Apaddharmanushasana Parva — The means by which kings should collect wisdom

Yudhishthira said If such a terrible act which should always be discarded like falsehood, be pointed (as duty), then what act is there from which I should forbear? Why also should not robbers then be honoured?

I am stupefied! My heart is pained. All the bonds that tie me to morality are loosened. I cannot compose my mind and dare act in the way pointed out by you.

Bhishma said I do not instruct you regarding duty, taught by what I have heard from the Vedas alone. What I have told you is the result of wisdom and experience. This is the honey that the learned have gleaned.

Kings should collect wisdom from various sources. One cannot go successfully through the worldly course with the help of a one-sided morality.

Duty must originate from the understanding and the practices of the good should always be determined, O son of Kuru. Obey these words of mine.

Only kings of superior intelligence can rule, cxpccting victory. A king by the help of his understanding and guided by knowledge gathered from various sources, should so arrange that inoral laws may be observed.

The duties of a king can never be satisfied by rules drawn from a one-sided morality. A weak king can never show wisdom for his not having drawn it from the examples before him.

Righteousness sometimes appears like unrighteousness. The latter also some-times appears like the former. He who does not know this, becomes confused when an actual instance presents itself before him. Before the time comes, one should, O Bharata, understand the circumstances, under which righteousness and its opposite become confused.

Having gained this knowledge, a wise king should, when the time comes, act accordingly, helped by his judgement. His acts at such a time are misunderstood by ordinary people.

Some persons are endued with true knowledge. Some persons have false knowledge. Truly determining the nature of each kind of knowledge, a wise king derives knowledge from the good.

The violators of moral laws find fault with the scriptures. They who have themselves no money, point out the inconsistencies of the works on the laws of wealth.

Those who wish to gain knowledge merely for carrying their sustenance, are, o king, sinful, besides being enemies of morality.

Wicked men of unripe understandings, can never know things truly, as persons ignorant of scriptures are unable in all their acts to be guided by reason.

Always seeing the faults of the scriptures, they decry them. Even if they understand the true import of the scriptures, they are still in the habit of saying that scriptural injunctions are unsound.

By decrying the knowledge of others, such men announce the superiority of their own knowledge. They have words for their weapons and arrows and speak, as if they are well grounded in those sciences.

Consider them, O Bharata, as traders in learning and Rakshasas among men. By the help of mere pretext they renounce that morality, which has been established by good and wise men.

We have heard that the texts of morality cannot be understood by either discussion or one's own intelligence. Indra himself has said that such is the opinion of the sage Brihaspati.

Some hold that no scriptural text has been written without a reason, Others again, even if they properly understand the scriptures, never follow them.

One section of wise men say that morality is nothing else than the approved conduct of the world. The man of true knowledge should find out for himself the moral laws laid down for the good.

If even a wise man speaks of morality when he is angry or bewildered or ignorant, his speech produces no effect.

Discourses on morality made with the help of an intelligent understanding of the true letter and spirit of the scriptures, should be lauded and not those which are made with the help of anything else. Sensible words, even if heard from an ignorant person, are regarded as pious and wise.

In days of yore, Ushanas said to the Daityas this truth, which dispels all doubts, that scriptures are no scriptures if they cannot stand the crucible test of reason.

The possession or absence of doubtful, knowledge is the same thing. You should root out and drive off such knowledge.

He who does not listen to these words of minc, is to be known as one who has suffered himself to be misguided. Do you not observe that you were created for the performance of terrific deeds?

See me, O dear child, how, by following the duties of my own order, I have sent innumerable Kshatriyas to heaven! There are some who are not pleased with me for this.

Goat, horse, and Kshatriya, were created by Brahman for the same purpose (of being useful to everybody). A Kshatriya, therefore, should always seek the happiness of all creatures.

The sin of killing a person unworthy of being killed is tantamount to that which is incurred by not killing one who deserves to be killed. Such is the established order of things which a weak-minded king never thinks of attending to.

Therefore, a king should force all his subjects to observe their respective duties. If this is not done, they will prowl like wolves, devouring one another,

He is a wretch among Kshatriyas in whose kingdom robbers go about pillaging the property of other people like crows taking little fishes from water.

Appointing high-born men with Vedic knowledge as your ministers, do you govern the Earth, protecting your subjects piously.

That Kshatriya who, innocent of the established customs and contrivances, improperly taxes his people, is considered as a eunuch of his order.

A king should neither be severe nor mild. If he rules fairly he deserves praise. A king should not renounce both that qualities; on the other hand, becoming severe when (it is necessary), he should be mild when it is necessary to be so.

The observance of Kshatriya duties is highly difficult. I love you greatly. You are created for the performance of severe acts. Therefore, do you rule kingdom.

The highly intelligent Shakra has said that in times of distress the great duty of a king is to punish the wicked and protect the good.

Yudhishthira said Is there any such rule (regarding royal duties) which should, under no circumstances) be violated? I ask you this, O foremost of virtuous persons! Tell me, O grandfather.

Bhishma said One should always adore Brahmanas respected for learning, devoted to penances, and observant of Vedic injunctions. This, indeed, is a high and sacred duty.

You should always treat the Brahmanas like the gods. The Brahmanas, if enraged, can inflict pains in a variety of ways, O King.

If they be pleased, you will win high fame. If otherwise, great will be your fear. If pleased, the Brahmanas become like ambrosia. If enraged, they become like poison.