"The Rishi said, 'The king should always stay with the rod of
chastisement uplifted in his hand. He should always display his prowess.
Himself without laches, he should mark the laches of his foes. Indeed,
his eyes should ever be used for that purpose. At the sight of a king who
has the rod of chastisement ever uplifted in his hand, every one is
struck with fear. For this reason, the king should rule all creatures
with the rod of chastisement. Men possessed of learning and knowledge of
truth applaud Chastisement. Hence, of the four requisites of rule, viz.,
Conciliation, Gift, Disunion, and Chastisement, Chastisement is said to
be the foremost. When the foundation of that which serves for a refuge is
cut away, all the refugees perish. When the roots of a tree are cut away,
how would the branches live? A king possessed of wisdom should cut away
the very roots of his foe. He should then win over and bring under his
sway the allies and partisans of that foe. When calamities overtake the
king, he should without losing time, counsel wisely, display his prowess
properly, fight with ability, and even retreat with wisdom. In speech
only should the king exhibit his humility, but at heart he should be
sharp as a razor. He should cast off lust and wrath, and speak sweetly
and mildly. When the occasion comes for intercourse with an enemy, a king
possessed of foresight should make peace, without reposing blind trust on
him. When the business is over, he should quickly turn away from the new
ally.
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