Chapter 90

“Bhishma said, ‘That foremost of all persons conversant with the Vedas,viz., Utathya of Angirasa’s race, discoursed cheerfully (on formeroccasion) unto Yuvanaswa’s son Mandhatri. I shall now, O Yudhishthira,recite to thee everything that Utathya, that foremost of all personsconversant with the Vedas, had said unto that king.’

“Utathya said, ‘One becomes a king for acting in the interests ofrighteousness and not for conducting himself capriciously. Know this, OMandhatri; the king is, indeed, the protector of the world. If the kingacts righteously, he attains to the position of a god.[266] On the otherhand, if fie acts unrighteously, he sinks into hell. All creatures restupon righteousness. Righteousness, in its turn, rests upon the king. Thatking, therefore, who upholds righteousness, is truly a king. That kingwho is endued with a righteous soul and with every kind of grace is saidto be an embodiment of virtue. If a king fails to chastiseunrighteousness, the gods desert his mansion and he incurs obloquy amongmen. The efforts of men who are observant of their own duties are alwayscrowned with success. For this reason all men seek to obey the dictatesof righteousness which are productive of prosperity. When sinfulness isnot restrained, righteous behaviour comes to an end and unrighteousbehaviour increases greatly. When sinfulness is not restrained, no onecan, according to the rights of property as laid down in the scriptures,say, ‘This thing is mine and this is not mine.’ When sinfulness prevailsin the world, men cannot own and enjoy their own wives and animals andfields and houses. The deities receive no worship, the Pitris noofferings in Sraddhas, and guests no hospitality, when sinfulness is notrestrained. The regenerate classes do not study the Vedas, or observehigh vows, or spread out sacrifices, when sinfulness is not restrained.The minds of men, O king, become weak and confounded like those ofpersons wounded with weapons, when sinfulness is not restrained. Castingtheir eyes on both the worlds, the Rishis made the king, that superiorbeing, intending that he should be the embodiment of righteousness onearth.[267] He is called Rajan in whom righteousness shines. That king,again in whom there is no righteousness, is called a Vrishala.[268] Thedivine Dharma (righteousness) has another name, viz., Vrisha. He whoweakens Vrisha is called by the name of Vrishala. A king should,therefore, advance the cause of righteousness. All creatures grow in thegrowth of righteousness, and decay with its decay. Righteousness,therefore, should never be permitted to decay. Righteousness is calledDharma because it aids the acquisition and preservation of wealth(Dhana). The sages, O king, have declared that Dharma restrains and setbounds to all evil acts of men. The self-born (Brahman) created Dharmafor the advancement and growth of creatures. For this reason, a kingshould act according to the dictates of Dharma for benefiting hissubjects. For this reason also, O tiger among kings, Dharma has been saidto be the foremost of all things. That foremost of men who rules hissubjects righteously is called a king. Disregarding lust and wrath,observe thou the dictates of righteousness. Among all things, O chief ofBharata’s race, that conduce to the prosperity of kings, righteousness isthe foremost. Dharma, again, has sprung from the Brahmana. For thisreason, the Brahmana should always be worshipped. Thou shouldst, OMandhatri, gratify with humility the wishes of Brahmanas. By neglectingto gratify the wishes of Brahmanas, the king brings danger on himself. Inconsequence of such neglect, he fails to obtain any accession of friendswhile his foes increase in number. In consequence of malice towards theBrahmanas springing from his folly, the goddess of prosperity who hadformerly dwelt with him became enraged and deserted the Asura Vali, theson of Virochana. Deserting the Asura she repaired to Indra, the chief ofthe deities. Beholding the goddess living with Purandara, Vali indulgedin many vain regrets. This, O puissant one, is the results of malice andpride. Be thou awakened, O Mandhatri, so that the goddess of prosperitymay not in wrath desert thee. The Srutis declare that Unrighteousnessbegat a son named Pride upon the goddess of prosperity. This Pride, Oking, led many among the gods and the Asuras to ruin. Many royal sagesalso have suffered destruction on his account. Do thou, therefore,awaken, O king! He who succeeds in conquering him becomes a king. He, onthe other hand, who suffers himself to be conquered by him, becomes aslave. If, O Mandhatri, thou wishest for an eternal life (of felicity),live as a king should that does not indulge in these two, viz., Pride andUnrighteousness! Abstain from companionship with him that is intoxicated(with pride), him that is heedless (of the dictates of honesty), him thatis scoffer of religion, him that is insensate, and forbear to pay courtto all of them when united. Keep thy self aloof from the company ofministers whom thou hast once punished and especially of women, as alsofrom mountains and uneven lands and inaccessible fastnesses and elephantsand horses and (noxious) reptiles. Thou shouldst also give up wanderingin the night, and avoid the faults of stinginess and vanity andboastfulness and wrath. Thou shouldst never have intercourse with unknownwomen, or those of equivocal sex, or those that are lewd, or those thatare the wives of other men, or those that are virgins. When the king doesnot restrain vice, a confusion of castes follows, and sinful Rakshasas,and persons of neutral sex, and children destitute of limbs or possessedof thick tongues, and idiots, begin to take birth in even respectablefamilies. Therefore, the king should take particular care to actrighteously, for the benefit of his subjects. If a king acts heedlessly,a great evil becomes the consequence. Unrighteousness increases causing aconfusion of castes. Cold sets in during the summer months, anddisappears when its proper season comes. Drought and flood and pestilenceafflict the people. Ominous stars arise and awful comets appear on suchoccasions. Diverse other portents, indicating destruction of the kingdom,make their appearance. If the king does not take measures for his ownsafety and does not protect his subjects, the latter first meet withdestruction and then destruction seizes the king himself. Two personscombining together snatch the wealth of one, and many acting in concertrob the two. Maidens are deflowered. Such a state of things is said toarise from the king’s faults. All rights of property come to an end amongmen, when the king, abandoning righteousness, acts heedlessly.'”