' For inspiring confidence among all
classes of the people, they made such a compact and lived for some time.
Assembling after some time they proceeded in affliction to the Grandsire,
saying, 'Without a king, O divine lord, we are going to destruction.
Appoint some one as our king. All of us shall worship him and he shall
protect us.' Thus solicited, the Grandsire asked Manu. Manu, however, did
not assent to the proposal.
"Manu said, 'I fear all sinful acts. To govern a kingdom is exceedingly
difficult, especially among men who are always false and deceitful in
their behaviour.'
"Bhishma continued, 'The inhabitants of the earth then said unto him, 'Do
not fear. The sins that men commit will touch those only that commit them
(without staining thee in the least). For the increase of thy treasury,
we will give thee a fiftieth part of our animals and precious metals and
a tenth part of our grain. When our maidens also will become desirous of
wedding, we shall, when the question comes up, give thee the most
beautiful ones among them. Those amongst men who will become the foremost
of all in the use of weapons and in riding animals and driving vehicles,
shall proceed behind thee like the deities behind Indra. With thy
strength enhanced in this way, and becoming invincible and possessed of
great prowess, thou wilt be our king and protect us happily like Kuvera
protecting the Yakshas and the Rakshasas. A fourth part of the merit
which men will earn under thy protection will be thine.
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