Ashramavasika Parva — Dhritarashtra's advice to Yudhishthira

Vaishampayana said son Having received the kings' permission, the highly energetic king Dhritarastra, then, went to his own palace, followed by Gandhari.

With weakened strength and slow motion, that highly intelligent king walked with difficulty, like the leader, exhausted with age, of an elephantine herd.

He was followed by the highly learned Vidura, and his charioteer Sanjaya, as also that powerful bowman Kripa the of Sharadvata.

Entering his palace, O king, he performed the morning rites and, after pleasing many foremost of Brahmanas, he took some food.

Gandhari knowing every duty, as also the highly intelligent Kunti, adored with offers of various articles by their daughters-in-law, then took some food, O Bharata.

After Dhritarashtra had eaten, and Vidura also and others had done the same, the Pandavas, having finished their meals, approached and sat around the old king.

Then the son of Ambika, O monarch, addressing Kunti's son, who was seated near him, and touching his back with his hand, said, 'You should always, O delighter of the Kurus, act vigilantly about everything connected with your kingdom consisting of eight limbs, o foremost of kings, and in which the claims of virtue should ever be kept foremost.

You are, O son of Kunti, cndued with intelligence and learning. Listen to me, O king, I tell you what the means are by which, O son of Pandu, the kingdom is capable of being righteously protected.

You should always, O Yudhishthria, honour those persons who are old in learning. You should listen to what they would say, and act accordingly without any scruple.

Rising early in the morning, O king, adore them with due rites, and when the time comes for action, you should consult them about your (intended) acts.

When, led by the desire of knowing what would be beneficial to you about your measures, you honour them, they will, O son, always declare what is for your behoof, O Bharata!

You should always keep your senses as you keep your horses. They will then prove beneficial to you, like riches that is not wasted.

You should employ only those ministers who have passed the tests of honesty, who are hereditary officers of state, possessed of pure conduct, self-controlled, expert in the discharge of business, and endued with righteous conduct.

You should always gather information through spies in various disguises, whose faithfulness have been tested, who are natives of your kingdom, and who should not be known to your enemies.

Your citadel should be properly protected with strong walls and arched gates. On every side such walls, with watch-towers on them standing close to one another, should be made as will admit six persons walking side by side on their top.

The gates should all be large and sufficiently strong. Kept in proper places, those gates should be carefully guarded.

Let your purpose be accomplished through men whose families and conduct are wellknown. You should always protect your body also with care in matters connected with your food, O Bharata, as also in the hours of sport and eating and in matters connected with the garlands you wear and the beds you lie upon. The ladies of your household should be properly protected, looked over by aged and trusted servitors, of good conduct, well-born, and possessed of learning, O Yudhishthira.

You should made ministers of Brahmanas possessed of learning, endued with humility, well-born, knowing religion and profit, and adorned with simplicity of behaviour.

You should hold consultations with them. You should not, however, admit many persons into your consultations. on particular occasions you may consult with the whole of your council or with a portion of it.

Entering a chamber or spot that is wellprotected (from intruders) you should hold your consultations. You may hold your consultation in a forest hat is divested of grass. You should never consult at night time.

Apes and birds and other animals which can imitatc human beings should all be excluded from the council chamber, as also idiots and lame and palsied individuals.

I think that the evils which originate from the divulgence of the counsels of kings are such that they cannot be remedied.

You should repeatedly refer, in the midst of your counselors, to the evils which arise from the divulgence of counsels, ochastiser of enemies, and to the merits which flow from counsels properly kept.

You should, O Yudhishthira, act in such a manner as to determine the merits and faults of the inhabitants of your city and the provinces.

Let your laws, O king, be always administered by trusted judges placed in charge thereof, who should also be contented and of good conduct. Their acts should also be ascertained by you through spies.

Let your judicial officers, O Yudhishthira, mete out punishments, according to the law, on offenders after careful determining the gravity of the offenses.

They who take bribes, they who are the violators of the chastity of other peoples' wives, they who inflict heavy punishments, they who are liars, they who are revelers, they who are stained by cupidity, they who are murderers, they who are doers of rash deeds, they who are disturbers of assemblies and the sports of others, and they who brings about a confusion of castes, should, according to considerations of time and place, be punished with either fines or death.

In the morning you should see those who are employed in making your disbursements. After that you should look to your toilet and then to your food.

You should next supervise your arms, pleasing them on every occasion. You should devote your evenings to envoys and spies.

The latter end of the night should be devoted by you to settle what acts should be done by you in the day. Midnight's and midday's should be devoted to amusements and sports. At all times, however, you should think of the means for the execution your projects.

At the proper time, adorning your body, you should sit prepared to make gifts in profusion. The turns for different deeds, O son, ceaselessly revolve like wheels.

You should do your best to fill your treasuries of various kinds by fair means. You should avoid all unlawful means for that purpose.

Learning through your spies who your enemies are, who are bent on finding out your shortcoming, you should, through trusted agents, cause them to be destroyed from a distance.

Examining their conduct, you should, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, appoint your servants. You should cause all your deeds to be accomplished through your servitors whether they are appointed for those acts or not.

The commandant of your army should be of firm conduct, courageous, capable of bearing hardships, loyal, and devoted to your wellbeing.

Artisans and mechanics, O son of Pandu, living in your provinces, should always do your acts like kine and asses.

You should always, O Yudhishthira, be careful to ascertain your own shortcomings as also those of your enemies. The shortcomings also of your own men as also of the men of your enemies should equally be known.

Those men of your kingdom, who are wellskilled in their respective callings, and are devoted to your good, should be patronized by you with adequate means of support.

A wise king, O chief of men, should always see that the accomplishments of his subjects might be kept up. They would then be firinly devoted to you, seeing that they did not fall away from their skill