"Bhishma said, 'In this connection, viz., the method by which a king
should fill his treasury, persons acquainted with the scriptures of olden
days cite the following verses sung by Brahman himself. The wealth of
persons who are given to the performance of sacrifices, as also the
wealth dedicated to the deities, should never be taken. A Kshatriya
should take the wealth of such persons as never perform religious rites
and sacrifices as are on that account regarded to be equal to robbers.
All the creatures that inhabit the earth and all the enjoyments that
appertain to sovereignty, O Bharata, belong to the Kshatriyas. All the
wealth of the earth belongs to the Kshatriya, and not to any person else.
That wealth the Kshatriya should use for keeping up his army and for the
performance of sacrifice. Tearing up such creepers and plants as are not
of any use, men burn them for cooking such vegetables as serve for
food. Men conversant with duty have said that his wealth is useless
who does not, with libations of clarified butter, feed the gods, the
Pitris, and men. A virtuous ruler, O king, should take away such wealth.
By that wealth a large number of good people can be gratified. He should
not, however, hoard that wealth in his treasury. He who makes himself an
instrument of acquisition and taking away wealth from the wicked gives
them to those that are good is said to be conversant with the whole
science of morality. A king should extend his conquests in the next world
according to the measure of his power, and as gradually as vegetable
products are seen to grow. As some ants are seen to grow from no adequate
cause, even so sacrifice spring from no adequate cause. As flies and
gnats and ants are driven off from the bodies of kine and other domestic
cattle (at the time of milking them), even so should persons who are
averse to the performance of sacrifices should be similarly driven off
from the kingdom. This is consistent with morality. As the dust that lies
on the earth, if pounded between two stones, becomes finer and finer,
even so questions of morality, the more they are reflected upon and
discussed, become finer and finer.'"
