SECTION XXIV
Vaisampayana said, "Once more the great sage Krishna-Dwaipayana said
these words unto Ajatasatru, the son of Kunti: 'Let these great
car-warriors of abundant energy of mind, O monarch, let these brothers of
thine, O Yudhishthira, the chief of the Bharatas, obtain those wishes of
theirs that they cherished while dwelling in the woods. Rule thou the
earth, O son of Pritha, like (another) Yayati, the son of Nahusha. Before
now misery was yours while ye dwelt in the woods in the observance of
ascetic penances. That misery is ended, O tiger among men! Enjoy
happiness, therefore, for some time. Having O Bharata, earned and enjoyed
religious merit and wealth and pleasure for some time with thy brothers,
thou mayst then, O king, retire into the woods. Be freed first, O
Bharata, from the debt thou owest to persons that may beg of thee, to the
Pitris, and to the gods. Thou mayst then, O son of Kunti, practise all
the other modes of life (that come afterwards). Do thou, O son of Kuru's
race, perform the sacrifices of Sarvamedha and Aswamedha. Thou shalt then
attain, O monarch, to the highest end hereafter. Installing thy brothers
also in great sacrifices with plentiful presents (to the Brahmanas), thou
shalt, O son of Pandu, acquire great fame. There is a saying, O tiger
among men and best of the Kurus! Listen to it, for by acting according to
it, O king, thou shalt not swerve from virtue. Those men only, O
Yudhishthira, whose practices resemble those of robbers, cause a king by
their counsels to take to a career of war and victory.[70] That king who,
guided by considerations of place and time and moved by an understanding
dependent on the scriptures, pardons even a number of robbers, incurs no
sin. That king who, realising his tribute of a sixth, doth not protect
his kingdom, taketh a fourth part of the sins of his kingdom.[71] Listen
also to that by which a king may not swerve from virtue. By transgressing
the scriptures (one incurs sill), while by obeying them one may live
fearlessly. That king who, guided by an understanding based upon the
scriptures and disregarding lust and wrath, behaves impartially, like a
father, towards all his subjects, never incurs sin. O thou of great
splendour, if a king, afflicted by destiny, fails to accomplish an act
which he should, such failure would not be called a trespass. By force
and policy should the king put down his foes. He must not suffer sin to
be perpetrated in his kingdom but should cause virtue to be practised.
Brave men, those that are respectable in their practices, they that are
virtuous in their acts, they that are possessed of learning, O
Yudhishthira, Brahmanas conversant with Vedic texts and rites, and men of
wealth, should especially be protected. In determining suits and
accomplishing religious acts, they that are possessed of great learning
should alone be employed. A prudent king will never repose his confidence
upon one individual, however accomplished. That king who does not protect
his subjects, whose passions are ungovernable, who is full of vanity, who
is stained with haughtiness and malice, incurs sin and earns the reproach
of tyranny. If the subjects of a king, O monarch, waste away from want of
protection and are afflicted by the gods and ground down by robbers, the
sin of all this stains the king himself. There is no sin, O Yudhishthira,
in doing an act with heartiness, after full deliberation, and
consultation with men capable of offering good advice. Our tasks fail or
succeed through destiny. If exertion, however, be applied, sin would not
touch the king. I shall recite to thee, O tiger among kings, the story of
what happened to an ancient king of the name of Hayagriva, O son of
Pandu,--the story, viz., of the heroic Hayagriva of unstained deeds, who
after having slain a large number of his foes in battle, was himself
defeated and slain while without a follower by his side. Having achieved
all that should be done for keeping foes under check and adopted all
those foremost of means by which men may be protected. Hayagriva acquired
great fame from the battles he fought and is now enjoying great bliss in
heaven. Mangled by robbers with weapons, boldly fighting with them, and
casting off his life in battle, the high-souled Hayagriva, ever attentive
to his (kingly) duties, achieved the object of his life and is now
enjoying great bliss in heaven. The bow was his (sacrificial) stake and
the bowstring was the cord for tying the victims. Shafts constituted the
smaller ladle and the sword the large one, and blood was the clarified
butter that he poured. The car was the altar and the wrath he felt in
battle was the fire, and the four foremost of steeds yoked unto his
vehicle were the four Hotris. Having poured upon that sacrificial fire
his foes as libations and then his own life-breaths at the completion of
the sacrifice, that vigorous lion among kings, viz., Hayagriva, became
freed from sin and is now sporting in the regions of the gods. Having
protected his kingdom with policy and intelligence, the high-souled
Hayagriva of resigned self and great strength of mind and accustomed to
the performance of sacrifices filled all the worlds with his fame and is
now sporting in the region of the gods.[72] Having obtained the merit
dependent on the performance of sacrifices as also every kind of merit
that is connected with human affairs, he wielded the rod of chastisement
and ruled the Earth with vigour and without pride. For this the virtuous
and high-souled Hayagriva is sporting in the region of the gods.[73]
Possessed of learning, practising renunciation, actuated by faith, and
full of gratitude, that king, having performed diverse acts, left this
world of men and won the regions that are reserved for the intelligent
and the wise and those that are of approved usages and behaviour and
prepared to cast off their lives in battle. Having studied the Vedas well
and the other scriptures also, having ruled his kingdom properly and
caused all the four orders to adhere to their respective duties, the
high-souled Hayagriva is sporting in joy the regions of the gods. Having
won many battles and cherished his subjects, having drunk the Soma juice
in sacrifices and gratified the foremost of Brahmanas with presents and
judiciously wielded the rod of chastisement over those placed under his
sway and at last cast off his life in battle, that king is living happily
in heaven. His life was worthy of every praise. Learned and honest men
applaud it, deserving as it is of every applause. Having won heaven and
acquired the regions reserved for heroes, that high-souled monarch of
virtuous deeds became crowned with success.'
