MILITARY ADMINISTRATION OF A COUNTRY

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA - SABHA PARVA - LOKAPALA SABHAKHAYANA (UPA) PARVA - CHAPTER 5(C) - MILITARY ADMINISTRATION OF A COUNTRY

“(Deva Rishi) Narada continued, ‘O slayer of all enemies (Yudhishthira), do you watch all your enemies with care and attention, and unknown to them?

“Is the Purohita you honour, possessed of humility, purity of blood, fame, and without jealousy and illiberality?

“Has any well-behaved, intelligent, and guileless Brahmana, well-up in the Shaastraas, been employed by you in the performance of your daily rites before the sacred fire, and does he remind you in proper time as to when your homa should be performed?

“Is the astrologer (Jyotisha in Sanskrit), you have employed skilled in reading facial characteristics, capable of interpreting omens, and competent to neutralise the effect of the disturbances of nature?

“Have respectable servants been employed by you in offices that are respectable, indifferent ones in indifferent offices, and low ones in offices that are low (meaning have you appointed employees based on their merit and based the job requisite)?

“Have you appointed high offices to ministers that are honest and of well conduct for generations and above the common run?

“Do you not oppress your people with cruel and severe punishment?

“O bull of the Bharata race (Yudhishthira), do your ministers rule your kingdom under your orders?

“Do your ministers ever ignore you like yagna priests ignoring men that are fallen (and incapable of performing any more yagnas) or like wives ignoring husbands that are proud and uncontrolled in their behaviour?

“Is the commander of your forces (Senapati in Sanskrit) possessed of sufficient confidence, brave, intelligent, patient, well-conducted, of good birth, devoted to you, and capable?

“Do you treat with consideration and regard the chief officers of your army that are skilled in every kind of welfare, are forward, well-behaved, and filled with prowess?

“Do you give to your troops their sanctioned rations and pay in the appointed time? Do you not oppress them by withholding these?

“Do you know that the misery caused by arrears of pay and irregularity in the distribution of rations drives the troops to mutiny, and that is called by the learned to be one of the greatest of mischiefs?

“Are all the principal high-born men devoted to you, and ready with cheerfulness to lay down their lives in battle for your sake?

“I hope no single individual of passions uncontrolled is ever permitted by you to rule as he likes a number of concerns at the same time appertaining to the army?

“Is any servant of yours, who has accomplished well a particular business by the employment of special ability, disappointed in obtaining from you a little more regard, and an increase of food and pay (meaning is there anyone who despite having shown performance exceeding normal, has not received appreciation from you and haven’t seen any incentive)?

“I hope you reward persons of learning and humility, and skill in every kind of knowledge with gifts of wealth and honour in accordance to their qualifications.

“O bull in the Bharata race (Yudhishthira), do you support the wives and children of men that have given their lives for you and have been distressed on your account?

“O Paarthaa (Yudhishthira), do you cherish with paternal affection the enemy that has been weakened, or him also that has sought your shelter, having been vanquished in battle?

“O lord of Earth (Yudhishthira), are you equal to all men, and can every one approach you without fear, as if you were their mother and father?

“O bull of the Bharata race (Yudhishthira), do you march, without loss of time, and thinking well upon three kinds of forces, against your enemies when you hear that he is in distress?

“O subjugator of all enemies (Yudhishthira), do you begin your march when the time comes, having taken into consideration all the omens you might see, the resolutions you have made, and that the ultimate victory depends upon the twelve mandalaas (such as reserves, ambuscades, payment of pay to the troops in advance, etc.)?