“Kanika continued, ‘If your
son, friend, brother, father, or even the Guru, anyone becomes your enemy, you
should, if desirous of prosperity, slay him without hesitation. By curses and
mantras, by gift of wealth, by poison, or by deception, the enemy should be
slain. He should never be neglected from disrespect. If both the parties be
equal and success uncertain, then he that acts with attentiveness grows in
prosperity. If the Guru himself be egoistic, ignorant of what should be done
and what left undone, and immoral in his ways, even he should be punished. If you
are angry, show yourself as if you are not (angry), speaking then
with a smile on your lips. Never criticise any one with indications of anger (in
your speech). O Bharata (Dhritarashtra), speak soft words before you attack and
even while you are attacking! After the attack is over, pity the victim, grieve
for him, and even shed tears. Comforting your enemy by peacemaking, by gift of
wealth, and smooth behaviour, you must attack him when he walks not aright.
“You should equally smile the wicked
offender who lives by the practice of Dharma, for the garment of Dharma simply
covers his offences like black clouds covering the mountains. You should burn
the house of that person whom you punish with death. You should never permit
beggars, atheists and thieves to stay in your kingdom. By a sudden military
charge or pitched battle by poison or by corrupting his allies, by gift of
wealth, by any means in your power, you should destroy your enemy. You may act
with the greatest cruelty. You should make your teeth sharp to give a fatal
bite. You should ever attack so effectually that your enemy may not again raise
his head. You should ever stand in fear of even one from whom there is no fear,
not to speak of him from whom there is such (i.e you should always be alert when engaging with a person
with whom you have no fear; in case, if that person is feared by you, then even
more alertness is required from your end).
For if the first (person) be ever
powerful he may destroy you to the root (for your unpreparedness). You should never trust the faithless,
nor trust too much those that are faithful, for if those in whom you disclose
prove your enemies, you are certain to be destroyed.
“After testing their
faithfulness, you should employ spies in your own kingdom and in the kingdoms
of others. Your spies in foreign kingdoms should be clever deceivers and
persons in the garment of Rishis. Your spies should be placed in gardens,
places of amusement, temples and other holy places, drinking halls, streets,
and with the (eighteen) tirthas (viz., the minister, the chief
priest, the heir-presumptive, the commander-in-chief, the gate-keepers of the
court, persons in the inner apartments, the jailor, the chief surveyor, the
head of the treasury, the general executant of orders, the chief of the town
police, the chief architect, the chief justice, the President of the council,
the chief of the disciplinary department, the commander of the fort, the chief
of the weaponry, the chief of the frontier guards, and the keeper of the
forests), and in places of yagnas, near
wells, on mountains and in rivers, in forests, and in all places where people assemble.
“In speech, you should ever be
humble, but let your heart be ever sharp as razor. When you are engaged in
doing a very cruel and terrible act, you should talk with smile on your lips.
If desirous of prosperity, you should adopt all arts -- humility, oath, peacemaking.
Worshipping the feet of others by lowering your head, inspiring hope, and the
like. A person knowledgeable with the rules of policy is like a tree decked
with flowers but bearing no fruit; or, if bearing fruit, these must be at a
great height not easily attainable from the ground; and if any of these fruits
seem to be ripe care must be taken to make it appear raw. Conducting himself in
such a way, he shall never fade. Dharma, Arthaa and kaamaa have both their evil
and good effects closely tied together. While extracting the effects that are
good, those that are evil should be avoided.
“Those that practise Dharma (constantly)
are made unhappy for want of Arthaa and the neglect of kaamaa. Those again in
pursuit of Arthaa are made unhappy for the neglect of two others. So those who
pursue kaamaa suffer for their inattention to Dharma and Arthaa. Therefore, you
should pursue Dharma, Arthaa and kaamaa, in such a way that you may not have to
suffer from that. With humbleness and attention, without jealousy and concerned
of accomplishing your purpose, you should, in all sincerity, consult with
Brahmanas.
“When you are fallen, you should raise yourself by any means,
gentle or violent; and after you have thus raised yourself you should practise Dharma.
He that has never been pained with calamity can never have prosperity. This may
be seen in the life of one who survives his calamities. He that is pained with
sorrow should be consoled by the recitation of the history of persons of former
times (like those of Nala and Sri Rama).
He whose heart has been removed by sorrow should be consoled with hopes of
future prosperity. He again who is learned and wise should be consoled by
pleasing offices presently given to him. He who, having concluded a treaty with
an enemy, stretches out at ease as if he has nothing more to do, is very like a
person who awakes, fallen down from the top of a tree on which he had slept.
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