وصاح الإسكندر: يا ملك الهند أبرز إلينا، وأبق على عدتك وعيالك، ولا تحملهم على الفناء. فإنه ليس من المروءة أي يرمي الملك بعدته في المهالك المتلفة والمواضع المجحفة، بل يقيهم بماله ويدافع عنهم بنفسه. فأبرز إلى ودع الجند، فأينا قهر صاحبه فهو الأسعد. فلما سمع فور من ذي القرنين ذلك الكلام دعته نفسه لملاقاته طمعاً فيه؛ وظن ذلك فرصةً. فبرز إليه الإسكندر فتجاولا على ظهري فرسيهما ساعات من النهار ليس يلقى أحدهما من صاحبه فرصةً؛ ولم يزالا يتعاركان. فلما أعيا الإسكندر أمره ولم يجد له فرصةً ولا حيلة أوقع ذو القرنين في عسكره صيحة عظيمة ارتجت لها الأرض والعساكر؛ فالتفت فورٌ عندما سمع الزعقة، وظنها مكيدة في عسكره؛ فعاجله ذو القرنين بضربة أمالته عن سرجه، وتبعه بأخرى؛ فوقع على الأرض. فلما رأت الهند ما نزل بهم، وما صار إليه ملكهم؛ حملوا على الإسكندر فقاتلوه قتالاً أحبوا معه الموت. فوعدهم من نفسه الإحسان، ومنحه الله أكتافهم؛ فاستولى على بلادهم، وملك عليه رجلاً من ثقاته. وأقام بالهند حتى استوثق مما أراد من أمرهم واتفاق كلمتهم؛ ثم انصرف عن الهند وخلف ذلك الرجل عليهم. مضى متوجهاً نحو ما قصد له. فلما بعد ذو القرنين عن الهند بجيوشه، تغيرت الهند عما كانوا عليه من طاعة الرجل الذي خلفه عليهم؛ وقالوا ليس يصلح للسياسة ولا ترضى الخاصة والعامة أن يملكوا عليهم رجلاً ليس هو منهم ولا من أهل بيوتهم. فإنه لا يزال يستذلهم ويستقلهم. واجتمعوا يملكون عليهم رجلاً من أولاد ملوكهم؛ فملكوا عليهم ملكاً يقال له دبشليم؛ وخلعوا الرجل الذي كان خلفه عليهم الإسكندر. فلما استوسق له الأمر، واستقر له الملك. وكان مع ذلك مؤيداً مظفراً منصوراً. فهابته الرعية. فلما رأى ما هو عليه من الملك والسطوة، عبث بالرعية واستصغر أمرهم وأساء السيرة فيهم. وكان لا ترتقي حاله إلا ازداد عتواً. فمكث على ذلك برهة من دهره. وكان في زمانه رحل فيلسوف من البراهمة، فاضلٌ حكيمٌ، يعرف بفضله، ويرجع في الأمور إلى قوله، يقال له بيدبا. فلما رأى الملك وما هو عليه من الظلم للرعية، فكر في وجه الحيلة في صرفه عما هو عليه، ورده إلى العدل والإنصاف؛ فجمع لذلك تلاميذه، وقال: أتعلمون ما أريد أن أشاوركم فيه؟ اعلموا إني أطلت الفكرة في دبشليم وما هو عليه من الخروج عن العدل ولزوم الشر ورداءة السيرة وسوء العشرة مع الرعية؛ ونحن ما نروض أنفسنا لمثل هذه الأمور إذا ظهرت من الملوك، غلا لنردهم إلى فعل الخير ولزوم العدل.
And Alexander shouted: 'O king of India, come out to us, and spare your equipment and your family, and do not lead them to destruction. For it is not manly that a king should throw his equipment into destructive perils and unfair places, but he should protect them with his wealth and defend them himself. So come out to me and leave the army, and whichever of us overcomes his opponent, he is the happier.' When Fūr, the one with two horns, heard that speech, his soul invited him to meet him out of desire for him; and he thought that an opportunity. So Alexander came out to him and they fought on the backs of their horses for hours of the day, neither of them finding an opportunity from his opponent; and they continued fighting. When Alexander's affair became difficult and he found no opportunity or trick, Dhū al-Qarnayn raised a great shout in his army, at which the earth and the troops trembled; so Fūr turned when he heard the cry, thinking it a plot in his army; then Dhū al-Qarnayn struck him quickly with a blow that made him lean from his saddle, and followed it with another; so he fell to the ground. When India saw what had befallen them and what their king had come to, they attacked Alexander and fought him with a fighting in which they loved death. So he promised them good from himself, and God granted him their shoulders; so he took possession of their lands and appointed over them a man from his trusted ones. And he stayed in India until he secured what he wanted of their affair and the agreement of their word; then he departed from India and left that man over them. He went on heading towards what he intended. When Dhū al-Qarnayn went far from India with his armies, India changed from what they were upon of obedience to the man whom he had left over them; and they said: 'It is not suitable for policy, and the elite and the common people do not agree that a man who is not from them nor from the people of their houses should rule over them. For he continues to humiliate them and belittle them.' And they gathered to appoint over them a man from the children of their kings; so they appointed over them a king called Dabshalīm; and they deposed the man whom Alexander had left over them. When the affair became established for him and the kingship settled for him. And he was with that supported, victorious, triumphant. So the subjects feared him. When he saw what he was upon of kingship and dominance, he toyed with the subjects and belittled their affair and behaved badly towards them. And his state would not rise except that he increased in tyranny. So he remained upon that for a period of his time. And in his time there was a philosopher from the Brahmins, virtuous, wise, known for his virtue, and matters were referred to his saying, called Baydabā. When he saw the king and what he was upon of injustice to the subjects, he thought about the way of the trick in turning him from what he was upon and returning him to justice and fairness; so he gathered for that his students and said: 'Do you know what I want to consult you about? Know that I have prolonged thought about Dabshalīm and what he is upon of departure from justice and adherence to evil and bad conduct and bad companionship with the subjects; and we do not train ourselves for such matters when they appear from kings, except to return them to doing good and adhering to justice.'