SECTION LVIII
"Bhishma said, 'Protection of the subject, O Yudhishthira, is the very
cheese of kingly duties. The divine Vrihaspati does not applaud any other
duty (so much as this one). The divine Kavi (Usanas) of large eyes and
austere penances, the thousand-eyed Indra, and Manu the son of Prachetas,
the divine Bharadwaja, and the saga Gaurasiras, all devoted to Brahma and
utterers of Brahma, have composed treatises on the duties of kings. All
of them praise the duty of protection, O foremost of virtuous persons, in
respect of kings. O thou of eyes like lotus leaves and of the hue of
copper, listen to the means by which protection may be secured. Those
means consist of the employment of spies and servants, giving them their
just dues without haughtiness, the realisation of taxes with
considerateness, never taking anything (from the subject) capriciously
and without cause, O Yudhishthira, the selection of honest men (for the
discharge of administrative functions), heroism, skill, and cleverness
(in the transaction of business), truth, seeking the good of the people,
producing discord and disunion among the enemy by fair or unfair means,
the repair of buildings that are old or on the point of falling away, the
infliction of corporal punishments and fines regulated by observance of
the occasion, never abandoning the honest, granting employment and
protection to persons of respectable birth, the storing of what should be
stored, companionship with persons of intelligence, always gratifying the
soldiery, supervision over the subjects, steadiness in the transaction of
business, filling the treasury, absence of blind confidence on the guards
of the city, producing disloyalty among the citizens of a hostile town,
carefully looking after the friends and allies living in the midst of the
enemy's country, strictly watching the servants and officers of the
state, personal observation of the city, distrust of servants, comforting
the enemy with assurances, steadily observing the dictates of policy,
readiness for action, never disregarding an enemy, and casting off those
that are wicked. Readiness for exertion in kings is the root of kingly
duties. This has been said by Vrihaspati. Listen to the verses sung by
him: 'By exertion the amrita was obtained; by exertion the Asuras were
slain, by exertion Indra himself obtained sovereignty in heaven and on
earth. The hero of exertion is superior to the heroes of speech. The
heroes of speech gratify and worship the heroes of exertion.[169]' The
king that is destitute of exertion, even if possessed of intelligence, is
always overcome by foes like a snake that is bereft of poison. The king,
even if possessed of strength, should not disregard a foe, however weak.
A spark of fire can produce a conflagration and a particle of poison can
kill. With only one kind of force, an enemy from within a fort, can
afflict the whole country of even a powerful and prosperous king. The
secret speeches of a king, the amassing of troops for obtaining victory,
the crooked purposes in his heart, similar intents for accomplishing
particular objects, and the wrong acts he does or intends to do, should
be concealed by putting on an appearance of candour. He should act
righteously for keeping his people under subjection. Persons of crooked
minds cannot bear the burden of extensive empire. A king who is mild
cannot obtain superior rank, the acquisition of which depends upon
labour. A kingdom, coveted by all like meat, can never be protected by
candour and simplicity. A king, O Yudhishthira, should, therefore, always
conduct himself with both candour and crookedness. If in protecting his
subjects a king falls into danger, he earns great merit. Even such should
be the conduct of kings. I have now told thee a portion only of the
duties of kings. Tell me, O best of the Kurus, what more you wish to
know."
Vaisampayana continued, "The illustrious Vyasa and Devasthana and Aswa,
and Vasudeva and Kripa and Satyaki and Sanjaya, filled with joy, and with
faces resembling full-blown flowers, said, 'Excellent! Excellent!' and
hymned the praises of that tiger among men, viz., Bhishma, that foremost
of virtuous persons. Then Yudhishthira, that chief of Kuru's race, with a
cheerless heart and eyes bathed in tears, gently touched Bhishma's feet
and said, 'O grandsire, I shall to-morrow enquire after those points
about which I have my doubts, for today, the sun, having sucked the
moisture of all terrestrial objects, is about to set.' Then Kesava and
Kripa and Yudhishthira and others, saluting the Brahmanas (assembled
there) and circumambulating the son of the great river, cheerfully
ascended their cars. All of them observant of excellent vows then bathed
in the current of the Drishadwati. Having offered oblations of water unto
their ancestors and silently recited the sacred mantras and done other
auspicious acts, and having performed the evening prayer with due rites,
those scorchers of foes entered the city called after the elephant."
