"Vaisampayana said, 'Having bowed unto Hrishikesa, and saluted Bhishma,
and taken the permission of all the seniors assembled there, Yudhishthira
began to put questions unto Bhishma.'
"'Yudhishthira said, "Persons conversant with duty and morality say that
kingly duties constitute the highest science of duty. I also think that
the burden of those duties is exceedingly onerous. Do thou, therefore, O
king, discourse on those duties. O grandsire, do thou speak in detail on
the duties of kings. The science of kingly duties is the refuge of the
whole world of life. O thou of Kuru's race, Morality, Profit, and
Pleasure are dependent on kingly duties. It is also clear that the
practices that lead to emancipation are equally dependent on them. As the
reins are in respect of the steed or the iron hook in respect of the
elephant, even so the science of kingly duties constitutes the reins for
checking the world. If one becomes stupefied in respect of the duties
observed by royal sages, disorder would set in on the earth and
everything will become confused. As the Sun, rising, dispels inauspicious
darkness, so this science destroys every kind of evil consequence in
respect of the world. Therefore, O grandsire, do thou, for my sake,
discourse on kingly duties in the first instance, for thou, O chief of
the Bharatas, art the foremost of all persons conversant with duties. O
scorcher of foes, Vasudeva regards thee as the first of all intelligent
persons. Therefore, all of us expect the highest knowledge from thee."
"'Bhishma said, "Bowing unto Dharma who is Supreme, unto Krishna who is
Brahma in full, and unto the Brahmanas, I shall discourse on the eternal
duties (of men). Hear from me, O Yudhishthira, with concentrated
attention, the whole range of kingly duties described with accurate
details, and other duties that you mayst desire to know. In the first
place, O foremost one of Kuru's race, the king should, from desire of
pleasing (his subjects), wait with humility upon the gods and the
Brahmanas, always bearing himself agreeably to the ordinance. By
worshipping the deities and the Brahmanas, O perpetuator of Kuru's race,
the king pays off his debt to duty and morality, and receives the respect
of his subjects. O son, thou shouldst always exert with promptitude, O
Yudhishthira, for without promptitude of exertion mere destiny never
accomplishes the objects cherished by kings. These two, viz., exertion
and destiny, are equal (in their operation). Of them, I regard exertion
to be superior, for destiny is ascertained from the results of what is
begun with exertion. Do not indulge in grief if what is commenced ends
disastrously, for thou shouldst then exert thyself in the same act with
redoubled attention. This is the high duty of kings. There is nothing
which contributes so much to the success of kings as Truth. The king who
is devoted to Truth finds happiness both here and hereafter. As regards
Rishis also, O king, Truth is their great wealth. Similarly, as regards
kings, there is nothing that so much inspires confidence in them as
Truth. The king that is possessed of every accomplishment and good
behaviour, that is self-restrained, humble, and righteous, that has his
passions under control, that is of handsome features and not too
enquiring,[161] never loses prosperity. By administering justice, by
attending to these three, viz., concealment of his own weaknesses,
ascertainment of the weaknesses of foes, and keeping his own counsels, as
also by the observance of conduct that is straightforward, the king, O
delighter of the Kurus, obtains prosperity. If the king becomes mild,
everybody disregards him. On the other hand, if he becomes fierce, his
subjects then become troubled.
"'"Therefore, do thou observe both kinds of behaviour. O foremost of
liberal men, the Brahmanas should never be punished by thee, for the
Brahmana, O son of Pandu, is the foremost of beings on the Earth. The
high-souled Manu, O king of kings, that sung two Slokas, in respect of
thy duties, O thou of Kuru's race, thou shouldst always bear them in mind.
Fire hath sprung from water, the Kshatriya from the Brahmana, and iron from
stone. The three (viz., fire, Kshatriya and iron) can exert their force on
every other thing, but coming into contact with their respective
progenitors, their force becomes neutralised. When iron strikes stone, or
fire battles with water, or Kshatriya cherishes enmity towards Brahmana,
these three soon become weak. When this is so, O monarch, (you will see
that) the Brahmanas are worthy of worship. They that are foremost among the
Brahmanas are gods on earth. Duly worshipped, they uphold the Vedas and
the Sacrifices. But they, O tiger among kings, that desire to have such
honour however much they may be impediments to the three worlds, should
ever be repressed by the might of thy arms. The great Rishi Usanas, O
son, sang two Slokas in days of old. Listen to them, O king, with
concentrated attention. The righteous Kshatriya, mindful of his duties,
should chastise a Brahmana that may be a very master of the Vedas if he
rushes to battle with an uplifted weapon. The Kshatriya, conversant with
duties, that upholds righteousness when it is trespassed against, does
not, by that act, become a sinner, for the wrath of the assailant
justifies the wrath of the chastiser. Subject to these restrictions, O
tiger among kings, the Brahmanas should be protected. If they become
offenders, they should then be exiled beyond thy dominions. Even when
deserving of punishment, thou shouldst, O kings, show them compassion. If
a Brahmana becomes guilty of Brahmanicide, or of violating the bed of his
preceptor or other revered senior, or of causing miscarriage, or of
treason against the king, his punishment should be banishment from thy
dominions. No corporal chastisement is laid down for them. Those persons
that show respect towards the Brahmanas should be favoured by thee (with
offices in the state). There is no treasure more valuable to kings than
that which consists in the selection and assemblage of servants. Among
the six kinds of citadels indicated in the scriptures, indeed among every
kind of citadel, that which consists of (the ready service and the love
of the) subjects is the most impregnable. Therefore, the king who is
possessed of wisdom should always show compassion towards the four orders
of his subjects. The king who is of righteous soul and truthful speech
succeeds in gratifying his subjects. Thou must not, however, O son always
behave with forgiveness towards everybody, for the king that is mild is
regarded as the worst of his kind like an elephant that is reft of
fierceness. In the scriptures composed by Vrihaspati, a Sloka was in days
of 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 persons
prevails over him, even as the driver who sits on the head of the
elephant he guides.' The king, therefore, should not always be mild. Nor
should he always be fierce. He should be like the vernal Sun, neither
cold nor so hot as to produce perspiration. By the direct evidence of the
senses, by conjecture, by comparisons, and by the canons of the
scriptures. O monarch, the king should study friends and foes. O thou of
great liberality, thou shouldst avoid all those evil practices that are
called Vyasanas. It is not necessary that thou shouldst never indulge in
them. What, however, is needed is that thou shouldst not be attached to
them. He that is attached to those practices is prevailed over by
everyone. The king who cherishes no love for his people inspires the
latter with anxiety. The king should always bear himself towards his
subjects as a mother towards the child of her womb. Hear, O monarch, the
reason why this becomes desirable. As the mother, disregarding those
objects that are most cherished by her, seeks the good of her child
alone, even so, without doubt, should kings conduct themselves (towards
their subjects). The king that is righteous, O foremost one of Kuru's
race, should always behave in such a manner as to uphold what is dear to
him, for the sake of doing that which would benefit his people. Thou
shouldst not ever, O son of Pandu, abandon fortitude. The king that is
possessed of fortitude and who is known to inflict chastisement on
wrong-doers, has no cause of fear. O foremost of speakers, thou shouldst
not indulge in jests with thy servants. O tiger among kings, listen to
the faults of such conduct. If the master mingles too freely with them,
dependents begin to disregard him. They forget their own position and
most truly transcend that of the master. Ordered to do a thing, they
hesitate, and divulge the master's secrets. They ask for things that
should not be asked for, and take the food that is intended for the
master. They go to the length of displaying their wrath and seek to
outshine the master. They even seek to predominate over the king, and
accepting bribes and practising deceit, obstruct the business of the
state. They cause the state to rot with abuses by falsifications and
forgeries. They make love with the female guards of the palace and dress
in the same style as their master. They become so shameless as to indulge
in eructations and the like, and expectorate in the very presence of
their master, O tiger among kings, and they do not fear to even speak of
him with levity before others. If the king becomes mild and disposed to
jest, his servants, disregarding him, ride on steeds and elephants and
cars 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 a
wicked attempt.' If the king becomes angry, they laugh; nor are they
gladdened if favours be bestowed upon them, though they may express joy
for other reasons. They disclose the secret counsels of their master and
bruit his evil acts. Without the least anxiety they set at naught the
king's commands. If the king's jewels, or food, or the necessaries of his
bath, or unguents, be not forthcoming, the servants, in his very
presence, do not show the least anxiety. They do not take what rightfully
belongs to them. On the other hand, without being content with what has
been assigned to them, they appropriate what belongs to the king. They
wish to sport with the king as with a bird tied with a string. And always
give the people to understand that the king is very intimate with them
and loves them dearly. If the king becomes mild and disposed to jest, O
Yudhishthira, these and many other evils spring from it."'"