Having saluted Hrishikesha, and Bhishma, and taken the permission of all the elders assembled there, Yudhishthira began to question Bhishma.

Yudhishthira said 'Persons conversant with duty and morality lecture that royal duties are the highest science of duty. I also regard the burden of those duties as being highly heavy. Do you, therefore, O king, describe those duties.

O grandfather, do you speak fully on the duties of kings. The science of royal duties is the refuge of all creatures.

O you of Kuru's race, Religion, Profit, and Pleasure depend on royal duties. It is also clear that the practices that lead to liberation equally depend on them.

As the reins govern the horse or the iron goad the elephant, so the science of royal duties forms the reins for restraining the world.

If one becomes bewildered regarding the duties observed by kings, disorder would prevail on Earth and everything will be in confusion.

As the Sun rising removes darkness, so this science destroys all the evil consequences of the world.

Therefore, O grandfather, do you, for my sake, discourse on royal duties first of all, for you, O chief of the Bharatas, are the foremost of all persons conversant with duties.

O destroyer of foes, Vasudeva considers you as the foremost of all intelligent persons. Therefore, all of us expect the best knowledge from you.'

Bhishma said 'Saluting Dharma who is Supreme, Krishna who is Brahma in full, and the Brahmanas, I shall discourse on the eternal duties (of men).

Hear from me, O Yudhishthira, with rapt attention, all the royal duties described accurately and fully and other duties that you may wish to know.

In the first place, O chief of Kuru's race, the king should, for pleasing (his subjects), wait humbly upon the gods and the Brahmanas, always following implicitly the ordinance.

By adoring the celestials and the Brahmanas, O increaser of Kuru's race, the king satisfies his debt to duty and morality, and acquires the respect of his subjects.

O son, you should always exert promptly, O Yudhishthira, for without exertion and manliness mere destiny never accomplishes the objects the kings wish to achieve.

These two, viz., exertion and destiny, are equal. Of them, I consider exertion to be superior for destiny is determined from the results of exertion.

Do not be sorry if what is undertaken ends disastrously, for you should then exert yourself in the same work with redoubled attention. This is the highest of royal duties.

There is nothing which leads so much to the success of kings as Truth. The king who is devoted to Truth enjoys happiness both here and hereafter.

Even to the Rishis, O king, Truth, is the greatest wealth. Likewise for the kings, there is nothing that so much creates confidence in them as Truth.

The king who is endued with all accomplishments and good conduct, who is self-controlled, Humble, and righteous, who has his passions under control, who is of a beautiful countenance and not too enquiring, never loses prosperity.

By administering justice, by following these three expedients, viz., concealment of his own shortcomings, ascertainment of the loop-holes of foes, and keeping is own counsel close, as also by acting straight-forwardly, the king, O delighter of the Kurus, acquires prosperity.

If the king becomes mild, everybody disobey him. On the other hand, if he becomes fierce his subjects always fear him. Therefore, do you conduct yourself in both the ways.

O foremost of liberal men, the Brahmanas should never be punished by you, for the Brahmana, O son of Pandu, is the foremost of human beings on the Earth.

The great Manu, O king of kings, has written two Slokas. As regards your duties, O you of Kuru's race, you should always remember them. Fire has originated from water, the Kshatriya from the Brahmana, and iron from stone. The three, viz., fire, Kshatriya, and iron, can act on every other thing, but coming into contact with their respective origins, their force becomes neutralised.

When iron strikes stone, or fire fights with water, or Kshatriya treats a Brahmana inimically, these three soon become weak. When this is so, O king, (you will see that) the Brahmanas deserve to be worshipped. The foremost of the Brahmanas are gods on Earth. Duly adored they maintain the Vedas and the Sacrifices.

But they, O foremost of kings, who wish to have such honour, though they may be obstacles to the three worlds, should always be repressed by the strength of your arms.

The great Rishi Ushanas, O son, recited two Slokas in days of yore. Listen to them, O king, with rapt attention. The true Kshatriya, ever observant of his duties, should punish a Brahmana, inspite of his being the master of the Vedas if he rushes to battle with an uplifted weapon.

The Kshatriya, observant of his duties, who maintains righteousness when it is trespassed against, does not by that act, commit sin, for the anger of the assailant justifies the anger of the punisher. With these restrictions only, O foremost of kings, the Brahmanas should be protected. If they commit any offence they should be banished out of the country.

Even when they deserve punishment you should, O king, show them mercy. If a Brahmana becomes guilty of Brahmanicide, or of violating the bed of his preceptor or other elders, or of causing miscarriage, or of treason against the king, he should be punished with banishment from your territories. No corporal punishment is laid down for them.

Those persons who revere the Brahmanas should be favoured by you. There is no wealth more valuable to kings than the proper selection of servants.

Among the six kinds of forts described in the scriptures, among every kind of other forts the service and the love of the subjects is of the most impregnable.

Therefore, a wise king should always show mercy towards the four orders of his subjects. The righteous and truthful king succeeds in pleasing his subjects.

You should not, however, O son, always forgive everybody, for a mild king is regarded as the worst like an elephant shorn of fierceness.

In the Samhita of Brihaspati, a Sloka was recited in days of yore applicable to the present subject. Hear, O king, I shall recite it.

If the king becomes always forgiving, the lowest of persons influences him, as the driver who sits on the head of the elephant he guides.

The king, therefore, should not always be mild. Nor should be always be terrific. He should be like the vernal sun, neither too cold nor too hot.

By the direct evidence of the senses, by conjecture, by comparisons, and by the injunctions of the scriptures, O monarch, the king should study friends and enemies.

O noble king, you should renounce all those evil practices which are called Vyasanas. It is not incumbent that you should never indulge in them. What, however, is necessary is that you should not be attached to them.

He that is attached to those practices is under the influence of every one. The king who does not love his subjects fills the latter with anxiety.

The king should always treat his subjects as a mother does the child of her womb. Hear, O king, why this is desirable.

As the mother, even not caring for those objects which she likes best, seeks the wellbeing of her child alone, so, forsooth, should kings treat their subjects.

A righteous king, O foremost one of Kuru's race, should always act in such a manner, as to sacrifice what he loves most for the sake of securing the well-being of his people.

You should never, O son of Pandu, abandon fortitude. The king who is crowned with fortitude and who punished wrong-doers, has no cause of fear.

O foremost of speakers, you should never cut jokes with your servants. O foremost of kings, listen to the short-comings of such an act.

If the master mixes too freely with them, servants begin to disregard him. They forget their own position and do not care their master.

Ordered to do a thing, they hesitate, and give out the master's secrets. They ask for unbecoming things and take the food that is intended for the master.

They even display their anger and try to excel their master. They even try to reign supreme over the king, and taking bribes and practising deceit, hinder the business of the state.

They ruin the state with abuses by falsifications and forgeries. They make love with the female warders of the palace and dress in the same way as their master.

They become so shameless as to pass wind and spit before the very eyes of their master, O foremost of kings, and they do not fear even to speak of him lightly before others.

If the king becomes mild and cuts jokes, his servants, disobeying him, ride on horses and elephants and cars as good as the king's.

His counsellors, in court, plainly say-This is beyond your power. This is a wicked attempt.

If the king becomes angry, they laugh; nor are they pleased if favours be conferred upon them, though they may express joy for other reasons.

They give out the secret counsels of their master and speak of his evil deeds. Without the least anxiety they disregard the king's commands.

If the king's jewels, or food, or the necessaries of his bath, or unguents, be not ready, the servants, in his very presence, do not display the least anxiety.

They do not take what belongs to them legitimately. On the other hand, without being content with what has been given to them, they take to themselves what belongs to the king.

They wish to sport with the king as with a bird tied in a rope, and always make the people understand that the king is on very intimate terms with them and loves them dearly.

If the king is mild and disposed to cut jokes. O Yudhishthira, these and many other evils originate from it. They wish to sport with the king as with a bird tied in a rope, and always make the people understand that the king is on very intimate terms with them and loves them dearly.

If the king is mild and disposed to cut jokes. O Yudhishthira, these and many other evils originate from it.