Chapter 86

“Yudhishthira said, ‘What should be the kind of city within which theking should himself dwell? Should he select one already made or should hecause one to be especially constructed? Tell me this O grandsire!’

“Bhishma said, ‘It is proper, O Bharata, to enquire about the conductthat should be followed and the defences that should be adopted withrespect to the city in which, O son of Kunti, a king should reside. Ishall, therefore, discourse to thee on the subject, referring especiallyto the defences of citadels. Having listened to me, thou shouldst makethe arrangements required and conduct thyself attentively as directed.Keeping his eye on the six different kinds of citadels, the king shouldbuild his cities containing every kind of affluence and every otherarticle of use in abundance. Those six varieties are water-citadels,earth-citadels, hill-citadels, human-citadels, mud-citadels, andforest-citadels.[247] The king, with his ministers and the armythoroughly loyal to him, should reside in that city which is defended bya citadel which contains an abundant stock of rice and weapons,–which isprotected with impenetrable walls and a trench, which teems withelephants and steeds and cars, which is inhabited by men possessed oflearning and versed in the mechanical arts, where provisions of everykind have been well stored, whose population is virtuous in conduct andclever in business and consists of strong and energetic men and animals,which is adorned with many open squares and rows of shops, where thebehaviour of all persons is righteous, where peace prevails, where nodanger exists, which blazes with beauty and resounds with music andsongs, where the houses are all spacious, were the residents number amongthem many brave and wealthy individuals, which echoes with the chant ofVedic hymns, where festivities and rejoicings frequently take place, andwhere the deities are always worshipped.[248] Residing there, the kingshould be employed in filling his treasury, increasing his forces,enhancing the number of his friends, and establishing courts of justice.He should cheek all abuses and evils in both his cities and hisprovinces. He should be employed in collecting provisions of every kindand in filling his arsenals with care. He should also increase his storesof rice and other grain, and strengthen his counsels (with wisdom). Heshould further, enhance his stores of fuel, iron, chaff, charcoal,timber, horns, bones, bamboos, marrow, oils and ghee, fat, honey,medicines, flax, resinous exudations, rice, weapons, shafts, leathercatgut (for bow-strings), caries, and strings and cords made of munjagrass and other plants and creepers. He should also increase the numberof tanks and well, containing large quantities of water, and shouldprotect all juicy trees.[249] He should entertain with honour andattention preceptors (of different sciences), Ritwijas, and priests,mighty bowmen, persons skilled in architecture, astronomers andastrologers, and physicians, as also all men possessed of wisdom andintelligence and self-restraint and cleverness and courage and learningand high birth and energy of mind, and capable of close application toall kinds of work. The king should honour the righteous and chastise theunrighteous. He should, acting with resolution, set the several orders totheir respective duties. Ascertaining properly, by means of spies, theoutward behaviour and the state of mind of the inhabitants of his cityand provinces, he should adopt those measures that may be required. Theking should himself supervise his spies and counsels, his treasury, andthe agencies for inflicting chastisements. Upon these everything may besaid to depend. With spies constituting his sight, the king shouldascertain all the acts and intentions of his foes, friends, and neutrals.He should then, with heedfulness, devise his own measures, honouringthose that are loyal to him and punishing those that are hostile. Theking should always adore the gods in sacrifices and make gifts withoutgiving pain to anybody. He should protect his subjects, never doinganything that may obstruct or thwart righteousness. He should alwaysmaintain and protect the helpless, the masterless, and the old, and womenthat are widows. The king should always honour the ascetics and make untothem gifts, at proper seasons of cloths and vessels and food. The kingshould, with attentive care, inform the ascetics (within his dominions)of the state of his own self, of all his measures, and of the kingdom,and should always behave with humility in their presence. When he seesascetics of high birth and great learning that have abandoned all earthlyobjects, he should honour them with gifts of beds and seats and food.Whatever the nature of the distress into which he may fall, he shouldconfide in an ascetic. The very robbers repose confidence upon persons ofthat character. The king should place his wealth in charge of an asceticand should take wisdom from him. He should not, however, always wait uponthem or worship them on all occasions.[250] From among those residing inhis own kingdom, he should select one for friendship. Similarly, heshould select another from among those that reside in the kingdom of hisfoe. He should select a third from among those residing in the forests,and a fourth from among those dwelling in the kingdoms paying tribute tohim. He should show hospitality towards and bestow honours upon them andassign them the means of sustenance. He should behave towards theascetics dwelling in the kingdoms of foes and in the forests in the sameway as towards those that reside in his own kingdom. Engaged in penancesand of rigid vows they would, if calamity overtakes the king and if hesolicits protection, grant him what he wants. I have now told thee inbrief the indications of the city in which the king should reside.'”