Yudhishthira said Even the most insignificant act, O grandfather, cannot be accomplished by any man without co-operation. What then need be said of the king (who has to govern a kingdom)?

How should the king's minister act and behave? Upon whom should the king place confidence, and upon whom he should not?

Bhishma said Kings, O monarch, have four sorts of friends. They are-one who has the same object, one who is devoted, one who is related by birth, and one who has been won over (by gifts and kindness).

A righteous person, who would serve one and not both sides, is the fifth of the king's friends. Such a person follow that side on which righteousness is, and accordingly acts righteously.

Regarding such a person, the king should never disclose such purpose of his as would not find his sympathy, Kings who wish to attain success are compelled to adopt both kinds of roads, fair and unfair.

Of the four kinds of friends, the second and the third are superior, while the first and the fourth should always be looked upon with suspicion. Regarding those acts, however, which the king should do personally, he should always look with suspicion on all the four.

The king should never act carelessly in watching his friends. A king who is careless is always overpowered by others.

A wicked man puts on the appearance of honesty, and he who is honest becomes otherwise. An enemy may become a friend, and a friend may become an enemy.

A man cannot always be of the same mind. Who is there that would trust him implicitly? All the principal works, therefore, a king should perform in his own presence.

An absolute confidence (in his ministers) destroys both morality and profit. A want of confidence again in all worse is than death.

Over-confidence is premature death. One incurs danger by over-confidence, If one trusts another completely, he is said to live by the favour of the trusted person.

Therefore every one should be trusted as also mistrusted. This rule of policy, O sire, should always be kept in view.

One should always mistrust that person who would upon one's death, obtain one's wealth. The wise men describe such a person to be one's enemy.

From the field of any person the water enters into the other's field, the ridge should not be brocken without owner's wish.

Terrified with the fear of huge quantity of water that might fill up in the field, one who wants to break the ridge, he is said as enemy.

A person whose joy knows no limit upon seeing the advancement of the king and who feels pain upon seeing the king's decay, is one of the best friends of the king.

He who would meet with ruin by your fall, should be trusted by you completely even as you should trust your father. You should, to the best of your power, advance him as you secure advancement for yourself. One who, in even your religious rites, tries to save you from harm, would try to save you from harm in every other transaction. Such a one should be known as your best friend. They, on the other hand, who wish one harm are one's enemies.

That friend is like your own self who is filled with fear when calamity befalls you and with joy when prosperity smiles on you.

A person endued with beauty, fair complexion, sweet voice, liberality, highmindedness, and good birth, cannot be such a friend.

That person who is endued with intelligence and memory, who is smart in transacting business, who is by nature shorn of cruelty, who is never wrathful, and who whether honoured or neglected is never dissatisfied, be he your priest or preceptor or trusted friend, should always receive your adoration if he accepts the office of your counsellor and lives in your palace.

You may communicate to such a person your most secret counsels and the true state of never all your affairs, spiritual or temporal. You may trust him as you may your own father.

One person should be appointed to one work, and not two or three. These may not tolerate each other. It is always seen that several persons, if engaged in one and the same work, disagree with one another.

That person who acquires fame, who observes all restraints, who is never jealous of able and competent persons, who never does any evil act, who renounces righteousness from lust or fear or covetousness or wrath, who is smart in transaction business, and who always speaks wise and weighty words, should be your foremost of ministers.

Well-behaved persons and born in good families, who are liberal and never given to brag, who are brave and respectable, and learned and full of resources, should be appointed as ministers for supervising all your affairs. Respected by you and gratified with riches, they would act for your well-being and be of great help to you.

Appointed of offices of emolument and of other important matters, they will always secure great prosperity.

Actuated by a feeling of healthy rivalry, they satisfy all duties regarding profit, consulting with one another when necessary.

You should fear your kinsmen as you should death itself. A kinsman can never bear a kinsmen's prosperity even as a feudatory chief cannot bear to see the prosperity of his lord.

None but a kinsman feels joy at the destruction of a kinsman endued with sincerity, mildness, liberality, modesty and truthfulness.

They, again, who have no kinsmen, can not be happy. No man is more contemptible than he who has no kinsman. A person who has no kinsman is easily overthrown by enemies.

Kinsmen are the refuge of one who is attacked by others, for kinsmen can never bear to see a kinsman assailed by other people.

When a kinsman is persecuted by even his friends, every kinsman of his considers the injury to be inflicted upon himself. In kinsmen, therefore, there both merits and shortcomings. A person having no kinsmen never shows favours to any one nor humbles himself to any one. In kinsmen, therefore, both mcrit and demerit are seen.

One should, for this reason, always honour and adore his kinsmen in words and deeds, and are do what pleases them without injuring them at any time.

Though one may mistrust them at heart, he should behave towards them as if he trusted them completely. Thinking of their nature, it seems that they have neither demerits nor merits.

A person who carefully conducts himself in this way finds his every enemies shorn of hostility and converted into friends.

One who always conducts himself in this way with his kinsmen and relatives and treats thus his friends and enemies, succeeds in acquiring everlasting fame.'