Chapter 71

Yudhishthira said, ‘Tell me, O grand sire, in what way should the kingprotect his subjects so as to be able to avoid grief and so as not tooffend against righteousness?’

“Bhishma said, ‘I shall recite, O king, those eternal duties in brief,for if I were to mention them in detail, I would never attain to theirend. Thou shouldst worship those Brahmanas that are devoted to theirduties, possessed of learning, regular in worshipping the gods, observantof high vows, and endued with other accomplishments, when they come tothy abode, and employ them in officiating in thy sacrifices. With thypriest accompanying thee, thou shouldst rise up when they approach, andtouch and worship their feet, and do every other act that is necessary.Doing these acts of piety and discharging other acts that are for thy owngood, thou shouldst (by presents) cause those Brahmanas to utterbenedictions on thee for the success of thy purposes. Endued withsincerity, and wisdom and intelligence, O Bharata, thou shouldst adopttruth and avoid lust and wrath. That foolish king who pursues Profitwithout driving away lust and wrath, fails to acquire virtue andultimately sacrifices Profit as well. Never employ those that arecovetous and foolish in matters connected with Pleasure and Profit. Thoushouldst always employ in all thy acts those that are free fromcovetousness and possessed of intelligence. Stained with lust and wrathand unskilled in the transaction of business foolish persons, if vestedwith authority in matters of Profit, always oppress the people by diversecontrivances productive of mischief. With a sixth part upon faircalculation, of the yield of the soil as his tribute, with fines andforfeitures levied upon offenders, with the imposts, according to thescriptures, upon merchants and traders in return for the protectiongranted to them, a king should fill his treasury.[226] Realising thisjust tribute and governing the kingdom properly the king should, withheedfulness, act in such a way that his subjects may not feel thepressure of want. Men become deeply devoted to that king who dischargesthe duty of protection properly, who is endued with liberality, who issteady in the observance of righteousness, who is vigilant, and who isfree from Just and hate. Never desire to fill thy treasury by actingunrighteously or from covetousness. That king who does not act inaccordance with the scriptures fails to earn wealth and religious merit.That king who is mindful only of the means of acquiring wealth, neversucceeds in acquiring both religious merit and wealth. The wealth againthat he acquires (by such means) is seen to be lavished on unworthyobjects.[227] That avaricious king who through folly oppresses hissubjects by levying taxes not sanctioned by the scriptures, is said towrong his own self. As a person desirous of milk never obtains any bycutting off the udders of a cow, similarly a kingdom afflicted byimproper means, never yields any profit to the king.[228] He who treats amilch cow with tenderness always obtains milk from it. Similarly, theking who rules his kingdom by the aid of proper means, reaps much fruitfrom it. By protecting a kingdom properly and ruling it by the aid ofjudicious means, a king, O Yudhishthira, may succeed in always obtainingmuch wealth. The earth, well protected by the king, yields crops and gold(to the ruler and the ruled) even like a gratified mother yielding milkto her child. Imitate the example, O king, of the flowerman and not ofthe charcoal-maker. Becoming such and discharging, the duty ofprotection, thou mayst be able to enjoy the earth for ever.[229] If inattacking an enemy’s kingdom thy treasury becomes exhausted, thou maystrefill it by taking wealth from all except Brahmanas. Let not thy heartbe moved, even when thou art in great distress, upon seeing Brahmanaspossessed of wealth. I need not speak then of what thou shouldst do whenthou art in affluence. Thou shouldst give them wealth to the best of thypower and as they deserve and protect them, comforting them on alloccasions. By conducting thyself in this way, thou mayst acquire suchregions hereafter as are most difficult of acquisition. Adopting suchvirtuous behaviour, do thou protect thy subjects. Thou mayst then obtain,O delighter of the Kurus, fame that is everlasting, high, and pure.Protect thy subjects righteously, O son of Pandu, for no regret or painwill then be thine. Protection of the subject is the highest duty of theking, since compassion to all creatures and protecting them from injuryhas been said to be the highest merit. Persons conversant with dutiesregard that to be the highest merit of the king, when, engaged inprotecting all creatures, the king displays compassion towards them. Thesin a king incurs by neglecting for a single day to protect his subjectsfrom fear is such that he does not attain to end of his sufferings (forit) in hell till after a thousand years. The merit a king earns byprotecting his subjects righteously for a single day is such that heenjoys its reward in heaven for ten thousand years. All those regionsthat are acquired by persons leading duly the Garhasthya, theBrahmacharya, and the Vanaprastha modes of life, are soon acquired by aking by only protecting his subjects righteously. Do thou, O son ofKunti, observe with great care this duty (of protection). Thou shalt thenobtain the reward of righteousness and no grief and pain will be thine.Thou shalt, O son of Pandu, obtain great prosperity in heaven. Merit likethis is impossible to be acquired by persons that are not kings. Aperson, therefore, who is a king, and no other, can succeed in earningsuch reward of virtue. Possessed of intelligence, thou hast obtained akingdom. Do thou protect thy subjects righteously. Gratify Indra withofferings of Soma and the friends and well-wishers with the objects oftheir wishes.'”