Yudhishthira said, 'Tell me, O grand sire, in what way should the king
protect his subjects so as to be able to avoid grief and so as not to
offend against righteousness?'
"Bhishma said, 'I shall recite, O king, those eternal duties in brief,
for if I were to mention them in detail, I would never attain to their
end. Thou shouldst worship those Brahmanas that are devoted to their
duties, possessed of learning, regular in worshipping the gods, observant
of high vows, and endued with other accomplishments, when they come to
thy abode, and employ them in officiating in thy sacrifices. With thy
priest accompanying thee, thou shouldst rise up when they approach, and
touch and worship their feet, and do every other act that is necessary.
Doing these acts of piety and discharging other acts that are for thy own
good, thou shouldst (by presents) cause those Brahmanas to utter
benedictions on thee for the success of thy purposes. Endued with
sincerity, and wisdom and intelligence, O Bharata, thou shouldst adopt
truth and avoid lust and wrath. That foolish king who pursues Profit
without driving away lust and wrath, fails to acquire virtue and
ultimately sacrifices Profit as well. Never employ those that are
covetous and foolish in matters connected with Pleasure and Profit. Thou
shouldst always employ in all thy acts those that are free from
covetousness and possessed of intelligence. Stained with lust and wrath
and unskilled in the transaction of business foolish persons, if vested
with authority in matters of Profit, always oppress the people by diverse
contrivances productive of mischief. With a sixth part upon fair
calculation, of the yield of the soil as his tribute, with fines and
forfeitures levied upon offenders, with the imposts, according to the
scriptures, upon merchants and traders in return for the protection
granted to them, a king should fill his treasury. Realising this
just tribute and governing the kingdom properly the king should, with
heedfulness, act in such a way that his subjects may not feel the
pressure of want. Men become deeply devoted to that king who discharges
the duty of protection properly, who is endued with liberality, who is
steady in the observance of righteousness, who is vigilant, and who is
free from Just and hate. Never desire to fill thy treasury by acting
unrighteously or from covetousness. That king who does not act in
accordance with the scriptures fails to earn wealth and religious merit.
That king who is mindful only of the means of acquiring wealth, never
succeeds in acquiring both religious merit and wealth. The wealth again
that he acquires (by such means) is seen to be lavished on unworthy
objects. That avaricious king who through folly oppresses his
subjects by levying taxes not sanctioned by the scriptures, is said to
wrong his own self. As a person desirous of milk never obtains any by
cutting off the udders of a cow, similarly a kingdom afflicted by
improper means, never yields any profit to the king. He who treats a
milch cow with tenderness always obtains milk from it. Similarly, the
king who rules his kingdom by the aid of proper means, reaps much fruit
from it. By protecting a kingdom properly and ruling it by the aid of
judicious means, a king, O Yudhishthira, may succeed in always obtaining
much wealth. The earth, well protected by the king, yields crops and gold
(to the ruler and the ruled) even like a gratified mother yielding milk
to her child. Imitate the example, O king, of the flowerman and not of
the charcoal-maker. Becoming such and discharging, the duty of
protection, thou mayst be able to enjoy the earth for ever. If in
attacking an enemy's kingdom thy treasury becomes exhausted, thou mayst
refill it by taking wealth from all except Brahmanas. Let not thy heart
be moved, even when thou art in great distress, upon seeing Brahmanas
possessed of wealth. I need not speak then of what thou shouldst do when
thou art in affluence. Thou shouldst give them wealth to the best of thy
power and as they deserve and protect them, comforting them on all
occasions. By conducting thyself in this way, thou mayst acquire such
regions hereafter as are most difficult of acquisition. Adopting such
virtuous behaviour, do thou protect thy subjects. Thou mayst then obtain,
O delighter of the Kurus, fame that is everlasting, high, and pure.
Protect thy subjects righteously, O son of Pandu, for no regret or pain
will then be thine. Protection of the subject is the highest duty of the
king, since compassion to all creatures and protecting them from injury
has been said to be the highest merit. Persons conversant with duties
regard that to be the highest merit of the king, when, engaged in
protecting all creatures, the king displays compassion towards them. The
sin a king incurs by neglecting for a single day to protect his subjects
from fear is such that he does not attain to end of his sufferings (for
it) in hell till after a thousand years. The merit a king earns by
protecting his subjects righteously for a single day is such that he
enjoys its reward in heaven for ten thousand years. All those regions
that are acquired by persons leading duly the Garhasthya, the
Brahmacharya, and the Vanaprastha modes of life, are soon acquired by a
king by only protecting his subjects righteously. Do thou, O son of
Kunti, observe with great care this duty (of protection). Thou shalt then
obtain the reward of righteousness and no grief and pain will be thine.
Thou shalt, O son of Pandu, obtain great prosperity in heaven. Merit like
this is impossible to be acquired by persons that are not kings. A
person, therefore, who is a king, and no other, can succeed in earning
such reward of virtue. Possessed of intelligence, thou hast obtained a
kingdom. Do thou protect thy subjects righteously. Gratify Indra with
offerings of Soma and the friends and well-wishers with the objects of
their wishes.'"
