"Bhishma said, 'A king should never desire to subjugate the earth by
unrighteous means, even if such subjugation would make him the sovereign
of the whole earth. What king is there that would rejoice after obtaining
victory by unfair means? A victory stained by unrighteousness is
uncertain and never leads to heaven. Such a victory, O bull of Bharata's
race, weakens both the king and the earth. A warrior whose armour has
fallen off, or who begs for quarter, saying, 'I am thine' or joining his
hands, or who has laid aside his weapon, may simply be seized but never
slain. If a hostile king be vanquished by the troops of the invader, the
latter should not himself fight his vanquished foe. On the other hand, he
should bring him to his palace and persuade him for a whole year to say,
'I am thy slave!' Whether he says or does not say this, the vanquished
foe, by living for a year in the house of his victor, gains a new lease
of life. If a king succeeds in bringing by force a maiden from the
house of his vanquished foe, he should keep her for a year and ask her
whether she would wed him or any one else. If she does not agree, she
should then be sent back. He should behave similarly in respect of all
other kinds of wealth (such as slave) that are acquired by force. The
king should never appropriate the wealth confiscated from thieves and
others awaiting execution. The kine taken front the enemy by force should
be given away to the Brahmanas so that they may drink the milk of those
animals. The bulls taken from the enemy should be set to agriculture work
or returned to the enemy. It is laid down that a king should fight
one that is a king. One that is not a king should never strike one that
is a king. If a Brahmana, desirous of peace, fearlessly goes between two
contending armies, both should immediately abstain from fight. He would
break an eternal rule that would slay or wound a Brahmana. If any
Kshatriya breaks that rule, he would become a wretch of his order. In
addition to this, that Kshatriya who destroys righteousness and
transgresses all wholesome barriers does not deserve to be reckoned as a
Kshatriya and should be driven from society. A king desirous of obtaining
victory should never follow such conduct. What gain can be greater than
victory won righteously? The excitable classes (of a kingdom recently
conquered) should, without delay, be conciliated with soothing speeches
and gifts. This is a good policy for the king to adopt. If instead of
doing this, these men be sought to be governed with impolicy, they would
then leave the kingdom and side with (the victor's) foes and wait for the
accession of calamities (in order that they may then make head against
the victor). Discontented men, watching for the calamities of the king,
promptly side with the latter's foes. O monarch, in times of danger. An
enemy should not be deceived by unfair means, nor should be wounded
mortally. For, if struck mortally, his very life may pass away. If a
king possessed of little resources be gratified therewith, he would
regard life alone to be much. That king whose dominions are
extensive and full of wealth, whose subjects are loyal, whose servants
and officers are all contented, is said to have his roots firm. That king
whose Ritwijas and priests and preceptors and others about him that are
well-versed in all scriptures and deserving of honours are duly
respected, is said to be conversant with the ways of the world. It was by
such behaviour that Indra got the sovereignty of the world. It is by this
behaviour that earthly kings succeed in obtaining the status of Indra.
King Pratardana, subjugating his foes in a great battle, took all their
wealth, including their very grain and medicinal herbs, but left their
land untouched. King Divodasa, after subjugating his foes, brought away
the very remnants of their sacrificial fires, their clarified butter
(intended for libations), and their food. For this reason he was deprived
of the merit of his conquests. King Nabhaga (after his conquests)
gave away whole kingdoms with their rulers as sacrificial presents unto
the Brahmanas, excepting the wealth of learned Brahmanas and ascetics.
The behaviour, O Yudhishthira, of all the righteous kings of old, was
excellent, and I approve of it wholly. That king who desires his own
prosperity should seek for conquests by the aid of every kind of
excellence but never with that of deceit or with pride.'"
