Chapter 24

Vaisampayana said, “Once more the great sage Krishna-Dwaipayana saidthese words unto Ajatasatru, the son of Kunti: ‘Let these greatcar-warriors of abundant energy of mind, O monarch, let these brothers ofthine, O Yudhishthira, the chief of the Bharatas, obtain those wishes oftheirs that they cherished while dwelling in the woods. Rule thou theearth, O son of Pritha, like (another) Yayati, the son of Nahusha. Beforenow misery was yours while ye dwelt in the woods in the observance ofascetic penances. That misery is ended, O tiger among men! Enjoyhappiness, therefore, for some time. Having O Bharata, earned and enjoyedreligious merit and wealth and pleasure for some time with thy brothers,thou mayst then, O king, retire into the woods. Be freed first, OBharata, from the debt thou owest to persons that may beg of thee, to thePitris, and to the gods. Thou mayst then, O son of Kunti, practise allthe other modes of life (that come afterwards). Do thou, O son of Kuru’srace, perform the sacrifices of Sarvamedha and Aswamedha. Thou shalt thenattain, O monarch, to the highest end hereafter. Installing thy brothersalso in great sacrifices with plentiful presents (to the Brahmanas), thoushalt, O son of Pandu, acquire great fame. There is a saying, O tigeramong men and best of the Kurus! Listen to it, for by acting according toit, O king, thou shalt not swerve from virtue. Those men only, OYudhishthira, whose practices resemble those of robbers, cause a king bytheir 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 understandingdependent on the scriptures, pardons even a number of robbers, incurs nosin. That king who, realising his tribute of a sixth, doth not protecthis kingdom, taketh a fourth part of the sins of his kingdom.[71] Listenalso to that by which a king may not swerve from virtue. By transgressingthe scriptures (one incurs sill), while by obeying them one may livefearlessly. That king who, guided by an understanding based upon thescriptures and disregarding lust and wrath, behaves impartially, like afather, towards all his subjects, never incurs sin. O thou of greatsplendour, if a king, afflicted by destiny, fails to accomplish an actwhich he should, such failure would not be called a trespass. By forceand policy should the king put down his foes. He must not suffer sin tobe perpetrated in his kingdom but should cause virtue to be practised.Brave men, those that are respectable in their practices, they that arevirtuous in their acts, they that are possessed of learning, OYudhishthira, Brahmanas conversant with Vedic texts and rites, and men ofwealth, should especially be protected. In determining suits andaccomplishing religious acts, they that are possessed of great learningshould alone be employed. A prudent king will never repose his confidenceupon one individual, however accomplished. That king who does not protecthis subjects, whose passions are ungovernable, who is full of vanity, whois stained with haughtiness and malice, incurs sin and earns the reproachof tyranny. If the subjects of a king, O monarch, waste away from want ofprotection and are afflicted by the gods and ground down by robbers, thesin of all this stains the king himself. There is no sin, O Yudhishthira,in doing an act with heartiness, after full deliberation, andconsultation with men capable of offering good advice. Our tasks fail orsucceed through destiny. If exertion, however, be applied, sin would nottouch the king. I shall recite to thee, O tiger among kings, the story ofwhat happened to an ancient king of the name of Hayagriva, O son ofPandu,–the story, viz., of the heroic Hayagriva of unstained deeds, whoafter having slain a large number of his foes in battle, was himselfdefeated and slain while without a follower by his side. Having achievedall that should be done for keeping foes under check and adopted allthose foremost of means by which men may be protected. Hayagriva acquiredgreat fame from the battles he fought and is now enjoying great bliss inheaven. Mangled by robbers with weapons, boldly fighting with them, andcasting off his life in battle, the high-souled Hayagriva, ever attentiveto his (kingly) duties, achieved the object of his life and is nowenjoying great bliss in heaven. The bow was his (sacrificial) stake andthe bowstring was the cord for tying the victims. Shafts constituted thesmaller ladle and the sword the large one, and blood was the clarifiedbutter that he poured. The car was the altar and the wrath he felt inbattle was the fire, and the four foremost of steeds yoked unto hisvehicle were the four Hotris. Having poured upon that sacrificial firehis foes as libations and then his own life-breaths at the completion ofthe sacrifice, that vigorous lion among kings, viz., Hayagriva, becamefreed from sin and is now sporting in the regions of the gods. Havingprotected his kingdom with policy and intelligence, the high-souledHayagriva of resigned self and great strength of mind and accustomed tothe performance of sacrifices filled all the worlds with his fame and isnow sporting in the region of the gods.[72] Having obtained the meritdependent on the performance of sacrifices as also every kind of meritthat is connected with human affairs, he wielded the rod of chastisementand ruled the Earth with vigour and without pride. For this the virtuousand high-souled Hayagriva is sporting in the region of the gods.[73]Possessed of learning, practising renunciation, actuated by faith, andfull of gratitude, that king, having performed diverse acts, left thisworld of men and won the regions that are reserved for the intelligentand the wise and those that are of approved usages and behaviour andprepared to cast off their lives in battle. Having studied the Vedas welland the other scriptures also, having ruled his kingdom properly andcaused all the four orders to adhere to their respective duties, thehigh-souled Hayagriva is sporting in joy the regions of the gods. Havingwon many battles and cherished his subjects, having drunk the Soma juicein sacrifices and gratified the foremost of Brahmanas with presents andjudiciously wielded the rod of chastisement over those placed under hissway and at last cast off his life in battle, that king is living happilyin heaven. His life was worthy of every praise. Learned and honest menapplaud it, deserving as it is of every applause. Having won heaven andacquired the regions reserved for heroes, that high-souled monarch ofvirtuous deeds became crowned with success.’