SECTION V
"Vaisampayana said, 'Having received the king's permission, king
Dhritarashtra of great energy then proceeded to his own palace, followed
by Gandhari. With weakened strength and slow motion, that king of great
intelligence walked with difficulty, like the leader, worn out with age,
of an elephantine herd. He was followed by Vidura of great learning, and
his charioteer Sanjaya, as also that mighty bowman Kripa, the son of
Saradwata. Entering his mansion, O king, he went through the morning
rites and after gratifying many foremost of Brahmanas he took some food.
Gandhari conversant with every duty, as also Kunti of great intelligence,
worshipped with offers of various articles by their daughters-in-law,
then took some food, O Bharata. After Dhritarashtra had eaten, and Vidura
also and others had done the same, the Pandavas, having finished their
meals, approached and sat around the old king. Then the son of Amvika, O
monarch, addressing Kunti's son who was seated near him and touching his
back with his hand, said, 'Thou shouldst always, O delighter of the
Kurus, act without heedlessness as regards everything connected with thy
kingdom consisting of eight limbs, O foremost of rulers, and in which the
claims of righteousness should ever be kept foremost.[7] Thou art
possessed, O son of Kunti, of intelligence and learning. Listen to me, O
king, as I tell thee what the means are by which, O son of Pandu, the
kingdom is capable of being righteously protected. Thou shouldst always,
O Yudhishthira, honour those persons that are old in learning. Thou
shouldst listen to what they would say, and act accordingly without any
scruple. Rising at dawn, O king, worship them with due rites, and when
the time comes for action, thou shouldst consult them about thy
(intended) acts. When, led by the desire of knowing what would be
beneficial to thee in respect of thy measures, thou honourest them; they
will, O son, always declare what is for thy good, O Bharata. Thou
shouldst always keep thy senses, as thou keepest thy horses. They will
then prove beneficial to thee, like wealth that is not wasted. Thou
shouldst employ only such ministers as have passed the tests of honesty,
(i.e., as are possessed of loyalty, disinterestedness, continence, and
courage), as are hereditary officers of state, possessed of pure conduct,
self-restrained, clever in the discharge of business, and endued with
righteous conduct. Thou shouldst always collect information through spies
in diverse disguises, whose faithfulness have been tasted, who are
natives of thy kingdom, and who should not be known to thy foes. Thy
citadel should be properly protected with strong walls and arched gates.
On every side the walls, with watch-towers on them standing close to one
another, should be such as to admit of six persons walking side by side
on their top.[8] The gates should all be large and sufficiently strong.
Kept in proper places those gates should be carefully guarded. Let thy
purposes be accomplished through men whose families and conduct are well
known. Thou shouldst always protect thy person also with care, in matters
connected with thy food, O Bharata, as also in the hours of sport and
eating and in matters connected with the garlands thou wearest and the
beds thou liest upon. The ladies of thy household should be properly
protected, looked over by aged and trusted servitors, of good behaviour,
well-born, and possessed of learning, O Yudhishthira. Thou shouldst make
ministers of Brahmanas possessed of learning, endued with humility,
well-born, conversant with religion and wealth, and adorned with
simplicity of behaviour. Thou shouldst hold consultations with them. Thou
shouldst not, however, admit many persons into thy consultations. On
particular occasions thou mayst consult with the whole of thy council or
with a portion of it. Entering a chamber or spot that is well protected
(from intruders) thou shouldst hold thy consultation. Thou mayst hold thy
consultation in a forest that is divested of grass. Thou shouldst never
consult at night time.[9] Apes and birds and other animals that can
imitate human beings should all be excluded from the council chamber, as
also idiots and lame and palsied individuals. I think that the evils that
flow from the divulgence of the counsels of kings are such that they
cannot be remedied. Thou shouldst repeatedly refer, in the midst of thy
counsellors, to the evils that arise from the divulgence of counsels, O
chastiser of foes, and to the merits that flow from counsels properly
kept. Thou shouldst, O Yudhishthira, act in such a manner as to ascertain
the merits and faults of the inhabitants of thy city and the provinces.
Let thy laws, O king, be always administered by trusted judges placed in
charge thereof, who should also be contented and of good behaviour. Their
acts should also be ascertained by thee through spies. Let thy judicial
officers, O Yudhishthira, inflict punishments, according to the law, on
offenders after careful ascertainment of the gravity of the offences.
They that are disposed to take bribes, they that are the violators of the
chastity of other people's wives, they that inflict heavy punishments,
they that are utterers of false speeches, they that are revilers, they
that are stained by cupidity, they that are murderers, they that are
doers of rash deeds, they that are disturbers of assemblies and the
sports of others, and they that bring about a confusion of castes,
should, agreeably to considerations of time and place, be punished with
either fines or death.[10] In the morning thou shouldst see those that
are employed in making thy disbursements. After that thou shouldst look
to thy toilet and then to thy food. Thou shouldst next supervise thy
forces, gladdening them on every occasion. Thy evenings should be set
apart for envoys and spies. The latter end of the night should be devoted
by thee to settle what acts should be done by thee in the day. Mid-nights
and mid-days should be devoted to thy amusements and sports. At all
times, however thou shouldst think of the means for accomplishing thy
purposes. At the proper time, adorning thy person, thou shouldst sit
prepared to make gifts in profusion. The turns for different acts, O son,
ceaselessly revolve like wheels. Thou shouldst always exert thyself to
fill thy treasuries of various kinds by lawful means. Thou shouldst avoid
all unlawful means towards that end. Ascertaining through thy spies who
thy foes are that are bent on finding out thy laches, thou shouldst,
through trusted agents, cause them to be destroyed from a distance.
Examining their conduct, thou shouldst O perpetuator of Kuru's race,
appoint thy servants. Thou shouldst cause all thy acts to be accomplished
through thy servitors: whether they are appointed for those acts or not.
The commandant of thy forces should be of firm conduct, courageous,
capable of bearing hardships, loyal, and devoted to thy good. Artisans
and mechanics, O son of Pandu, dwelling in thy provinces, should always
do thy acts like kine and asses.[11] Thou shouldst always, O
Yudhishthira, be careful to ascertain thy own laches as also those of thy
foes. The laches also of thy own men as also of the men of thy foes
should equally be ascertained. Those men of thy kingdom, that are well
skilled in their respective vocations, and are devoted to thy good,
should be favoured by thee with adequate means of support. A wise king, O
ruler of men, should always see that the accomplishments of his
accomplished subjects might be kept up. They would then be firmly devoted
to thee, seeing that they did not fall away from their skill.'"
