learned friend of fickle soul, deserves, O Narada, to know one's secret
counsels. Relying on thy friendship for me, I shall say something to
thee, O sage! O thou that canst go to heaven at thy pleasure, one should
speak to another if one be convinced of the intelligence of that other. I
never behave with slavish obsequiousness towards my kinsmen by flattering
speeches about their prosperity. I give them half of what I have, and
forgive their evil speeches. As a fire-stick is grinded by a person
desirous of obtaining fire, even so my heart is ground by my kinsmen with
their cruel speeches. Indeed, O celestial Rishi, those cruel speeches
burn my heart every day. Might resides in Sankarshana; mildness in Gada;
and as regards Pradyumna, he surpasses even myself in beauty of person.
(Although I have all these on my side) yet I am helpless, O Narada! Many
others among the Andhakas and the Vrishnis are possessed of great
prosperity and might, and during courage and constant perseverance. He on
whose side they do not range themselves meets with destruction. He, on
the other hand, on whose side they do range themselves, achieves
everything. Dissuaded (in turns) by both (viz., Ahuka and Akrura,) I do
not side either of them. What can be more painful for a person than to
have both Ahuka and Akrura on his side? What, again, can be more painful
for one than not to have both of them on his side?[242] I am like the
mother of two brothers gambling against each other, invoking victory to
both. I am thus, O Narada, afflicted by both. It behoveth thee to tell me
that which is for the good of both myself and my kinsmen.'
"Narada said, 'Calamities, O Krishna, are of two kinds, viz., external
and internal. They arise, O thou of Vrishni's race, from one's own acts
or from the acts of others. The calamity that has now overtaken thee is
an internal one and is born of thy own acts. Valadeva and others of the
Bhoja race are partisans of Akrura, and have taken up his side either for
the sake of wealth, or mere caprice, or moved by words or by hate. As
regards thyself, thou hast given away wealth obtained by thee to another.
Though possessed of men who should be your friends, thou hast, however,
by thy own act, brought calamity over thy head. Thou canst not take back
that wealth, even as one cannot swallow again the food that he has
vomited himself. The kingdom cannot be taken back from Babhu and Ugrasena
(unto whom it has been given). Thyself, O Krishna, cannot, in particular,
take it back (from them) from fear of producing intestine dissensions.
Supposing the endeavour succeeds, it will do so after much trouble and
after the accomplishment of the most difficult feats. A great slaughter
and a great loss of wealth will ensue, perhaps, even total destruction.
Use then a weapon that is not made of steel, that is very mild and yet
capable of piercing all hearts. Sharpening and resharpening that weapon
correct the tongues of thy kinsmen.'
"Vasudeva said, 'What is that weapon, O sage, which is not made of steel,
which is mild, which still pierces all hearts, and which I must use for
correcting the tongues of my kinsmen?'
"Narada said, 'The giving of food to the best of thy power, forgiveness,
sincerity, mildness, and honour to whom honour is due, these constitute a
weapon that is not made of steel. With soft words alone turn away the
anger of kinsmen about the utter cruel speeches, and mollify their hearts
and minds and slanderous tongues. None who is not a great man with
cleansed soul and possessed of accomplishments and friends can bear a
heavy burthen. Take up this great weight (of governing the Vrishnis) and
bear it on thy shoulders. All oxen can bear heavy burthens on a level
road. The stronger ones only among them can bear such burthens on a
difficult road. From disunion destruction will spring and overtake all
the Bhojas and the Vrishnis. Thou, O Kesava, art the foremost one among
them. Do thou act in such a manner that the Bhojas and the Vrishnis may
not meet with destruction. Nothing but intelligence and forgiveness,
restraint of the senses, and liberality are present in a person of
wisdom. Advancing one's own race is always praiseworthy and glorious and
conducive to long life. Do thou, O Krishna, act in such a way that
destruction may not overtake thy kinsmen. There is nothing unknown to
thee in respect of policy and the art of war, O Lord! The Yadavas, the
Kukuras, the Bhojas, the Andhakas, and the Vrishnis, are all dependent on
thee even as all the worlds and all the regents of those worlds, O
mighty-armed one! The Rishis, O Madhava, always pray for thy advancement.
Thou art the lord of all creatures. Thou knowest the past, the present,
and the future. Thou art the foremost one among all the Yadavas. Relying
on thee, they expect to live in happiness.'"
SECTION LXXXII
"Bhishma said, 'This that I have told thee constitutes the first means.
Listen now, O Bharata to the second means. That man who seeks to advance
the interests of the king should always be protected by the king. If a
person, O Yudhishthira, that is paid or unpaid, comes to thee for telling
thee of the damage done to thy treasury when its resources are being
embezzled by a minister, thou shouldst grant him an audience in private
and protect him also from the (impeached) minister. The ministers guilty
of peculation seek, O Bharata, to slay such informants. They who plunder
the royal treasury combine together for opposing the person who seeks to
protect it, and if the latter be left unprotected, he is sure to be
ruined. In this connection also an old story is cited of what the sage
Kalakavrikshiya had said unto the king of Kosala. It hath been heard by
us that once on a time the sage Kalakavrikshiya came to Kshemadarsin who
had ascended the throne of the kingdom of Kosala. Desirous of examining
the conduct of all the officers of Kshemadarsin, the sage, with a crow
kept within a cage in his hand, repeatedly travelled through every part
of that king's dominions. And he spoke unto all the men and said, 'Study,
ye the corvine science. The crows tell me the present, the past, and the
future.' Proclaiming this in the kingdom, the sage, accompanied by a
large number of men, began to observe the misdeeds of all the officers of
the king. Having ascertained all the affairs in respect of that kingdom,
and having learnt that all the officers appointed by the king were guilty
of malversation, the sage, with his crow, came to see the king. Of rigid
vows, he said unto the king, 'I know everything (about thy kingdom).'
Arrived at the presence of the king, he said unto his minister adorned
with the insignia of his office that he had been informed by his crow
that the minister had done such a misdeed in such a place, and that such
and such persons know that he had plundered the royal treasury. 'My crow
tells me this. Admit or prove the falsehood of the accusation quickly.'
The sage then proclaimed the names of other officers who had similarly
been guilty of embezzlement, adding, 'My crow never says anything that is
false.' Thus accused and injured by the sage, all the officers of the
king, O thou of Kuru's race, (united together and) pierced his crow,
while the sage slept, at night. Beholding his crow pierced with a shaft
within the cage, the regenerate Rishi, repairing to Kshemadarsin in the
morning said unto him, 'O king, I seek thy protection. Thou art
all-powerful and thou art the master of the lives and wealth of all. If I
receive thy command I can then say what is for thy good. Grieved on
account of thee whom I regard as a friend have come to thee, impelled by
my devotion and ready to serve thee with my whole heart. Thou art being
robbed of thy wealth, I have come to thee for disclosing it without
showing any consideration for the robbers. Like a driver that urges a
good steed, I have come hither for awakening thee whom I regard as a
friend. A friend who is alive to his own interests and desirous of his
own prosperity and aggrandisement, should forgive a friend that intrudes
himself forcibly, impelled by devotion and wrath, for doing what is
beneficial.' The king replied unto him, saying, 'Why should I not bear
anything thou wilt say, since I am not blind to what is for my good? I
grant thee permission, O regenerate one! Tell me what thou pleasest, I
shall certainly obey the instructions thou wilt give me, O Brahman,'
"The sage said, 'Ascertaining the merits and faults of thy servants, as
also the: dangers thou incurrest at their hands, I have come to thee,
impelled by my devotion, for representing everything to thee. The
teachers (of mankind) have of old declared what the curses are, O king,
of those that serve others. The lot of those that serve the king is very
painful and wretched. He who has any connection with kings is to have
connection with snakes of virulent poison. Kings have many friends as
also many enemies. They that serve kings have to fear all of them. Every
moment, again, they have fear from the king himself, O monarch. A person
serving the king cannot (with impunity) be guilty of heedlessness in
doing the king's work. Indeed, a servant who desires to win prosperity
should never display heedlessness in the discharge of his duties. His
heedlessness may move the king to wrath, and such wrath may bring down
destruction (on the servant). Carefully learning how to behave himself,
one should sit in the presence of the king as he should in the presence
of a blazing fire. Prepared to lay down life itself at every moment, one
should serve the king attentively, for the king is all-powerful and
master of the lives and the wealth of all, and therefore, like unto a
snake of virulent poison. He should always fear to indulge in evil
speeches before the king, or to sit cheerlessly or in irreverent
postures, or to wait in attitudes of disrespect or to walk disdainfully
or display insolent gestures and disrespectful motions of the limbs. If
the king becomes gratified, he can shower prosperity like god. If he
becomes enraged, he can consume to the very roots like a blazing fire.
This, O king, was said by Yama. Its truth is seen in the affairs of the
world. I shall now (acting according to these precepts) do that which
would enhance thy prosperity. Friends like ourselves can give unto
friends like thee the aid of their intelligence in seasons of peril. This
crow of mine, O king, has been slain for doing thy business. I cannot,
however, blame thee for this. Thou art not loved by those (that have
slain this bird). Ascertain who are thy friends and who thy foes. Do
everything thyself without surrendering thy intelligence to others. They
who are on thy establishment are all peculators. They do not desire the
good of thy subjects. I have incurred their hostility. Conspiring with
those servants that have constant access to thee they covet the kingdom
after thee by compassing thy destruction. Their plans, however, do not
succeed in consequence of unforeseen circumstances. Through fear of those
men, O king, I shall leave this kingdom for some other asylum. I have no
worldly desire, yet those persons of deceitful intentions have shot this
shaft at my crow, and have, O lord, despatched the bird to Yama's abode.
I have seen this, O king, with eyes whose vision has been improved by
penances. With the assistance of this single crow I have crossed this
kingdom of thine that is like a river abounding with alligators and
sharks and crocodiles and whales. Indeed, with the assistance of that
bird, I have passed through thy dominions like unto a Himalayan valley,
impenetrable and inaccessible in consequence of trunks of (fallen) trees
and scattered rocks and thorny shrubs and lions and tigers and other
beasts of prey. The learned say that a region inaccessible in consequence
of gloom can be passed through with the aid of a light, and a river that
is unfordable can be crossed by means of a boat. No means, however, exist
for penetrating or passing through the labyrinth of kingly affairs. Thy
kingdom is like an inaccessible forest enveloped with gloom. Thou (that
art the lord of it) canst not trust it. How then can I? Good and evil are
regarded here in the same light. Residence here cannot, therefore, be
safe. Here a person of righteous deeds meets with death, while one of
unrighteous deeds incurs no danger. According to the requirements of
justice, a person of unrighteous deeds should be slain but never one who
is righteous in his acts. It is not proper, therefore, for one to stay in
this kingdom long. A man of sense should leave this country soon. There
is a river, O king, of the name of Sita. Boats sink in it. This thy
kingdom is like that river. An all-destructive net seems to have been
cast around it. Thou art like the fall that awaits collectors of honey,
or like attractive food containing poison. Thy nature now resembles that
of dishonest men and not that of the good. Thou art like a pit, O king,
abounding with snakes of virulent poison. Thou resemblest, O king, a
river full of sweet water but exceedingly difficult of access, With steep
banks overgrown with Kariras and thorny canes. Thou art like a swan in
the midst of dogs, vultures and jackals. Grassy parasites, deriving their
sustenance from a mighty tree, swell into luxuriant growth, and at last
covering the tree itself overshadow it completely. A forest conflagration
sets in, and catching those grassy plants first, consumes the lordly tree
with them. Thy ministers, O king, resemble those grassy parasites of
which I speak. Do thou check and correct them. They have been nourished
by thee. But conspiring against thee, they are destroying thy prosperity.
Concealing (from thee) the faults of thy servants, I am living in thy
abode in constant dread of danger, even like a person living in a room
with a snake within it or like the lover of a hero's wife. My object is
to ascertain the behaviour of the king who is my fellow-lodger. I wish to
know whether the king has his passions under control, whether his
servants are obedient to him, whether he is loved by them, and whether he
loves his subjects. For the object of ascertaining all these points, O
best of kings, I have come to thee. Like food to a hungry person, thou
hast become dear to me. I dislike thy ministers, however, as a person
whose thirst has been slaked dislikes drink. They have found fault with
me because I seek thy good. I have no doubt that there is no other cause
for that hostility of theirs to me. I do not cherish any hostile
intentions towards them. I am engaged in only marking their faults. As
one should fear a wounded snake, every one should fear a foe of wicked
heart!'[243]
"The king said, 'Reside in my palace, O Brahmana! I shall always treat
thee with respect and honour, and always worship thee. They that will
dislike thee shall not dwell with me. Do thou thyself do what should be
done next unto those persons (of whom thou hast spoken). Do thou see, O
holy one, that the rod of chastisement is wielded properly and that
everything is done well in my kingdom. Reflecting upon everything, do
thou guide me in such a way that I may obtain prosperity.'
"The sage said, 'Shutting thy eyes in the first instance to this offence
of theirs (viz., the slaughter of the crow), do thou weaken them one by
one. Prove their faults then and strike them one after another. When many
persons become guilty of the same offence, they can, by acting together,
soften the very points of thorns. Lest thy ministers (being suspected,
act against thee and) disclose thy secret counsels, I advise thee to
proceed with such caution. As regards ourselves, we are Brahmanas,
naturally compassionate and unwilling to give pain to any one. We desire
thy good as also the good of others, even as we wish the good of
ourselves. I speak of myself, O king! I am thy friend. I am known as the
sage Kalakavrikshiya. I always adhere to truth. Thy sire regarded me
lovingly as his friend. When distress overtook this kingdom during the
region of thy sire, O king, I performed many penances (for driving it
off), abandoning every other business. From my affection for thee I say
this unto thee so that thou mayst not again commit the fault (of reposing
confidence on undeserving persons). Thou hast obtained a kingdom without
trouble. Reflect upon everything connected with its weal and woe. Thou
hast ministers in thy kingdom. But why, O king, shouldst thou be guilty
of heedlessness?' After this, the king of Kosala took a minister from the
Kshatriya order, and appointed that bull among Brahmanas (viz., the sage
Kalakavrikshiya) as his Purohita. After these changes had been effected,
the king of Kosala subjugated the whole earth and acquired great fame.
The sage Kalakavrikshiya worshipped the gods in many grand sacrifices
performed for the king. Having listened to his beneficial counsels, the
king of Kosala conquered the whole earth and conducted himself in every
respect as the sage directed.'"
SECTION LXXXIII
"Yudhishthira said, 'What should be the characteristics, O grandsire, of
the legislators, the ministers of war, the courtiers, the generalissimos,
and the counsellors of a king!'
"Bhishma said, 'Such persons as are possessed of modesty, self-restraint,
truth, sincerity, and courage to say what is proper, should be thy
legislators. They that are always by thy side, that are possessed of
great courage, that are of the regenerate caste, possessed of great
learning, well pleased with thee, and endued with perseverance in all
acts, should, O son of Kunti, be desired by thee for becoming thy
ministers of war at all seasons of distress, O Bharata! One who is of
high descent, who, treated with honour by thee, always exerts his powers
to the utmost on thy behalf, and who will never abandon thee in weal or
woe, illness or death, should be entertained by thee as a courtier. They
that are of high birth, that are born in thy kingdom, that have wisdom,
beauty of form and features, great learning, and dignity of behaviour,
and that are, besides, devoted to thee, should be employed as officers of
thy army. Persons of tow descent and covetous dispositions, who are cruet
and shameless would court thee, O sire, as long as their hands would
remain wet.[244] They that are of good birth and good behaviour, that can
read all signs and gestures, that are destitute of cruelty, that know
what the requirements are of place and time, that always seek the good of
their master in all acts, should be appointed as ministers by the king in
all his affairs. They that have been won over with gifts of wealth,
honours, regardful receptions, and means of procuring felicity, and who
on that account may be regarded by thee as persons inclined to benefit
thee in all thy affairs, should always be made sharers of thy happiness.
They that are unchangeable in conduct, possessed of learning and good
behaviour, observant of excellent vows, large-hearted, and truthful in
speech, will always be attentive to thy affairs and will never abandon
thee, They, on the other hand, that are disrespectable, that are not
observant of restraints, that are of wicked souls, and that have fallen
away from good practices, should always be compelled by thee to observe
all wholesome restraints. When the question is which of two sides should
be adopted, thou shouldst not abandon the many for adopting the side of
one. When, however, that one person transcends the many in consequence of
the possession of many accomplishments, then thou shouldst, for that one,
abandon the many. These are regarded as marks of superiority, viz.,
prowess, devotion to pursuits that bring fame, and observance of
wholesome restraints. He, again, that honours all persons possessed of
ability, that never indulges in feelings of rivalry with persons
possessed of no merit, that never abandons righteousness from lust or
fear or wrath or covetousness, that is adorned with humility, that is
truthful in speech and forgiving in temper, that has his soul under
control, that has a sense of dignity, and that has been tried in every
situation, should be employed by thee as thy counsellor. High descent,
purity of blood, forgiveness, cleverness, and purity of soul, bravery,
gratefulness, and truth, are, O son of Pritha marks of superiority and
goodness. A wise man who conducts himself in this way,[245] succeeds in
disarming his very foes of their hostility and converting them into
friend. A king that has his soul under restraint, that is possessed of
wisdom, and that is desirous of prosperity, should carefully examine the
merits and demerits of his ministers. A king desirous of prosperity and
of shining in the midst of his contemporaries, should have for ministers
persons connected with his trusted friends, possessed of high birth born
in his own kingdom, incapable of being corrupted, unstained by adultery
and similar vices, well tested, belonging to good families, possessed of
learning, sprung from sires and grandsires that held similar offices, and
adorned with humility. The king should employ five such persons to look
after his affairs as are possessed of intelligence unstained by pride, a
disposition that is good, energy, patience, forgiveness, purity, loyalty,
firmness, and courage, whose merits and faults have been well tested, who
are of mature years, who are capable of bearing burthens, and who are
free from deceit. Men that are wise in speech, that are possessed of
heroism, that are full of resources under difficulties, that are of high
birth, that are truthful, that can read signs, that are free from
cruelty, that are conversant with the requirements of place and time, and
that desire the good of their masters, should be employed by the king as
his ministers in all affairs of the kingdom. One who is bereft of energy
and who has been abandoned by friends can never work with perseverance.
Such a man, if employed, fails in almost every business. A minister
possessed of little learning, even if blessed with high birth and
attentive to virtue, profit, and pleasure, becomes incompetent in
choosing proper courses of action. Similarly, a person of low descent,
even if possessed of great learning, always errs, like a blind man
without a guide, in all acts requiring dexterity and foresight. A person,
again, who is of infirm purposes, even if possessed of intelligence and
learning, and even if conversant with means, cannot long act with
success. A man of wicked heart and possessed of no learning may set his
hand to work but he fails to ascertain what the results will be of his
work. A king should never repose trust on a minister that is not devoted
to him. He should, therefore, never disclose his counsels to a minister
that is not devoted to him. Such a wicked minister, combining with the
other ministers of the king, may ruin his master, like a fire consuming a
tree by entering its entrails through the holes in its body with the aid
of the wind. Giving way to wrath, a master may one day pull down a
servant from his office or reprove him, from rage, in harsh words, and
restore him to power again. None but a servant devoted to the master can
bear and forgive such treatment. Ministers also become sometime highly
offended with their royal masters. That one, however, amongst them, who
subdues his wrath from desire of doing good to his master, - that person
who is a sharer with the king of his weal and woe, - should be consulted
by the king in all his affairs. A person who is of crooked heart, even if
he be devoted to his master and possessed of wisdom and adorned with.
numerous virtues, should never be consulted by the king. One who is
allied with foes and who does not regard the interests of the king's
subjects, should be known as an enemy. The king should never consult with
him. One who is possessed of no learning, who is not pure, who is stained
with pride, who pays court to the king's enemies, who indulges in brag,
who is unfriendly, wrathful, and covetous should not be consulted by the
king. One who is a stranger, even if he be devoted to the king and
possessed of great learning, may be honoured by the king and gratified
with assignment of the means of sustenance, but the king should never
consult him in his affairs. A person whose sire was unjustly banished by
royal edict should not be consulted by the king even if the king may have
subsequently bestowed honours upon him and assigned to him the means of
sustenance. A well-wisher whose property was once confiscated for a
slight transgression, even if he be possessed of every accomplishment
should not still be consulted by the king. A person possessed of wisdom,
intelligence, and learning, who is born within the kingdom, who is pure
and righteous in all his acts, deserves to be consulted by the king. One
who is endued with knowledge and wisdom, who is acquainted with the
dispositions of his friends and foes, who is such a friend of the king as
to be his second self, deserves to be consulted. One who is truthful in
speech and modest and mild and who is a hereditary servant of the king,
deserves to be consulted. One who is contented and honoured, who is
truthful and dignified, who hates wickedness and wicked men, who is
conversant with policy and the requirements of time, and who is
courageous, deserves to be consulted by the king. One who is competent to
win over all men by conciliation should be consulted, O monarch, by the
king that is desirous of ruling according to the dictates of the science
of chastisement. One upon whom the inhabitants of both the capital and
the provinces repose confidence for his righteous conduct, who is
competent to fight and conversant with the rules of policy, deserves to
be consulted by the king. Therefore, men possessed of such qualities, men
conversant with the dispositions of all and desirous of achieving high
acts, should be honoured by the king and made his ministers. Their number
also should not be less than three.[246] Ministers should be employed in
observing the laches of their masters, of themselves, of the subjects,
and of the foes of their master. The kingdom has its root in the counsels
of policy that flow from ministers, and its growth proceeds from the same
source. Ministers should act in such a way that the enemies of their
master may not be able to detect his laches. On the other hand, when
their laches become visible, they should then be assailed. Like the
tortoise protecting its limbs by withdrawing them within its shell,
ministers should protect their own counsels. They should, even thus,
conceal their own laches. Those ministers of a kingdom that succeed in
concealing their counsels are said to be possessed of wisdom. Counsels
constitute the armour of a king, and the limbs of his subjects and
officers. A kingdom is said to have its roots in spies and secret agents,
and its strength is said to lie in counsels of policy. If masters and
ministers follow each other for deriving support from each other,
subduing pride and wrath, and vanity and envy, they may then both become
happy. A king should also consult with such ministers as are free from
the five kinds of deceit. Ascertaining well, in the first instance, the
different opinions of the three amongst them whom he has consulted, the
king should, for subsequent deliberation, repair to his preceptor for
informing him of those opinions and his own. His preceptor should be a
Brahmana well versed in all matters of virtue, profit, and pleasure.
Repairing, for such subsequent deliberation, to him, the king should,
with collected mind, ask his opinion. When a decision is arrived at after
deliberation with him, the king should then, without attachment, carry it
out into practice. They that are conversant with the conclusions of the
science of consultation say that kings should always hold consultation in
this way. Having settled counsels in this way, they should then be
reduced to practice, for then they will be able to win over all the
subjects. There should be no dwarfs, no humpbacked persons, no one of an
emaciated constitution, no one who is lame or blind, no one who is an
idiot, no woman, and no eunuch, at the spot where the king holds his
consultations. Nothing should move there before or behind, above or
below, or in transverse directions. Getting up on a boat, or repairing to
an open space destitute of grass or grassy bushes and whence the
surrounding land may be clearly seen, the king should hold consultations
at the proper time, avoiding faults of speech and gestures.'"
SECTION LXXXIV
"'Bhishma said, 'In this connection, O Yudhishthira, the old account of a
conversation between Vrihaspati and Sakra is cited.'
"Sakra said, 'What is that one act, O regenerate one, by accomplishing
which with care, a person may become the object of regard with all
creatures and acquire great celebrity?'
"Vrihaspati said, 'Agreeableness of speech, O Sakra, is the one thing by
practising which a person may become an object of regard with all
creatures and acquire great celebrity. This is the one thing, O Sakra,
which gives happiness to all. By practising it, one may always obtain the
love of all creatures. The person who does not speak a word and whose
face is always furrowed with frowns, becomes an object of hatred with all
creatures. Abstention from agreeable speeches makes him so. That person
who, upon beholding others, addresses them first and does so with smiles
succeeds in making everyone gratified with him. Even gifts, if not made
with agreeable speeches, do not delight the recipients, like rice without
curry. If even the possessions of men, O Sakra, be taken away with sweet
speeches, such sweetness of behaviour succeeds in reconciling the robbed.
A king, therefore, that is desirous of even inflicting chastisement
should utter sweet words. Sweetness of speech never fails of its purpose,
while, at the same time it never pains any heart. A person of good acts
and good, agreeable, and sweet speeches, has no equal.'
"Bhishma continued, 'Thus addressed by his priest, Sakra began to act
according to those instructions. Do thou also, O son of Kunti, practise
this virtue."'
SECTION LXXXV
"Yudhishthira said, 'O foremost of kings, what is that method by which a
king ruling his subjects may, in consequence of it, obtain great
blessedness and eternal fame?'
"Bhishma said, 'A king of cleansed soul and attentive to the duty of
protecting his subjects earns merit and fame, both here and hereafter, by
conducting himself righteously.'
"Yudhishthira said, 'With whom should the king behave in what way? Asked
by me, O thou of great wisdom, it behoveth thee to tell me everything
duly. Those virtues of which thou hast already spoken with respect to a
person, cannot, it is my belief, be found to exist in any single
individual.'
"Bhishma said, 'Thou art endued with great intelligence, O Yudhishthira!
It is even so as thou sayest. The person is very rare who is possessed of
all those good qualities. To be brief, conduct like this (viz., the
presence of all the virtues spoken of), is very difficult to be met with
even upon careful search. I shall, however, tell thee what kinds of
ministers should be appointed by thee. Four Brahmanas, learned in the
Vedas, possessed of a sense of dignity, belonging to the Snataka order,
and of pure behaviour, and eight Kshatriyas, all of whom should be
possessed of physical strength and capable of wielding weapons, and one
and twenty Vaisyas, all of whom should be possessed of wealth, and three
Sudras, everyone of whom should be humble and of pure conduct and devoted
to his daily duties, and one man of the Suta caste, possessed of a
knowledge of the Puranas and the eight cardinal virtues, should be thy
ministers. Every one of them should be fifty years of age, possessed of a
sense of dignity, free from envy, conversant with the Srutis and the
Smritis, humble, impartial, competent to readily decide in the midst of
disputants urging different courses of action, free from covetousness,
and from the seven dreadful vices called Vyasanas. The king should
consult with those eight ministers and hold the lead among them. He
should then publish in his kingdom, for the information of his subjects,
the results of such deliberation. Thou shouldst always, adopting such a
conduct, watch over thy people. Thou shouldst never confiscate what is
deposited with thee or appropriate as thine the thing about whose
ownership two persons may dispute. Conduct such as this would spoil the
administration of justice. If the administration of justice be thus
injured, sin will afflict thee, and afflict thy kingdom as well, and
inspire thy people with fear as little birds at the sight of the hawk.
Thy kingdom will then melt away like a boat wrecked on the sea. If a king
governs his subjects with unrighteousness, fear takes possession of his
heart and the door of heaven is closed against him. A kingdom, O bull
among men, has its root in righteousness. That minister, or king's son,
who acts unrighteously, occupying the seat of justice, and those officers
who having accepted the charge of affairs, act unjustly, moved by
self-interest, all sink in hell along with the king himself. Those
helpless men who are oppressed by the powerful and who indulge on that
account in piteous and copious lamentations, have their protector in the
king. In cases of dispute between two parties the decision should be
based upon the evidence of witnesses. If one of the disputants has no
witnesses and is helpless, the king should give the case his best
consideration. The king should cause chastisement to be meted out to
offenders according to the measure of their offences. They that are
wealthy should be punished with fines and confiscations; they that are
poor, with loss of liberty. Those that are of very wicked conduct should
be chastised by the king with even corporal inflictions. The king should
cherish all good men with agreeable speeches and gifts of wealth. He who
seeks to compass the death of the king should be punished with death to
be effected by diverse means. The same should be the punishment of one
who becomes guilty of arson or theft or such co-habitation with women as
may lead to a confusion of castes. A king, O monarch, who inflicts
punishments duly and conformably to the dictates of the science of
chastisement, incurs no sin by the act. On the other hand, he earns merit
that is eternal. That foolish king who inflicts punishments capriciously,
earns infamy here and sinks into hell hereafter. One should not be
punished for the fault of another, Reflecting well upon the (criminal)
code, a person should be convicted or acquitted. A king should never slay
an envoy under any circumstances. That king who slays art envoy sinks
into hell with all his ministers. That king observant of Kshatriya
practices who slays an envoy that faithfully utters the message with
which he is charged, causes the manes of his deceased ancestors to be
stained with the sin of killing a foetus. An envoy should possess these
seven accomplishments, viz., he should be high-born, of a good family,
eloquent, clever, sweet-speeched, faithful in delivering the message with
which he is charged, and endued with a good memory. The aid-de-camp of
the king that protects his person should be endued with similar
qualities. The officer also that guards his capital or citadel should
possess the same accomplishments. The king's minister should be
conversant with the conclusions of the scriptures and competent in
directing wars and making treaties. He should, further, be intelligent,
possessed of courage, modest, and capable of keeping secrets. He should
also be of high birth endued with strength of mind, and pure in conduct.
If possessed of these qualities, he should be regarded worthy. The
commander of the king's forces should be possessed of similar
accomplishments. He should also be conversant with the different kinds of
battle array and with the uses of engines and weapons. He should be able
to bear exposure to rain, cold, heat, and wind, and watchful of the
laches of foes. The king, O monarch, should be able to lull his foes into
a sense of security. He should not, however, himself trust anyone. The
reposing of confidence on even his own son is not to be approved of. I
have now, O sinless one, declared to thee what the conclusions of the
scriptures are. Refusal to trust anyone has been said to be one of the
highest mysteries of king-craft.'"
SECTION LXXXVI
"Yudhishthira said, 'What should be the kind of city within which the
king should himself dwell? Should he select one already made or should he
cause one to be especially constructed? Tell me this O grandsire!'
"Bhishma said, 'It is proper, O Bharata, to enquire about the conduct
that should be followed and the defences that should be adopted with
respect to the city in which, O son of Kunti, a king should reside. I
shall, therefore, discourse to thee on the subject, referring especially
to the defences of citadels. Having listened to me, thou shouldst make
the arrangements required and conduct thyself attentively as directed.
Keeping his eye on the six different kinds of citadels, the king should
build his cities containing every kind of affluence and every other
article of use in abundance. Those six varieties are water-citadels,
earth-citadels, hill-citadels, human-citadels, mud-citadels, and
forest-citadels.[247] The king, with his ministers and the army
thoroughly loyal to him, should reside in that city which is defended by
a citadel which contains an abundant stock of rice and weapons, - which is
protected with impenetrable walls and a trench, which teems with
elephants and steeds and cars, which is inhabited by men possessed of
learning and versed in the mechanical arts, where provisions of every
kind have been well stored, whose population is virtuous in conduct and
clever in business and consists of strong and energetic men and animals,
which is adorned with many open squares and rows of shops, where the
behaviour of all persons is righteous, where peace prevails, where no
danger exists, which blazes with beauty and resounds with music and
songs, where the houses are all spacious, were the residents number among
them many brave and wealthy individuals, which echoes with the chant of
Vedic hymns, where festivities and rejoicings frequently take place, and
where the deities are always worshipped.[248] Residing there, the king
should be employed in filling his treasury, increasing his forces,
enhancing the number of his friends, and establishing courts of justice.
He should cheek all abuses and evils in both his cities and his
provinces. He should be employed in collecting provisions of every kind
and in filling his arsenals with care. He should also increase his stores
of rice and other grain, and strengthen his counsels (with wisdom). He
should further, enhance his stores of fuel, iron, chaff, charcoal,
timber, horns, bones, bamboos, marrow, oils and ghee, fat, honey,
medicines, flax, resinous exudations, rice, weapons, shafts, leather
catgut (for bow-strings), caries, and strings and cords made of munja
grass and other plants and creepers. He should also increase the number
of tanks and well, containing large quantities of water, and should
protect all juicy trees.[249] He should entertain with honour and
attention preceptors (of different sciences), Ritwijas, and priests,