Sambhava Parva — Counsel of Kanika

Vaishampayana said : Hearing that the heroic sons of Pandu were endued with great energy and prowess, the king Dhritarashtra became very miserable with anxiety.

Thereupon summoning that best of ministers, Kanika, learned in politics and expert in counsels, Dhritarashtra said-

Dhritarashtra said : O best of Brahmanas, the Pandavas are daily over-shadowing the earth. I am very jealous of them. Should I have peace or war with them? O Kanika, advise me truly; I shall do your bidding.

Vaishampayana said : That best of Brahmanas feel answered him in these pointed words, well-agreeing with the import of politics.

Kanika said: O sinless king, listen to me as I answer. O best of the Kurus, you should not be angry with me on hearing what I say.

Kings should ever be ready with upraised scepter (to rule) and they should ever extend their prowess. Carefully avoiding all faults of theirs, they should ceaselessly watch for the faults of others.

If the king is ever ready with his uplifted scepter, every one fears him. Therefore he should ever have recourse to his scepter (chastisement) in all he does.

He should so act as others (his enemies) may not find any fault in him. But he should see the faults (defects) others. He should keep his resources concealed as does a tortoise his members of body. Having begun a particular act, he should ever completely accomplish it. A thorn, if not wholly extracted, produces a fostering sore.

The killing of a harmful foe is always praiseworthy. If he be powerful, if he be a great warrior, one should watch for the hour of his disaster and then kill him without any scruple. O son, if the enemy be weak, still he should not be scorned.

A spark of fire can consume a forest if it can spread from object to object. They (kings) should sometimes feign deafness and blindness; for if they are incapable of chastising, they should pretend not to notice the faults. They should then consider their bows as made of straw.

But they should be as watchful as a herd of deer sleeping (in the woods). When your enemy will be in your hands, destroy him by any means, open or secret. Do not show him any mercy, though he seeks your protection.

An old enemy should be killed even by winning him over by wealth. Thus you must be free of anxiety, for there is no fear from a dead man.

Destroy all the three, five and seven resources of the enemy; you must destroy them (enemies) by completely uprooting them.

Then you should destroy their allies and partisans. If the root (principal) is destroyed, they (allies) can never exist.

If the root of the lord of the forest (tree) is uprooted, its branches and twigs can never exist as before. Carefully concealing your own weakness and watching those of your enemies.

O king, you should rule over your kingdom, ever being very watchful.

By maintaining the perpetual fire by sacrifices, by brown clothes, by matted locks and skin cloth. You should first gain the confidence of men (your enemies); and then you should spring upon them like a wolf.

It is said that in earning wealth, hypocrisy is a cheap means. As a hooked staff is used to bend down a bough of a tree of pluck the ripe fruits.

So this method should be adopted in destroying one's own enemies. Carry your enemy on your shoulder till the time comes.

When the times come, you can throw him down and break him into pieces as a earthen vessel is broken being thrown on stones. An enemy should never be allowed to escape, even if he piteously addresses you. You ought not to show him any inercy; he must be slain at once. Enemies should be destroyed by the arts of conciliation or the expenditure of money or by producing disunion amongst his allies or by the employment of every means in your power.

Dhritarashtra said : Tell me in detail how can a foe be destroyed by the arts of conciliation, or the expenditure of money or by producing disunion or by the employment of force.

Kanika said: O king, hear what happened in the days of yore. O great king, there dwelt in the forest a jackal well-acquainted with the science of politics.

The Jackal was wise and mindful of his own interest. He lived in the company of four friends, namely a tiger, a wolf, a mouse and a mongoose. They saw in the woods a strong deer, the leader of a herd, whom however they could not seize for his fleetness and strength. Thereupon they held a consultation.

The Jackal said : O tiger, you have made many attempts to seize this deer, but your efforts were in vain, for this deer is young, fleet and intelligent. Let the mouse go and eat into its feet when it is asleep. When his feet will be thus eaten, let the tiger go and seize it. Then we shall all eat it with a delightful heart.

Hearing these words of the jackal, they carefully did what he said. The feet of the deer being eaten up by the mouse, he was killed by the tiger.

The Jackal said, “ Blessed be you! Go and perform your ablutions. I shall look after it (the deer)".

Hearing what the Jackal said, they all went to a river. The Jackal waited there, deeply meditating what he should do (next).

The greatly strong tiger came first after his bath and saw the Jackal sitting in a pensive mind.

The Tiger said : O greatly wise one, what are you pondering over? You are the foremost of all intelligent persons. Let us enjoy ourselves (now) by feasting on this carcass.

The Jackal said: O mighty armed one, hear what the mouse has said. (He said)" Fie on the strength of the king of beasts (tiger). The deer has been killed by me.

He will gratify his hunger today by the might of my arms.” When he has thus boasted, I, for my part, do not wish to touch this food.

The Tiger said: If the mouse has really said this, my sense is awakened. I shall from this day kill with the might of my own arms the beasts of the forest and feast on their flesh. Having said this he went away into the forest. At this time the mouse came there. Seeing him come, the Jackal thus spoke to him.

The Jackal said : Blessed by you, O mouse. Listen to what the mongoose has said.

(He said) "The flesh of this deer is poisoned (by the touch of the tiger). I shall not eat it. If you give me permission I shall eat the mouse."

Having heard this, the mouse became alarmed and he quickly entered his hole. O king, then after his bath came there the wolf.

On his coming, the Jackal spoke to him thus. The king of the beasts (tiger) has become angry with you. No good will come to you. He will be soon here with his wife. Do now as you please. The wolf, ever fond of animal food, fled contracting his body into the smallest dimensions, and thus was he got rid of by the jackal. At this time the mongoose came.

O great king, the jackal thus spoke to the mongoose in the forest. I have defeated others with the might of my arms and they have already fled away. Fight with me first and then eat this flesh as you please.

The Mongoose said : When the king of the beasts (tiger) the wolf and the intelligent mouse have all been defeated by you, heroes as they are, you seem to be a greater hero than they. I do not desire (therefore) to fight with you: Saying this he went away.

Kanika said: When thus they all went away, the jackal was much pleased in his heart for the success of policy and he alone ate the flesh (of that deer).

If kings act in this way, they can always be happy. Thus should the timid, by exciting their fears, the courageous by the arts of conciliation, the covetous by gift of wealth and the inferiors and the equals by the exhibition of prowess, be brought into subjugation. O king, besides what I have said, listen to something else that I say.

If your son, friend, brother and father, or even your preceptor, become your enemy. If you desire prosperity, you should.

Destroy him by curses, by incantations, by gift of wealth, by poison or by deception. He should never be neglected out of scorn. If both the parties be equal and success uncertain, then he who acts with diligence grows in prosperity.

If the preceptor himself be vain, ignorant of what should be done and what should be left undone and vicious in his ways, even he should be chastised.

If you are angry, show yourself as if you are not so, speaking then with even smiles. O descendant of Bharatas, never reprove any one with indications of anger. Speak soft words before you hit (your enemy), (speak soft words) even when you are hitting (your enemy). After hitting (your enemy), pity the victim and grieve for him and even shed tears.

Securing confidence (of the enemy) by conciliation, by gift of wealth and by long kind behaviour. You must destroy him if he does not walk aright.

The greatly sinful men live as if they are very virtuous. He conceals his sins, as black clouds cover the mountains.

You should burn the house of those that should be killed by you. You should never permit beggars, atheists and thieves to live in you kingdom.

By a sudden sally or pitched battle, by poison, by gift of wealth, or by any means, you must destroy your enemy. You can act with the greatest cruelty. You should make your teeth sharp (enough) to bite with fatal effect.

You must destroy him so effectually that he may not again raise up his head. You should always fear even those from whom you have no fear. If you do not fear a man, by your root may be destroyed (your ruin inay come).

You should never trust the faithless, nor should you trust too much those that are faithful. If fear (enmity) is engendered in a man whom you trust, your root may be destroyed (your total ruin may come).

The spies should be first carefully tested of their fidelity and then they should be appointed in your cwn (kingdom) or in (the kingdom of others). The spies in the kingdoms of others should be scoundrels and persons in the garbs of ascetic.

They should be (placed) in gardens. In place of amusements, in temples. In drinkingballs, in streets and with all the Tirthas (state officials), in place of sacrifice, near wells, on mountains, in forests. In all places where people congregate and on rivers. They should move about in these places.

They should be humble in speech, but their hearts must be as sharp as the razors. When you are engaged in doing a very cruel and terrible act, you should talk with smiles on your lips.

If you desire for prosperity, you must (adopt these acts narnely) fold your hands, be humble, take oath, use conciliation, worship the feet of others by lowering your head and inspire hope.

A man of policy should be like a tree decked with flowers but bearing no fruits. If there be any fruiti, it must be inaccessible and at a great height. If ripe, they must look raw. Such a man never fades.

Trivarga, (Dharma, Artha and Kama) has three evils knit together (with three goods). Extracting the good from it, the evil should be avoided. He who practices virtue has also two diseases, (evil to cope with).

(Namely) the want of wealth and the neglect of pleasure. Those in pursuit of pleasure are made unhappy for the neglect of the two others. And those who pursue pleasure suffer for the want of virtue and wealth.

Therefore you should pursue virtue, wealth and pleasure in such a way that you may not have to suffer in any way. With humiliation and attention, without jealousy and solicitations, you should in all sincerity consult with Brahmanas in accomplishing your purpose.

When you are fallen, you should raise yourself by any means, either gentle or violent. When you have raised yourself, you should practice virtue.

The man who has never met with any calamity can never have prosperity. This is seen in the life of one who has passed through calamities.

He who is afflicted with sorrow should be consoled by the recitation of old history. The ignorant (should be consoled) by the hope of future prosperity and the learned by pleasing office. He who quietly responses after concluding a treaty with an enemy, considering himself crowned with success.

Is like a person who awakes after having failen down from the top of a tree where he slept. Counsel should be kept concealed without the fear of calumny.

And while seeing everything with the eyes of his spies, he should conceit his own thoughts before the spies of others like a fisherman who becomes rich by catching and killing fish, a king grc" vs prosperous by tearing the vitals of his enemy and by doing some violent acts.

The strength of your enemy as represented by his force should always be completely destroyed, by ploughing it up, by moving it down or by afflicting it with disease, starvation and want of drink.

A person in want never goes to a person in affluence. When your purpose has been fulfilled, you need not go to the man whom you have hitherto looked to for its accomplishment.

Therefore, when you do a thing, do it completely, leaving nothing to be done. He who desires prosperity, should diligently exert to seek for allies and means in order to conduct his war.

He should act in such a way that both friends and foes may not know his intention before the commencement of the act. Let them know it when the act has been commenced or ended.

As long as danger does not come, so long only should you look as if you are afraid. Seeing the danger already come, you should grapple it courageously.

The man, who trusts his enemy who is already under his control, invites his own death as a mule by her conception.

You should consider the future acts as already arrived. Else on account of the loss of reason, you may overlook an important point (in accomplishing the act). He who desires prosperity, should always exert himself with energy and prudence.

Adopting his measures (suited) to time and place, destiny and Dharma, Artha and Kama. It is well known that time and place produce the greatest good.

If an enemy is despised and over looked, he may soon grow like a palm tree extending its roots, or like a spark of fire in the deep forest that may soon flame upto a great conflagration.

As a small fire, if fed with fagots, soon becomes capable of coming all, so a man who increase his power making alliances, soon becomes capable of vanquishing even the strongest foe.

The hope, that you give to your enemy, should be long deferred to be fulfilled. When the time comes for fulfilling it, invent some pretext to defer it still. Let the pretext appear as founded on some reason and let that reason (also) appear as founded on some other reason.

Unpitying and sharp, concealed in their leathern cases, striking when opportunity comes, sweeping of all hair, kings should resemble razors in the mater of destroying their enemy.

O supporter of the Kuru dignity, act with the Pandavas and others as policy dictates and (act) in such a way that you may not have to reput in futuic. I have not the least doubt that you are endued with every blessing and good fortune, O king, therefore, protect yourself frorn the sons of Pandu.

O king, the sons of Pandu are stronger than their cousins (your sons). O chastiser of foes, I tell you plainly what you ought to do.

Vaishampayana said : Having said this Kanika went away to his house and the descendant of Kuru Dhritarashtra become pensive and sad.