Yudhishthira said When both virtue and men, O Bharata, suffer for the gradual lapse of a cycle and when the world is assailed by robbers, how, O Grandfather should a king then behave.

Bhishma said 'I shall tell you, O Bharata, the policy the king should pursue amid such distress. I shall tell you how he should behave himself at such a time, casting off mercy.

Regarding it is cited the old story of the conversation between Bharadwaja and king Shatrunjaya.

There was a king name Shatrunjaya among the Sauviras. He was a great car-warrior. Going to Bharadwaja, he asked the Rishi about the truths of the science of Profit, saying,-How can an unattained object be attained. How, again, when acquired, can it be multiplied? How also, when increased, can it be protected? And how, when protected, should it be used.

Thus accosted about the truths of the science of Profit, the twice-born one said the following reasonable words to that king for explaining those truths.

The king should always remain with the rod of punishment in his hand. He should always show his prowess. Himself without shortcomings, he should mark those of his enemies. Indeed, his eye should always be used for that object.

On seeing a king who has the rod of punishment ever uplifted in his hand, every one is filled with fear. Therefore, the king should rule all creatures with the rod of punishment.

Men endued with learning and knowledge of truth speak high of Punishment. Hence, of the four-fold means, viz., Conciliation, Gift, Dissension and Punishment, Punishment is said to be the foremost.

When the root of a refuge is cut off, all the refugees die. When the root of a tree cut off, how would the branches live?

A wise king should cut off the very roots of his enemy. He should then win over and bring under his control the allies and partisans of that enemy.

When calamities befall the king, he should advise wisely, show his prowess properly, fight with ability, and even retreat with wisdom.

In words only should the king show his humility, but at heart he should be sharp as a razol. He should renounce lust and anger, and speak sweetly and mildly.

When the time for cominunication with an enemy arrives, a far-sighted king should make peace, without tn.sting hirr blindly. When thi: transaction is finished. he should speedily renounce the new ally.

One should conciliate an enemy with sweet assurances as if he were a friend. One, however, should always fear that enemy like a room within which there is a snake.

You should assure him with references to the past whose sense you want to control. A wicked man should be assured by promises of future well-being.

The wise person should be assured by present services. The person who is desirous of acquiring prosperity should join hands, swear, use sweet words, adore by bending down his head, and shed tears.

one should carry his enemy, on his shoulders as long as time is unfavourable. When, however, the opportunity presents itself, one should break him into pieces like an earthcn jar on a stone.

It is better, O monarch, that a king should burn up for the time being like charcoal of ebony-wood than that he should smoulder and sinoke like chaff for many years.

A man who has many things to do, should not hesitatu to deal with even an ungrateful person. If successful, one can enjoy happiness. If unsuccessful, one loses respect.

Therefore, in doing the work of such persons, one should, without finishing them completely, always keep something undone. A king should do what is for his well-being, imitating a kokila, a boar, the mountains of Meru, and empty chamber, an actor, and a devoted friend.

The king should, always, with careful application, go to the houses of his enemies, and even if calamities overtake them, ask them about their well-being.

Those who are idle never acquire ricnes; nor those who are shorn of manliness and exertion; nor those who are vain; nor those who fear unpopularity; nor those who arc always dilatory.

The king should act in such way that his foe may not see his shortcomings. He should, however, himself notice the weak points of his enemy. He should imitate the tortoise which conceals its limbs. He should always keep hidden his own holes.

He should think of all financial matters like a crane. He should show his prowess like a lion. He should lie in ambush like a wolf and attack and pierce his foes like an arrow.

He should be careful in his enjoyments regarding drink, dice, women, hunting, and music. Addiction to these produces evil.

He should make his bow of bamboos; he should sleep like the deer; he should be blind when it is necessary for him to be so, or he should even be deaf when it is necessary to be deaf.

The wise king should display his prowess, considering time and place. If these are not favourable, prowess becomes useless.

Noting the opportune and inopportune moment, reflecting upon his own strength by comparing it with that of the enemy, the king should take up his work.

That king who does not crush down an enemy by military force, provides for his own death like the crab when she conceives.

The king should show blossoms but not fruits. When showing fruits he should be difficult of climbing; and though unripe he should seem to be ripe. If he acts thus he would succeed in upholding himself against all enemies. then put man

The king should first strengthen the hopes (of the suitors). He should impediments in the way of the fulfilment of those hopes. He should say that those impediments are merely due to time. He should next represent that those occasions are really the outcome of weighty causes.

As long as the cause of fear does not actually arrive, the king should make all his arrangements like a person filled with fear. When, however, the cause of fear arrives, he should smite fearlessly.

No can derive benefit without incurring danger. If, again, he succeeds in preserving his life in the midst of danger's he is sure to acquire great benefits.

A king should determine all future dangers; when they are present, he should conquer them; and lest they may grow again, he should, even after conquering them, consider them, as unconquered.

The relinquishing of present happiness and the pursuit of the future one, is never the policy of an intelligent person.

That king who having made peace with an enemy sleeps happily and confidently is lįke a man who sleeping on the top of a iree awakes after a fall,

When one is in distress, he should raise himself by any means in his power. mild or stern; and after such advancement, he should, if able, practise virtue.

The king should always honour the enemies of his foes. He should consider his own spies as agents employed by his enemies,

The king should see that his own spies are not made out by his enemy. He should appoint atheists and ascetics as spies and despatch them to kingdom of his enemies. Sinful thieves, who violate the laws of virtue and who are thorns with every person, enter gardens and places of amusement and houses set up for giving drinking water to thirsty travellers and public restaurants and drinking spots and houses of ill fame and Tirthas and public assemblies. These should be recognised and arrested and suppressed.

The king should not confide in an unworthy person; nor should he over confide in a person who is worthy of trust. Danger originates from confidence. Confidence should never be placed without previous examination.

Having by ostensible created confidence in the enemy, the king should strike him when he makes a mistake. reasons

The king should fear him from whom there is no fear; he should also always fear them who should be feared. Fear rising from a person who is not feared, may bring on total extermination.

By devotion to religious pursuits, by taciturnity, by assuming the orange grab of monks, and wearing matted locks skins, one should create confidence in his enemy, and then, when the time comes, should pounce upon him like the wolf.

A king seeking prosperity should not hesitate to kill son or brother or father or friend, if any of these seek to thwart his objects.

The very preceptor, if he is haughty, ignorant of what should be done and what should not, and an impious person, should be restrained by Punishment.

As sharp-stinged insects cut off all the flowers and fruits of the trees on which they sit, the king should, after having created confidence in his enemies by honours, salutations and gifts, go against him and deprive him of everything.

Without cutting the very vitals of others, without killing living creatures like fishermen, one cannot win great prosperity.

There is no separate order of creatures called enemies or friends. Persons become friends or enemies according to the trend of circumstances.

The king should never allow his enemy to escape even if he bewails piteously. He should never be moved by these; on the other hand, he should destroy the person who has done him an injury.

A king seeking prosperity should studiously win over as many men as he can, and do them good. In his conduct towards his subjects he should always be shorn of malice. He should also studiously punish and restrain the wicked and disaffected.

When he wishes to take wealth, he should say what is agreeable. Having collected wealth, he should say similar things. Having severed one's head with his sword, he should grieve and shed tears.

A king seeking posperity should win over others by sweet words, honours, and gifts. Thus should he take men into his service.

The king should never engage in idle disputes. He should never cross a river with the help only of his two arms. To eat cow-horns is useless and never gives strength. By eating them one's teeth are broken while the taste is not gratified.

The three-fold objects have triple disadvantageous adjuncts. Carefully considering them, the disadvantages should be avoided.

The unpaid residue of a debt, the unquenched remnant of a fire, and the unkilled remnant of foes, by and by grow and increase. Therefore, all those should be completely rooted out.

Debt which always multiplies is sure to remain unless it is wholly paid up. Likewise are the defeated foes and neglected diseases. These always create great fear.

Every work should be done completely. One should be always careful. If extracted badly, such a minute thing as a thorn leads to obstinate gangrene.

By killing its inhabitants, by breaking its roads and otherwise injuring them, and by burning and pulling down its houses, a king should devastate an enemy's realm.

A king should be far-sighted like the vulture, stable like a crane, watchful like a dog, brave like a lion, dreadful like a crow, and enter into the kingdom of his enemies like a snake with ease and without anxiety.

A king should win over a hero by clasping his hands, a coward by terrorising him, and a covetous man by presents of money, and with an equal he should wage war carefully.

He should take care to create dissension among the leaders of sects and of conciliating those that are dear to him. He should protect his ministers from dissension and destruction,

If the king becomes mild, the people disrespect him. If he becomes stern, the people afflicted. The rule is that he should be stern when sternness is necessary, and mild when mildness is necessary.

By mildness the mild should be conquered. By mildness one may destroy that which is dreadful. There is nothing which mildness cannot do. Therefore, mildness is said to be sharper than fierceness.

That king who becomes mild when mildness is necessary and who becomes stern when sternness is necessary, gains all his ends, and represses his enemies.

Having created an enemy in a person endued with knowledge and wisdom, one should not be satisfied with the belief that he is at a distance from his foe. The arms of an intelligent man are extensive by which he injures when injured.

The uncrossable should not be sought to be crossed. That which the enemy would be able to recover should not be snatched from him. One should not try to dig at all if by digging one could get at the root of the thing for which one digs. One should never strike him whose head one would not cut off.

A king should not always act in this way. The course of conduct that I have pointed out should be followed only in times of distress. Actuated with the desire of doing you good I have said this for instructing you as to how you should act when attacked by enemies.

Bhishma said Hearing these words given vent to by that Brahmana with the desires of doing him good, the king of Sauviras obeyed those instructions gladly and attained with his kinsmen and friends shining prosperity.