Chapter 89
“Bhishma said, ‘Let not such trees as yield edible fruits be cut down inthy dominions. Fruits and roots constitute the property of the Brahmanas.The sages have declared this to be an ordinance of religion. The surplus,after supporting the Brahmanas, should go to the support of other people.Nobody should take anything by doing an injury to the Brahmanas.[257] Ifa Brahmana, afflicted for want of support, desires to abandon a kingdomfor obtaining livelihood (elsewhere), the king, O monarch, should, withaffection and respect, assign unto him the means of sustenance. If hedoes not still abstain (from leaving the kingdom), the king should repairto an assembly of Brahmanas and say, ‘Such a Brahmana is leaving thekingdom. In whom shall my people then find an authority for guidingthem?'[258] If after this, he does not give up his intention of leaving,and says anything, the king should say unto him, ‘Forget the past.’ This,O son of Kunti, is the eternal way of royal duty.[259] The king shouldfurther say unto him, ‘Indeed, O Brahmana, people say that that onlyshould be assigned to a Brahmana which would be just sufficient formaintaining him. I, however, do not accept that opinion. On the otherhand, I think that if a Brahmana seeks to leave a kingdom for the king’sneglect in providing him with means of support, such means should beassigned to him, and, further, if he intends to take that step forprocuring the means of luxury, he should still be requested to stay andsupplied with ever those means.[260] Agriculture, cattle-rearing, andtrade, provide all men with the means of living. A knowledge of theVedas, however, provide them with the means of obtaining heaven. They,therefore, that obstruct the study of the Vedas and the cause of Vedicpractices, are to be regarded as enemies of society.[261] It is for theextermination of these that Brahman created Kshatriyas. Subdue thy foes,protect thy subjects, worship the deities in sacrifices, and fightbattles with courage, O delighter of the Kurus! A king should protectthose that deserve protection. The king who does this is the best ofrulers. Those kings that do not exercise the duty of protection live avain life. For the benefit of all his subjects the king should alwaysseek to ascertain the acts and thoughts of all, O Yudhishthira; and forthat reason fie should set spies and secret agents.[262] Protectingothers from thy own, and thy own from others, as also others from others,and thy own from thy own, do thou always cherish thy people. Protectinghis own self first from every one, the king should protect the earth. Menof knowledge have said that everything has its root in self. The kingshould always reflect upon these, viz., What are his laches, to what evilhabits he is addicted, what are the sources of his weakness, and what arethe sources of his faults. The king should cause secret and trustedagents to wander through the kingdom for ascertaining whether his conductas displayed on the previous day has or has not met with the approbationof the people. Indeed, he should ascertain whether his conduct is or isnot generally praised, or, is or is not acceptable to the people of theprovinces, and whether he has or has not succeeded in earning a good namein his kingdom. Amongst those that are virtuous and possessed of wisdom,those that never retreat from battle, and those that do not reside in thykingdom, those that are dependent on thee, and those that are thyministers, as well as those that are independent of party, they thatpraise or blame thee should never be objects of disregard with thee, OYudhishthira![263] No man, O sire, can succeed in earning the goodopinion of all persons in the world. All persons have friends, foes, andneutrals, O Bharata!’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Among persons all of whom are equal in might of armsand accomplishments, whence does one acquire superiority over all therest, and whence does that one succeed in ruling over them?’
“Bhishma said, ‘Creatures that are mobile devour things that areimmobile; animals again that have teeth devour those that have no teeth;wrathful snakes of virulent poison devour smaller ones of their ownspecies. (Upon this principle), among human beings also, the king, who isstrong, preys upon those that are weak. The king, O Yudhishthira, shouldalways be heedful of his subjects as also of his foes. If he becomesheedless, they fall upon him like vultures (on carrion). Take care, Oking, that the traders in thy kingdom who purchase articles at priceshigh and low (for sale), and who in course of their journeys have tosleep or take rest in forest and inaccessible regions,[264] be notafflicted by the imposition of heavy taxes. Let not the agriculturists inthy kingdom leave it through oppression; they, who bear the burthens ofthe king, support the other residents also of the kingdom.[265] The giftsmade by thee in this world support the gods, Pitris, men, Nagas,Rakshasas, birds, and animals. These, O Bharata, are the means ofgoverning a kingdom and protecting its rulers. I shall again discourse tothee on the subject, O son of Pandu!'”
