Sacrifice, however, depends upon the king.
In the season of summer, men desire comfort from the shade of trees, cool
water, and cool breezes. In the season of winter they derive comfort from
fire, warm clothes, and the sun. The heart of man may find pleasure in
sound, touch, taste, vision, and scent. The man, however, who is inspired
with fear, finds no pleasure in all these things. That person who dispels
the fears of men obtains great merit. There is no gift so valuable in the
three worlds as the gift of life. The king is Indra. The king is Yama.
The king is Dharma. The king assumes different forms. The king sustains
and supports everything.'"
SECTION LXXIII
"Bhishma said, 'The king, with an eye to both religious merit and profit
whose considerations are often very intricate, should, without delay,
appoint a priest possessed of learning and intimate acquaintance with the
Vedas and the (other) scriptures. Those kings that have priests possessed
of virtuous souls and conversant with policy, and that are themselves
possessed of such attributes, enjoy prosperity in every direction. Both
the priest and the king should have such qualities as are worthy of
regard and should be observant of vows and penances. They would then
succeed in supporting and aggrandising the subjects and the deities, the
Pitris and the children.[231] It is laid down that they should be
possessed of similar hearts and should be each other's friends. In
consequence of such friendship between Brahmana and Kshatriya, the
subjects become happy.
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