Rajadharmanushasana Parva — How should a king treat his enemies

Yudhishthira said Tell me, O grandfather, how should a king treat a mild foe, one who is fierce, and one who has many allies and a large army.

'Regarding it is cited, O Yudhishthira the old discourse between Brihaspati and Indra.

Once on a time, that destroyer of hostile heroes, viz., Vasava, the king of the gods, joining his hands, approached Brihaspati, and saluting him, said these words.

Indra said How, O twice-born one, should I treat my enemies? How should I subdue them by various contrivances, without rooting them out?

In a collision between two arinies, victory may be achieved by either side. In what way should I behave so that this shining prosperity that I have acquired and that scorches all my enemies, may not leave me?

Thus addressed, Brihaspati, skilled in Virtue, Profit, and Pleasure, endued with a knowledge of royal duties, and great intelligence, answered Indra as follows.

One should never wish to vanquish his enemies by quarrel. Worked up with anger and shom of forgiveness, boys only seek quarrel.

One who wishes for the destruction of a foe, should not make that foe careful. On the other hand, one should never display one's anger or fear or joy. He should conceal these within his own heart.

Without trusting one's foe in reality, one should treat him in such a way as if he trusted him completely. One should always speak sweet words to one's enemies and never do anything that is disagreeable.

One should avoid useless acts of hostility as also insolent speech. As a fowler, carefully uttering cries like those of the birds he wishes to catch, or destroy, captures and brings them under his control, even so should a king, O Purandara, bring his enemies under subjection and then kill them if he likes.

Having defeated one's enemies, one should not sleep at ease. A wicked enemy rises up against like a fire carelessly extinguished reappearing itself.

When victory may be achieved by either side, a hostile collision of arms should be avoided. Having made an enemy feel security, one should subdue him and active one's end.

Having consulted his ministers and intelligent persons conversant with policy, an enemy that is disregarded and neglected, never owning submission at heart, strikes the disregarder at the proper season, especially when the latter takes a false step. By engaging trustworthy agents of his own, such an enemy would also make the other's forces inefficient by creating disunion.

Knowing the beginning, the middle, and the end of his enemy, a king should secretly entertain feelings of hostility towards them. He should corrupt the forces of his enemy, determine everything by positive evidence, creating disunion, making gifts, and administering poison. A king should never live with his foes.

A king should wait long and then kill his enemies. Indeed, he should wait, for the opportunity, so that he might attack his enemy at a time when the latter would not expect him in the least. A king should never kill a large number of the enemy's army, although he should certainly do that which would secure him decisive victory.

The king should never do such an injury to his enemy as would remain in the latter's heart. Nor should he afflict him with wordy darts and arrows. If the opportunity comes, he should strike him, without letting it slip. In this way, O king of the gods, should a king, desirous of killing his foes, treat them.

If an opportunity, with respect to the man who waits for it, once goes away it can never be secured again by the person desirous of acting.

Acting according to the advice of the wise, a king should only break the strength of his enemy. He should never, when the opportunity is not favourable, try to achieve his end. Nor should he, when the opportunity arises, persecute his enemy.

Giving up lust, anger and pride, the king should carefully and continually watch for the shortcomings of his foes,

His own mildness, the hardship of his punishments, his inactivity and carelessness. O king of the gods, and the deceitful means well applied (by his foes), ruin a foolish king.

That king who can overcome these four shortcomings and counteract the deceitful expedients of his enemies, succeeds, forsooth, in smiting them all.

When only one minister is capable to perform a secret object, the king should consult with that one minister only regarding such secret object. Many ministers, if consulted, try to throw the burden of the task upon the another's shoulders and even give out that object which should be kept close.

If consultation with one is not proper, then only should the king consult with many. When enemies are not seen, he should invoke divine punishment upon them; when seen, the army, consisting of fourfold forces, should be set in motion.

The king should first use the means of creating disunion, as also those of conciliation. When the time for each particular means arrives, that particular expedient should be made use of.

Occasionally the king should even prostrate himself before a powerful enemy. It is again desirable that acting with every care, he should try to bring about the victor's destruction when the latter becomes careless.

By prostrating one's self, by giving tribute, by uttering sweet words, one should humble one's self before a more powerful king. One should never do anything that may create the suspicions of one's powerful enemy.

The weaker king should, under such circumstances, carefully avoid every act that may create suspicion. A victorious king, again, should not trust his defeated enemies, for the vanquished always remain alert.

There is nothing, O best of gods, that is more difficult to be done than the acquisition of prosperity, O king of gods, by restless persons.

The very existence of restless persons is dangerous. Kings should, therefore, with minute attention, determine their friends, and enemies.

A mild king is always disregarded. If he becomes fierce, i.e., strikes people with fear. Therefore do not be fierce. Do not, again, be mild. But be both fierce and mild.

As a rapid current ceaselessly washes away the high bank and causes large landslips, so carelessness and mistake bring about the ruination of a kingdom.

Never attack many enemies simultaneously. By using the means of conciliation, or of gift, or of creation of disunion. O Purandara, they should be assailed one by one. The victor may treat peacefully the remnant. An intelligent king, even if competent for it, should not begin to crush all simultaneously.

When a king happens to have a large army consisting of sixfold forces and enough of horse, elephant, cars, foot, and engines, all devoted to him, when he thinks himself superior to his enemies in many respects upon a fair comparison, then should he openly strike the enemy without hesitation.

If the enemy be strong, the adoption of a policy of conciliation is not good. On the other hand, punishment by secret means should be inflicted. Such enemies shouid not be treated mildly, repeated attacks, destruction of crops, poisoning of wells and tanks, and suspicion regarding the seven branches of administration, should be made.

The king should, on such occasions, adopt various kinds of deception, various expedients for setting his foes against one another, and various kinds of hypocrisy. He should also, through trusted agents, learn the doings of his enemies in their cities and provinces.

Kings, O killer of Vala and Vritra, pursuing their enemies and entering their towers, seize and appropriate the best things that are to be had there, and adopt proper measures of policy in their own cities and dominions.

Presenting them wealth privately, and confiscating their properties publicly, without, however, injuring them materially, and proclaiming that they are all wicked men who have suffered for their own misdeeds, kings should despatch their agents to the cities and provinces of their enemies.

At the same time, in their own cities, they should, through other persons well-read in scriptures, endued with every accomplishment, acquainted with the injunctions of the sacred books; and possessed of learning, cause incantations, and foe-destroying rites to be performed.

What are the marks, O best of the twiceborn, of a wicked person! Accosted by me, tell me how am I to know who is wicked!

Brihaspati said A wicked person is he who speaks of the faults of others at their back, who is filled with envy on seeing the accomplishments of others, and who remains silent when the merits of other people are described before him, being most unwilling to join them.

Mere silence is no mark of wickedness on such occasions. A wicked person breathes heavily, bites his lips, and snakes his head.

Such a person always mixes in society and talks irrelevantly. Such a man never does what he promises, when the person to whom he has given the assurance does not observe him. When this man observes him, the wicked man does not even refer to the subject.

The wicked man eats alone, and finds fault with the food placed before him, saying.-All is not right to-day, as before. His true nature comes out when sitting, lying down, and riding.

Lamenting in times of sorrow and rejoicing in times of joy are the marks of a friend, Contrary actions from the indications of an enemy.

Keep in your heart these sayings, O king of the gods! The nature of wicked men can never be concealed.

I have now told you, O foremost of gods, what are the marks of a wicked person. Having listened to the truths given but in the scriptures, follow them duly, O king of the gods!

Bhishma said Having heard these words of Brihaspati, Purandara, engaged in defeating his foes, followed them strictly. Bent upon victory, that destroyer of foes, when the opportunity came, followed these instructions and subdued all his enemies!'