft, or even by force. A merchant, taking much grain, cloth, and other goods for the purpose of selling, worships the gods, thinking, “May I obtain great prosperity.” In trade, what is there but desire for another’s wealth? When the time comes to acquire, he even longs for a high price. Thus, O Brahman, all creatures are always intent on appropriating others’ property; what kind of trust can there be again? Pilgrimage is in vain, charity is in vain, and study is in vain; for those enveloped in greed and delusion, what is done becomes undone. Therefore, O highly fortunate one, send him away to his home; I will remain here with my son, O best of twice-born, like Jānakī. Thus addressed, the sage went to King Yudhājit and spoke these words to him, Bhāradvāja, full of prowess: “Go, O king, as you wish, to your own city, best among rulers. This Manorama will not come; she is deeply distressed with her young son.” Yudhājit replied, “O sage, abandon your stubbornness and send Manorama away; I will not depart without her, nor will I take her by force today.” The sage said, “Take her, if you are able, by force from my hermitage today, just as Viśvāmitra once tried to take the cow from the sage Vasiṣṭha.” Vyāsa continued: Hearing the sage’s words, the king summoned his aged minister and questioned him attentively. “O wise one, tell me what should be done here today. I will forcibly take her, along with her sons, that virtuous speaker. Even a weak enemy should never be disregarded by one who desires auspiciousness; when grown, like royal consumption, he should be considered as leading to death. There is neither army nor warrior here who could restrain me; I will seize and kill there the enemy of my grandson. The kingdom will become free of thorns if I act by force today; once Sudarshana is slain, surely he will be fearless.” The chief minister replied, “One should not act rashly, O king; you have heard the sage’s words. The example of Vishvamitra was told by him, O noble one. Long ago, the illustrious son of Gadhi, Vishvamitra, renowned among kings, while wandering, approached the hermitage of Vashishtha. Having bowed to him, the powerful king Vishvamitra, the foremost among kings, sat down, given a seat by the sage. Invited by the great-souled Vashishtha for a meal, the king, son of Gadhi, famed among men, stood there with his army. All kinds of food and delicacies were provided by Nandini; the king and his army ate the desired meal there. Recognizing the power of Nandini, the king approached the sage Vashishtha and requested Nandini, the cow. Vishvamitra said, ‘O sage, I will give you a thousand milking cows; give me Nandini, the cow—I request you, O scorcher of foes.’ Vashishtha replied, ‘This is my sacrificial cow, O king; I will not give her under any circumstances. Even a thousand cows may remain with you, but this one stays with me.’ Vishvamitra insisted, ‘I will give you ten thousand or a hundred thousand, whatever you desire; give me Nandini, O virtuous one, or else I will seize her by force.’ Vashishtha said, ‘Take her by force today, O king, as you wish; but I will not give Nandini to you willingly from my house.