Chapter 56

Vaisampayana said, ‘Having bowed unto Hrishikesa, and saluted Bhishma,and taken the permission of all the seniors assembled there, Yudhishthirabegan to put questions unto Bhishma.’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Persons conversant with duty and morality say thatkingly duties constitute the highest science of duty. I also think thatthe burden of those duties is exceedingly onerous. Do thou, therefore, Oking, discourse on those duties. O grandsire, do thou speak in detail onthe duties of kings. The science of kingly duties is the refuge of thewhole world of life. O thou of Kuru’s race, Morality, Profit, andPleasure are dependent on kingly duties. It is also clear that thepractices that lead to emancipation are equally dependent on them. As thereins are in respect of the steed or the iron hook in respect of theelephant, even so the science of kingly duties constitutes the reins forchecking the world. If one becomes stupefied in respect of the dutiesobserved by royal sages, disorder would set in on the earth andeverything will become confused. As the Sun, rising, dispels inauspiciousdarkness, so this science destroys every kind of evil consequence inrespect of the world. Therefore, O grandsire, do thou, for my sake,discourse on kingly duties in the first instance, for thou, O chief ofthe Bharatas, art the foremost of all persons conversant with duties. Oscorcher of foes, Vasudeva regards thee as the first of all intelligentpersons. Therefore, all of us expect the highest knowledge from thee.’

“Bhishma said, ‘Bowing unto Dharma who is Supreme, unto Krishna who isBrahma in full, and unto the Brahmanas, I shall discourse on the eternalduties (of men). Hear from me, O Yudhishthira, with concentratedattention, the whole range of kingly duties described with accuratedetails, and other duties that you mayst desire to know. In the firstplace, O foremost one of Kuru’s race, the king should, from desire ofpleasing (his subjects), wait with humility upon the gods and theBrahmanas, always bearing himself agreeably to the ordinance. Byworshipping the deities and the Brahmanas, O perpetuator of Kuru’s race,the king pays off his debt to duty and morality, and receives the respectof his subjects. O son, thou shouldst always exert with promptitude, OYudhishthira, for without promptitude of exertion mere destiny neveraccomplishes the objects cherished by kings. These two, viz., exertionand destiny, are equal (in their operation). Of them, I regard exertionto be superior, for destiny is ascertained from the results of what isbegun with exertion. Do not indulge in grief if what is commenced endsdisastrously, for thou shouldst then exert thyself in the same act withredoubled attention. This is the high duty of kings. There is nothingwhich contributes so much to the success of kings as Truth. The king whois devoted to Truth finds happiness both here and hereafter. As regardsRishis also, O king, Truth is their great wealth. Similarly, as regardskings, there is nothing that so much inspires confidence in them asTruth. The king that is possessed of every accomplishment and goodbehaviour, that is self-restrained, humble, and righteous, that has hispassions under control, that is of handsome features and not tooenquiring,[161] never loses prosperity. By administering justice, byattending to these three, viz., concealment of his own weaknesses,ascertainment of the weaknesses of foes, and keeping his own counsels, asalso by the observance of conduct that is straightforward, the king, Odelighter of the Kurus, obtains prosperity. If the king becomes mild,everybody disregards him On the other hand, if he becomes fierce, hissubjects then become troubled.

Therefore, do thou observe both kinds of behaviour. O foremost of liberalmen, the Brahmanas should never be punished by thee, for the Brahmana, Oson of Pandu, is the foremost of beings on the Earth. The high-souledManu, O king of kings, that sung two Slokas. In respect of thy duties, Othou of Kuru’s race, thou shouldst always bear them in mind. Fire hathsprung from water, the Kshatriya from the Brahmana, and iron from stone.The three (viz., fire, Kshatriya and iron) can exert their force on everyother thing, but coming into contact with their respective progenitors,their force becomes neutralised. When iron strikes stone, or fire battleswith water, or Kshatriya cherishes enmity towards Brahmana, these threesoon become weak. When this is so, O monarch, (you will see that) theBrahmanas are worthy of worship. They that are foremost among theBrahmanas are gods on earth. Duly worshipped, they uphold the Vedas andthe Sacrifices. But they, O tiger among kings, that desire to have suchhonour however much they may be impediments to the three worlds, shouldever be repressed by the might of thy arms. The great Rishi Usanas, Oson, sang two Slokas in days of old. Listen to them, O king, withconcentrated attention. The righteous Kshatriya, mindful of his duties,should chastise a Brahmana that may be a very master of the Vedas if herushes to battle with an uplifted weapon. The Kshatriya, conversant withduties, that upholds righteousness when it is trespassed against, doesnot, by that act, become a sinner, for the wrath of the assailantjustifies the wrath of the chastiser. Subject to these restrictions, Otiger among kings, the Brahmanas should be protected. If they becomeoffenders, they should then be exiled beyond thy dominions. Even whendeserving of punishment, thou shouldst, O kings, show them compassion. Ifa Brahmana becomes guilty of Brahmanicide, or of violating the bed of hispreceptor or other revered senior, or of causing miscarriage, or oftreason against the king, his punishment should be banishment from thydominions. No corporal chastisement is laid down for them. Those personsthat show respect towards the Brahmanas should be favoured by thee (withoffices in the state). There is no treasure more valuable to kings thanthat which consists in the selection and assemblage of servants. Amongthe six kinds of citadels indicated in the scriptures, indeed among everykind of citadel, that which consists of (the ready service and the loveof the) subjects is the most impregnable. Therefore, the king who ispossessed of wisdom should always show compassion towards the four ordersof his subjects. The king who is of righteous soul and truthful speechsucceeds in gratifying his subjects. Thou must not, however, O son alwaysbehave with forgiveness towards everybody, for the king that is mild isregarded as the worst of his kind like an elephant that is reft offierceness. In the scriptures composed by Vrihaspati, a Sloka was in daysof old applicable to the present matter. Hear it, O king as I recite it.’If the king happens to be always forgiving, the lowest of personsprevails over him, even as the driver who sits on the head of theelephant he guides.’ The king, therefore, should not always be mild. Norshould he always be fierce. He should be like the vernal Sun, neithercold nor so hot as to produce perspiration. By the direct evidence of thesenses, by conjecture, by comparisons, and by the canons, of thescriptures O monarch, the king should Study friends and foes. O thou ofgreat liberality, thou shouldst avoid all those evil practices that arecalled Vyasanas. It is not necessary that thou shouldst never indulge inthem. What, however, is needed is that thou shouldst not be attached tothem. He that is attached to those practices is prevailed over byeveryone. The king who cherishes no love for his people inspires thelatter with anxiety. The king should always bear himself towards hissubjects as a mother towards the child of her womb. Hear, O monarch, thereason why this becomes desirable. As the mother, disregarding thoseobjects that are most cherished by her, seeks the good of her childalone, even so, without doubt, should kings conduct themselves (towardstheir subjects). The king that is righteous, O foremost one of Kuru’srace, should always behave in such a manner as to a\ old what is dear tohim, for the sake of doing that which would benefit his people. Thoushouldst not ever, O son of Pandu, abandon fortitude. The king that ispossessed of fortitude and who is known to inflict chastisement onwrong-doers, has no cause of fear. O foremost of speakers, thou shouldstnot indulge in jests with thy servants. O tiger among kings, listen tothe faults of such conduct. If the master mingles too freely with them,dependents begin to disregard him. They forget their own position andmost truly transcend that of the master. Ordered to do a thing, theyhesitate, and divulge the master’s secrets. They ask for things thatshould not be asked for, and take the food that is intended for themaster. They go to the length of displaying their wrath and seek tooutshine the master. They even seek to predominate over the king, andaccepting bribes and practising deceit, obstruct the business of thestate. They cause the state to rot with abuses by falsifications andforgeries. They make love with the female guards of the palace and dressin the same style as their master. They become so shameless as to indulgein eructations and the like, and expectorate in the very presence oftheir master, O tiger among kings, and they do not fear to even speak ofhim with levity before others. If the king becomes mild and disposed tojest, his servants, disregarding him, ride on steeds and elephants andcars as good as the king’s.[162] His counsellors, assembled in court,openly indulge in such speeches as: ‘This is beyond thy power. This is awicked attempt.’ If the king becomes angry, they laugh; nor are theygladdened if favours be bestowed upon them, though they may express joyfor other reasons. They disclose the secret counsels of their master andbruit his evil acts. Without the least anxiety they set at naught theking’s commands. If the king’s jewels, or food, or the necessaries of hisbath, or unguents, be not forthcoming, the servants, in his verypresence, do not show the least anxiety. They do not take what rightfullybelongs to them. On the other hand, without being content with what hasbeen assigned to them, they appropriate what belongs to the king. Theywish to sport with the king as with a bird tied with a string, And alwaysgive the people to understand that the king is very intimate with themand loves them dearly. If the king becomes mild and disposed to jest, OYudhishthira, these and many other evils spring from it.'”