'
"Bhishma said, 'The Vedas declare that the king is the lord of the wealth
that belongs to all persons except Brahmanas, as also of those Brahmanas
that are not observant of their proper duties. The king should not spare
those Brahmanas that are not observant of their duties. The righteous say
that this is the ancient custom of kings. That king, O monarch, in whose
dominion a Brahmana becomes a thief, is regarded to be the author of that
misdeed. It is the king that becomes sinful on that account. In
consequence of such a circumstance, kings regard themselves to be worthy
of reproach. All righteous kings, therefore, provide Brahmanas with the
means of support. In this connection is cited the old narrative of the
speech made by the king of the Kaikeyas unto a Rakshasa while the latter
was about to abduct him away. Of rigid vows and possessed of Vedic lore,
the king of the Kaikeyas, O monarch, while living in the woods, was
forcibly seized on a certain occasion by a Rakshasa.'
"The king said, 'There is no thief in my territories, nor any person of
wicked behaviour, nor any one that drinks alcohol. There is no one in my
dominions who has not his sacred fire or who does not perform sacrifices.
How then hast thou been able to possess my heart? There is no Brahmana in
my dominions who is not possessed of learning or who is not observant of
vows or who has not drunk Soma. There is no one who has not his sacred
fire or who does not perform sacrifices.
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