That king truly
deserves to rule who honours knowledge, who is devoted to the scriptures
and the good of his people, who treads in the path of the righteous, and
who is liberal. That king deserves to rule, whose spies and counsels and
acts, accomplished and unaccomplished, remain unknown to his enemies. The
following verse was sung in days of old by Usanas of Bhrigu's race, in
the narrative called Ramacharita, on the subject, O Bharata, of kingly
duties: 'One should first select a king (in whose dominions to live).
Then should he select a wife, and then earn wealth. If there be no king,
what would become of his wife and acquisition'?' Regarding those that are
desirous of kingdom, there is no other eternal duty more obligatory than
the protection (of subjects). The protection the king grants to his
subjects upholds the world.[167] Manu, the son of Prachetas, sang these
two verses respecting the duties of kings. Listen to them with attention:
'These six persons should be avoided like a leaky boat on the sea, viz.,
a preceptor that does not speak, a priest that has not studied the
scriptures, a king that does not grant protection, a wife that utters
what is disagreeable, a cow-herd that likes to rove within the village,
and a barber that is desirous of going to the woods.'"[168]
SECTION LVIII
"Bhishma said, 'Protection of the subject, O Yudhishthira, is the very
cheese of kingly duties. The divine Vrihaspati does not applaud any other
duty (so much as this one).
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