A king possessed of patience and without any fault, may, if he
likes, obtain the fruition of all his wishes, with the aid of even a
small force. That king, however, who wishes to be surrounded by a train
of self-seeking flatterers,[358] never succeeds in winning even the
smallest benefit. For these reasons.. the king should act with mildness
in taking wealth from his subjects. If a king continually oppresses his
people, he meets with extinction like a flash of lightening that blazes
forth only for a second. Learning, penances, vast wealth, indeed,
everything, can be earned by exertion. Exertion, as it occurs in embodied
creatures, is governed by intelligence. Exertion, therefore, should be
regarded as the foremost of all things. The human body is the residence
of many intelligent creatures of great energy, of Sakra, of Vishnu, of
Saraswati, and of other beings. A man of knowledge, therefore, should
never disregard the body.[359] A covetous man should be subjugated by
constant gifts. He that is covetous is never satiated with appropriating
other people's wealth. Every one, however, becomes covetous in the matter
of enjoying happiness. If a person, therefore, becomes destitute of
wealth, he becomes destitute of virtue and pleasure (which are objects
attainable by wealth). A covetous man seeks to appropriate the wealth,
the enjoyments, the sons and daughters, and the affluence of others. In
covetous men every kind of fault may be seen. The king, therefore, should
never take a covetous man for his minister or officer.
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