Yudhishthira said 'Why, O foremost of Bharata's race, have the Brahmanas declared that the king, that ruler of men, is a god.

Bhishma said Regarding it is cited the old story, O Bharata, of the discourse of Brihaspati and Vasumanas..

There was a highly intelligent king of Koshala, named Vasumanas. On a certain occasion he questioned the great wise sage Brihaspati.

Always humble, king Vasumanas ever devoted to well-being of all, having observed the proper humilities, and having gone round the great sage and bowed to him duly enquired of the virtuous Brihaspati about the institutes of a kingdom, actuated by the desire of securing the happiness of men.

Vasumanas said By what means do creatures grow and by what are they destroyed? (you of great wisdom, by worshipping whom do they succeed in acquiring eternal happiness. Thus questioned by the highly powerful Koshala king Brihaspati of great wisdom described to him coolly about the regard which should be paid to kings.

Brihaspati said The duties of all men, you of great wisdom, originate from the king. It is through fear of the king only that men do not devour one another.

It is the king who establishes peace on Earth through due observances of duties by checking all disregard for healthy restraints and all kinds of lust. Acquiring this he shines in glory.

As, o king, all creatures cannot see one another and sink in utter darkness if the sun and the moon do not rise, as fishes in shallow water and birds in a safe place dart and move about as they please (for a time) and repeatedly attack and grind one another with force and then are destroyed so men sink in utter darkness and meet with destruction if they have no king to protect them like a herd of cattle without the herdsman to take care of them.

If the king did not observe the duty of protection, the strong would by would by force misappropriate the properties of the weak, and if the latter refuse to surrender to them easily their very lives would be taken,

Nobody then, about any of his belongings would be able to say — This is mine.-Wives, sons, food, and other kinds of property, would cease to exist.

Ruin would befall everything if the king did not observe the duty of protection. Wicked men would by force appropriate the cars, dresses, ornaments, precious stones and other kinds of property belonging to others, if the king did not protect.

In the absence of protection by the king, various kinds of weapons would fall upon righteous persons and unrighteousness would prevail everywhere.

In the absence of king's protection men would disobey or even injure their very parents if aged, their very preceptors, guests and elders.

If the king did not protect, all persons possessing wealth would have to meet with death, imprisonment and persecution and the very idea of property would be lost.

If the king did not protect, everything would be destroyed untimely and every part of the country would be laid waste by robbers, and everybody would fall into dreadful hell.

If the king did not protect, all restrictions about marriage and intercourse would disappear; all matters of agriculture and trade would fall into confusion; morality and the three Vedas would disappear.

Sacrifices, duly finished with presents according to the ordinance, would no longer be celebrated and no marriage would take place; society itself would cease to exist, if the king did not observe the duty of protection.

The bulls would not know cows and milk jars would not be churned, and men living by rearing kine would be ruined, if the king did not exercise the duty of protection.

In the absence of king's protection, all things, filled with fear and anxiety and becoming senseless and uttering cries of misery would be ruined in no time.

No sacrifices extending for a year and finished with presents according to the ordinance would take place if the king did not observe the duty of protection.

In the absence of king's protection Brahmanas would never study the four Vedas or practise austerities or be purified by knowledge and rigid vows.

In the absence of king's protection the destroyer of a person guilty of Brahmanicide would not get any reward; rather the person. Guilty of Brahmanicide, would would not be punished. an

In the absence of king's protection, men would take away other people's wealth from their very hands, and all healthy restrictions would be abolished, and everybody, stricken with, fear would seek safety in flight.

In the absence of king's protection, all kinds of injustice would commence; intermixture of castes would occur; and famine would devastate the kingdom.

Again by virtue of royal protection, men can everywhere sleep fearlessly at their ease without shutting their houses and doors with bolts and bars.

Nobody would stand the evil words of others far less assaults, if the king did not righteously protect the Earth.

If the king observes the duty of protection, women adorned with ornaments may fearlessly walk about everywhere without male relatives to guard them.

Men become righteous and without injuring serve one another because the king observes the duty of protection.

By virtue of royal protection the members of the three castes can celebrate high sacrifices and engage themselves in the acquisition of learning with attention.

The world depends upon agriculture and trade and is protected by the Vedas. All these again are duly protected by the king exercising his principal duty.

Since the king, taking a heavy burden upon himself, protects his subjects with the help of a mighty force, it is therefore that the people are able to live in happiness.

Who is there who will not worship him on whose existence depends the existence of the people and by whose destruction the people are destroyed?

That person who does what is agreeable and beneficial to the king and who participates in the burden of kingly duties which fill every caste with fear, conquers both this and the other world.

That man who even thinks of injuring the king, forsooth meets with grief here and goes to hell hereafter.

No one should obey the king by taking him for a man, for he is in sooth a great god in human form.

The king puts on five different forms according to five different occasions. He energy the becomes Agni, Aditya, Mrityu, Vaishravana, and Yama.

When the king, imposed on by falsehood, consumes with his dreadful offenders before him, he is said to put on the form of Agni.

When he marks through his spies the acts of all persons and does what is for the general behoof, he is said to put on the form of Aditya.

When he kills in anger hundreds of wicked men with their sons, grandsons, and relatives, he is then said to put on the form of the Destroyer.

When he suppresses the the wicked by punishing them severely and favours the righteous by giving them rewards, he is then said to put on the form of Yama.

When he pleases with profuse gifts of riches those who have done him valuable services, and takes away the riches and precious stones of those who have offended him, indeed, when he confers wealth upon some and takes it away from others, he is then, O king, said to put on the form of Kubera on Earth.

No person which is clever, who is capable of work, who wishes to acquire virtue, and who is shorn of malice, should ever spread evil reports about the king. No person, by acting against the king, can ever make himself happy, even if he be the king's son or brother or companion or one whom the king considers as his second self. Fire, increased by the wind, blazing forth, may leave a residue.

The anger of the king, however, leaves not anything to the person who happens to incur it. Everything that belongs to the king should be avoided from a distance.

One should turn away from the king's property as he would from death itself. A person, by taking what belongs to the king, soon meets with destruction like a deer upon touching poison.

An intelligent man should protect as his own what belongs to the king.

Those, who take wealth belonging to the king, sink senseless into a deep hell of eternal darkness and infamy.

Who is there who will not adore the king who is described by terms,–'delighter of the people,' 'bestower of happiness, possessor of prosperity, the best of all, healer of injuries, master of Earth,' and protector of men?

That man, therefore, who seeks his own prosperity, who satisfies all healthy restraints, who has his soul under control, who has subdued his passions, who is gifted with intelligence and memory, and who is a clever (business man), should always be attached to the king.

The king should duly honour the minister who is grateful, wise, large-hearted loyal, a master of his senses, virtuous, and observant of the dictates of policy.

The king should entertain the man who is loyal, grateful, virtuous, self-controlled, brave, noble, and competent to complete works without the help of others.

Knowledge makes men proud. The king makes men humble. The man who is assailed by the king can never enjoy happiness. On the other hand, the man who gets royal favours becomes happy.

The king is the heart of his people; he is their great refuge; he is their glory; and he is their greatest happiness. Those men, O king, who are attached to the king, can conquer both this and the next world.

Having governed the Earth with the help of the qualities of self-control, truth, and friendship, and having worshipped the deities by great sacrifices, the king, acquiring great glory, acquires an eternal abode in heaven.

That best of kings viz., the heroic Vasumanas, king of Koshala, thus instructed by Brihaspati the son of Angiras, began thenceforth to protect his subjects.'