"'Yudhishthira said, "Tell me, O grandsire, that conduct by which a king
succeeds in aggrandising his subjects and earning regions of felicity in
the other world."
"'Bhishma said, "The king should be liberal and should perform sacrifices,
O Bharata! He should be observant of vows and penances, and should be
devoted to the duty of protecting his subjects. Righteously protecting
all his subjects, he should honour all righteous persons by standing up
when they come and by making gifts unto them. If the king regards it,
righteousness becomes regarded everywhere. Whatever acts and things are
liked by the king are liked by his subjects. Unto his foes the king
should always be like Death, with the rod of chastisement uplifted in his
hands. He should exterminate robbers everywhere in his kingdom and never
pardon any one from caprice. The king, O Bharata, earns a fourth part of
the merit that his subjects earn under his protection. By only protecting
his subjects the king acquires a fourth part of the merit that his
subjects acquire by study, by gifts, by pouring libations, and by
worshipping the gods. The king acquires a fourth part also of the sin
that his subjects commit in consequence of any distress in the kingdom
arising from the king's neglect in discharging the duty of protection.
Some say that the king earns a moiety, and some say the full measure, of
whatever sin is caused by his becoming cruel and untruthful in speech.
Listen now to the means by which the king may be cleansed of such sins.
If the king fails to restore to a subject the wealth that has been stolen
away by thieves, he should then compensate the injured from his own
treasury, or, in case of inability, with wealth obtained from his
dependents. All the orders should protect the wealth of a Brahmana even
as they should the Brahmana's boy or life. The person that offends
against Brahmanas should be exiled from the kingdom. Everything is
protected by protecting the Brahmana's wealth. Through the grace of the
Brahmana, which may thus be secured, the king becomes crowned with
success. Men seek the protection of a competent king like creatures
seeking relief from the clouds or birds seeking refuge in a large tree. A
cruel and covetous king, with lustful soul and ever seeking the
gratification of his desire never succeeds in protecting his subjects."
"'Yudhishthira said, "I do not, for a moment, desire the happiness that
sovereignty bestows or sovereignty itself for its own sake. I desire it,
however, for the sake of the merit one may acquire from it. It seems to
me that no merit is attached to it. No need for sovereignty then by which
no merit can be acquired. I shall, therefore, retire into the woods from
desire of earning merit. Laying aside the rod of chastisement, and
subduing my senses, I shall go to the woods which are sacred and seek to
acquire the merit of righteousness by becoming an ascetic subsisting upon
fruit and roots."
"'Bhishma said, "I know, O Yudhishthira, what the nature of thy heart is,
and how inoffensive is thy disposition. Thou wilt not, however, by
inoffensiveness alone, succeed in ruling thy kingdom. Thy heart is
inclined to mildness, thou art compassionate, and thou art exceedingly
righteous. Thou art without energy, and thou art virtuous and full of
mercy. People, therefore, do not regard thee much. Follow the conduct of
thy sire and grandsire. Kings should never adopt that conduct which thou
desirest to adopt. Never be touched by such anxiety (after doing thy
duty), and never adopt such inoffensiveness of conduct. By becoming so,
thou wouldst not succeed in earning that merit of righteousness which
arises from protecting subjects. The behaviour thou wishest to adopt,
impelled by thy own intelligence and wisdom, is not consistent with those
blessings which thy sire Pandu or thy mother Kunti used to solicit for
thee. Thy sire always solicited for thee courage, might, and truth. Kunti
always solicited for thee high-mindedness and liberality. The offerings
with Swaha and Swadha in Sraddhas and sacrifices are always asked from
children by the Pitris and the deities. Whether gifts and study and
sacrifices and the protection of subjects be meritorious or sinful, thou
hast been born to practise and perform them. The fame, O son of Kunti, is
never tarnished of men that even fail in bearing the burdens which are
placed on them and unto which they are yoked in life. Even a horse, if
properly trained, succeeds in bearing, without falling down, a burden.
(What need then be said of thee that art a human being?) One incurs no
censure if only one's acts and words be proper, for success is said to
depend upon acts (and words). No person, be he a man virtuously following
the domestic mode of life, or be he a king, or be he a Brahmacharin, has
ever succeeded in conducting himself without tripping. It is better to do
an act which is good and in which there is small merit than to totally
abstain from all acts, for total abstention from acts is very sinful.
When a high-born and righteous person succeeds in obtaining affluence,
the king then succeeds in obtaining prosperity in all his affairs. A
virtuous king, having obtained a kingdom, should seek to subdue some by
gifts, some by force, and some by sweet words. There is no one more
virtuous than he upon whom high-born and learned persons rely from fear
of losing their means of sustenance and depending upon whom they live in
contentment."
"'Yudhishthira said, "What acts, O sire, are conductive to heaven? What is
the nature of the great felicity that is derived from them? What also is
the high prosperity that may be obtained thence? Tell me all this, if
thou knowest."
"'Bhishma said, "That man from whom a person afflicted with fear obtains
relief even for a moment, is the most worthy of heaven amongst us. This
that I tell thee is very true. Be thou cheerfully the king of the Kurus,
O foremost one of Kuru's race, acquire heaven, protect the good and slay
the wicked. Let thy friends, together with all honest men, derive their
support from thee, like all creatures from the deity of the clouds and
like birds from a large tree with delicious fruits. Men seek the
protection of that person who is dignified, courageous, capable of
smiting, compassionate, with senses under control, affectionate towards
all, and equitable, and just."'"